KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a December shooting on a KCATA bus and asking for help to identify a suspect.

Just after 5p.m. December 30, a suspect fired a gun inside the bus&nbsp;in the area of 43rd Street and Prospect Avenue, according to Police Captain Leslie Foreman.&nbsp; The suspect may frequent the 45th Street corridor between Garfield Ave and Prospect Avenue.

Anyone with information should call police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673995041874.png" alt="photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a December shooting on a KCATA bus and asking for help to identify a suspect.Just after 5p.m. December 30, a suspect fired a gun inside the bus&nbsp;in the area of 43rd Street and Prospect Avenue, according to Police Captain Leslie Foreman.&nbsp; The suspect may frequent the 45th Street corridor between Garfield Ave and Prospect Avenue.Anyone with information should call police.

Police work to ID suspect in Kansas City bus shooting

RENO COUNTY—Authorities investigating a fatal weekend fire in Reno County have identified the victims as 75-year-old John M. Schaffter and his 74-year old wife, Sally A. Schaffter, according to&nbsp;Reno County Fire Administrator Travis Vogt.

Just before 10p.m.&nbsp; Saturday, fire crews were dispatched to a house fire in the 200 block of north Broadway Street in Arlington, according to a release from Reno County Fire Administrator Travis Vogt.

When they arrived, fire crews were told of two possible occupants that were still in the house. Firefighters encountered heavy fire with the fire venting through the roof before they got there.

Crews made entry into the home and located the two occupants and were able to remove them. Lifesaving efforts were made, however both occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene.

The fire was brought under control around 1 a.m. Sunday. The Office of the State Fire Marshal said the cause of the fire is still undetermined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673838091073.png" alt="-Fatal weekend house fire photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-Fatal weekend house fire photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY—Authorities investigating a fatal weekend fire in Reno County have identified the victims as 75-year-old John M. Schaffter and his 74-year old wife, Sally A. Schaffter, according to&nbsp;Reno County Fire Administrator Travis Vogt.Just before 10p.m.&nbsp; Saturday, fire crews were dispatched to a house fire in the 200 block of north Broadway Street in Arlington, according to a release from Reno County Fire Administrator Travis Vogt.When they arrived, fire crews were told of two possible occupants that were still in the house. Firefighters encountered heavy fire with the fire venting through the roof before they got there.Crews made entry into the home and located the two occupants and were able to remove them. Lifesaving efforts were made, however both occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene.The fire was brought under control around 1 a.m. Sunday. The Office of the State Fire Marshal said the cause of the fire is still undetermined.

Kansas couple who died in house fire identified

CADDO COUNTY —The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) reported late Tuesday they had recovered the remains of a child in rural Grady County outside of Rush Springs. 

The OSBI cannot confirm the remains are those of Athena Brownfield. The remains will be transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Oklahoma City for positive identification.&nbsp; ---------

CADDO COUNTY (AP) —A missing 4-year-old Oklahoma girl was beaten to death Christmas night by her caregiver, then buried, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Athena Brownfield has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-1b331093878a39b70fccfdc6ba2e47dc">missing since Jan. 10</a>&nbsp;when a postal carrier discovered her 5-year-old sister alone outside the home the girls shared with the caregivers, Ivon Adams and Alysia Adams, in Cyril, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

The search for the child became a “recovery operation,” the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c6baaf1245977474295d62f7fab0fe39">Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said</a>&nbsp;Monday.

Ivon Adams, 36,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-oklahoma-e98c18aec68a194338b304a7c494a0a6">was arrested in Arizona on murder</a>&nbsp;and child neglect charges and awaits extradition. Alysia Adams, 31,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/60a003ec522769df2ae2b962bfa42db1">is jailed in Oklahoma</a>&nbsp;on child neglect charges.

An affidavit says Alysia Adams told investigators that her husband beat the child at about midnight Dec. 25.

Athena “was not moving and her eyes were barely open” Alysia Adams said, according to the affidavit by OSBI Lt. Brenna Alvarez. Ivon Adams “then laid her on the ground and punched her at least three more times in the chest” and the child “never moved after that.”

Ivon Adams left the home with Athena at about 1 a.m. Dec. 26 and later returned, saying he buried her body on land the Adams once owned close to the nearby town of Rush Springs, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Cyril, marking the site with “a large broken branch.”

Ivon Adams has waived extradition in Oklahoma and remains jailed in Maricopa County, Arizona, pending extradition.

“I want to get there and take care of it,” Adams told a judge during a hearing Friday in Maricopa County court. “I need to get there and fight this.”

Court documents do not list attorneys who could speak on the behalf of either of the Adams.

Brandon Bryant, who said he and his wife were once neighbors of the Adams, said Tuesday that he had little interaction with the couple, but saw nothing unusual from them.

“Didn’t see anything out of the normal. We talked to Alysia a few times, Ivon never,” Bryant said. “We never went into their house, Alysia came over to our house a few times ... we gave her a car seat.”

Bryant, whose children are 5 and 10 years old, said he still considers Cyril, with a population of about 800, a safe place.

“Its a small town, it’s probably one of the few places on earth I would consider leaving my doors unlocked at night ... it’s still a good place to live,” Bryant said.

The OSBI has said the girls and the Adams’ are related and the affidavit said that the children’s biological mother had left them with the couple 1 1/2 to 2 years ago with the girls calling Alysia “mom” or “Aly” and Ivon “dad” or “Uncle Ivon.”

The children’s biological mother and father are cooperating with investigators, according to the OSBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673643845430.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CADDO COUNTY —The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) reported late Tuesday they had recovered the remains of a child in rural Grady County outside of Rush Springs. The OSBI cannot confirm the remains are those of Athena Brownfield. The remains will be transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Oklahoma City for positive identification.&nbsp; ---------CADDO COUNTY (AP) —A missing 4-year-old Oklahoma girl was beaten to death Christmas night by her caregiver, then buried, according to court documents released Tuesday.Athena Brownfield has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-1b331093878a39b70fccfdc6ba2e47dc">missing since Jan. 10</a>&nbsp;when a postal carrier discovered her 5-year-old sister alone outside the home the girls shared with the caregivers, Ivon Adams and Alysia Adams, in Cyril, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.The search for the child became a “recovery operation,” the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c6baaf1245977474295d62f7fab0fe39">Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said</a>&nbsp;Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673636085787.png" alt="Adams-photo Maricopa Co." />
 <figcaption>Adams-photo Maricopa Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Ivon Adams, 36,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-oklahoma-e98c18aec68a194338b304a7c494a0a6">was arrested in Arizona on murder</a>&nbsp;and child neglect charges and awaits extradition. Alysia Adams, 31,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/60a003ec522769df2ae2b962bfa42db1">is jailed in Oklahoma</a>&nbsp;on child neglect charges.An affidavit says Alysia Adams told investigators that her husband beat the child at about midnight Dec. 25.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673617381405.png" alt="Alysia Adams-photo Caddo Co." />
 <figcaption>Alysia Adams-photo Caddo Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Athena “was not moving and her eyes were barely open” Alysia Adams said, according to the affidavit by OSBI Lt. Brenna Alvarez. Ivon Adams “then laid her on the ground and punched her at least three more times in the chest” and the child “never moved after that.”Ivon Adams left the home with Athena at about 1 a.m. Dec. 26 and later returned, saying he buried her body on land the Adams once owned close to the nearby town of Rush Springs, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Cyril, marking the site with “a large broken branch.”Ivon Adams has waived extradition in Oklahoma and remains jailed in Maricopa County, Arizona, pending extradition.“I want to get there and take care of it,” Adams told a judge during a hearing Friday in Maricopa County court. “I need to get there and fight this.”Court documents do not list attorneys who could speak on the behalf of either of the Adams.Brandon Bryant, who said he and his wife were once neighbors of the Adams, said Tuesday that he had little interaction with the couple, but saw nothing unusual from them.“Didn’t see anything out of the normal. We talked to Alysia a few times, Ivon never,” Bryant said. “We never went into their house, Alysia came over to our house a few times ... we gave her a car seat.”Bryant, whose children are 5 and 10 years old, said he still considers Cyril, with a population of about 800, a safe place.“Its a small town, it’s probably one of the few places on earth I would consider leaving my doors unlocked at night ... it’s still a good place to live,” Bryant said.The OSBI has said the girls and the Adams’ are related and the affidavit said that the children’s biological mother had left them with the couple 1 1/2 to 2 years ago with the girls calling Alysia “mom” or “Aly” and Ivon “dad” or “Uncle Ivon.”The children’s biological mother and father are cooperating with investigators, according to the OSBI.

Affidavit: Missing 4-year-old girl beaten to death, buried

NEW YORK (AP) — Some are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/libraries-american-library-association-book-banning-af7c9f312266b572c3dc189b1d109de4">fighting local efforts to censor books,</a>&nbsp;while others are focused on cultural programs, education&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">about Ukraine</a>&nbsp;or helping people buy groceries: These are this year's winners of the I Love My Librarian Award.

Based everywhere from Manhattan, Kansas and New York City to Carencro, Louisiana, the winners share a common desire to work closely with their patrons.

“Even in these unprecedented times and as our nation’s library workers face historic levels of intimidation and harassment due to an ongoing wave of book censorship, librarians continue to empower their patrons, teach critical literacy skills, promote inclusion in their space and collections, and provide vital services for their communities,” American Library Association President Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada said in a statement Tuesday.

Each of the 10 honorees will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a $750 travel stipend to attend the library association's LibLearnX event later this month in New Orleans. The awards are based on nominations from library users around the country and made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and support from the New York Public Library.

Winners include&nbsp;<a href="https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/tara-coleman/">Tara Coleman</a>,<a href="https://lib.k-state.edu/about/our-people/tara-coleman/">&nbsp;based at Kansas State University</a>&nbsp;in Manhattan, Kansas. She led a<a href="https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/tara-coleman/">&nbsp;campuswide common</a>&nbsp;reading program. Kathryn Blackmer Reyes of the San Jose State University library in San Jose, California, cited for how she promoted untold stories by Asian Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics among others. At the Highlands County Library System in Sebring, Florida, Vikki Brown successfully pressed for a grant to set up a mobile library for the rural population.

Cara Chance of the Lafayette Public Library, in Carencro, Louisiana, has battled efforts by the library's Board of Control to restricts books with LGBTQ themes and David Ettinger, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., who is working with students on their research skills.

At Childs Elementary School, in Bloomington, Indiana, Julie Marie Frye is helping kids learn more about Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion. Lauren Ginsberg-DeVilbiss, of the Wright Brothers School in New York City, is helping students grow a community garden. Students at Christ Church Episcopal School, in Greenville, South Carolina, are receiving help from librarian Jamie Gregory in learning about censorship and the meaning of intellectual freedom.

Roseanna Gulisano, at Highbridge School in New York City, has worked to raise money for more books for students who can't afford to buy them, along with funds to buy food and clothing. At the Evanston Public Library in Evanston, Illinois, Elacsha Madison has focused on teen programs in marginalized communities.

The awards were established in 2008. This year, judges at the library association chose the winners from more than 1,500 nominations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673982561503.png" alt="Tara is the Program Services Coordinator for the Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab and the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies. She also serves as a university ombudsperson and is the coordinator for the university’s common reading program, the K-State First Book-photo courtesy K-State" />
 <figcaption>Tara is the Program Services Coordinator for the Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab and the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies. She also serves as a university ombudsperson and is the coordinator for the university’s common reading program, the K-State First Book-photo courtesy K-State</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Some are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/libraries-american-library-association-book-banning-af7c9f312266b572c3dc189b1d109de4">fighting local efforts to censor books,</a>&nbsp;while others are focused on cultural programs, education&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">about Ukraine</a>&nbsp;or helping people buy groceries: These are this year's winners of the I Love My Librarian Award.Based everywhere from Manhattan, Kansas and New York City to Carencro, Louisiana, the winners share a common desire to work closely with their patrons.“Even in these unprecedented times and as our nation’s library workers face historic levels of intimidation and harassment due to an ongoing wave of book censorship, librarians continue to empower their patrons, teach critical literacy skills, promote inclusion in their space and collections, and provide vital services for their communities,” American Library Association President Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada said in a statement Tuesday.Each of the 10 honorees will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a $750 travel stipend to attend the library association's LibLearnX event later this month in New Orleans. The awards are based on nominations from library users around the country and made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and support from the New York Public Library.Winners include&nbsp;<a href="https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/tara-coleman/">Tara Coleman</a>,<a href="https://lib.k-state.edu/about/our-people/tara-coleman/">&nbsp;based at Kansas State University</a>&nbsp;in Manhattan, Kansas. She led a<a href="https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/tara-coleman/">&nbsp;campuswide common</a>&nbsp;reading program. Kathryn Blackmer Reyes of the San Jose State University library in San Jose, California, cited for how she promoted untold stories by Asian Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics among others. At the Highlands County Library System in Sebring, Florida, Vikki Brown successfully pressed for a grant to set up a mobile library for the rural population.Cara Chance of the Lafayette Public Library, in Carencro, Louisiana, has battled efforts by the library's Board of Control to restricts books with LGBTQ themes and David Ettinger, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., who is working with students on their research skills.At Childs Elementary School, in Bloomington, Indiana, Julie Marie Frye is helping kids learn more about Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion. Lauren Ginsberg-DeVilbiss, of the Wright Brothers School in New York City, is helping students grow a community garden. Students at Christ Church Episcopal School, in Greenville, South Carolina, are receiving help from librarian Jamie Gregory in learning about censorship and the meaning of intellectual freedom.Roseanna Gulisano, at Highbridge School in New York City, has worked to raise money for more books for students who can't afford to buy them, along with funds to buy food and clothing. At the Evanston Public Library in Evanston, Illinois, Elacsha Madison has focused on teen programs in marginalized communities.The awards were established in 2008. This year, judges at the library association chose the winners from more than 1,500 nominations.

K-State librarian earns national I Love My Librarian award

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/unmc-official-predicts-next-two-months-will-be-real-ugly-due-to-new-super-kraken-covid-19-variant/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN, Neb. — Infectious disease 
authority Dr. James Lawler is predicting a couple of “real ugly” months 
ahead due to the arrival of a new, more transmissible, more 
immunity-evasive variant of COVID-19.

In a <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/u8lmzXFSkNw">YouTube video</a>
 posted last week, Lawler said the new XBB. 1.5 COVID variant is already
 causing jumps in hospitalization rates in the New England states and is
 destined to become the dominant variant in the U.S.

“Its ability to spread in populations
 is dramatically higher than anything we’ve seen recently,” said Lawler,
 of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska 
Medical Center.&nbsp;

“That is really concerning,” he said.

Since COVID-19 arrived in the U.S. in spring 2020, it has mutated 
several times, and the latest variant, Lawler said, has shown to be more
 highly transmissible and to better evade immunity from prior infections and vaccinations.&nbsp;

Lawler dubbed the new XBB. 1.5 variant “Super Kraken” because of the concerns it generates.&nbsp;

Already, more than 40% of cases in the U.S. are linked to the Super 
Kraken, he said. But, it accounts for 75% of cases in the New England 
states, where hospitalization rates are spiking.

While the number of reported cases of COVID remains relatively low in
 Nebraska, Lawler said those statistics are really “bunk” because few 
people are getting tested and home tests aren’t being reported.

“The reality is, people don’t want to know anymore if they have COVID,” he said.

Lawler compared what’s ahead to the sharp increase in infections a year ago caused by the Omicron variant.

He said&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/15/nebraska-infectious-disease-authority-predicts-rough-fall-ahead-living-with-covid/">Americans are less prepared now</a> to take on a new wave of COVID infections, however, because fewer people have updated their vaccinations in the past year.

Most of the hospitalizations involving the new variant are among 
people 70 years and older, and he expects the death rate to rise in that
 age group.

Lawler recommended that people update their vaccinations, particularly those who haven’t gotten a shot in the past year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673983488827.png" alt="Dr. James Lawler, co-executive director of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, with an illustration of the SARS Coronavirus. (Kent Sievers/UNMC)" />
 <figcaption>Dr. James Lawler, co-executive director of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, with an illustration of the SARS Coronavirus. (Kent Sievers/UNMC)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/unmc-official-predicts-next-two-months-will-be-real-ugly-due-to-new-super-kraken-covid-19-variant/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN, Neb. — Infectious disease 
authority Dr. James Lawler is predicting a couple of “real ugly” months 
ahead due to the arrival of a new, more transmissible, more 
immunity-evasive variant of COVID-19.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/u8lmzXFSkNw">YouTube video</a>
 posted last week, Lawler said the new XBB. 1.5 COVID variant is already
 causing jumps in hospitalization rates in the New England states and is
 destined to become the dominant variant in the U.S.“Its ability to spread in populations
 is dramatically higher than anything we’ve seen recently,” said Lawler,
 of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska 
Medical Center.&nbsp;“That is really concerning,” he said.Since COVID-19 arrived in the U.S. in spring 2020, it has mutated 
several times, and the latest variant, Lawler said, has shown to be more
 highly transmissible and to better evade immunity from prior infections and vaccinations.&nbsp;Lawler dubbed the new XBB. 1.5 variant “Super Kraken” because of the concerns it generates.&nbsp;Already, more than 40% of cases in the U.S. are linked to the Super 
Kraken, he said. But, it accounts for 75% of cases in the New England 
states, where hospitalization rates are spiking.While the number of reported cases of COVID remains relatively low in
 Nebraska, Lawler said those statistics are really “bunk” because few 
people are getting tested and home tests aren’t being reported.“The reality is, people don’t want to know anymore if they have COVID,” he said.Lawler compared what’s ahead to the sharp increase in infections a year ago caused by the Omicron variant.He said&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/15/nebraska-infectious-disease-authority-predicts-rough-fall-ahead-living-with-covid/">Americans are less prepared now</a> to take on a new wave of COVID infections, however, because fewer people have updated their vaccinations in the past year.Most of the hospitalizations involving the new variant are among 
people 70 years and older, and he expects the death rate to rise in that
 age group.Lawler recommended that people update their vaccinations, particularly those who haven’t gotten a shot in the past year.

Doc: Next two months ‘ugly’ due to ‘Super Kraken’ COVID variant

By SAMANTHA HORTON <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2023-01-17/kansas-is-a-rare-state-without-a-long-covid-clinic-leaving-some-patients-far-from-specialists">Kansas News Service</a>

It’s been over two years since Barry Guyer came down with COVID-19.

“(I)
 was just out in the harvest field. I just got feeling terrible,” said 
Guyer, who farms near Goodland in northwest Kansas. “I got home that one
 night I said, ‘I think I've got this stuff.’”

Guyer was admitted 
into the hospital for a week. It would be about a month before he was 
back out on the farm. It took nine months for his sense of taste and 
smell to come back. He’s still waiting for his stamina to return.

“I'm
 climbing grain bins and moving augers and stuff around today by myself 
here,” he said. “It just takes all your breath away doing all that and 
then you just have to stop and wait for a little bit to get caught back 
up.”

Long COVID, the often-baffling aftereffects that trouble the 
body for months or years after acute symptoms pass, likely haunts close 
to 200,000 people in Kansas. But Kansas is one of just two states 
without a medical center specializing in treatment of the condition.

That
 leaves people like Guyer hours away from specialists with the expertise
 to battle the brain fog and breathing ailments that stay after the 
COVID wanes. And even people who live close to Kansas City and places in
 neighboring states with teams of specialists can wait months for an 
appointment.

The clinics formed across the country, typically in 
hospitals. They combine a range of expertise for treating long COVID. 
But they’re clustered, predictably, in urban areas. And though nearly 
every state has at least one, Kansas and South Dakota have none.

While
 hospitals and medical centers might have pulmonologists or 
cardiologists to treat long-COVID symptoms, the special centers designed
 to treat it can give patients more comprehensive care.

“A 
specialized center can take a comprehensive and kind of 50,000-foot view
 of the patient,” said Dr. William Michael Brode, who works in a long 
COVID clinic at the Dell Medical School in Texas. “So you’re not kind of
 wandering doctor to doctor.”

Survivor Corps, an organization that
 tries to help people with long COVID, says there are about 240 centers 
scattered across the country focused on long COVID. Most of them are 
listed as long-term recovery centers.

“Those places aim to be kind
 of one-stop shops where you can go and get treatment from multiple 
specialists,” said Survivor Corps spokeswoman Kathryn Burke.

The wait time can stretch out for months. Yet Brode said people appear willing to wait and travel for the specialized help.

“We
 have patients coming from the (U.S.-Mexico) border who have traveled 
five hours to come see us,” said Brode. “I think eight hours is our 
record, which shows that people are seeking out this care and willing to
 put in the time to get the care they need.”

For someone like Guyer, the closest one-stop clinic would be in 
Denver — roughly a three-hour drive. Burke said local clinics and 
hospitals typically can’t afford to set up their own long COVID clinics.

“It
 is hard for people in more rural locations, less wealthy locations, to 
be able to access long COVID care simply because … the medical clinics 
and medical centers around them simply may not have the funding or the 
staffing to dedicate time and money towards long COVID clinics,” Burke 
said.

She would like to see more federal funding to help more rural hospitals offer long COVID clinics.

“The
 federal government stepping in and having those clinics and centers 
established in more rural regions,” Burke said, “is really crucial.”

But even in urban areas with long COVID clinics, wait times can be maddening.

Kansas
 had a virtual long COVID clinic during the height of the pandemic. The 
University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas, opened the 
online clinic to existing KU patients at the beginning of 2021 and then 
opened it up to the public a few months later.

Debbie Hamilton was
 referred to KU’s long COVID clinic, but she was told she would have to 
wait three months after having COVID for an appointment.

“I had such high hopes and … just felt like I had literally taken a beating whenever they told me that,” she said.

Hamilton
 had COVID in 2021 and never fully recovered. She described her 
cognitive issues that made it difficult to drive, take a shower and be 
in a room with other people including her own family. Dealing with her 
symptoms and having to constantly advocate for her medical treatment 
took a mental toll.

“It’s awful,” she said. “Feeling like failure;
 feeling like you can’t function; feeling … not even smart anymore. 
Feeling like the doctors just think that you’re crazy.”

Even 
though she’s a nurse, Hamilton struggled to navigate through doctors and
 appointments. One doctor told her that they “didn’t do COVID.”

“Why
 is that an option to say?” Hamilton said. “These patients are having so
 many more things. It’s causing autoimmune problems. It’s causing heart 
problems. It’s causing breathing problems.”

It took about a year 
for Hamilton to recover enough to return to work. She believes the 
clinic also is a way to just acknowledge that long COVID is real and to 
give people a place to feel validated.

“There needs to be a clinic, because I think it’s very much more widespread than anybody thinks,” Hamilton said.

While Kansas has no long COVID clinics, Missouri has five. Two in Kansas City, two in St. Louis, and one in Columbia.

Dr.
 Zachary Holliday works at the Missouri University Health Care’s 
Columbia clinic. In one room, a bike and treadmill sit nestled next to 
each other and close to a machine that patients blow into to test 
breathing capacity.

“It measures lung function and what that boils down to is how much air can someone get in and out and how fast,” he said.

The clinic is only open one Thursday a month. That limits how many people it can treat.

“We
 try to do our best to get folks in as fast as possible,” said Holliday.
 “And if they can’t see us in the long COVID clinic, what we’ve tried to
 do is actually get them still access to the pulmonary clinic.”

He said demand could be even greater because many people don’t even know about the clinic.

Guyer,
 the northwest Kansas farmer dealing with long COVID, only recently 
learned such clinics exist with expertise to treat his problems. He said
 he would consider driving to Denver — to the closest long COVID clinic —
 if he could time it with other appointments. At the same time, he’s 
become resigned to his damaged health.

“I don’t think that’s ever 
going to change,” said Guyer. “I think it’s just gonna be a part of life
 like I have to deal with now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673972203201.png" alt="Debbie Hamilton has been struggling with long COVID for over a year. Samantha Horton / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Debbie Hamilton has been struggling with long COVID for over a year. Samantha Horton / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAMANTHA HORTON <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2023-01-17/kansas-is-a-rare-state-without-a-long-covid-clinic-leaving-some-patients-far-from-specialists">Kansas News Service</a>It’s been over two years since Barry Guyer came down with COVID-19.“(I)
 was just out in the harvest field. I just got feeling terrible,” said 
Guyer, who farms near Goodland in northwest Kansas. “I got home that one
 night I said, ‘I think I've got this stuff.’”Guyer was admitted 
into the hospital for a week. It would be about a month before he was 
back out on the farm. It took nine months for his sense of taste and 
smell to come back. He’s still waiting for his stamina to return.“I'm
 climbing grain bins and moving augers and stuff around today by myself 
here,” he said. “It just takes all your breath away doing all that and 
then you just have to stop and wait for a little bit to get caught back 
up.”Long COVID, the often-baffling aftereffects that trouble the 
body for months or years after acute symptoms pass, likely haunts close 
to 200,000 people in Kansas. But Kansas is one of just two states 
without a medical center specializing in treatment of the condition.That
 leaves people like Guyer hours away from specialists with the expertise
 to battle the brain fog and breathing ailments that stay after the 
COVID wanes. And even people who live close to Kansas City and places in
 neighboring states with teams of specialists can wait months for an 
appointment.The clinics formed across the country, typically in 
hospitals. They combine a range of expertise for treating long COVID. 
But they’re clustered, predictably, in urban areas. And though nearly 
every state has at least one, Kansas and South Dakota have none.<h2>The right specialists</h2>While
 hospitals and medical centers might have pulmonologists or 
cardiologists to treat long-COVID symptoms, the special centers designed
 to treat it can give patients more comprehensive care.“A 
specialized center can take a comprehensive and kind of 50,000-foot view
 of the patient,” said Dr. William Michael Brode, who works in a long 
COVID clinic at the Dell Medical School in Texas. “So you’re not kind of
 wandering doctor to doctor.”Survivor Corps, an organization that
 tries to help people with long COVID, says there are about 240 centers 
scattered across the country focused on long COVID. Most of them are 
listed as long-term recovery centers.“Those places aim to be kind
 of one-stop shops where you can go and get treatment from multiple 
specialists,” said Survivor Corps spokeswoman Kathryn Burke.<h2>Long drives, longer waits</h2>The wait time can stretch out for months. Yet Brode said people appear willing to wait and travel for the specialized help.“We
 have patients coming from the (U.S.-Mexico) border who have traveled 
five hours to come see us,” said Brode. “I think eight hours is our 
record, which shows that people are seeking out this care and willing to
 put in the time to get the care they need.”<div><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1HRk4aHWG9E5sv9TnJ-nl5boAgeSnAgs&ehbc=2E312F" width="640" height="480"></iframe></div>For someone like Guyer, the closest one-stop clinic would be in 
Denver — roughly a three-hour drive. Burke said local clinics and 
hospitals typically can’t afford to set up their own long COVID clinics.“It
 is hard for people in more rural locations, less wealthy locations, to 
be able to access long COVID care simply because … the medical clinics 
and medical centers around them simply may not have the funding or the 
staffing to dedicate time and money towards long COVID clinics,” Burke 
said.She would like to see more federal funding to help more rural hospitals offer long COVID clinics.“The
 federal government stepping in and having those clinics and centers 
established in more rural regions,” Burke said, “is really crucial.”But even in urban areas with long COVID clinics, wait times can be maddening.Kansas
 had a virtual long COVID clinic during the height of the pandemic. The 
University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas, opened the 
online clinic to existing KU patients at the beginning of 2021 and then 
opened it up to the public a few months later.Debbie Hamilton was
 referred to KU’s long COVID clinic, but she was told she would have to 
wait three months after having COVID for an appointment.“I had such high hopes and … just felt like I had literally taken a beating whenever they told me that,” she said.Hamilton
 had COVID in 2021 and never fully recovered. She described her 
cognitive issues that made it difficult to drive, take a shower and be 
in a room with other people including her own family. Dealing with her 
symptoms and having to constantly advocate for her medical treatment 
took a mental toll.“It’s awful,” she said. “Feeling like failure;
 feeling like you can’t function; feeling … not even smart anymore. 
Feeling like the doctors just think that you’re crazy.”Even 
though she’s a nurse, Hamilton struggled to navigate through doctors and
 appointments. One doctor told her that they “didn’t do COVID.”“Why
 is that an option to say?” Hamilton said. “These patients are having so
 many more things. It’s causing autoimmune problems. It’s causing heart 
problems. It’s causing breathing problems.”It took about a year 
for Hamilton to recover enough to return to work. She believes the 
clinic also is a way to just acknowledge that long COVID is real and to 
give people a place to feel validated.“There needs to be a clinic, because I think it’s very much more widespread than anybody thinks,” Hamilton said.<h2>Limited awareness </h2>While Kansas has no long COVID clinics, Missouri has five. Two in Kansas City, two in St. Louis, and one in Columbia.Dr.
 Zachary Holliday works at the Missouri University Health Care’s 
Columbia clinic. In one room, a bike and treadmill sit nestled next to 
each other and close to a machine that patients blow into to test 
breathing capacity.“It measures lung function and what that boils down to is how much air can someone get in and out and how fast,” he said.The clinic is only open one Thursday a month. That limits how many people it can treat.“We
 try to do our best to get folks in as fast as possible,” said Holliday.
 “And if they can’t see us in the long COVID clinic, what we’ve tried to
 do is actually get them still access to the pulmonary clinic.”He said demand could be even greater because many people don’t even know about the clinic.Guyer,
 the northwest Kansas farmer dealing with long COVID, only recently 
learned such clinics exist with expertise to treat his problems. He said
 he would consider driving to Denver — to the closest long COVID clinic —
 if he could time it with other appointments. At the same time, he’s 
become resigned to his damaged health.“I don’t think that’s ever 
going to change,” said Guyer. “I think it’s just gonna be a part of life
 like I have to deal with now.”

Lack of long-COVID clinic in Kansas leaves patients far from specialists

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and have made an arrest.&nbsp;

Just before 8:30 a.m. Friday, police were dispatched to take a report of a stolen vehicle&nbsp; in the 600 block of NW Highway 24. The owner of the vehicle does not live in the State of Kansas, and the vehicle contained thousands of dollars-worth of tools, personal items, and two firearms, according to Police Lt. Matt Danielson.

After the vehicle description was given to other officers, it was located in the area of NW Morse and NW Eugene in Topeka. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 30-year-old Troy Baker of Topeka, fled the area, but it was located quickly by other officers a short distance away. 

The vehicle then fled a second time, and then stopped in the 1000 block of NW Jackson Street. After stopping, Baker got out and ran from officers. A brief foot pursuit ensued, but he was caught and arrested in a nearby alley.

At the conclusion of the investigation, officers were able to recover and return the vast majority of the victim’s property. Troy Baker remains in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a $50,000 bond on requested charges of Felony Theft, Interference with Law Enforcement Officer and Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;

Baker has previous convictions for burglary and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673714780786.png" alt="Baker has previous convictions for burglary and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Baker has previous convictions for burglary and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and have made an arrest.&nbsp;Just before 8:30 a.m. Friday, police were dispatched to take a report of a stolen vehicle&nbsp; in the 600 block of NW Highway 24. The owner of the vehicle does not live in the State of Kansas, and the vehicle contained thousands of dollars-worth of tools, personal items, and two firearms, according to Police Lt. Matt Danielson.After the vehicle description was given to other officers, it was located in the area of NW Morse and NW Eugene in Topeka. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 30-year-old Troy Baker of Topeka, fled the area, but it was located quickly by other officers a short distance away. The vehicle then fled a second time, and then stopped in the 1000 block of NW Jackson Street. After stopping, Baker got out and ran from officers. A brief foot pursuit ensued, but he was caught and arrested in a nearby alley.At the conclusion of the investigation, officers were able to recover and return the vast majority of the victim’s property. Troy Baker remains in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a $50,000 bond on requested charges of Felony Theft, Interference with Law Enforcement Officer and Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;Baker has previous convictions for burglary and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.---------

Police catch Kansas felon driving stolen vehicle

By QASIM RAHIMI <a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-01-17/hazara-refugees-build-a-new-home-in-kansas-city-but-want-help-for-loved-ones-in-afghanistan">Kansas News Service</a>

Aziz Nadim works as a bank teller in Gardner, Kansas. He is among approximately <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-15/a-year-since-the-taliban-takeover-kansas-city-has-become-home-to-760-afghan-refugees" target="_blank">750 refugees who came to Kansas City</a> after United States forces left Afghanistan in 2021.

Since
 the Taliban took power, Nadim is worried about the future of his 
friends and family — his fellow members of the Hazara ethic minority who
 have long been targets of violence.

"The Taliban have resumed the
 process of massacre of Hazara that started a century ago,” Nadim said, 
“and they are trying to hand over the lands and properties of Hazara to 
the individuals and groups they support.”

About 60 Hazara families
 are living in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Mohammad Ibrahimi, who
 arrived in 1983, believes his was among the first Hazara families to 
come to the area. They now live in Overland Park.

“We left Afghanistan because of Hazara genocide,” Ibrahimi said, 
adding that the communist government at the time was against Hazara 
people because of their religion and ethnicity. “They kidnapped and 
killed my brother after we decided to leave our ancestral land. First, 
we went to Pakistan, (then) Italy and then we came to the United States 
in 1983.”

A few other Hazara families arrived after the first time the Taliban took over the government of Afghanistan <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1028472005/afghanistan-conflict-timeline" target="_blank">in the mid-1990s</a>,
 and during the two decades when the country was led by the U. S.-backed
 government. Almost all of these families came through Special 
Immigration Visas because they had worked for the U.S. Army or on behalf
 of the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Others were assisted by 
international immigrants’ organizations.

When nearly 60 young Hazara girls and teenagers were <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/afghan-protests-continue-against-school-attack-as-un-raises-death-toll-to-53-/6773473.html" target="_blank">killed in an explosion at a school in Kabul in September 2022</a>,
 I could easily imagine the scene. I used to live in the area where the 
school was located, and my mother and two of my sisters’ families still 
live there. Initial reports said 53 people died, but I heard from 
sources in Kabul that five or six injured girls died later, after weeks 
in hospitals.

After that, I joined other Hazara people who demonstrated in front of Kansas City’s World War I Museum and Memorial.

“Our
 goal was to draw the attention of American institutions and people to 
the dangerous situation that Hazara people are facing in Afghanistan,” 
Nadim said. "Here in Kansas City our children can go to school and 
prepare for a future, but the Hazara people living in Afghanistan do not
 have security, food or a bright future.”

Nadim wants international institutions to deal with the massacre of 
Hazara and the violation of their human rights. After the September 
explosion, a social media campaign began with the hashtag 
#StopHazaraGenocide. Hazara people who left Afghanistan hope it will 
draw attention to the genocide of their people back home, and that the 
United Nations will take action to protect them.

Hazara
 people are Muslims and belong to the Shia and Soni sects. They speak 
Persian, which in Afghanistan is called Dari. Hazara people <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/blog/urgent-action-needed-hazaras-in-afghanistan-under-attack" target="_blank">are facing genocide in Afghanistan</a> because of their religious beliefs and ethnic differences.

This
 ethnic cleansing began in 1882 when Afghan ruler Abdul Rahman Khan 
first ordered the killing of Hazara people and the capture of their 
land. More than 60 percent of the Hazara were killed and their lands 
confiscated. Some then fled to parts of India that are now part of 
Pakistan, and others remained in remote parts of Afghanistan.

Since
 then, Hazara people have been discriminated against, are unable to join
 or work in the military, and must pay double taxes.

Their culture
 and traditions were endangered when the Taliban first took over and 
tried to remove all Hazara from Afghanistan. Between 1996 to 2001, the 
Taliban government blocked the delivery of food, gas and other 
necessities. The Taliban also destroyed the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/taliban-destroyed-afghanistans-ancient-buddhas-now-welcoming-tourists-rcna6307" target="_blank">Buddhas of Bamiyan</a>, a symbol of the culture and history in Afghanistan.

Hazara people in Kansas and Missouri&nbsp;

Gholam Rasoul Rahimi (no relation to me) came to the United States in 2020.

“I
 had to leave Afghanistan, because of two reasons: I was a warehouse 
manager for the United States embassy in Kabul, and because of my 
religion and ethnicity,” Rahimi said. “Nobody wants to leave his home 
but sometimes you see a dark future for your children requiring one to 
make hard decisions.”

He and several Hazara people who came to Kansas City have started to establish a community here.

“We
 are in contact with all Hazara families,” said Nadim. “We want to honor
 our Hazara heritage. We try to preserve our culture and identity 
values. Let's not forget our mother tongue."

For the first time in
 Kansas City, on Dec. 17, 2022, Hazara people celebrated Shab Yalda, a 
tradition in Afghanistan to mark the longest night of the year.

Ali Mosawi, a young Hazara man, coordinated this ceremony in the 
Northeast neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, inviting Hazara 
families from as far away as Wichita and Manhattan, Kansas. They 
celebrated with bolani (flatbread stuffed with vegetables), ashak 
(vegetable dumplings) and ash (a vegetable noodle soup).

“We 
brought traditional Hazara dishes, we wore our cultural traditional 
clothes, we ate together and told our historical story to their 
children,” Mosawi said.

“We want to make sure that our children 
don’t forget their native language,” Rahimi said. “We lost our homeland.
 At least in the last two decades Hazara people were a part of a new 
Afghanistan. We had our own self rule, governing education, medicine, 
health and sport. Hazara women also prospered. They had a good chance to
 bring changes to their life.”

He said Hazara families want to 
teach their children to work hard to build their future in the United 
States and to be true to the values of this country, but not forget that
 their families came from a country where their next generation is 
facing genocide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673971981588.png" alt="Kansas City area members of the Hazara, an ethnic minority in Afghanistan who have long been targets of violence, demonstrated at the World War I Museum and Memorial in October 2022 to call attention to the killing of young Hazara women and girls in Kabul. Ali Hussaini" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City area members of the Hazara, an ethnic minority in Afghanistan who have long been targets of violence, demonstrated at the World War I Museum and Memorial in October 2022 to call attention to the killing of young Hazara women and girls in Kabul. Ali Hussaini</figcaption>
 </figure>By QASIM RAHIMI <a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-01-17/hazara-refugees-build-a-new-home-in-kansas-city-but-want-help-for-loved-ones-in-afghanistan">Kansas News Service</a>Aziz Nadim works as a bank teller in Gardner, Kansas. He is among approximately <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-15/a-year-since-the-taliban-takeover-kansas-city-has-become-home-to-760-afghan-refugees" target="_blank">750 refugees who came to Kansas City</a> after United States forces left Afghanistan in 2021.Since
 the Taliban took power, Nadim is worried about the future of his 
friends and family — his fellow members of the Hazara ethic minority who
 have long been targets of violence."The Taliban have resumed the
 process of massacre of Hazara that started a century ago,” Nadim said, 
“and they are trying to hand over the lands and properties of Hazara to 
the individuals and groups they support.”About 60 Hazara families
 are living in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Mohammad Ibrahimi, who
 arrived in 1983, believes his was among the first Hazara families to 
come to the area. They now live in Overland Park.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673972066948.png" alt="Mohammad Ibrahimi came to the United States from Afghanistan in 1983. He believes his family was one of the first Hazara families to arrive in the Kansas City area. Mohammad Ibrahimi " />
 <figcaption>Mohammad Ibrahimi came to the United States from Afghanistan in 1983. He believes his family was one of the first Hazara families to arrive in the Kansas City area. Mohammad Ibrahimi </figcaption>
 </figure>“We left Afghanistan because of Hazara genocide,” Ibrahimi said, 
adding that the communist government at the time was against Hazara 
people because of their religion and ethnicity. “They kidnapped and 
killed my brother after we decided to leave our ancestral land. First, 
we went to Pakistan, (then) Italy and then we came to the United States 
in 1983.”A few other Hazara families arrived after the first time the Taliban took over the government of Afghanistan <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1028472005/afghanistan-conflict-timeline" target="_blank">in the mid-1990s</a>,
 and during the two decades when the country was led by the U. S.-backed
 government. Almost all of these families came through Special 
Immigration Visas because they had worked for the U.S. Army or on behalf
 of the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Others were assisted by 
international immigrants’ organizations.When nearly 60 young Hazara girls and teenagers were <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/afghan-protests-continue-against-school-attack-as-un-raises-death-toll-to-53-/6773473.html" target="_blank">killed in an explosion at a school in Kabul in September 2022</a>,
 I could easily imagine the scene. I used to live in the area where the 
school was located, and my mother and two of my sisters’ families still 
live there. Initial reports said 53 people died, but I heard from 
sources in Kabul that five or six injured girls died later, after weeks 
in hospitals.After that, I joined other Hazara people who demonstrated in front of Kansas City’s World War I Museum and Memorial.“Our
 goal was to draw the attention of American institutions and people to 
the dangerous situation that Hazara people are facing in Afghanistan,” 
Nadim said. "Here in Kansas City our children can go to school and 
prepare for a future, but the Hazara people living in Afghanistan do not
 have security, food or a bright future.”Nadim wants international institutions to deal with the massacre of 
Hazara and the violation of their human rights. After the September 
explosion, a social media campaign began with the hashtag 
#StopHazaraGenocide. Hazara people who left Afghanistan hope it will 
draw attention to the genocide of their people back home, and that the 
United Nations will take action to protect them. <h2>Facing genocide in Afghanistan</h2>Hazara
 people are Muslims and belong to the Shia and Soni sects. They speak 
Persian, which in Afghanistan is called Dari. Hazara people <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/blog/urgent-action-needed-hazaras-in-afghanistan-under-attack" target="_blank">are facing genocide in Afghanistan</a> because of their religious beliefs and ethnic differences.This
 ethnic cleansing began in 1882 when Afghan ruler Abdul Rahman Khan 
first ordered the killing of Hazara people and the capture of their 
land. More than 60 percent of the Hazara were killed and their lands 
confiscated. Some then fled to parts of India that are now part of 
Pakistan, and others remained in remote parts of Afghanistan.Since
 then, Hazara people have been discriminated against, are unable to join
 or work in the military, and must pay double taxes.Their culture
 and traditions were endangered when the Taliban first took over and 
tried to remove all Hazara from Afghanistan. Between 1996 to 2001, the 
Taliban government blocked the delivery of food, gas and other 
necessities. The Taliban also destroyed the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/taliban-destroyed-afghanistans-ancient-buddhas-now-welcoming-tourists-rcna6307" target="_blank">Buddhas of Bamiyan</a>, a symbol of the culture and history in Afghanistan.<h2>Hazara people in Kansas and Missouri&nbsp;</h2>Gholam Rasoul Rahimi (no relation to me) came to the United States in 2020.“I
 had to leave Afghanistan, because of two reasons: I was a warehouse 
manager for the United States embassy in Kabul, and because of my 
religion and ethnicity,” Rahimi said. “Nobody wants to leave his home 
but sometimes you see a dark future for your children requiring one to 
make hard decisions.”He and several Hazara people who came to Kansas City have started to establish a community here.“We
 are in contact with all Hazara families,” said Nadim. “We want to honor
 our Hazara heritage. We try to preserve our culture and identity 
values. Let's not forget our mother tongue."For the first time in
 Kansas City, on Dec. 17, 2022, Hazara people celebrated Shab Yalda, a 
tradition in Afghanistan to mark the longest night of the year.Ali Mosawi, a young Hazara man, coordinated this ceremony in the 
Northeast neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, inviting Hazara 
families from as far away as Wichita and Manhattan, Kansas. They 
celebrated with bolani (flatbread stuffed with vegetables), ashak 
(vegetable dumplings) and ash (a vegetable noodle soup).“We 
brought traditional Hazara dishes, we wore our cultural traditional 
clothes, we ate together and told our historical story to their 
children,” Mosawi said.“We want to make sure that our children 
don’t forget their native language,” Rahimi said. “We lost our homeland.
 At least in the last two decades Hazara people were a part of a new 
Afghanistan. We had our own self rule, governing education, medicine, 
health and sport. Hazara women also prospered. They had a good chance to
 bring changes to their life.”He said Hazara families want to 
teach their children to work hard to build their future in the United 
States and to be true to the values of this country, but not forget that
 their families came from a country where their next generation is 
facing genocide.

Refugees in Kansas City call for help for loved ones in Afghanistan

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary involving military equipment in Manhattan.

Just after 6:30p.m. Monday, officers filed a report for burglary in the 900 block of Bluemont Ave. in Manhattan.

 A 21-year-old man reported his car was broken into and his military-issued Improved Outer Tactical&nbsp; Vest, helmet and license plates were stolen. 

The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $3,300.&nbsp;

Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353#">Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers</a>. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary involving military equipment in Manhattan.Just after 6:30p.m. Monday, officers filed a report for burglary in the 900 block of Bluemont Ave. in Manhattan. A 21-year-old man reported his car was broken into and his military-issued Improved Outer Tactical&nbsp; Vest, helmet and license plates were stolen. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $3,300.&nbsp;Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353#">Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers</a>. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police report burglary of Kan. man's military equipment

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Two Kansas men accused in a fatal drug debt gunfight made their first appearance in court last week.

Jamar White, 47,&nbsp; Wichita, is charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder and two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

 Darries Mitchell, 30 of Wichita, is charged with two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.&nbsp; 

Just after noon January 5, police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 2300 block of North Piatt in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Officers arrived on the scene and located 43-year-old Mareo Dupree with a gunshot wound to his torso and he was conscious and breathing.

While officers were investigating, 47-year-old Jamar White arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported Dupree to an area hospital where he later died, according to Ditch.

The investigation revealed that there had been a feud over a drug debt between White and the occupants of the residence including Dupree and&nbsp;30-year-old Darries Mitchell.

White drove by the residence a couple of times firing rounds at the house before an exchange of gunfire occurred between Mitchell and White.

Police arrested both men. White is being held on a $500,000 band and is&nbsp;scheduled for court again on Jan.27, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;Mitchell remains jailed on bond of $350,000 which includes a separate probation violation charge.&nbsp; He is due back in court Jan. 26.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673361937461.png" alt="-White-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>-White-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Two Kansas men accused in a fatal drug debt gunfight made their first appearance in court last week.Jamar White, 47,&nbsp; Wichita, is charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder and two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. Darries Mitchell, 30 of Wichita, is charged with two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.&nbsp; Just after noon January 5, police were dispatched to a shooting at a home in the 2300 block of North Piatt in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Officers arrived on the scene and located 43-year-old Mareo Dupree with a gunshot wound to his torso and he was conscious and breathing.While officers were investigating, 47-year-old Jamar White arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS transported Dupree to an area hospital where he later died, according to Ditch.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673362007556.png" alt="Mitchell photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mitchell photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed that there had been a feud over a drug debt between White and the occupants of the residence including Dupree and&nbsp;30-year-old Darries Mitchell.White drove by the residence a couple of times firing rounds at the house before an exchange of gunfire occurred between Mitchell and White.Police arrested both men. White is being held on a $500,000 band and is&nbsp;scheduled for court again on Jan.27, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp; &nbsp;Mitchell remains jailed on bond of $350,000 which includes a separate probation violation charge.&nbsp; He is due back in court Jan. 26.

2 charged in fatal Kansas drug debt gunfight

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a creek in Wichita.

Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a submersion call around Hillside Ave and 28th Street North, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. First responders arrived on the scene and located a man believed to be in his twenties unconscious in the creek.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The body was transported to the coroner’s office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673916936673.png" alt="First responders at&nbsp;Glen Day Park in Wichita-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at&nbsp;Glen Day Park in Wichita-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a creek in Wichita.Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a submersion call around Hillside Ave and 28th Street North, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. First responders arrived on the scene and located a man believed to be in his twenties unconscious in the creek.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.The body was transported to the coroner’s office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Police released no additional details.

Police working to ID body of man found in Kansas creek

WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly empowered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-15-Letter-Klain-Classified-Docs.pdf">demanded the White House turn over all information</a>&nbsp;related to its searches that have uncovered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-barack-obama-merrick-garland-def4c44c23229671e1e50bf170dc67d2">classified documents</a>&nbsp;at President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;home and former office in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-0574fd762159e8cb5f31c85205df3dc0">more records</a>&nbsp;found at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-merrick-garland-3f77c3d792ed525c446efd7bd95e86ba">Delaware residence.</a>

<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-calls-on-white-house-to-release-bidens-wilmington-residence-visitor-log-questions-why-biden-aides-continue-to-search-properties-in-wake-of-special-counsel/">“We have a lot of questions,"</a> said Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Comer, R-Ky., said he wants to see all documents and communications related to the searches by the Biden team, as well as visitor logs of the president's home in Wilmington, Delaware, from Jan. 20, 2021, to present. He said the aim is to determine who might have had access to classified material and how the records got there.

The White House on Saturday said it had discovered five additional pages of classified documents at Biden's home on Thursday, the same day a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">special counsel was appointed</a>&nbsp;to review the matter.

In a letter Sunday to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Comer criticized the searches by Biden representatives when the Justice Department was beginning to investigate and said Biden's “mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security." Comer demanded that the White House provide all relevant information including visitor logs by the end of the month.

Appearing on CNN's “State of the Union,” Comer referred to Biden's home as a “crime scene" though he acknowledged that it was not clear whether laws were broken.

“My concern is that the special counsel was called for, but yet hours after that we still had the president’s personal attorneys, who have no security clearance, still rummaging around the president’s residence, looking for things — I mean that would essentially be a crime scene, so to speak," Comer said.

While the U.S. Secret Service provides security at the president's private residence, it does not maintain visitor logs, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Sunday.

“We don’t independently maintain our own visitor logs because it’s a private residence,” Guglielmi said. He added that the agency does screen visitors to the president’s properties but doesn’t maintain records of those checks.

The White House confirmed that Biden has not independently maintained records of who has visited his residence since he became president.

“Like every President in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal," White House spokesman Ian Sams said. "But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”

Indeed, President Donald Trump's administration announced early in his presidency that they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9ed190feb84c4d6081b27f0775260f43">wouldn't release visitor logs</a>&nbsp;out of “grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” Democrat Barack Obama's administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, posting records every three to four months.

A federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege. That unanimous ruling was written by Judge Merrick Garland, who is now serving as Biden's attorney general.

Asked about Comer’s request for logs and communications regarding the search for documents, Sams responded: “I would simply refer you to what Congressman Comer himself told CNN this morning: ‘At the end of the day, my biggest concern isn’t the classified documents to be honest with you.’ That says it all.”

In that CNN interview, Comer had added that House Republicans did not trust the Justice Department to give the matter of Biden's classified documents an appropriate level of scrutiny. The House Judiciary Committee on Friday requested that Garland turn over information related to the discovery of documents and Garland's appointment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">special counsel Richard Hur</a>&nbsp;to oversee the investigation.

White House officials "can say they’re being transparent, but it’s anything but,” the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Channel's “Sunday Morning Futures.”

<a href="https://twitter.com/IanSams46/status/1614315310949040130">White House lawyer Richard Sauber</a>&nbsp;said in a statement Saturday that a total of six pages of classified documents were found from Biden's time serving as vice president in the Obama administration during a search of Biden’s private library. The White House had said previously that only a single page was found there.

The latest disclosure was in addition to the discovery of documents found in December in Biden’s garage and in November at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-us-department-justice-a45855907a73acb256bb7c4dd5a91610">his former offices at the Penn Biden Center in Washington</a>.

Sauber said that Biden’s personal lawyers, who did not have security clearances, stopped their search after finding the first page on Wednesday evening. Sauber found the remaining material Thursday, as he was facilitating their retrieval by Justice Department. Sauber did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting. The White House is already facing scrutiny for waiting more than two months to acknowledge the discovery of the initial group of documents at the Biden office.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the Justice Department rightfully appointed special counsels to “get to the bottom” of the Biden classified documents matter as well as in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">separate investigation into the mishandling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida.</a>

But Raskin also stressed key differences between the two cases, including that Biden's team readily handed over documents to the National Archives compared with Trump's repeated resistance to such requests.

“We should keep a sense of proportion and measure about what we’re talking about,” Raskin told CNN.

Asked Sunday if his oversight committee would investigate Trump's handling of classified documents as well, Comer demurred.

“There have been so many investigations of President Trump, I don’t feel like we need to spend a whole lot of time investigating President Trump, because the Democrats have done that for the past six years,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673546739694.png" alt="Biden backing his Corvette into the garage next to stacks of boxes where classified documents were found-image from a 2020 Biden for President campaign ad" />
 <figcaption>Biden backing his Corvette into the garage next to stacks of boxes where classified documents were found-image from a 2020 Biden for President campaign ad</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly empowered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-15-Letter-Klain-Classified-Docs.pdf">demanded the White House turn over all information</a>&nbsp;related to its searches that have uncovered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-barack-obama-merrick-garland-def4c44c23229671e1e50bf170dc67d2">classified documents</a>&nbsp;at President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;home and former office in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-0574fd762159e8cb5f31c85205df3dc0">more records</a>&nbsp;found at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-merrick-garland-3f77c3d792ed525c446efd7bd95e86ba">Delaware residence.</a><a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-calls-on-white-house-to-release-bidens-wilmington-residence-visitor-log-questions-why-biden-aides-continue-to-search-properties-in-wake-of-special-counsel/">“We have a lot of questions,"</a> said Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.Comer, R-Ky., said he wants to see all documents and communications related to the searches by the Biden team, as well as visitor logs of the president's home in Wilmington, Delaware, from Jan. 20, 2021, to present. He said the aim is to determine who might have had access to classified material and how the records got there.The White House on Saturday said it had discovered five additional pages of classified documents at Biden's home on Thursday, the same day a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">special counsel was appointed</a>&nbsp;to review the matter.In a letter Sunday to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Comer criticized the searches by Biden representatives when the Justice Department was beginning to investigate and said Biden's “mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security." Comer demanded that the White House provide all relevant information including visitor logs by the end of the month.Appearing on CNN's “State of the Union,” Comer referred to Biden's home as a “crime scene" though he acknowledged that it was not clear whether laws were broken.“My concern is that the special counsel was called for, but yet hours after that we still had the president’s personal attorneys, who have no security clearance, still rummaging around the president’s residence, looking for things — I mean that would essentially be a crime scene, so to speak," Comer said.While the U.S. Secret Service provides security at the president's private residence, it does not maintain visitor logs, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Sunday.“We don’t independently maintain our own visitor logs because it’s a private residence,” Guglielmi said. He added that the agency does screen visitors to the president’s properties but doesn’t maintain records of those checks.The White House confirmed that Biden has not independently maintained records of who has visited his residence since he became president.“Like every President in decades of modern history, his personal residence is personal," White House spokesman Ian Sams said. "But upon taking office, President Biden restored the norm and tradition of keeping White House visitors logs, including publishing them regularly, after the previous administration ended them.”Indeed, President Donald Trump's administration announced early in his presidency that they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9ed190feb84c4d6081b27f0775260f43">wouldn't release visitor logs</a>&nbsp;out of “grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” Democrat Barack Obama's administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, posting records every three to four months.A federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege. That unanimous ruling was written by Judge Merrick Garland, who is now serving as Biden's attorney general.Asked about Comer’s request for logs and communications regarding the search for documents, Sams responded: “I would simply refer you to what Congressman Comer himself told CNN this morning: ‘At the end of the day, my biggest concern isn’t the classified documents to be honest with you.’ That says it all.”In that CNN interview, Comer had added that House Republicans did not trust the Justice Department to give the matter of Biden's classified documents an appropriate level of scrutiny. The House Judiciary Committee on Friday requested that Garland turn over information related to the discovery of documents and Garland's appointment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">special counsel Richard Hur</a>&nbsp;to oversee the investigation.White House officials "can say they’re being transparent, but it’s anything but,” the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Channel's “Sunday Morning Futures.”<a href="https://twitter.com/IanSams46/status/1614315310949040130">White House lawyer Richard Sauber</a>&nbsp;said in a statement Saturday that a total of six pages of classified documents were found from Biden's time serving as vice president in the Obama administration during a search of Biden’s private library. The White House had said previously that only a single page was found there.The latest disclosure was in addition to the discovery of documents found in December in Biden’s garage and in November at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-us-department-justice-a45855907a73acb256bb7c4dd5a91610">his former offices at the Penn Biden Center in Washington</a>.Sauber said that Biden’s personal lawyers, who did not have security clearances, stopped their search after finding the first page on Wednesday evening. Sauber found the remaining material Thursday, as he was facilitating their retrieval by Justice Department. Sauber did not explain why the White House waited two days to provide an updated accounting. The White House is already facing scrutiny for waiting more than two months to acknowledge the discovery of the initial group of documents at the Biden office.Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the Justice Department rightfully appointed special counsels to “get to the bottom” of the Biden classified documents matter as well as in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">separate investigation into the mishandling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida.</a>But Raskin also stressed key differences between the two cases, including that Biden's team readily handed over documents to the National Archives compared with Trump's repeated resistance to such requests.“We should keep a sense of proportion and measure about what we’re talking about,” Raskin told CNN.Asked Sunday if his oversight committee would investigate Trump's handling of classified documents as well, Comer demurred.“There have been so many investigations of President Trump, I don’t feel like we need to spend a whole lot of time investigating President Trump, because the Democrats have done that for the past six years,” he said.___

Many questions, few answers from Biden on classified documents

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Jury selection began Tuesday in a federal criminal trial for a man prosecutors say became fixated on a Kansas congressman and threatened to kill him, a case that comes amid what authorities say is a sharp rise in treats to the nation's lawmakers and their families.

Prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">threatened to kill U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner</a>&nbsp;in a June 5 voicemail message left at the Republican congressman's office, then continued to make threatening calls the following day. In one message, presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter said in court Tuesday, he told LaTurner that he would “die by the hand of God.”

Jury selection began in the morning after Neill withdrew a request to act as his own attorney. His court-appointed public defenders notified Teeter of that request Friday and told her they would refuse to work with him in a “hybrid" defense. After a private conference, Teeter told Neill from the bench that she believed such an arrangement would be “untenable.”

After Neill withdrew his request, Teeter told him, “For whatever it's worth, I think that's a very wise decision.”

Neill's trial in U.S. District Court on one count of threatening a public official was scheduled through Friday. It came weeks after Teeter concluded that evidence of mental illness doesn’t mean Neill can’t help his attorney or follow what happens in court.

Before jury selection, Teeter confirmed with prosecutors and Neill's attorneys that no plea bargains had been offered or sought.

Neill told her, without explaining further, “I believe there were arguable grounds for immunity, but that's fine.”

In court, Neill wore khaki pants, a dress shirt and a navy blue jacket without a tie. He had a full beard.

A pretrial report said Neill believes he is “the Messiah." Prosecutors have said in court documents that Neill believes he was “obligated by God” to warn “certain public figures” and detail the results of not heeding his warnings.

Teeter concluded during a hearing last month that "a preponderance of the evidence” showed Neill was mentally competent to stand trial. The official notes from the hearing showed Teeter relied on a psychological evaluation of Neill, but that document is sealed and closed to the public.

A magistrate who ordered Neill to remain in custody in June 2022 said he also had threatened other members of Congress. The others have not been named and Neill is charged only with threatening LaTurner.

LaTurner was a Kansas state senator and state treasurer before winning his U.S. House seat in 2020. Until the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature redrew political boundaries last year, LaTurner's eastern Kansas district included Neill's hometown of Lawrence, which includes the main University of Kansas campus and is among Kansas' most liberal communities.

Members of Congress have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">a sharp rise in threats</a>&nbsp;in the two years since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In October,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">an intruder attacked and severely beat</a>&nbsp;former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. also have endured harassment, intimidation and threats of violence. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Monday arrested a former Republican candidate for a state House seat in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-shootings-fbed4efadff3bc7469f83a01dd888e63">a series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting the homes or offices of elected Democratic officials, though none were injured.

In the Kansas case, Neill's attorney and prosecutors declined to comment ahead of the trial.

LaTurner's office also did not comment. The congressman and four of his staffers are potential prosecution witnesses.

The pretrial report on Neill, describing his “Messiah” belief, also said police in Lawrence had reports in March 2018 that Neill was delusional and paranoid and had accused one officer of trying to steal his “unicorn business idea.” Neill was sentenced to six months in jail in February 2019 on a domestic battery charge, the report said.

U.S. Magistrate Rachel Schwartz cited the pretrial report in refusing a request from Neill in August to be released from custody. Schwartz said in her order that he had $150,000 in student loan debt but no income.

Schwartz also said in her order that Neill suffered a head injury four or five years ago “characterized as a head fracture.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604489595623.png" alt="Rep. Jake LaTurner- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Jake LaTurner- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Jury selection began Tuesday in a federal criminal trial for a man prosecutors say became fixated on a Kansas congressman and threatened to kill him, a case that comes amid what authorities say is a sharp rise in treats to the nation's lawmakers and their families.Prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">threatened to kill U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner</a>&nbsp;in a June 5 voicemail message left at the Republican congressman's office, then continued to make threatening calls the following day. In one message, presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter said in court Tuesday, he told LaTurner that he would “die by the hand of God.”Jury selection began in the morning after Neill withdrew a request to act as his own attorney. His court-appointed public defenders notified Teeter of that request Friday and told her they would refuse to work with him in a “hybrid" defense. After a private conference, Teeter told Neill from the bench that she believed such an arrangement would be “untenable.”After Neill withdrew his request, Teeter told him, “For whatever it's worth, I think that's a very wise decision.”Neill's trial in U.S. District Court on one count of threatening a public official was scheduled through Friday. It came weeks after Teeter concluded that evidence of mental illness doesn’t mean Neill can’t help his attorney or follow what happens in court.Before jury selection, Teeter confirmed with prosecutors and Neill's attorneys that no plea bargains had been offered or sought.Neill told her, without explaining further, “I believe there were arguable grounds for immunity, but that's fine.”In court, Neill wore khaki pants, a dress shirt and a navy blue jacket without a tie. He had a full beard.A pretrial report said Neill believes he is “the Messiah." Prosecutors have said in court documents that Neill believes he was “obligated by God” to warn “certain public figures” and detail the results of not heeding his warnings.Teeter concluded during a hearing last month that "a preponderance of the evidence” showed Neill was mentally competent to stand trial. The official notes from the hearing showed Teeter relied on a psychological evaluation of Neill, but that document is sealed and closed to the public.A magistrate who ordered Neill to remain in custody in June 2022 said he also had threatened other members of Congress. The others have not been named and Neill is charged only with threatening LaTurner.LaTurner was a Kansas state senator and state treasurer before winning his U.S. House seat in 2020. Until the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature redrew political boundaries last year, LaTurner's eastern Kansas district included Neill's hometown of Lawrence, which includes the main University of Kansas campus and is among Kansas' most liberal communities.Members of Congress have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">a sharp rise in threats</a>&nbsp;in the two years since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In October,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">an intruder attacked and severely beat</a>&nbsp;former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. also have endured harassment, intimidation and threats of violence. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Monday arrested a former Republican candidate for a state House seat in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-shootings-fbed4efadff3bc7469f83a01dd888e63">a series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting the homes or offices of elected Democratic officials, though none were injured.In the Kansas case, Neill's attorney and prosecutors declined to comment ahead of the trial.LaTurner's office also did not comment. The congressman and four of his staffers are potential prosecution witnesses.The pretrial report on Neill, describing his “Messiah” belief, also said police in Lawrence had reports in March 2018 that Neill was delusional and paranoid and had accused one officer of trying to steal his “unicorn business idea.” Neill was sentenced to six months in jail in February 2019 on a domestic battery charge, the report said.U.S. Magistrate Rachel Schwartz cited the pretrial report in refusing a request from Neill in August to be released from custody. Schwartz said in her order that he had $150,000 in student loan debt but no income.Schwartz also said in her order that Neill suffered a head injury four or five years ago “characterized as a head fracture.”___TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A criminal trial was set to start Tuesday for a northeastern Kansas man who federal prosecutors say developed a fixation on U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner and threatened to kill him, at a time when authorities have seen a sharp increase in threats to the nation's lawmakers and their families.Prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">threatened to kill LaTurner</a>&nbsp;in a June 5 voicemail message left at the Republican congressman's office, then continued to make threatening calls the following day.His federal trial on one count of threatening a public official was scheduled to begin Tuesday with jury selection, weeks after a judge concluded evidence of mental illness doesn’t mean Neill can’t help his attorney or follow what happens in court.A pretrial report said Neill believes he is “the Messiah." Prosecutors have said in court documents that Neill believes he was “obligated by God” to warn “certain public figures” and detail the results of not heeding his warnings.U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter concluded during a hearing last month that "a preponderance of the evidence” showed Neill was mentally competent to stand trial. The official notes from the hearing showed Teeter relied on a psychological evaluation of Neill, but that document is sealed and closed to the public.A magistrate who ordered Neill to remain in custody in June 2022 said he also had threatened other members of Congress. The others have not been named and Neill is charged only with threatening LaTurner.LaTurner was a Kansas state senator and state treasurer before winning his U.S. House seat in 2020. Until the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature redrew political boundaries last year, LaTurner's eastern Kansas district included Neill's hometown of Lawrence, which includes the main University of Kansas campus and is among Kansas' most liberal communities.Members of Congress have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">a sharp rise in threats</a>&nbsp;in the two years since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In October,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">an intruder attacked and severely beat</a>&nbsp;then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. also have endured harassment, intimidation and threats of violence. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Monday arrested a former Republican candidate for a state House seat in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-shootings-fbed4efadff3bc7469f83a01dd888e63">a series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting the homes or offices of elected Democratic officials, though none were injured.In the Kansas case, Neill's attorney and prosecutors declined to comment ahead of the trial.LaTurner's office also did not comment. The congressman and four of his staffers are potential prosecution witnesses.The pretrial report on Neill, describing his “Messiah” belief, also said police in Lawrence had reports in March 2018 that Neill was delusional and paranoid and had accused one officer of trying to steal his “unicorn business idea.” Neill was sentenced to six months in jail in February 2019 on a domestic battery charge, the report said.U.S. Magistrate Rachel Schwartz cited the pretrial report in refusing a request from Neill in August to be released from custody. Schwartz said in her order that he had $150,000 in student loan debt but no income.Schwartz also said in her order that Neill suffered a head injury four or five years ago “characterized as a head fracture.”___TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A northeastern Kansas man is facing a felony charge of threatening to kill one of the state's congressmen. But his trial has been postponed indefinitely so that a federal judge can decide whether he is too mentally ill to help his lawyers or follow what's going on in court.Federal prosecutors contend in court documents that Chase Neill, 31, from Lawrence, developed a fixation on Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner, who represents an eastern Kansas district. Neill is accused of threatening to kill LaTurner in a June 5 voicemail message left at LaTurner's office and continuing to make threatening calls the following day.A magistrate said later that month in ordering Neill to remain in custody that he had threatened other members of Congress. The others have not been named, and Neill is charged only with threatening LaTurner.A hearing is scheduled in the case for Nov. 8, Election Day. Neill's trial initially was set to start in September, but U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter granted a request from both sides to have Neill's mental health examined.“There is reasonable cause to believe that Mr. Neill has a mental disease and that the mental disease renders him unable to assist properly in his defense,” Teeter wrote in her two-page order.LaTurner was a Kansas state senator and state treasurer before winning his U.S. House seat in 2020.Threats to lawmakers are at an all-time high almost two years after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. In San Francisco early Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-assaulted-156ece77186eb11b97260af3c5122f67">an intruder attacked</a>&nbsp;and severely beat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their home while searching for the Democratic leader and shouting: “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?”In the Kansas case, neither the U.S. attorney's office for the state nor Neill's defense attorneys would comment Friday. LaTurner's office also wouldn't discuss the case. It was not clear whether Neill's examination is complete."Rep. LaTurner’s office will continue to cooperate with local and federal law enforcement on this matter,” spokesperson Mike Howard said in an email.One pretrial report on Neill said he believes he is “the Messiah,” and prosecutors have said in court documents that he believes he was “obligated by God” to warn “certain public figures” and detail the results of not heeding his warnings.U.S. Magistrate Rachel Schwartz cited the pretrial report in refusing a request from Neill in August to be released from custody. She said in her order that he had $150,000 in student loan debt but no income.Schwartz said in her order that Neill suffered a head injury four or five years ago, “characterized as a head fracture.”The pretrial report said that in March 2018, Lawrence police had reports that Neill, who was living with his mother there, was delusional and paranoid and accused one officer of trying to steal his “unicorn business idea.” Neill was sentenced to six months in jail in February 2019 on a domestic battery charge, the report said.