TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly Friday honored Kansas Gold Star Families with the unveiling of the permanent monument on the grounds of the Kansas State Capitol Visitors Center. A Gold Star Family is the immediate family of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. The monument honors the families of the more than 6,500 Kansas heroes.&nbsp;

“For Gold Star families – the families of our fallen service members – the pain of their loved one’s absence never, ever goes away,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “That’s why it is so important to honor the families of those we’ve lost, the families who have also made the ultimate sacrifice. They are a reminder of the tremendous price of our freedom.”&nbsp;

Governor Kelly asked Lieutenant General Perry Wiggins, Executive Director of the Governor’s Military Council, to explore the process to install a permanent monument after Hershel “Woody” Williams, a retired Marine Corps warrant officer and a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, personally challenged her to add a Gold Star Families Monument on Statehouse grounds. Williams passed away in June.&nbsp;

“I want to thank the Kansas Legislature for passing Senate Bill 330, which allowed for this permanent memorial to be placed on Capitol Grounds,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said. “Woody would be so pleased to know that Kansas has fulfilled its obligation to have a place to pay respect to the families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.”&nbsp;

“Today’s dedication of the Kansas Gold Star Families Memorial was made possible by the Herculean and collective efforts of many Kansans,”&nbsp;Lieutenant General Perry Wiggins, Executive Director of the Governor’s Military Council, said. “The Kansas Gold Star Memorial Monument stands as a symbol of the grateful citizens of the State of Kansas wrapping their arms around and honoring our Gold Star Families who sacrificed a loved one for our liberties and freedom.”&nbsp;

“I’m honored to have played a small part in establishing the Gold Star Memorial on the Capitol Grounds,”&nbsp;Senator Jeff Longbine, Kansas Senate District 17, said.&nbsp;“These families deserve to be honored forever for the sacrifice their loved ones made in defending our freedom and liberties. We are forever grateful.”&nbsp;

“The Kansas Gold Star Families Memorial honors unsung heroes— the families of service members fallen during military conflict— for their service to the U.S. military,”&nbsp;Senator Tom Hawk, Kansas Senate District 22, said.&nbsp;“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Kelly and General Perry Wiggins, Kansans can now pay tribute along the Veterans Memorial Walk at the Statehouse.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663971986481.png" alt="courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly Friday honored Kansas Gold Star Families with the unveiling of the permanent monument on the grounds of the Kansas State Capitol Visitors Center. A Gold Star Family is the immediate family of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. The monument honors the families of the more than 6,500 Kansas heroes.&nbsp;“For Gold Star families – the families of our fallen service members – the pain of their loved one’s absence never, ever goes away,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “That’s why it is so important to honor the families of those we’ve lost, the families who have also made the ultimate sacrifice. They are a reminder of the tremendous price of our freedom.”&nbsp;Governor Kelly asked Lieutenant General Perry Wiggins, Executive Director of the Governor’s Military Council, to explore the process to install a permanent monument after Hershel “Woody” Williams, a retired Marine Corps warrant officer and a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, personally challenged her to add a Gold Star Families Monument on Statehouse grounds. Williams passed away in June.&nbsp;“I want to thank the Kansas Legislature for passing Senate Bill 330, which allowed for this permanent memorial to be placed on Capitol Grounds,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said. “Woody would be so pleased to know that Kansas has fulfilled its obligation to have a place to pay respect to the families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.”&nbsp;“Today’s dedication of the Kansas Gold Star Families Memorial was made possible by the Herculean and collective efforts of many Kansans,”&nbsp;Lieutenant General Perry Wiggins, Executive Director of the Governor’s Military Council, said. “The Kansas Gold Star Memorial Monument stands as a symbol of the grateful citizens of the State of Kansas wrapping their arms around and honoring our Gold Star Families who sacrificed a loved one for our liberties and freedom.”&nbsp;“I’m honored to have played a small part in establishing the Gold Star Memorial on the Capitol Grounds,”&nbsp;Senator Jeff Longbine, Kansas Senate District 17, said.&nbsp;“These families deserve to be honored forever for the sacrifice their loved ones made in defending our freedom and liberties. We are forever grateful.”&nbsp;“The Kansas Gold Star Families Memorial honors unsung heroes— the families of service members fallen during military conflict— for their service to the U.S. military,”&nbsp;Senator Tom Hawk, Kansas Senate District 22, said.&nbsp;“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Kelly and General Perry Wiggins, Kansans can now pay tribute along the Veterans Memorial Walk at the Statehouse.”

New memorial at Kansas Statehouse honors Gold Star families

By ARIANA FIGUEROA <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/20/an-unprecedented-flood-of-book-bans-engulfs-u-s-school-districts-pen-report-says/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 book
 titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 
2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a 
handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that 
feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued 
Monday said.

“What I want to be really clear about is the books are a 
pretext,”&nbsp;Ashley Hope Pérez, an author of a banned book, said.&nbsp;“(Book 
banning) is a proxy war on students who share the marginalized 
identities of the authors and characters in the books under attack.”

In 2015, Pérez wrote “Out of Darkness,” a young adult romance about&nbsp;a
 Mexican American girl and an African American boy set in the 1930s, but
 the book was banned from school districts last year.

The states with the most incidents of banning are Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, according to an updated report&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/">released Monday</a>&nbsp;by
 PEN America, a group that is dedicated to fighting book bans and 
advocates for the First Amendment.&nbsp;Overall, there were 2,532 incidents 
of banning across the United States.

“(T)he scope of such censorship has expanded drastically and in 
unprecedented fashion since the beginning of the 2021–22 school year,” 
the report found.

In total, there are 1,648 unique book titles that were banned in 2021-2022. PEN previously published&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/">a report in April&nbsp;</a>that found&nbsp;1,586 instances of individual books banned, affecting 1,145 titles, in 86 school districts across 26 states.

The new report found that 50 groups at the state, national and local 
level, with as many as 300 chapters, “have played a role in at least 
half of the book bans enacted across the country during the 2021–22 
school year.” Of those groups, 73% were formed in 2021, according to the
 report.

“Those who are advocating on this issue are within their rights, 
their freedom of assembly, mobilization, using their voices, and that’s 
perfectly appropriate,” Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN 
America, said during a news briefing with reporters Monday.

“But when the end goal is censorship, as a free expression 
organization, it’s our obligation to call that out and to point out that
 even the use of legitimate tactics of expression can sometimes lead to a
 spurious and speech-defeating result,” she said.

Some of the states with book bans, according to the PEN report, 
include Idaho, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, North 
Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Minnesota and New 
Jersey, among others.

“The unprecedented flood of book bans in the 2021-22 school year 
reflects the increasing organization of groups involved in advocating 
for such bans, the increased involvement of state officials in 
book-banning debates, and the introduction of new laws and policies,” 
according to the report.

“More often than not, current challenges to books originate not from 
concerned parents acting individually but from political and advocacy 
groups working in concert to achieve the goal of limiting what books 
students can access and read in public schools.”

The report was released in connection with Book Ban Week, an annual 
campaign by the ​​American Library Association and Amnesty International
 to celebrate the freedom to read and to push back against censorship.

The ALA also<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/09/ala-releases-preliminary-data-2022-book-bans">&nbsp;released its own report&nbsp;</a>that
 found from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 of this year, there were 681 attempts to 
“ban or restrict library resources, and 1,651 unique titles were 
targeted.”

Some of those groups that have challenged school boards include Moms 
for Liberty, an organization formed in 2021 that has strong GOP ties and
 local chapters that “target local school board meetings, school board 
members, administrators, and teachers” to push right-wing policies,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mediamatters.org/critical-race-theory/unmasking-moms-liberty">as reported by Media Matters.</a>&nbsp;Moms for Liberty has about 200 local chapters across 37 states.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.momsforliberty.org/news/ron-desantis-parental-rights/">spoke at a Moms for Liberty convention in the summer</a>,
 where he touted “parental rights,” and praised the group for its 
efforts to get books banned from public schools. In Florida, there 
are&nbsp;566&nbsp;books that are banned, according to the report by PEN.

<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/04/18/lgbtq-community-people-of-color-in-the-crosshairs-of-banned-book-movement/">Republican lawmakers at the state level</a>&nbsp;are also&nbsp;joining the movement to ban books from public schools and libraries.

Nossel said this idea of “parental rights” is “sort of the rubric that gets used to promote these movements.”

She said it’s beneficial for parents to be involved in their 
children’s education, but “that is not what this is about when parents 
are mobilized in an orchestrated campaign to intimidate teachers and 
librarians to dictate (to) them certain books be pulled off shelves even
 before they’ve been read or reviewed.”

“The trends are very clear that this is a targeted effort,” said 
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at
 PEN America and lead writer of the report.

Friedman said that book bans occurred in 138 school districts, 
representing 5,049 schools, across 32 states. He added that the bans 
affect nearly 4 million students.

“Overwhelmingly we are seeing people Google what books have LGBTQ 
content whatsoever. Even just a book that has an illustration of a 
same-sex interracial couple gets thrown onto one of these lists and ends
 up banned in some districts,” he said during the press call.

PEN found that 41%, or 74 of the&nbsp;1,648 unique&nbsp;titles that addressed 
LGBTQ+ themes or featured main or secondary characters who are LGBTQ+, 
were banned.

Cheryl Lewis Hudson, an author and publisher&nbsp;specializing&nbsp;in 
children’s books celebrating Black culture and Black history, said that 
book bans are about power and that they are nothing new. She said the 
trend of book bans is not only censorship, but erasure of marginalized 
communities.

“We can recall historically that in the United States, enslaved 
persons were prohibited by law from learning to read or write, and slave
 masters really understood that this special control of slaves was a 
sense of power — if you couldn’t control slaves’ bodies, you could 
control their minds by denying them access (to knowledge,” she said.

Hudson said Jim Crow laws prevented her from accessing public 
libraries, and she was not able to get her first library card until she 
was 13. She added that the segregated school she attended did not have a
 library for students.

“So banned books is not new, nor is the access to knowledge, and the 
data that PEN is providing reveals really alarming trends in terms of 
access to ideas,” she said.

She and her husband founded a publishing company that published more 
than 50 books featuring Black historical figures and culture.

Hudson said the common theme in books that are being banned is not 
the content of the books, but because “the authors of those books are 
African American, the contributors of those books are from multicultural
 or non-white backgrounds.”

PEN found that 40%, or 659 of&nbsp;1,648 unique&nbsp;titles, that were banned 
had main or secondary characters of color, and also found 20%, or 338 
titles, that addressed race and racism were also banned.

“So there is a trend and an underlying pattern of white supremacy, 
really that is challenging the actual existence of people of color in a 
democracy,” Hudson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663702458990.png" alt=" Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” is among the books being targeted nationwide by public school book bans (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)." />
 <figcaption> Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” is among the books being targeted nationwide by public school book bans (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector).</figcaption>
 </figure>By ARIANA FIGUEROA <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/20/an-unprecedented-flood-of-book-bans-engulfs-u-s-school-districts-pen-report-says/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 book
 titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 
2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a 
handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that 
feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued 
Monday said.“What I want to be really clear about is the books are a 
pretext,”&nbsp;Ashley Hope Pérez, an author of a banned book, said.&nbsp;“(Book 
banning) is a proxy war on students who share the marginalized 
identities of the authors and characters in the books under attack.”In 2015, Pérez wrote “Out of Darkness,” a young adult romance about&nbsp;a
 Mexican American girl and an African American boy set in the 1930s, but
 the book was banned from school districts last year.The states with the most incidents of banning are Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, according to an updated report&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/">released Monday</a>&nbsp;by
 PEN America, a group that is dedicated to fighting book bans and 
advocates for the First Amendment.&nbsp;Overall, there were 2,532 incidents 
of banning across the United States.“(T)he scope of such censorship has expanded drastically and in 
unprecedented fashion since the beginning of the 2021–22 school year,” 
the report found.In total, there are 1,648 unique book titles that were banned in 2021-2022. PEN previously published&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/">a report in April&nbsp;</a>that found&nbsp;1,586 instances of individual books banned, affecting 1,145 titles, in 86 school districts across 26 states.<h2>Groups demand bans</h2>The new report found that 50 groups at the state, national and local 
level, with as many as 300 chapters, “have played a role in at least 
half of the book bans enacted across the country during the 2021–22 
school year.” Of those groups, 73% were formed in 2021, according to the
 report.“Those who are advocating on this issue are within their rights, 
their freedom of assembly, mobilization, using their voices, and that’s 
perfectly appropriate,” Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN 
America, said during a news briefing with reporters Monday.“But when the end goal is censorship, as a free expression 
organization, it’s our obligation to call that out and to point out that
 even the use of legitimate tactics of expression can sometimes lead to a
 spurious and speech-defeating result,” she said.Some of the states with book bans, according to the PEN report, 
include Idaho, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, North 
Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, Minnesota and New 
Jersey, among others.“The unprecedented flood of book bans in the 2021-22 school year 
reflects the increasing organization of groups involved in advocating 
for such bans, the increased involvement of state officials in 
book-banning debates, and the introduction of new laws and policies,” 
according to the report.“More often than not, current challenges to books originate not from 
concerned parents acting individually but from political and advocacy 
groups working in concert to achieve the goal of limiting what books 
students can access and read in public schools.”<h2>Book Ban Week</h2>The report was released in connection with Book Ban Week, an annual 
campaign by the ​​American Library Association and Amnesty International
 to celebrate the freedom to read and to push back against censorship.The ALA also<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/09/ala-releases-preliminary-data-2022-book-bans">&nbsp;released its own report&nbsp;</a>that
 found from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 of this year, there were 681 attempts to 
“ban or restrict library resources, and 1,651 unique titles were 
targeted.”Some of those groups that have challenged school boards include Moms 
for Liberty, an organization formed in 2021 that has strong GOP ties and
 local chapters that “target local school board meetings, school board 
members, administrators, and teachers” to push right-wing policies,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mediamatters.org/critical-race-theory/unmasking-moms-liberty">as reported by Media Matters.</a>&nbsp;Moms for Liberty has about 200 local chapters across 37 states.Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.momsforliberty.org/news/ron-desantis-parental-rights/">spoke at a Moms for Liberty convention in the summer</a>,
 where he touted “parental rights,” and praised the group for its 
efforts to get books banned from public schools. In Florida, there 
are&nbsp;566&nbsp;books that are banned, according to the report by PEN.<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/04/18/lgbtq-community-people-of-color-in-the-crosshairs-of-banned-book-movement/">Republican lawmakers at the state level</a>&nbsp;are also&nbsp;joining the movement to ban books from public schools and libraries.Nossel said this idea of “parental rights” is “sort of the rubric that gets used to promote these movements.”She said it’s beneficial for parents to be involved in their 
children’s education, but “that is not what this is about when parents 
are mobilized in an orchestrated campaign to intimidate teachers and 
librarians to dictate (to) them certain books be pulled off shelves even
 before they’ve been read or reviewed.”“The trends are very clear that this is a targeted effort,” said 
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at
 PEN America and lead writer of the report.Friedman said that book bans occurred in 138 school districts, 
representing 5,049 schools, across 32 states. He added that the bans 
affect nearly 4 million students.“Overwhelmingly we are seeing people Google what books have LGBTQ 
content whatsoever. Even just a book that has an illustration of a 
same-sex interracial couple gets thrown onto one of these lists and ends
 up banned in some districts,” he said during the press call.PEN found that 41%, or 74 of the&nbsp;1,648 unique&nbsp;titles that addressed 
LGBTQ+ themes or featured main or secondary characters who are LGBTQ+, 
were banned.<h2>Bans tied to ‘sense of power’</h2>Cheryl Lewis Hudson, an author and publisher&nbsp;specializing&nbsp;in 
children’s books celebrating Black culture and Black history, said that 
book bans are about power and that they are nothing new. She said the 
trend of book bans is not only censorship, but erasure of marginalized 
communities.“We can recall historically that in the United States, enslaved 
persons were prohibited by law from learning to read or write, and slave
 masters really understood that this special control of slaves was a 
sense of power — if you couldn’t control slaves’ bodies, you could 
control their minds by denying them access (to knowledge,” she said.Hudson said Jim Crow laws prevented her from accessing public 
libraries, and she was not able to get her first library card until she 
was 13. She added that the segregated school she attended did not have a
 library for students.“So banned books is not new, nor is the access to knowledge, and the 
data that PEN is providing reveals really alarming trends in terms of 
access to ideas,” she said.She and her husband founded a publishing company that published more 
than 50 books featuring Black historical figures and culture.Hudson said the common theme in books that are being banned is not 
the content of the books, but because “the authors of those books are 
African American, the contributors of those books are from multicultural
 or non-white backgrounds.”PEN found that 40%, or 659 of&nbsp;1,648 unique&nbsp;titles, that were banned 
had main or secondary characters of color, and also found 20%, or 338 
titles, that addressed race and racism were also banned.“So there is a trend and an underlying pattern of white supremacy, 
really that is challenging the actual existence of people of color in a 
democracy,” Hudson said.

Report: 'Unprecedented flood’ of book bans engulfs U.S. schools

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are pumping an unprecedented amount of money into advertising related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;rights, underscoring how central the message is to the party in the final weeks before the November&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections</a>.

With the most intense period of campaigning only just beginning, Democrats have already invested more than an estimated $124 million this year in television advertising referencing abortion. That's more than twice as much money as the Democrats' next top issue this year, “character," and almost 20 times more than Democrats spent on abortion-related ads in the 2018 midterms.

The estimated spending figures, based on an Associated Press analysis of data provided by the nonpartisan research firm AdImpact, reveal the extent to which Democrats are betting their majorities in Congress and key governorships on one issue. That’s even as large majorities of Americans think the country is heading in the wrong direction and the economy is in poor condition.

The advertising numbers also reveal just how sharply Republicans have shied away from abortion in their paid advertising in the weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a decades-long goal of the GOP. (The AdImpact data captures every single time a campaign ad is aired on TV, and estimates a cost associated with those airings.)

Since the high court’s decision in June to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion, roughly 1 in 3 television advertising dollars spent by Democrats and their allies have focused on abortion. Much of the spending is designed to attack Republicans on the ballot this fall who have long opposed abortion rights and are currently engaged in a state-by-state push to restrict abortion rights or outlaw the practice altogether.

The Democrats' unprecedented investment in abortion messaging on TV this year through Sept. 18 is larger than the Republican Party's combined national investment in ads relating to the economy, crime and immigration.

“With less than 60 days until the election, we refuse to stand by while out-of-step, anti-choice Republicans try to control our bodies and our futures and simultaneously lie about it to voters,” said Melissa Williams, executive director of Women Vote!, EMILY’s List’s independent expenditure program which has invested more than $4 million in abortion-related ads this year. “We are ensuring that each voter knows the candidates that stand with them and against them in protecting this right."

The Democrats' overwhelming focus on abortion may not be surprising given the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the wave of Republican-backed abortion bans in more than a dozen states that followed. But the strategy still marks a sharp departure from the party's focus in recent years on former President Donald Trump and other issues like the economy, education and health care.

In the 2018 midterm elections, for example, Democrats spent less than $6 million on abortion-related television advertising. That's compared to the $51 million that Democrats invested in Trump-related ads, $49 million on health care and $46 million on education, according to AdImpact.

Jessica Floyd, president of American Bridge, a Democrat-allied super PAC running abortion-related advertising in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania, described abortion as “the ultimate health care issue” for women and families. The Supreme Court decision and the subsequent Republican push to ban abortion in some states, she said, represent “an actual rolling back of rights, which is unprecedented."

“It's a very powerful motivator,” Floyd said. "It flies in the face of everything we know voters care about — especially the voters who will decide this election.”

Television advertising data reveals that Republicans, too, have invested millions of dollars in abortion messaging. But most of those ads ran during the primary phase of the campaign this spring and summer as Republican candidates touted their anti-abortion credentials. The number of Republican ads aired referencing abortion has gone down each month since May.

As the calendar has shifted to the fall general election, the gulf between Democratic and Republican spending on abortion ads has grown even wider. So far this month, for example, Democrats and their allies have aired more than 68,000 ads on TV referencing abortion — more than 15 times as many as their Republican counterparts. They've spent an estimated $31 million on such ads compared with the GOP's outlay of only $2.8 million. That's even as Republican leaders such as GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel acknowledged in a recent interview that her party cannot allow Democrats to control the narrative on abortion.

"It’s very clear that that’s the only thing that Democrats have to run on, right? They don’t run on a good economy. They can’t run on community being safer. They can’t run on education," McDaniel said. “So what are they going to do? They’re going to make everything about abortion, which means we’re going to have to talk about it as Republicans do.”

Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lindsey-graham">Lindsey Graham</a>, R-S.C.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-south-carolina-general-lindsey-graham-d81ce581ab1a4c1e4af0ed3991796fdd">irked Republican leaders</a>&nbsp;last week by proposing a national ban on abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy. It was the kind of legislation Republicans on Capitol Hill have supported for several years. But this year, it was viewed as an unwelcome reminder to voters just eight weeks before Election Day that some Republicans in Congress hope to adopt national abortion restrictions if given the chance.

McDaniel encouraged Republicans instead to go on offense on abortion by highlighting Democrats' resistance to any limitations, a position she argued is out of step with most voters. And while Republican leaders and candidates are increasingly making that argument when asked, the party has yet to devote many resources to the issue in the one place most voters hear from GOP candidates: their screens.

Democrats, meanwhile, have released a new wave of abortion-related ads targeting statewide Republican candidates across North Carolina, New Mexico, Minnesota, Arizona, Colorado and Florida. Abortion is also a regular topic for state legislative candidates in competitive districts in California and Florida. Republican House candidates are under attack for opposing abortion rights in congressional districts in upstate New York, Connecticut, Michigan and Indiana.

In some cases, Republican candidates are being hit with multiple abortion-related ads running simultaneously on their local television stations.

One of them is Wisconsin's Republican candidate for governor, Tim Michels, who has been the focus of abortion-related attack ads from three groups so far this month, including his opponent, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Each of the three ad campaigns features Michels confirming that he opposes abortion rights even in cases of rape or incest.

“Is that the divisive radical you want as your governor?” the narrator asks in one ad produced by the Evers campaign.

Michels' campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

It's much the same in Nevada, where Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the nation. This month, at least two anti-Republican groups and the Cortez Masto campaign itself were running abortion-related ads against GOP challenger Adam Laxalt.

Cortez Masto's campaign featured a doctor saying that Republicans are trying to interfere with women's health care decisions.

“For doctors like me, it is our job to make sure women have the support they need to make decisions that are right for them. But Adam Laxalt disagrees,” the doctor says on one ad.

In an op-ed last month, Laxalt tried to push back against the flood of abortion-related advertising against him.

“Cortez Masto and her allies are spending millions of dollars in campaign ads trying to ... make you believe in a falsehood that I would support a federal ban on abortion as a U.S. senator, or that I am somehow 'anti-woman’ because I value, support and defend life at all stages,” he wrote. “For my entire adult life, I have held the view that the Supreme Court should return the issue of abortion to the people and let them decide the issue on a state-by-state basis.”

Abortion has been a big focus in Nevada's Senate contest so far, but other elections have seen far more abortion-related advertising.

The AdImpact data shows that the most TV ads aired this year referencing abortion took place in the Pennsylvania and Arizona Senate races, followed by gubernatorial contests for Illinois, Georgia and Wisconsin. (The now-defeated Kansas constitutional amendment ballot measure, while a unique election, also saw some of the most ads.)

Georgia's Democratic nominee for governor, Stacey Abrams, ran an ad campaign for much of August into September attacking Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, using the words of several women speaking directly to the camera.

“He supports a total ban, even if I’m raped, a victim of incest,” the women say. Another woman is almost crying when she says, “Under Kemp, I could be investigated and imprisoned for a miscarriage.”

Kemp spokesperson Tate Mitchell pushed back against the accuracy of the ads, charging that “Stacey Abrams and her campaign are lying in an effort to scare people and distract voters from her dangerous agenda for Georgia.”

Democrats in several swing states are aggressively leaning in to some leading Republicans' opposition to abortion exceptions in cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother at risk.

Cliff Schecter, a veteran Democratic ad maker and founder of Blue Amp Strategies, said Democrats are "messaging much better around abortion” this year.

“It’s not just liberal women anymore, or even moderate women. It’s conservative women who are horrified by this,” Schecter said of the new abortion restrictions being implemented across the country. “It'd be malpractice not to focus on it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656087288784.png" alt="Protests outside the U.S. Supreme Court in June-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protests outside the U.S. Supreme Court in June-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are pumping an unprecedented amount of money into advertising related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;rights, underscoring how central the message is to the party in the final weeks before the November&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections</a>.With the most intense period of campaigning only just beginning, Democrats have already invested more than an estimated $124 million this year in television advertising referencing abortion. That's more than twice as much money as the Democrats' next top issue this year, “character," and almost 20 times more than Democrats spent on abortion-related ads in the 2018 midterms.The estimated spending figures, based on an Associated Press analysis of data provided by the nonpartisan research firm AdImpact, reveal the extent to which Democrats are betting their majorities in Congress and key governorships on one issue. That’s even as large majorities of Americans think the country is heading in the wrong direction and the economy is in poor condition.The advertising numbers also reveal just how sharply Republicans have shied away from abortion in their paid advertising in the weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a decades-long goal of the GOP. (The AdImpact data captures every single time a campaign ad is aired on TV, and estimates a cost associated with those airings.)Since the high court’s decision in June to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion, roughly 1 in 3 television advertising dollars spent by Democrats and their allies have focused on abortion. Much of the spending is designed to attack Republicans on the ballot this fall who have long opposed abortion rights and are currently engaged in a state-by-state push to restrict abortion rights or outlaw the practice altogether.The Democrats' unprecedented investment in abortion messaging on TV this year through Sept. 18 is larger than the Republican Party's combined national investment in ads relating to the economy, crime and immigration.“With less than 60 days until the election, we refuse to stand by while out-of-step, anti-choice Republicans try to control our bodies and our futures and simultaneously lie about it to voters,” said Melissa Williams, executive director of Women Vote!, EMILY’s List’s independent expenditure program which has invested more than $4 million in abortion-related ads this year. “We are ensuring that each voter knows the candidates that stand with them and against them in protecting this right."The Democrats' overwhelming focus on abortion may not be surprising given the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the wave of Republican-backed abortion bans in more than a dozen states that followed. But the strategy still marks a sharp departure from the party's focus in recent years on former President Donald Trump and other issues like the economy, education and health care.In the 2018 midterm elections, for example, Democrats spent less than $6 million on abortion-related television advertising. That's compared to the $51 million that Democrats invested in Trump-related ads, $49 million on health care and $46 million on education, according to AdImpact.Jessica Floyd, president of American Bridge, a Democrat-allied super PAC running abortion-related advertising in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania, described abortion as “the ultimate health care issue” for women and families. The Supreme Court decision and the subsequent Republican push to ban abortion in some states, she said, represent “an actual rolling back of rights, which is unprecedented."“It's a very powerful motivator,” Floyd said. "It flies in the face of everything we know voters care about — especially the voters who will decide this election.”Television advertising data reveals that Republicans, too, have invested millions of dollars in abortion messaging. But most of those ads ran during the primary phase of the campaign this spring and summer as Republican candidates touted their anti-abortion credentials. The number of Republican ads aired referencing abortion has gone down each month since May.As the calendar has shifted to the fall general election, the gulf between Democratic and Republican spending on abortion ads has grown even wider. So far this month, for example, Democrats and their allies have aired more than 68,000 ads on TV referencing abortion — more than 15 times as many as their Republican counterparts. They've spent an estimated $31 million on such ads compared with the GOP's outlay of only $2.8 million. That's even as Republican leaders such as GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel acknowledged in a recent interview that her party cannot allow Democrats to control the narrative on abortion."It’s very clear that that’s the only thing that Democrats have to run on, right? They don’t run on a good economy. They can’t run on community being safer. They can’t run on education," McDaniel said. “So what are they going to do? They’re going to make everything about abortion, which means we’re going to have to talk about it as Republicans do.”Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lindsey-graham">Lindsey Graham</a>, R-S.C.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-south-carolina-general-lindsey-graham-d81ce581ab1a4c1e4af0ed3991796fdd">irked Republican leaders</a>&nbsp;last week by proposing a national ban on abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy. It was the kind of legislation Republicans on Capitol Hill have supported for several years. But this year, it was viewed as an unwelcome reminder to voters just eight weeks before Election Day that some Republicans in Congress hope to adopt national abortion restrictions if given the chance.McDaniel encouraged Republicans instead to go on offense on abortion by highlighting Democrats' resistance to any limitations, a position she argued is out of step with most voters. And while Republican leaders and candidates are increasingly making that argument when asked, the party has yet to devote many resources to the issue in the one place most voters hear from GOP candidates: their screens.Democrats, meanwhile, have released a new wave of abortion-related ads targeting statewide Republican candidates across North Carolina, New Mexico, Minnesota, Arizona, Colorado and Florida. Abortion is also a regular topic for state legislative candidates in competitive districts in California and Florida. Republican House candidates are under attack for opposing abortion rights in congressional districts in upstate New York, Connecticut, Michigan and Indiana.In some cases, Republican candidates are being hit with multiple abortion-related ads running simultaneously on their local television stations.One of them is Wisconsin's Republican candidate for governor, Tim Michels, who has been the focus of abortion-related attack ads from three groups so far this month, including his opponent, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Each of the three ad campaigns features Michels confirming that he opposes abortion rights even in cases of rape or incest.“Is that the divisive radical you want as your governor?” the narrator asks in one ad produced by the Evers campaign.Michels' campaign did not respond to a request for comment.It's much the same in Nevada, where Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the nation. This month, at least two anti-Republican groups and the Cortez Masto campaign itself were running abortion-related ads against GOP challenger Adam Laxalt.Cortez Masto's campaign featured a doctor saying that Republicans are trying to interfere with women's health care decisions.“For doctors like me, it is our job to make sure women have the support they need to make decisions that are right for them. But Adam Laxalt disagrees,” the doctor says on one ad.In an op-ed last month, Laxalt tried to push back against the flood of abortion-related advertising against him.“Cortez Masto and her allies are spending millions of dollars in campaign ads trying to ... make you believe in a falsehood that I would support a federal ban on abortion as a U.S. senator, or that I am somehow 'anti-woman’ because I value, support and defend life at all stages,” he wrote. “For my entire adult life, I have held the view that the Supreme Court should return the issue of abortion to the people and let them decide the issue on a state-by-state basis.”Abortion has been a big focus in Nevada's Senate contest so far, but other elections have seen far more abortion-related advertising.The AdImpact data shows that the most TV ads aired this year referencing abortion took place in the Pennsylvania and Arizona Senate races, followed by gubernatorial contests for Illinois, Georgia and Wisconsin. (The now-defeated Kansas constitutional amendment ballot measure, while a unique election, also saw some of the most ads.)Georgia's Democratic nominee for governor, Stacey Abrams, ran an ad campaign for much of August into September attacking Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, using the words of several women speaking directly to the camera.“He supports a total ban, even if I’m raped, a victim of incest,” the women say. Another woman is almost crying when she says, “Under Kemp, I could be investigated and imprisoned for a miscarriage.”Kemp spokesperson Tate Mitchell pushed back against the accuracy of the ads, charging that “Stacey Abrams and her campaign are lying in an effort to scare people and distract voters from her dangerous agenda for Georgia.”Democrats in several swing states are aggressively leaning in to some leading Republicans' opposition to abortion exceptions in cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother at risk.Cliff Schecter, a veteran Democratic ad maker and founder of Blue Amp Strategies, said Democrats are "messaging much better around abortion” this year.“It’s not just liberal women anymore, or even moderate women. It’s conservative women who are horrified by this,” Schecter said of the new abortion restrictions being implemented across the country. “It'd be malpractice not to focus on it.”

Ad spending shows Dems hinging midterm hopes on abortion

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities and the Kansas Fire Marshal's office are investigating a home explosion and fire in Osage County.

Just before 7p.m. Saturday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received 911 calls of a possible house explosion at 11600 S. Indian Hills Road, near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

First arriving deputies reported that the house was destroyed and was on fire. The victim, a 62-year-old man was transported from the scene by a Lifesave Air Ambulance to University of Kansas Medical Center in critical condition.

Sheriff’s Deputies, Osage County Fire Districts #1 – Carbondale and #6 – Burlingame, Auburn Fire, and Osage County EMS all were dispatched to the scene.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office ask that anyone with information please contact the Osage County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit at 785-828-3121 or to remain anonymous contact Osage County Crime Stoppers at (877) OSCRIME or email tips@oscosheriff.org.

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities and the Kansas Fire Marshal's office are investigating a home explosion and fire in Osage County.Just before 7p.m. Saturday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received 911 calls of a possible house explosion at 11600 S. Indian Hills Road, near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.First arriving deputies reported that the house was destroyed and was on fire. The victim, a 62-year-old man was transported from the scene by a Lifesave Air Ambulance to University of Kansas Medical Center in critical condition.Sheriff’s Deputies, Osage County Fire Districts #1 – Carbondale and #6 – Burlingame, Auburn Fire, and Osage County EMS all were dispatched to the scene.The Osage County Sheriff’s Office ask that anyone with information please contact the Osage County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit at 785-828-3121 or to remain anonymous contact Osage County Crime Stoppers at (877) OSCRIME or email tips@oscosheriff.org.

Sheriff: Man airlifted to hospital after Kan. home explosion, fire

CRAWFORD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1p.m. Saturday in Crawford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by&nbsp; Leroy Edward Nutt, 71,&nbsp;Mindenmines, Missouri, was eastbound on East 570th Avenue of Kansas 126 Highway.

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the 200th Street intersection. The Ford struck a northbound 2017 Chrysler 300 driven by Rigby James Born, 19, Gerard, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;Both vehicles came to rest at the Northeast corner of the intersection in the ditch.

Nutt was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. EMS transported Born to Freeman West in Joplin. Nutt was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

CRAWFORD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1p.m. Saturday in Crawford County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F150 driven by&nbsp; Leroy Edward Nutt, 71,&nbsp;Mindenmines, Missouri, was eastbound on East 570th Avenue of Kansas 126 Highway.The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at the 200th Street intersection. The Ford struck a northbound 2017 Chrysler 300 driven by Rigby James Born, 19, Gerard, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;Both vehicles came to rest at the Northeast corner of the intersection in the ditch.Nutt was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. EMS transported Born to Freeman West in Joplin. Nutt was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

1 dead, teen injured after 2-vehicle crash on Kansas highway

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a non-injury accident have made an arrest of an off-duty police officer.

Just after 11:45p.m. Friday, police responded to report of an accident at Douglas and Waco in Wichita involving a blue 2010 Mazda 3 and a city of Wichita Q Line bus, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Officers contacted the driver of the Mazda, off duty Detective MaryAnna Hoyt, who showed signs of impairment, according to Ditch. For transparency purposes, police officer contacted the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to investigate and booked Hoyt on a requested charge of DUI.

There was minor damage to the city bus and no injuries to the driver of the bus. Hoyt is a detective with the Wichita Police Department and has been employed for 15 years and was assigned to the Investigation Division. She has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.

There will be an internal investigation upon completion of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664041669827.png" alt="Hoyt-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Hoyt-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a non-injury accident have made an arrest of an off-duty police officer.Just after 11:45p.m. Friday, police responded to report of an accident at Douglas and Waco in Wichita involving a blue 2010 Mazda 3 and a city of Wichita Q Line bus, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Officers contacted the driver of the Mazda, off duty Detective MaryAnna Hoyt, who showed signs of impairment, according to Ditch. For transparency purposes, police officer contacted the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to investigate and booked Hoyt on a requested charge of DUI.There was minor damage to the city bus and no injuries to the driver of the bus. Hoyt is a detective with the Wichita Police Department and has been employed for 15 years and was assigned to the Investigation Division. She has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.There will be an internal investigation upon completion of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigation.

Off-duty Kansas police detective arrested after car, bus crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are investigating the death of a man during an incident at a Topeka area business. Just after 8a.m. Saturday, deputies were dispatched to a medical call at the Goodyear Plant in the 1900 block of NW U.S. 24 Highway, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

First responders learned that a 59-year-old man sustained life threatening injuries while working. The Soldier Township Fire Department and American Medical Response (AMR - Topeka) responded to the scene as well. AMR transported the man to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

A statement from Goodyear said, "We deeply regret that a fatality occurred this morning at the Goodyear-Topeka plant. Our thoughts are with our co-worker and his family and colleagues."&nbsp; The spokesperson said they are conducting an internal investigation and will fully cooperate with outside authorities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664064571829.png" alt="Goodyear Tire Plant -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Goodyear Tire Plant -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are investigating the death of a man during an incident at a Topeka area business. Just after 8a.m. Saturday, deputies were dispatched to a medical call at the Goodyear Plant in the 1900 block of NW U.S. 24 Highway, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.First responders learned that a 59-year-old man sustained life threatening injuries while working. The Soldier Township Fire Department and American Medical Response (AMR - Topeka) responded to the scene as well. AMR transported the man to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.A statement from Goodyear said, "We deeply regret that a fatality occurred this morning at the Goodyear-Topeka plant. Our thoughts are with our co-worker and his family and colleagues."&nbsp; The spokesperson said they are conducting an internal investigation and will fully cooperate with outside authorities.

Sheriff: Employee injured after incident at Kan. tire plant has died

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man after a high-speed chase and violent arrest.

Just before 2:30a.m. Sept. 14, sheriff's deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of 16th and Laurel in Independence, Kansas for 90mph in a posted 30mph zone, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

 The deputies activated their emergency lights and sirens and the vehicle failed to stop. The deputies pursued the vehicle through the Cottonwood Street and 14th Street area of Independence, Kansas. 

After the vehicle struck a stop sign at 13th and Cottonwood, the driver exited the vehicle and started running. The deputies recognized the driver to be 45-year-old Norman Hiner of Independence, Kansas. 

Deputies knew Hiner had several felony warrants and has eluded officers on several different occasions in the past few weeks. Deputies gave chase on foot for several blocks and eventually were able to catch Hiner and take him into custody with the assistance of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064833241967&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUeMxdJUgw2sqBwNoXiL7JmSOb5DeHJvgq8bH1lFTd5R8NLtfcHqtmjV9vDFr_Wf7-nIG6LcOmifMwgMUvnWjD7YTKzwzhOvzm7WxqV6TPCKPh2ezYOYoc954WgG4zgohk7e5Rwb59ebwA8kaPcBc0TYqcg0zL0MOj4PSIhomi_Zg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Independence Kansas Police Department</a>.

During the arrest process, Hiner started biting one to the Independence Police Officers leg. 

Hiner remains jailed on requested charges of flee and attempt to elude law enforcement, battery on an officer, and several traffic infractions.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663588223760.png" alt="Hiner-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Hiner-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man after a high-speed chase and violent arrest.Just before 2:30a.m. Sept. 14, sheriff's deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of 16th and Laurel in Independence, Kansas for 90mph in a posted 30mph zone, according to Sheriff Ron Wade. The deputies activated their emergency lights and sirens and the vehicle failed to stop. The deputies pursued the vehicle through the Cottonwood Street and 14th Street area of Independence, Kansas. After the vehicle struck a stop sign at 13th and Cottonwood, the driver exited the vehicle and started running. The deputies recognized the driver to be 45-year-old Norman Hiner of Independence, Kansas. Deputies knew Hiner had several felony warrants and has eluded officers on several different occasions in the past few weeks. Deputies gave chase on foot for several blocks and eventually were able to catch Hiner and take him into custody with the assistance of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064833241967&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUeMxdJUgw2sqBwNoXiL7JmSOb5DeHJvgq8bH1lFTd5R8NLtfcHqtmjV9vDFr_Wf7-nIG6LcOmifMwgMUvnWjD7YTKzwzhOvzm7WxqV6TPCKPh2ezYOYoc954WgG4zgohk7e5Rwb59ebwA8kaPcBc0TYqcg0zL0MOj4PSIhomi_Zg&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Independence Kansas Police Department</a>. During the arrest process, Hiner started biting one to the Independence Police Officers leg. Hiner remains jailed on requested charges of flee and attempt to elude law enforcement, battery on an officer, and several traffic infractions.&nbsp;

Wanted Kansas man bit officer on the leg during arrest

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court this week for secretly video recording a 14-year-old victim in the victim’s bedroom.

Jonathan Rodger Nelson, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 2, 2021, Nelson pleaded guilty to one count of the attempted production of child pornography. Nelson admitted that he placed a camera, hidden in an alarm clock, in the child victim’s bedroom to secretly record the victim.

The investigation began on March 30, 2018, when a reporting party told police officers she looked at Nelson’s cell phone and saw what appeared to be video footage of the child victim’s bedroom. The reporting party then found a camera hidden in an alarm clock that Nelson had purchased online and placed in the bedroom several weeks before.

During a forensic examination of Nelson’s computer hard drive, investigators found more than 400 video and graphics files from the hidden camera. Investigators also found approximately 85 files from various livestream apps in which Nelson asked females of various ages, including children, to perform certain acts while on camera. For example, Nelson recorded his interaction with a minor female in which he promised her a phone and makeup to undress and engage in sexually explicit behavior.

Additionally, other images or videos of child pornography were found on Nelson’s devices. Nelson admitted using peer-to-peer software to download child pornography, including children as young as seven or eight years old. He admitted to looking for chat groups sharing child pornography.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court this week for secretly video recording a 14-year-old victim in the victim’s bedroom.Jonathan Rodger Nelson, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole.On Nov. 2, 2021, Nelson pleaded guilty to one count of the attempted production of child pornography. Nelson admitted that he placed a camera, hidden in an alarm clock, in the child victim’s bedroom to secretly record the victim.The investigation began on March 30, 2018, when a reporting party told police officers she looked at Nelson’s cell phone and saw what appeared to be video footage of the child victim’s bedroom. The reporting party then found a camera hidden in an alarm clock that Nelson had purchased online and placed in the bedroom several weeks before.During a forensic examination of Nelson’s computer hard drive, investigators found more than 400 video and graphics files from the hidden camera. Investigators also found approximately 85 files from various livestream apps in which Nelson asked females of various ages, including children, to perform certain acts while on camera. For example, Nelson recorded his interaction with a minor female in which he promised her a phone and makeup to undress and engage in sexually explicit behavior.Additionally, other images or videos of child pornography were found on Nelson’s devices. Nelson admitted using peer-to-peer software to download child pornography, including children as young as seven or eight years old. He admitted to looking for chat groups sharing child pornography.This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KC man sentenced for secretly recording 14-year-old victim

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that critically injured a teen.

Just before 11p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 5000 block of East Osie in Wichita, according to Officer Charlie Ditch.

First responders located the an 18-year-old man unconscious and not breathing.

Officers began life saving measures and the victim was transported to an area hospital in extremely critical condition, according to Ditch.

The investigation revealed that the victim had a verbal altercation with two male suspects. One suspect shot the victim in the upper body. 

This suspect is described to be 20-30 years-old and the second male suspect is described to be 18-20 years old. Both were last seen fleeing on foot southwest from the area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664052896490.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation late Friday" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation late Friday</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that critically injured a teen.Just before 11p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 5000 block of East Osie in Wichita, according to Officer Charlie Ditch.First responders located the an 18-year-old man unconscious and not breathing.Officers began life saving measures and the victim was transported to an area hospital in extremely critical condition, according to Ditch.The investigation revealed that the victim had a verbal altercation with two male suspects. One suspect shot the victim in the upper body. This suspect is described to be 20-30 years-old and the second male suspect is described to be 18-20 years old. Both were last seen fleeing on foot southwest from the area.

Police work to ID suspects in shooting that injured Kan. teen

U.S. doctors should regularly screen all adults under 65 for anxiety, an influential health guidelines group proposed Tuesday.

It’s the first time the&nbsp;<a href="https://uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/" target="_blank">U.S. Preventive Services Task Force</a>&nbsp;has recommended anxiety screening in primary care for adults without symptoms. The proposal is open for public comment until Oct. 17, but the group usually affirms its draft guidance.

The recommendations are based on a review that began before the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating studies showing potential benefits and risks from screening. Given reports of a surge in mental health problems linked with pandemic isolation and stress, the guidance is “very timely,” said Lori Pbert, a task force member and co-author. Pbert is a psychologist-researcher at the University of Massachusetts’ Chan Medical School.

The task force said evidence for benefits, including effective treatments, outweighs any risks, which include inaccurate screening results that could lead to unnecessary follow-up care.

<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders" target="_blank">Anxiety disorders</a>&nbsp;are among the most common mental health complaints, affecting about 40% of U.S. women at some point in their lives and more than 1 in 4 men, Pbert noted.

Black people, those living in poverty, people who have lost partners and those who have other mental health issues are among adults who face higher risks for developing anxiety, which can manifest as panic attacks, phobias or feeling always on edge. Also, about 1 in 10 pregnant and postpartum women experience anxiety.

Common screening tools include brief questionnaires about symptoms such as fears and worries that interfere with usual activities. These can easily be given in a primary care setting, the task force said, although it didn’t specify how often patients should be screened.

“The most important thing to recognize is that a screening test alone is not sufficient to diagnose anxiety,” Pbert said. The next step is a more thorough evaluation by a mental health professional, though Pbert acknowledged that finding mental health care can be difficult given shortages of specialists.

Megan Whalen, a 31-year-old marketing specialist who was diagnosed with anxiety in 2013, says regular doctors should screen for mental health issues as commonly as they do for physical problems.

“Health is health, whether the problem is visible or not,” said Whalen, of Hoboken, New Jersey.

She has gotten help from medicine and talk therapy, but her symptoms worsened during the pandemic and she temporarily moved back home.

“The pandemic made me afraid to leave home, my anxiety telling me anywhere outside of my childhood house was unsafe,” Whelan said. “I absolutely still struggle with feelings of dread and fear sometimes. It’s just a part of my life at this point, and I try to manage it as best as I can.”

The task force said there isn’t enough solid research in older adults to recommend for or against anxiety screening in those aged 65 and up.

The group continues to recommend depression screening for adults and children, but said there isn’t enough evidence to evaluate potential benefits and harms of suicide screening in adults who show no worrisome symptoms.

In April, the group issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-mental-e2b3dab61e1da5dae8507f6c8a5e61db">similar draft guidance</a>&nbsp;for children and teens, recommending anxiety screening but stating that more research is needed on potential benefits and harms of suicide screening kids with no obvious signs.

Guidelines from the task force often determine insurance coverage, but anxiety is already on the radar of many primary care doctors. In 2020, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.womenspreventivehealth.org/" target="_blank">group</a>&nbsp;affiliated with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended routine primary care anxiety screening for women and girls starting at age 13.

Melissa Lewis-Duarte, a wellness coach in Scottsdale, Arizona, says rhythmic breathing, meditation and making a daily list of three things for which she is grateful have all helped with her anxiety.

“Doctors say, ‘Make sure you’re sleeping, control your stress.’ Yeah, I get that,” but not everyone knows how, said the 42-year-old mother of three. “It’s difficult to prioritize self-care, but that’s what’s necessary.”

By LINDSEY TANNER, Associated PressU.S. doctors should regularly screen all adults under 65 for anxiety, an influential health guidelines group proposed Tuesday.It’s the first time the&nbsp;<a href="https://uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/" target="_blank">U.S. Preventive Services Task Force</a>&nbsp;has recommended anxiety screening in primary care for adults without symptoms. The proposal is open for public comment until Oct. 17, but the group usually affirms its draft guidance.The recommendations are based on a review that began before the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating studies showing potential benefits and risks from screening. Given reports of a surge in mental health problems linked with pandemic isolation and stress, the guidance is “very timely,” said Lori Pbert, a task force member and co-author. Pbert is a psychologist-researcher at the University of Massachusetts’ Chan Medical School.The task force said evidence for benefits, including effective treatments, outweighs any risks, which include inaccurate screening results that could lead to unnecessary follow-up care.<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders" target="_blank">Anxiety disorders</a>&nbsp;are among the most common mental health complaints, affecting about 40% of U.S. women at some point in their lives and more than 1 in 4 men, Pbert noted.Black people, those living in poverty, people who have lost partners and those who have other mental health issues are among adults who face higher risks for developing anxiety, which can manifest as panic attacks, phobias or feeling always on edge. Also, about 1 in 10 pregnant and postpartum women experience anxiety.Common screening tools include brief questionnaires about symptoms such as fears and worries that interfere with usual activities. These can easily be given in a primary care setting, the task force said, although it didn’t specify how often patients should be screened.“The most important thing to recognize is that a screening test alone is not sufficient to diagnose anxiety,” Pbert said. The next step is a more thorough evaluation by a mental health professional, though Pbert acknowledged that finding mental health care can be difficult given shortages of specialists.Megan Whalen, a 31-year-old marketing specialist who was diagnosed with anxiety in 2013, says regular doctors should screen for mental health issues as commonly as they do for physical problems.“Health is health, whether the problem is visible or not,” said Whalen, of Hoboken, New Jersey.She has gotten help from medicine and talk therapy, but her symptoms worsened during the pandemic and she temporarily moved back home.“The pandemic made me afraid to leave home, my anxiety telling me anywhere outside of my childhood house was unsafe,” Whelan said. “I absolutely still struggle with feelings of dread and fear sometimes. It’s just a part of my life at this point, and I try to manage it as best as I can.”The task force said there isn’t enough solid research in older adults to recommend for or against anxiety screening in those aged 65 and up.The group continues to recommend depression screening for adults and children, but said there isn’t enough evidence to evaluate potential benefits and harms of suicide screening in adults who show no worrisome symptoms.In April, the group issued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-mental-e2b3dab61e1da5dae8507f6c8a5e61db">similar draft guidance</a>&nbsp;for children and teens, recommending anxiety screening but stating that more research is needed on potential benefits and harms of suicide screening kids with no obvious signs.Guidelines from the task force often determine insurance coverage, but anxiety is already on the radar of many primary care doctors. In 2020, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.womenspreventivehealth.org/" target="_blank">group</a>&nbsp;affiliated with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended routine primary care anxiety screening for women and girls starting at age 13.Melissa Lewis-Duarte, a wellness coach in Scottsdale, Arizona, says rhythmic breathing, meditation and making a daily list of three things for which she is grateful have all helped with her anxiety.“Doctors say, ‘Make sure you’re sleeping, control your stress.’ Yeah, I get that,” but not everyone knows how, said the 42-year-old mother of three. “It’s difficult to prioritize self-care, but that’s what’s necessary.”

Panel: US adults should get routine anxiety screening 

ATCHISON&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly Saturday joined the Amelia Earhart Foundation in honoring its namesake with a statue unveiling ceremony. The bronze statue, located at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, is the sister statue of the one that was installed in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in July, according to a media release.

“How better to cement our state’s legacy as the Air Capitol of the World than with a statue at the museum that celebrates a woman who showed all of us what it means to “reach for the stars,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I want to express my deepest appreciation for this museum and for this immortalization of an extraordinary individual who truly represents the best of the Kansas spirit.”

Born and raised in Atchison, Kansas, Earhart received her pilot license in 1923 and subsequently championed the advancement of women in aviation. She is one of the world’s most celebrated aviators and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Earhart was declared lost at sea when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

"Amelia Earhart's&nbsp;bravery and relentless fighting for equality for women and girls still gives my generation strength and inspiration,”&nbsp;Gabrielle Henry, Amelia Earhart's great-great niece, said.&nbsp;“It is an honor to have her blood run in my veins, and even more so to hold her values in my heart."

“Although it was a historic milestone to bring Amelia Earhart to the U.S. Capitol in July,&nbsp;we are&nbsp;especially thrilled to&nbsp;finally&nbsp;unveil&nbsp;this ‘twin’ bronze statue&nbsp;of Amelia&nbsp;in her&nbsp;beloved Atchison, Kansas, hometown,”&nbsp;Karen Seaberg, founder and president of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, said. “This magnificent statue will stand as an enduring symbol of Amelia’s pioneering legacy that will welcome and inspire future generations — especially the 150,00 middle school students within a 90-mile radius of Atchison — to explore aviation and aerospace careers through state-of-the-art STEM exhibits and interactive experiences in the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum opening in 2023.”

“Amelia represents Kansas around the world as a bold, courageous, and forward-thinking woman. I think she’d be especially proud to know her Atchison hometown is close to the ‘Air Capital of the World’ in Wichita, Kansas,”&nbsp;Makinzie Burghart, Atchison native and Director of Development for the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, said.&nbsp;“I look forward to welcoming everyone to the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum — especially young girls — to introduce them to Amelia’s pioneering aviation legacy and encourage them to bravely follow in her footsteps.”

Along with Amelia Earhart, Governor Kelly recognized a long legacy of pioneering women in Kansas history, including Susanna Salter, the first woman elected mayor in the United States in 1887; Georgia Neese Gray, who, during the Truman Administration, became the first woman to serve as United States Treasurer; and Lucinda Todd, a civil rights activist and one of the petitioners in the 1954&nbsp;Brown v. Board of Education&nbsp;decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664040714672.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly Saturday joined the Amelia Earhart Foundation in honoring its namesake with a statue unveiling ceremony. The bronze statue, located at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, is the sister statue of the one that was installed in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in July, according to a media release.“How better to cement our state’s legacy as the Air Capitol of the World than with a statue at the museum that celebrates a woman who showed all of us what it means to “reach for the stars,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I want to express my deepest appreciation for this museum and for this immortalization of an extraordinary individual who truly represents the best of the Kansas spirit.”Born and raised in Atchison, Kansas, Earhart received her pilot license in 1923 and subsequently championed the advancement of women in aviation. She is one of the world’s most celebrated aviators and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Earhart was declared lost at sea when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937."Amelia Earhart's&nbsp;bravery and relentless fighting for equality for women and girls still gives my generation strength and inspiration,”&nbsp;Gabrielle Henry, Amelia Earhart's great-great niece, said.&nbsp;“It is an honor to have her blood run in my veins, and even more so to hold her values in my heart."“Although it was a historic milestone to bring Amelia Earhart to the U.S. Capitol in July,&nbsp;we are&nbsp;especially thrilled to&nbsp;finally&nbsp;unveil&nbsp;this ‘twin’ bronze statue&nbsp;of Amelia&nbsp;in her&nbsp;beloved Atchison, Kansas, hometown,”&nbsp;Karen Seaberg, founder and president of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, said. “This magnificent statue will stand as an enduring symbol of Amelia’s pioneering legacy that will welcome and inspire future generations — especially the 150,00 middle school students within a 90-mile radius of Atchison — to explore aviation and aerospace careers through state-of-the-art STEM exhibits and interactive experiences in the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum opening in 2023.”“Amelia represents Kansas around the world as a bold, courageous, and forward-thinking woman. I think she’d be especially proud to know her Atchison hometown is close to the ‘Air Capital of the World’ in Wichita, Kansas,”&nbsp;Makinzie Burghart, Atchison native and Director of Development for the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, said.&nbsp;“I look forward to welcoming everyone to the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum — especially young girls — to introduce them to Amelia’s pioneering aviation legacy and encourage them to bravely follow in her footsteps.”Along with Amelia Earhart, Governor Kelly recognized a long legacy of pioneering women in Kansas history, including Susanna Salter, the first woman elected mayor in the United States in 1887; Georgia Neese Gray, who, during the Truman Administration, became the first woman to serve as United States Treasurer; and Lucinda Todd, a civil rights activist and one of the petitioners in the 1954&nbsp;Brown v. Board of Education&nbsp;decision.

Gov. celebrates legacy of Amelia Earhart with statue unveiling 

By BLAISE MESA and ANDREW BAHL <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-20/kansas-inmates-say-medical-care-is-so-bad-they-will-let-someone-die-in-here-before-they-try-to-help">Kansas News Service</a>

Inmate Terry Bowen barely copes with the pain from a variety of medical problems.

Now he's on the verge of losing access to Tylenol — his over-the-counter pain reliever — at the Lansing Correctional Facility.

So
 when the aches of his arthritis flare up, he'll just have to bear 
through the pain. Worse yet, the grapefruit-sized hernia in his chest. 
More painful still: wires used to tie his ribs back together after an 
earlier procedure broke and remain pointing at his heart and torturing 
the inside of his chest.

Tylenol may not seem like much, but the pills offer Bowen at least some relief.

“Do
 you have wires inside your chest sticking you? Have you got arthritis, 
have you got degenerating discs in your neck?” said the 75-year-old 
Bowen. “Well, if you do and you can do without Tylenol, well then, I can
 do without it. But if you’ve got to deal with the pain, you just deal 
with the pain.”

Dozens of current and former inmates in the Kansas
 prison system told The Kansas News Service and The Topeka 
Capital-Journal their medical care threatens their health.

Complaints
 touch nearly every area of medical care. Delivery of medications can be
 delayed and even if the medicine comes, inmates say, they are sometimes
 given treatments that trigger allergic reactions. Meanwhile, cancer 
screenings and checkups get missed, and if inmates are unhappy with 
their care, some struggle to get a second opinion.

To ease some of
 his pain, Bowen could get surgery. But prison staff refuse to treat the
 hernia. They might operate on the wires in his chest, but they fear 
surgery would make Bowen’s condition worse. He’s complained about the 
issues for over a year while worrying that the wires could pierce his 
heart.

“There’s times when I feel like somebody’s stabbing an ice pick in me and I damn near dropped to my knee,” Bowen said.

While
 he says his nurse at Lansing Correctional Facility is pleasant, he 
argues the rest of the system has broken down for him. Bowen, who has 
been in prison since 2012, has seen multiple health contractors come and
 go with no improvement.

Prison medical care has been a perennial 
complaint from prisoners in Kansas. The system ditched its old provider 
in 2020. It hoped its new medical services contractor, Centurion of 
Kansas, would usher in an era of better care, but, as one inmate put it,
 “They will let someone die in here before they try to help.”

The 
Department of Corrections insists it’s satisfied with the care Centurion
 provides, pointing out that monthly informal complaints about medical 
care have dropped considerably from December 2021 to August 2022, 
dipping from 281 to 32 and saying formal audits of the contractor also 
show improvement.

The agency added that there were more than 6,000
 referrals for care, 11,323 off-site services were provided, 33,073 
resident visits to the facility physician or APRN, 17,043 dental visits 
and 124,797 prescriptions filled in the fiscal year that ended in July —
 all signs of a functioning system for thousands of inmates each year. 
For context, there are currently 8441 adult offenders in Kansas prisons.

“Providing
 medical care to a resident in need is not only the right thing to do, 
it is a requirement under state and federal law,” the corrections 
department said in a written response to questions. “The employees and 
leadership of Centurion have demonstrated themselves to provide good 
customer service for both the department and our residents. They are 
responsive to feedback and have improved the quality of care provided 
for our residents.”

Even basic medical care can be hard to access in Kansas prisons

Centurion
 is audited on its ability to meet a dozen performance metrics. The 
contractor has paid more than $900,000 in fines between January 2021 and
 May 2022 for failing to hit those marks. Centurion was fined just under
 5,000 times.

Centurion's contract, Department of Corrections records show totals $76.6 million over a two-year period.

The
 department said a bulk of those fines were in the early months of the 
contract and Centurion improved services and was fined fewer times as it
 went on. However, the company was hit with larger fines more often as 
time went on.

In March 2021, Centurion was fined 338 times for $50,450. A year 
later in March 2022, there were 144 compliance fines for $45,700.

The
 company’s best month was Aug. 2021 when it had 96 infractions, the only
 time it was fined under 100 times. That is still an average of three 
compliance mistakes a day.

An inmate in a state prison, who wanted
 to remain unnamed, said dental appointments and help for their injured 
knee are frustrating, at best, because they don't speak English well and
 their prison doctors don’t speak Spanish.

They went to the 
dentist because eating cold things hurts so much they might cry. A tooth
 in the back of their mouth hurts, but the prison dentist offered to 
pull their front two teeth. The dentist tried showing them X-rays of the
 teeth to highlight the problem, but that only confused them more.

“They
 are my teeth and I just saw my teeth. I didn’t see anything unusual,” 
they said in Spanish. “They wanted to take my teeth out, right then, 
right there. I didn’t.”

That story underscores that even accessing
 basic care can sometimes prove difficult, a claim the department 
disputes. Centurion declined to comment for this story and the Kansas 
Department of Corrections declined in-person interviews. Department 
spokesperson David Thomson said via email that none of the claims 
brought forth by reporters are something they can fix without more 
information.

Department leadership pointed to audits by KU Med 
that they say show Centurion is providing good care. Those audits track 
timeliness of non-emergency health calls, mental health screenings and 
periodic health assessments, among other metrics.

The documents 
show individual prisons achieved zero percent compliance in certain 
categories nine times and 50% or lower compliance more than 40 times. It
 isn’t clear what exactly Centurion is failing to do because the 
performance reports only list compliance in broad categories.

In 
February 2022, the Lansing Correctional Facility was compliant on only 
23% of its nonemergency sick calls. In February 2021, only 6% of El 
Dorado’s intake health reports were compliant. That same month, none of 
the Topeka Correctional Facility's Facilities’ intake health reports 
were compliant.

The El Dorado Correctional Facility had the most 
fines — almost $400,000 — of any prison. The Topeka Correctional 
Facility was penalized disproportionately. The women’s prison was fined 
more than the Larned, Winfield, Ellsworth, Norton and the youth prisons 
combined, despite those facilities housing around three times the people
 held in Topeka.

The agency countered that the number of fines per
 month decreased from around 900 in February of 2021 to around 200 in 
May, 2022.

Tiffany Trotter, a 31-year-old inmate who has been in 
prison since 2020, has diabetes and is allergic to some types of 
medication. Even though medical staff knew about her allergy, they twice
 prescribed her the medication. She had an allergic reaction the second 
time that meant care was further delayed.

She also has a nagging ear injury that prison doctors can’t seem to identify. If she could, she would have seen another doctor.

“They don’t send us (to) outside doctors very often unless you've got like a broken bone or something,” she said.

Meanwhile,
 inmate Shaqwania Mathis, a 26-year-old inmate who has been in prison 
since 2017, said staff delay procedures without reason.

“I lost count on how many days, months, weeks or years KDOC staff has let something go untreated,” she said.

Lawmakers say the department lacks transparency

Requests for the KU audits from the Kansas News Service and Topeka Capital-Journal was partially denied.

Monthly
 compliance reports were produced, but fuller audits made available to 
news media in 2018 were not. KDOC said the forms have changed and denied
 the request on the grounds that they contain personally identifiable 
medical information about inmates.

In a more detailed response, 
provided by Randall Bowman, KDOC’s director of public affairs, said “an 
apparent error” was made when the agency made the records public in 
2018.

“By making the peer review process public, that threatens the integrity of the peer review process itself,” Bowman wrote.

Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said the agency needs to be more transparent.

“If they changed the form in a way so that now they can claim it’s exempt under the open records act,” he said. “That is wrong.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663680763945.png" alt="Inmates in Kansas prison say medical care is so poor it threatens their health. The state disagrees. Carlos Moreno / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Inmates in Kansas prison say medical care is so poor it threatens their health. The state disagrees. Carlos Moreno / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By BLAISE MESA and ANDREW BAHL <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-20/kansas-inmates-say-medical-care-is-so-bad-they-will-let-someone-die-in-here-before-they-try-to-help">Kansas News Service</a>Inmate Terry Bowen barely copes with the pain from a variety of medical problems.Now he's on the verge of losing access to Tylenol — his over-the-counter pain reliever — at the Lansing Correctional Facility.So
 when the aches of his arthritis flare up, he'll just have to bear 
through the pain. Worse yet, the grapefruit-sized hernia in his chest. 
More painful still: wires used to tie his ribs back together after an 
earlier procedure broke and remain pointing at his heart and torturing 
the inside of his chest.Tylenol may not seem like much, but the pills offer Bowen at least some relief.“Do
 you have wires inside your chest sticking you? Have you got arthritis, 
have you got degenerating discs in your neck?” said the 75-year-old 
Bowen. “Well, if you do and you can do without Tylenol, well then, I can
 do without it. But if you’ve got to deal with the pain, you just deal 
with the pain.”Dozens of current and former inmates in the Kansas
 prison system told The Kansas News Service and The Topeka 
Capital-Journal their medical care threatens their health.Complaints
 touch nearly every area of medical care. Delivery of medications can be
 delayed and even if the medicine comes, inmates say, they are sometimes
 given treatments that trigger allergic reactions. Meanwhile, cancer 
screenings and checkups get missed, and if inmates are unhappy with 
their care, some struggle to get a second opinion.To ease some of
 his pain, Bowen could get surgery. But prison staff refuse to treat the
 hernia. They might operate on the wires in his chest, but they fear 
surgery would make Bowen’s condition worse. He’s complained about the 
issues for over a year while worrying that the wires could pierce his 
heart.“There’s times when I feel like somebody’s stabbing an ice pick in me and I damn near dropped to my knee,” Bowen said.While
 he says his nurse at Lansing Correctional Facility is pleasant, he 
argues the rest of the system has broken down for him. Bowen, who has 
been in prison since 2012, has seen multiple health contractors come and
 go with no improvement.Prison medical care has been a perennial 
complaint from prisoners in Kansas. The system ditched its old provider 
in 2020. It hoped its new medical services contractor, Centurion of 
Kansas, would usher in an era of better care, but, as one inmate put it,
 “They will let someone die in here before they try to help.”The 
Department of Corrections insists it’s satisfied with the care Centurion
 provides, pointing out that monthly informal complaints about medical 
care have dropped considerably from December 2021 to August 2022, 
dipping from 281 to 32 and saying formal audits of the contractor also 
show improvement.The agency added that there were more than 6,000
 referrals for care, 11,323 off-site services were provided, 33,073 
resident visits to the facility physician or APRN, 17,043 dental visits 
and 124,797 prescriptions filled in the fiscal year that ended in July —
 all signs of a functioning system for thousands of inmates each year. 
For context, there are currently 8441 adult offenders in Kansas prisons.“Providing
 medical care to a resident in need is not only the right thing to do, 
it is a requirement under state and federal law,” the corrections 
department said in a written response to questions. “The employees and 
leadership of Centurion have demonstrated themselves to provide good 
customer service for both the department and our residents. They are 
responsive to feedback and have improved the quality of care provided 
for our residents.” <h2>Even basic medical care can be hard to access in Kansas prisons</h2>Centurion
 is audited on its ability to meet a dozen performance metrics. The 
contractor has paid more than $900,000 in fines between January 2021 and
 May 2022 for failing to hit those marks. Centurion was fined just under
 5,000 times.Centurion's contract, Department of Corrections records show totals $76.6 million over a two-year period.The
 department said a bulk of those fines were in the early months of the 
contract and Centurion improved services and was fined fewer times as it
 went on. However, the company was hit with larger fines more often as 
time went on.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663680852568.png" alt="A bar graph showing the number of compliance fines month by month. KDOC" />
 <figcaption>A bar graph showing the number of compliance fines month by month. KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>In March 2021, Centurion was fined 338 times for $50,450. A year 
later in March 2022, there were 144 compliance fines for $45,700.The
 company’s best month was Aug. 2021 when it had 96 infractions, the only
 time it was fined under 100 times. That is still an average of three 
compliance mistakes a day.An inmate in a state prison, who wanted
 to remain unnamed, said dental appointments and help for their injured 
knee are frustrating, at best, because they don't speak English well and
 their prison doctors don’t speak Spanish.They went to the 
dentist because eating cold things hurts so much they might cry. A tooth
 in the back of their mouth hurts, but the prison dentist offered to 
pull their front two teeth. The dentist tried showing them X-rays of the
 teeth to highlight the problem, but that only confused them more.“They
 are my teeth and I just saw my teeth. I didn’t see anything unusual,” 
they said in Spanish. “They wanted to take my teeth out, right then, 
right there. I didn’t.”That story underscores that even accessing
 basic care can sometimes prove difficult, a claim the department 
disputes. Centurion declined to comment for this story and the Kansas 
Department of Corrections declined in-person interviews. Department 
spokesperson David Thomson said via email that none of the claims 
brought forth by reporters are something they can fix without more 
information.Department leadership pointed to audits by KU Med 
that they say show Centurion is providing good care. Those audits track 
timeliness of non-emergency health calls, mental health screenings and 
periodic health assessments, among other metrics.The documents 
show individual prisons achieved zero percent compliance in certain 
categories nine times and 50% or lower compliance more than 40 times. It
 isn’t clear what exactly Centurion is failing to do because the 
performance reports only list compliance in broad categories.In 
February 2022, the Lansing Correctional Facility was compliant on only 
23% of its nonemergency sick calls. In February 2021, only 6% of El 
Dorado’s intake health reports were compliant. That same month, none of 
the Topeka Correctional Facility's Facilities’ intake health reports 
were compliant.The El Dorado Correctional Facility had the most 
fines — almost $400,000 — of any prison. The Topeka Correctional 
Facility was penalized disproportionately. The women’s prison was fined 
more than the Larned, Winfield, Ellsworth, Norton and the youth prisons 
combined, despite those facilities housing around three times the people
 held in Topeka.The agency countered that the number of fines per
 month decreased from around 900 in February of 2021 to around 200 in 
May, 2022.Tiffany Trotter, a 31-year-old inmate who has been in 
prison since 2020, has diabetes and is allergic to some types of 
medication. Even though medical staff knew about her allergy, they twice
 prescribed her the medication. She had an allergic reaction the second 
time that meant care was further delayed.She also has a nagging ear injury that prison doctors can’t seem to identify. If she could, she would have seen another doctor.“They don’t send us (to) outside doctors very often unless you've got like a broken bone or something,” she said.Meanwhile,
 inmate Shaqwania Mathis, a 26-year-old inmate who has been in prison 
since 2017, said staff delay procedures without reason.“I lost count on how many days, months, weeks or years KDOC staff has let something go untreated,” she said.<h2>Lawmakers say the department lacks transparency</h2>Requests for the KU audits from the Kansas News Service and Topeka Capital-Journal was partially denied.Monthly
 compliance reports were produced, but fuller audits made available to 
news media in 2018 were not. KDOC said the forms have changed and denied
 the request on the grounds that they contain personally identifiable 
medical information about inmates.In a more detailed response, 
provided by Randall Bowman, KDOC’s director of public affairs, said “an 
apparent error” was made when the agency made the records public in 
2018.“By making the peer review process public, that threatens the integrity of the peer review process itself,” Bowman wrote.Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said the agency needs to be more transparent.“If they changed the form in a way so that now they can claim it’s exempt under the open records act,” he said. “That is wrong.”The
 American Correctional Association lists all of Kansas’ prisons as fully
 accredited, though some are listed as still using the prior medical 
contractor, Corizon.Reporters asked for more documents on the 
accreditation for each prison, but the Kansas Department of Corrections 
says it doesn’t have the documents.Centurion of Kansas declined 
to provide the accreditation records and said it is a private company 
that doesn't need to fulfill records requests. Its contract with the 
state, however, specifically says it is subject to Kansas open records 
laws.Centurion again declined to fulfill the request even after reporters pointed out the contract stipulation.The
 news organizations also asked inmates to provide copies of their 
medical records in an effort to further corroborate key details about 
medical care, only to be told by the individuals that the prisons 
limited access to their own records.“If I go over to get my 
medical records, they won't print them out for me,” said Bowen, the 
inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility. “They’ll give me 15 minutes on 
the computer to look up and write down what I need to.”The department says this is to reduce the amount of sensitive medical information that is in prisons.An
 inability for inmates and their families to access their own medical 
records is routinely a problem in Kansas, said Karen Russo, president of
 the Wrongful Death and Injury Institute in Kansas City, Mo., even if a 
family member has power of attorney.“Kansas is one of the worst 
states in the country for providing medical documents or any kind of 
information regarding inmates,” Russo said. <h2>Medical care routinely is a bugaboo for states across the country</h2>Prison medical care is routinely cited as a problem in states across the country.A
 decade-plus long federal court case has raged over whether Arizona’s 
privatized prison care system adequately meets the needs of inmates. It 
implicates at least a triumvirate of private contractors, including 
Centurion and Corizon.While being sued is a fact of life for 
prisons and their contractors, this one has had real teeth. A federal 
judge, for instance, fined the state millions for not complying with 
guidelines he set forth.And one prison worker alleged Centurion had her file falsified reports in an effort to evade court sanctions.Marc
 Stern, assistant professor for health systems at the University of 
Washington and an expert on prison medical care, said several factors 
make providing medical care in prisons particularly difficult.While
 the decisions by states, including Kansas, to privatize care plays a 
role, he said the biggest problem comes from an unwillingness to spend 
more on health care.But while many Kansans may be reluctant to spend more on caring for criminals, Stern argued doing so is a good idea.Government might save money on an individual’s medical care while they are in prison, he acknowledged.But
 taxpayers ultimately must pay the piper if that same person and their 
untreated conditions wind up on Medicaid or another form of public 
assistance. This can also drive up health care costs for private 
employers if an individual winds up being covered through their work.“It
 would make more sense for the public to say ‘We do want to invest money
 in the quality of health care when people are in prison,’” Stern said. 
“Because they're going to come back to the community, and if we can make
 them healthier before they do, it's actually going to save us, as the 
taxpayer, money down the road.”Andrew Bahl is a senior 
statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at
 abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100. Blaise Mesa
 reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News 
Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email 
him at blaise@kcur.org.