By BECKY GOFF&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;

MANHATTAN - For more than 50 years, a Manhattan man has been adding to his collection of Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia, which now totals more than 1,300 pieces.&nbsp;

More than two years ago, Curt Herrman applied to the Guinness World Records hoping to be named the owner of the 'Largest collection of Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia,' a designation that did not exist, prior to him being notified<a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/704424-largest-collection-of-kanas-city-chiefs-memorabilia"> he is now a 'Guinness World Record' holder</a>.&nbsp;

"It was obviously elation, actually I got the notice at 5:37 a.m. a week ago last Friday...because, well, because they are based out of England, and so they're way ahead of me...but you know, they kept coming back every time I would send them something they would come back and say, 'ok, we need to have this; well, can you send us a close up of this.' and I had to make a video of everything, of me counting everything, and so when I got that email that morning, I thought, 'oh, here we go again, what else do you need?' and it was like 'Congratulations, You've now been awarded the World Record,' so it was a very happy moment." Curt Herrman says.&nbsp;

Curt received his first Chiefs item, a football, following the Chiefs' Super Bowl 4 victory.&nbsp;

"When I was 9 years old in 1970, the Chiefs won Super Bowl 4, and that year for my birthday I got a football for my birthday, and then ever since then, every year, Christmas, holidays, birthdays everybody just gave me Chiefs stuff. And over the years, I collected quite a bit and...but at one point a lot of it was in storage, but when my kids went to college, we became empty-nesters, and my wife told me 'Stop buying more stuff, you have...you don't even know what all you have.' And so, I got everything and started taking pictures and started hanging stuff up on the walls and next thing you know I had realized I had about 650, almost 700 items." Curt says.&nbsp;

Curt's collection contains no duplicates, any duplicates he receives he gives to friends who are working to build their own collections.&nbsp;

As of September 19th, Herrman's collection contains 1,312 Kansas City Chiefs items.&nbsp;

Herrman's collection keeps growing thanks to gifts, donations and things he finds while he's out and about.&nbsp;

Curt watches the Kansas City Chiefs games from the couch in his basement surrounded by his 'Chiefseum' collection, which include a life-size cardboard cut-out of his son.&nbsp;

Curt says as a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan, he would love to meet someone from the team and have them visit his collection.&nbsp;

By BECKY GOFF&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;MANHATTAN - For more than 50 years, a Manhattan man has been adding to his collection of Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia, which now totals more than 1,300 pieces.&nbsp;More than two years ago, Curt Herrman applied to the Guinness World Records hoping to be named the owner of the 'Largest collection of Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia,' a designation that did not exist, prior to him being notified<a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/704424-largest-collection-of-kanas-city-chiefs-memorabilia"> he is now a 'Guinness World Record' holder</a>.&nbsp;"It was obviously elation, actually I got the notice at 5:37 a.m. a week ago last Friday...because, well, because they are based out of England, and so they're way ahead of me...but you know, they kept coming back every time I would send them something they would come back and say, 'ok, we need to have this; well, can you send us a close up of this.' and I had to make a video of everything, of me counting everything, and so when I got that email that morning, I thought, 'oh, here we go again, what else do you need?' and it was like 'Congratulations, You've now been awarded the World Record,' so it was a very happy moment." Curt Herrman says.&nbsp;Curt received his first Chiefs item, a football, following the Chiefs' Super Bowl 4 victory.&nbsp;"When I was 9 years old in 1970, the Chiefs won Super Bowl 4, and that year for my birthday I got a football for my birthday, and then ever since then, every year, Christmas, holidays, birthdays everybody just gave me Chiefs stuff. And over the years, I collected quite a bit and...but at one point a lot of it was in storage, but when my kids went to college, we became empty-nesters, and my wife told me 'Stop buying more stuff, you have...you don't even know what all you have.' And so, I got everything and started taking pictures and started hanging stuff up on the walls and next thing you know I had realized I had about 650, almost 700 items." Curt says.&nbsp;Curt's collection contains no duplicates, any duplicates he receives he gives to friends who are working to build their own collections.&nbsp;As of September 19th, Herrman's collection contains 1,312 Kansas City Chiefs items.&nbsp;<div><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/Vv0uTAXk-60zMcgvZ.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Chiefseum" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Herrman's collection keeps growing thanks to gifts, donations and things he finds while he's out and about.&nbsp;Curt watches the Kansas City Chiefs games from the couch in his basement surrounded by his 'Chiefseum' collection, which include a life-size cardboard cut-out of his son.&nbsp;Curt says as a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan, he would love to meet someone from the team and have them visit his collection.&nbsp;

🎥: Kan. man owns world's largest KC Chiefs memorabilia collection 

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities have filed new charges against a Kansas felon who absconded in August, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Just after 1a.m. August 19, police officers responded to the area of the 400 block North 9th in Atchison to investigate a report of shots fired, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Officers determined that multiple shots had been fired and although there were no injuries to anyone, four vehicles became a focus of police.&nbsp;

Two were parked vehicles that were struck by gunfire and two vehicles that were occupied. The investigation that followed has led to charges being filed in District Court against 21-year-old Keldon M. Reynolds of Atchison.

Reynolds is currently being held in the Lyon County Jail on unrelated charges. He&nbsp; is now charged in Atchison County District Court with criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of criminal damage to property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663710208498.png" alt="Reynolds-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Reynolds-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities have filed new charges against a Kansas felon who absconded in August, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.Just after 1a.m. August 19, police officers responded to the area of the 400 block North 9th in Atchison to investigate a report of shots fired, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.Officers determined that multiple shots had been fired and although there were no injuries to anyone, four vehicles became a focus of police.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KedKSrclC_w" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Two were parked vehicles that were struck by gunfire and two vehicles that were occupied. The investigation that followed has led to charges being filed in District Court against 21-year-old Keldon M. Reynolds of Atchison.Reynolds is currently being held in the Lyon County Jail on unrelated charges. He&nbsp; is now charged in Atchison County District Court with criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of criminal damage to property.

Charges filed against wanted Kan. felon for firing gun at vehicles

DICKINSON COUNTY —Three died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Kenworth semi driven by Dwight E. Morey, 63, Fairmont, Oklahoma, was southbound on Kansas 15 at 1500 Avenue.&nbsp;

The semi struck a 2006 Dodge Dakota driven by Joel C. Hynes, 54, Junction City, who was southbound on Kansas 15 and had made a u-turn at 1500 Avenue. 

After impact the pickup&nbsp; entered the east ditch and flipped onto its roof. The semi entered the east ditch and came to rest in a field.

Hynes and passengers in the pickup Mary L. Hynes, 64,&nbsp; and John L. Hynes, 78, Coal Valley, Illinois, were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp; Martin Becker Funeral Home. Morey was not transported for treatment of a minor injury. John Hynes was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

DICKINSON COUNTY —Three died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Tuesday in Dickinson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Kenworth semi driven by Dwight E. Morey, 63, Fairmont, Oklahoma, was southbound on Kansas 15 at 1500 Avenue.&nbsp;The semi struck a 2006 Dodge Dakota driven by Joel C. Hynes, 54, Junction City, who was southbound on Kansas 15 and had made a u-turn at 1500 Avenue. After impact the pickup&nbsp; entered the east ditch and flipped onto its roof. The semi entered the east ditch and came to rest in a field.Hynes and passengers in the pickup Mary L. Hynes, 64,&nbsp; and John L. Hynes, 78, Coal Valley, Illinois, were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp; Martin Becker Funeral Home. Morey was not transported for treatment of a minor injury. John Hynes was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man, woman among 3 dead in semi, pickup crash

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service recently issued <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/202237010.pdf">guidance addressing improper forgiveness of a Paycheck Protection Program loan (PPP loan)</a>PDF.

The guidance confirms that, when a taxpayer's loan is forgiven based 
upon misrepresentations or omissions, the taxpayer is not eligible to 
exclude the forgiveness from income and must include in income the 
portion of the loan proceeds that were forgiven based upon 
misrepresentations or omissions. Taxpayers who inappropriately received 
forgiveness of their PPP loans are encouraged to take steps to come into
 compliance by, for example, filing amended returns that include 
forgiven loan proceed amounts in income.

"This action underscores the Internal Revenue Service's commitment to
 ensuring that all taxpayers are paying their fair share of taxes," said
 IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "We want to make sure that those who are
 abusing such programs are held accountable, and we will be considering 
all available treatment and penalty streams to address the abuses."

Many PPP loan recipients who received loan forgiveness were qualified
 and used the loan proceeds properly to pay eligible expenses. However, 
the IRS has discovered that some recipients who received loan 
forgiveness did not meet one or more eligibility conditions. These 
recipients received forgiveness of their PPP loan through 
misrepresentation or omission and either did not qualify to receive a 
PPP loan or misused the loan proceeds.

The PPP loan program was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief 
and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to assist small US businesses that
 were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in paying certain 
expenses. The PPP loan program was further extended by the Economic Aid 
to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act.

Under the terms of the PPP loan program, lenders can forgive the full
 amount of the loan if the loan recipient meets three conditions.

If the 3 conditions above are met, then under the PPP loan 
program the forgiven portion is excluded from income. If the conditions 
are not met, then the amount of the loan proceeds that were forgiven but
 do not meet the conditions must be included in income and any 
additional income tax must be paid.

To report tax-related illegal activities relating to PPP loans, submit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f3949a.pdf">Form 3949-A, Information Referral</a>PDF. You should also report instances of&nbsp;IRS-related phishing attempts and fraud to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta">Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="tel:800-366-4484">800-366-4484</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRS\WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service recently issued <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/202237010.pdf">guidance addressing improper forgiveness of a Paycheck Protection Program loan (PPP loan)</a>PDF.The guidance confirms that, when a taxpayer's loan is forgiven based 
upon misrepresentations or omissions, the taxpayer is not eligible to 
exclude the forgiveness from income and must include in income the 
portion of the loan proceeds that were forgiven based upon 
misrepresentations or omissions. Taxpayers who inappropriately received 
forgiveness of their PPP loans are encouraged to take steps to come into
 compliance by, for example, filing amended returns that include 
forgiven loan proceed amounts in income."This action underscores the Internal Revenue Service's commitment to
 ensuring that all taxpayers are paying their fair share of taxes," said
 IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "We want to make sure that those who are
 abusing such programs are held accountable, and we will be considering 
all available treatment and penalty streams to address the abuses."Many PPP loan recipients who received loan forgiveness were qualified
 and used the loan proceeds properly to pay eligible expenses. However, 
the IRS has discovered that some recipients who received loan 
forgiveness did not meet one or more eligibility conditions. These 
recipients received forgiveness of their PPP loan through 
misrepresentation or omission and either did not qualify to receive a 
PPP loan or misused the loan proceeds.The PPP loan program was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief 
and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to assist small US businesses that
 were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in paying certain 
expenses. The PPP loan program was further extended by the Economic Aid 
to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act.Under the terms of the PPP loan program, lenders can forgive the full
 amount of the loan if the loan recipient meets three conditions.<ol>
 <li>The loan recipient was eligible to receive the PPP loan. An eligible loan recipient:
	• is a small business concern, independent contractor, eligible 
self-employed individual, sole proprietor, business concern, or a 
certain type of tax-exempt entity;&nbsp;• was in business on or before February 15, 2020; and• had employees or independent contractors who were paid for their 
services, or was a self-employed individual, sole proprietor or 
independent contractor. 
		&nbsp;</li><li>is a small business concern, independent contractor, eligible 
self-employed individual, sole proprietor, business concern, or a 
certain type of tax-exempt entity;&nbsp;</li><li>was in business on or before February 15, 2020; and</li><li>had employees or independent contractors who were paid for their 
services, or was a self-employed individual, sole proprietor or 
independent contractor. 
		&nbsp;</li><li>The loan proceeds had to be used to pay eligible expenses, such as 
payroll costs, rent, interest on the business' mortgage, and utilities. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The loan recipient had to apply for loan forgiveness. The loan 
forgiveness application required a loan recipient to attest to 
eligibility, verify certain financial information, and meet other legal 
qualifications.</li>
 </ol>If the 3 conditions above are met, then under the PPP loan 
program the forgiven portion is excluded from income. If the conditions 
are not met, then the amount of the loan proceeds that were forgiven but
 do not meet the conditions must be included in income and any 
additional income tax must be paid.To report tax-related illegal activities relating to PPP loans, submit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f3949a.pdf">Form 3949-A, Information Referral</a>PDF. You should also report instances of&nbsp;IRS-related phishing attempts and fraud to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta">Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="tel:800-366-4484">800-366-4484</a>

IRS: Improperly forgiven Paycheck Protection loans are taxable

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects from Milford in connection to an alleged rape.

&nbsp;Just after 8:30 a.m. Tuesday deputies responded to the Junction City High School in reference to a possible rape that occurred at a residence on Old Highway 77 in the early morning hours, according to a media release from the Sheriff's Department.

Following their investigation, deputies arrested 45-year-old Christopher James Beem on requested rape charges and 40-year-old Melissa Sue Beem on charges of aiding, abetting rape.&nbsp;

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663719007370.png" alt="Beem-photo Geary County" />
 <figcaption>Beem-photo Geary County</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects from Milford in connection to an alleged rape.&nbsp;Just after 8:30 a.m. Tuesday deputies responded to the Junction City High School in reference to a possible rape that occurred at a residence on Old Highway 77 in the early morning hours, according to a media release from the Sheriff's Department.Following their investigation, deputies arrested 45-year-old Christopher James Beem on requested rape charges and 40-year-old Melissa Sue Beem on charges of aiding, abetting rape.&nbsp;Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Sheriff: Kansas man and woman arrested for alleged rape

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A federal judge on Tuesday threw out three of four convictions against a Kansas researcher accused of illegally concealing work he was doing at a Chinese university while working at the University of Kansas, leaving only a conviction for making a false statement on a form.

A jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-education-kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-cbbbb2cce47f22631a676e4e21a04beb">convicted</a>&nbsp;researcher Feng “Franklin” Tao in April on three counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements. He was accused of not disclosing that he was working for Fuzhou University in China while employed at the Kansas university.

However, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ruled that federal prosecutors did not provide sufficient evidence to support the wire fraud convictions. She upheld the making a false statement conviction and denied Tao's request for a new trial on that count.

Tao's attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, said in a statement that the defense team was gratified that Robinson found Tao did not intend to defraud Kansas or the federal government, and that Tao was "an outstanding researcher and award-winning professor" at Kansas.

“This will hopefully drive a final stake through the heart of these China Initiative cases, where the government has claimed that the failure to disclose a relationship to China constitutes federal grant fraud even when the researcher has completed all of the work on the grant to the government’s complete satisfaction,” Zeidenberg wrote.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Kansas said Tuesday it would have no comment on Robinson's ruling.

Zeidenberg said the defense team is considering its next steps related to the filing a false statement conviction, which carries a possible sentence of up to five years.

Federal prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-china-education-kansas-city-kansas-8aae3094feceb89063daed39625925f4">argued during the trial</a>&nbsp;that Tao concealed his work in China to defraud the University of Kansas, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. The federal agencies had awarded Tao grants for research projects at Kansas.

Defense attorneys argued that Tao was merely “moonlighting.” They said Tao completed all the research he received grants to conduct in Kansas and that his work in China wasn’t illegal because he wasn’t paid for it.

Robinson said Tao was deceptive in not disclosing his activities at Fuzhou University but there was no evidence Tao received money or property for the work, which is required for a wire fraud conviction.

“During the time period of the alleged scheme to defraud, Tao continued to rightfully receive his salary from KU for his services and continued to successfully perform the research required by DOE and NSF under their research grants,” Robinson wrote.

She said Tao did make a false statement to Kansas on a conflict of interest statement he submitted to the university in 2018.

The case against Tao was part of the U.S. Justice Department's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-china-asia-pacific-u-s-news-espionage-15bb5a431f8bdcdde54c3988b48607d4">China Initiative,</a>&nbsp;a program started in 2018 to crack down on efforts to transfer original ideas and intellectual property from U.S. universities to Chinese government institutions. The department ended the program in February amid public criticism and several failed prosecutions.

Tao did not disclose on conflict of interest forms that he was named to a Chinese talent program, the Changjiang Professorship. As part of that program he traveled to China to set up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University, while telling Kansas officials that he was in Germany.

Zeidenberg noted during the trial that Tao listed his affiliation with both schools in some papers, suggesting he wasn’t hiding it. He also noted that the university honored Tao for his research efforts in April 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c504c8ccc0194ad190b1abf25a64e943">just months before his arrest</a>.

Tao was born in China and moved to the U.S. in 2002. He began working in August 2014 as a tenured associate professor at the University of Kansas’ Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, which conducts research on sustainable technology to conserve natural resources and energy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574105486339.png" alt="Feng “Franklin” Tao -photo University of Kansas" />
 <figcaption>Feng “Franklin” Tao -photo University of Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A federal judge on Tuesday threw out three of four convictions against a Kansas researcher accused of illegally concealing work he was doing at a Chinese university while working at the University of Kansas, leaving only a conviction for making a false statement on a form.A jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-education-kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-cbbbb2cce47f22631a676e4e21a04beb">convicted</a>&nbsp;researcher Feng “Franklin” Tao in April on three counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements. He was accused of not disclosing that he was working for Fuzhou University in China while employed at the Kansas university.However, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ruled that federal prosecutors did not provide sufficient evidence to support the wire fraud convictions. She upheld the making a false statement conviction and denied Tao's request for a new trial on that count.Tao's attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, said in a statement that the defense team was gratified that Robinson found Tao did not intend to defraud Kansas or the federal government, and that Tao was "an outstanding researcher and award-winning professor" at Kansas.“This will hopefully drive a final stake through the heart of these China Initiative cases, where the government has claimed that the failure to disclose a relationship to China constitutes federal grant fraud even when the researcher has completed all of the work on the grant to the government’s complete satisfaction,” Zeidenberg wrote.The U.S. Attorney's office in Kansas said Tuesday it would have no comment on Robinson's ruling.Zeidenberg said the defense team is considering its next steps related to the filing a false statement conviction, which carries a possible sentence of up to five years.Federal prosecutors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-china-education-kansas-city-kansas-8aae3094feceb89063daed39625925f4">argued during the trial</a>&nbsp;that Tao concealed his work in China to defraud the University of Kansas, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. The federal agencies had awarded Tao grants for research projects at Kansas.Defense attorneys argued that Tao was merely “moonlighting.” They said Tao completed all the research he received grants to conduct in Kansas and that his work in China wasn’t illegal because he wasn’t paid for it.Robinson said Tao was deceptive in not disclosing his activities at Fuzhou University but there was no evidence Tao received money or property for the work, which is required for a wire fraud conviction.“During the time period of the alleged scheme to defraud, Tao continued to rightfully receive his salary from KU for his services and continued to successfully perform the research required by DOE and NSF under their research grants,” Robinson wrote.She said Tao did make a false statement to Kansas on a conflict of interest statement he submitted to the university in 2018.The case against Tao was part of the U.S. Justice Department's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-china-asia-pacific-u-s-news-espionage-15bb5a431f8bdcdde54c3988b48607d4">China Initiative,</a>&nbsp;a program started in 2018 to crack down on efforts to transfer original ideas and intellectual property from U.S. universities to Chinese government institutions. The department ended the program in February amid public criticism and several failed prosecutions.Tao did not disclose on conflict of interest forms that he was named to a Chinese talent program, the Changjiang Professorship. As part of that program he traveled to China to set up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University, while telling Kansas officials that he was in Germany.Zeidenberg noted during the trial that Tao listed his affiliation with both schools in some papers, suggesting he wasn’t hiding it. He also noted that the university honored Tao for his research efforts in April 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c504c8ccc0194ad190b1abf25a64e943">just months before his arrest</a>.Tao was born in China and moved to the U.S. in 2002. He began working in August 2014 as a tenured associate professor at the University of Kansas’ Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, which conducts research on sustainable technology to conserve natural resources and energy.

Judge tosses 3 of 4 convictions against KU researcher 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state law enforcement oversight board reprimanded a Kansas sheriff's deputy who used his Taser on a 12-year-old boy with autism while the boy was handcuffed and hogtied in the deputy's vehicle.

However, the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training chose not to revoke the law enforcement certification for former Jackson County deputy Matthew Honas despite finding that he used excessive force against the boy.

Honas was terminated from the Jackson County Sheriff's department in March, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;reported.

The standards commission said on Feb. 23 Honas tied up the boy, who had run away from foster care, in a way that threatened his ability to breathe properly.

Honas was not wearing a body camera but the encounter was captured on his in-car camera. Honas knew the boy, identified as L.H., was autistic and had struggled with him during a previous encounter, the commission said.

Honas “struggled with, shoved, elbowed, applied pressure points, carried, pulled, ‘hog-tied’ and ultimately tased L.H.,” the commission said.

The commission said Honas used the Taser on the boy without warning as he was sitting in the patrol vehicle with his feet outside the vehicle. At the time, L.H. was handcuffed behind his back, with the handcuffs connected to shackles on his ankles.

Among other things, Honas also refused help from other available officers, did not call a transport van, used profanity and threatened to use his Taser on the boy again, the commission said.

Michelle Meier, the commission's legal counsel, said Monday she couldn’t comment on specific actions taken by the commission.

The Capital-Journal filed an open records request for the video from the in-car camera, but it was rejected by Jackson County counselor Lee Hendricks on Monday.

Hendricks said the state's Open Records Act allows criminal investigation records to be kept secret. He didn’t say which agency was investigating Honas.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state law enforcement oversight board reprimanded a Kansas sheriff's deputy who used his Taser on a 12-year-old boy with autism while the boy was handcuffed and hogtied in the deputy's vehicle.However, the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training chose not to revoke the law enforcement certification for former Jackson County deputy Matthew Honas despite finding that he used excessive force against the boy.Honas was terminated from the Jackson County Sheriff's department in March, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;reported.The standards commission said on Feb. 23 Honas tied up the boy, who had run away from foster care, in a way that threatened his ability to breathe properly.Honas was not wearing a body camera but the encounter was captured on his in-car camera. Honas knew the boy, identified as L.H., was autistic and had struggled with him during a previous encounter, the commission said.Honas “struggled with, shoved, elbowed, applied pressure points, carried, pulled, ‘hog-tied’ and ultimately tased L.H.,” the commission said.The commission said Honas used the Taser on the boy without warning as he was sitting in the patrol vehicle with his feet outside the vehicle. At the time, L.H. was handcuffed behind his back, with the handcuffs connected to shackles on his ankles.Among other things, Honas also refused help from other available officers, did not call a transport van, used profanity and threatened to use his Taser on the boy again, the commission said.Michelle Meier, the commission's legal counsel, said Monday she couldn’t comment on specific actions taken by the commission.The Capital-Journal filed an open records request for the video from the in-car camera, but it was rejected by Jackson County counselor Lee Hendricks on Monday.Hendricks said the state's Open Records Act allows criminal investigation records to be kept secret. He didn’t say which agency was investigating Honas.

Officials: Kansas deputy used Taser on child with autism

SEDGWICK COUNTY —&nbsp; A registered Kansas sex offender has been sentenced to over 47 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old girl&nbsp;who was walking home from a Wichita grocery store, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In August, a jury found Anthony Craig Seymour, 61, Wichita, guilty of rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated robbery.&nbsp;

In November 0f 2019, police responded to a 911 call of an abduction in the 300 Block of North Volutsia in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Brett Allred.

Upon arrival, police searched the area and located a 2005 Lexus driven by a suspect later identified as Anthony Seymour leaving the area. They also observed a 15-year-old girl exit the vehicle while it was moving slowly and run toward the officers.&nbsp;Seymour fled in the car. Police initially were not able to locate it.

Investigators learned that while the girl was walking home, Seymour approached, held a knife to her, forced her into the Lexus and sexually assaulted her, according to Allred.

Through continued investigation, police located the victim’s phone in a parking lot and were able to obtain video in the area and a tag number on the car.

Police located the vehicle and Seymour in the 1900 Block of North Lorraine. He was arrested without incident and booked on requested charges of kidnapping, rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated battery and a Kansas Department of Corrections arrest and detain order, according to Allred.

“The victim is very brave,” said Allred. “She saw police and took action to get out of the car, run to the officers and explain what had happened.”&nbsp;She had been on her way to Dillons and had seen the suspect and thought he was acting suspiciously. On the way home, the suspect approached her a second time and forced her in the vehicle, according to Allred.

EMS transported the girl to a local hospital for treatment.

Seymour had been on parole since May of 2018 after a 2004 conviction for rape, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. Seymour is scheduled for sentencing on September 19, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663605766401.png" alt="Seymour-photo Kansas sex offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Seymour-photo Kansas sex offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —&nbsp; A registered Kansas sex offender has been sentenced to over 47 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old girl&nbsp;who was walking home from a Wichita grocery store, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In August, a jury found Anthony Craig Seymour, 61, Wichita, guilty of rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated robbery.&nbsp;In November 0f 2019, police responded to a 911 call of an abduction in the 300 Block of North Volutsia in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Brett Allred.Upon arrival, police searched the area and located a 2005 Lexus driven by a suspect later identified as Anthony Seymour leaving the area. They also observed a 15-year-old girl exit the vehicle while it was moving slowly and run toward the officers.&nbsp;Seymour fled in the car. Police initially were not able to locate it.Investigators learned that while the girl was walking home, Seymour approached, held a knife to her, forced her into the Lexus and sexually assaulted her, according to Allred.Through continued investigation, police located the victim’s phone in a parking lot and were able to obtain video in the area and a tag number on the car.Police located the vehicle and Seymour in the 1900 Block of North Lorraine. He was arrested without incident and booked on requested charges of kidnapping, rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated battery and a Kansas Department of Corrections arrest and detain order, according to Allred.“The victim is very brave,” said Allred. “She saw police and took action to get out of the car, run to the officers and explain what had happened.”&nbsp;She had been on her way to Dillons and had seen the suspect and thought he was acting suspiciously. On the way home, the suspect approached her a second time and forced her in the vehicle, according to Allred.EMS transported the girl to a local hospital for treatment.Seymour had been on parole since May of 2018 after a 2004 conviction for rape, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. Seymour is scheduled for sentencing on September 19, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. sex offender sentenced for kidnapping, rape

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting at an apartment complex in Shawnee have identified the victim as 25-year-old Kathleen J. Dampier, according to a media release from police. The shooting is being investigated as a homicide.

Just before 6p.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a medical emergency at an apartment in the 7400 Block of Flint, according to a media release from police.

At the scene, officers located Dampier with gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Officers took two into custody for questioning.

The Johnson County Sheriff's office crime scene investigations unit is assisting police. Police have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663706515438.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting at an apartment complex in Shawnee have identified the victim as 25-year-old Kathleen J. Dampier, according to a media release from police. The shooting is being investigated as a homicide.Just before 6p.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a medical emergency at an apartment in the 7400 Block of Flint, according to a media release from police.At the scene, officers located Dampier with gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Officers took two into custody for questioning.The Johnson County Sheriff's office crime scene investigations unit is assisting police. Police have not reported an arrest.

Homicide: Police ID Kan. woman who died in apartment shooting

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-09-20/how-the-drought-killing-kansas-corn-crops-could-make-you-pay-more-for-gas-and-beef">Kansas News Service</a>

This dry, hot summer has claimed its share of victims in Marc Ramsey’s cornfields.

Fewer
 than seven inches of rain have fallen this year in the area he farms 
between Dighton and Scott City — nearly one foot below the historical 
average.

“This is a year unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Ramsey 
said. “There are lots of times this year I’ve just kind of been at a 
loss for words.”

Across western Kansas, vast swaths of brown, 
shriveled corn plants succumbed to the oppressive weather before 
reaching more than a couple of feet tall. Others grew ears with no 
kernels or no ears at all. Some of Ramsey’s stalks that stretched to 
six-feet-tall on July rains withered down to nothing under the late 
summer sun.

The harvests from these western Kansas cornfields 
typically fuel billion-dollar industries, such as feeding cattle. But 
with so little corn to go around this year, those industrial customers 
are paying a premium to ship grain in from other states just to keep 
their operations running.

Even during the region’s last big drought a decade ago, Ramsey said, 
his cornfields still had a decent number of bushels to harvest. This 
year, he estimates roughly half of the corn he planted won’t yield a 
single piece of grain.

“Just saying ‘zero yield’ is a painful thing to say,” Ramsey said. “It’s hard not to be disappointed.”

The ripple effects of this year’s poor corn harvest in Kansas will extend well beyond stressing farmers and their livelihoods. 

As
 it becomes more difficult and expensive for cattle feedlots — where 
animals are fattened up for slaughter — and ethanol plants to get the 
corn they need, people across Kansas could face higher prices at the 
grocery store and the gas pump.

Historically, it’s been common to see corn sell in western Kansas for about $4 a bushel.

Dan
 O’Brien, a Kansas State University agricultural economist based in 
Colby, said that number has roughly doubled. Prices had already been 
creeping up since Russia invaded Ukraine — another major corn exporter —
 and now thanks to the drought-fueled shortage, the price in western 
Kansas is around $8 per bushel.

“The reason that we built those 
grain-using industries out here had to do with availability of grain, 
and now they’re crunched,” O’Brien said. “That sets off a whole series 
of responses … all of them not good.”

The lack of local corn 
supply is already pushing Kansas cattle and ethanol companies to bring 
in grain by rail from places like Iowa, Illinois and Ohio. That’ll 
inflate corn prices across the Midwest, as local corn-dependent 
industries in those states suddenly have to compete with more buyers 
from Kansas.

But it’ll especially hurt Kansas. O’Brien estimates 
it’ll cost Kansas industries an extra $1 per bushel to ship in corn from
 other states.

Each steer at a feedlot can eat up to <a href="https://www.iowabeefcenter.org/ResearchProjects/IBC4.pdf" target="_blank">60 bushels</a> of corn before it gets turned into beef. Kansas feedlots have <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Livestock_Releases/Cattle_on_Feed/2022/KS-cof2208.pdf" target="_blank">2.35 million</a> bovine mouths to feed. So paying an extra dollar to ship in those bushels could add up quickly.

In the short term, O’Brien expects the corn crunch to push meat and ethanol prices up. Beef prices had <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/30/1120023642/beef-prices-are-down-right-now-but-that-may-not-last" target="_blank">fallen recently</a> as the drought forced livestock owners to sell off more of their cattle.

But even those higher prices might not be enough to keep corn-dependent companies profitable in western Kansas.

“Is
 that enough to offset the major increase in the cost of corn?” O’Brien 
said. “Whether it’s livestock feeders or ethanol plants, they all 
operate on the margin.”

Feedlots that can’t afford to pay a 
premium for getting corn from out of state may have to send some animals
 to slaughter early. And if the drought continues and corn prices remain
 high for months, it could start to reshape the future of those 
industries in western Kansas.

There might not be enough corn in 
western Kansas to keep ethanol plants going here for the long term, 
O’Brien said, when they could shift operations to the other parts of the
 Corn Belt where the grain is more readily available. Likewise, some 
Kansas feedlots may buy less cattle next year because of the rising cost
 of grain.

Cattle ranching and feeding has the largest economic impact of any agricultural sector in Kansas, contributing roughly <a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/docs/default-source/ag-marketing/county-ag-stats/2022-county-ag-stats/state-of-kansas-reports-8-12-2022.pdf?sfvrsn=553e9bc1_4" target="_blank">$9 billion</a> to the state economy. Ethanol production contributes another <a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ag-contribution-2018-with-retail-ethanol-combined-update-final.pdf?sfvrsn=49078bc1_0" target="_blank">$850 million</a>.

“If
 things get rough enough out in the west,” O’Brien said, “it affects the
 economic livelihood of everybody in the whole state.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Kansas farmers will harvest <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/crop0922.pdf" target="_blank">628 million bushels</a> of corn this year. That would be 122 million bushels less than last year.

If
 you multiply those 122 million missing bushels by the elevated 
$8-per-bushel prices, it means the state’s agricultural economy is 
missing out on nearly $1 billion due to the drought.

“If you just 
look at the typical annual Kansas corn and sorghum production,” Kansas 
State University agronomist Lucas Haag said, “and then figure the 
reductions that are going to be due to drought, we’re talking huge sums 
of money.”

The USDA says <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Crop_Progress_and_Condition/2022/KS-weekly0912.pdf" target="_blank">more than half</a> of the state’s corn is in poor or very poor condition. That’s up from around 20% at this point <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Crop_Progress_and_Condition/2021/KS-weekly0913.pdf" target="_blank">last year</a>.

It’s
 a similar story for sorghum, which is typically considered a more 
drought-tolerant alternative to corn. More than half of Kansas sorghum 
is in poor or very poor condition — up from just 15% last year.

While
 irrigation has helped some farms avoid the worst, Haag said, many 
fields with center pivot sprinklers will still be abandoned because 
farmers just couldn’t pump enough water to save them.

“There's 
very few areas of the state where we actually have wells that have the 
capacity to match up for when we're this short of precipitation,” Haag 
said.

Water levels in the Ogallala aquifer — the primary water source for most of western Kansas — have been <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-03-31/how-kansas-could-lose-billions-in-land-values-as-its-underground-water-runs-dry" target="_blank">declining for decades</a> since the dawn of irrigated farmland. Estimates show that if pumping trends continue,<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/aug13/groundwater82613.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/aug13/groundwater82613.html" target="_blank">more than two-thirds</a> of the water under Kansas will be gone within 40 years.

And it’s unclear when farmers in western Kansas will feel some relief.

It’s the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/12/1122259523/triple-dip-la-nina-explained-weather" target="_blank">first time in decades</a>&nbsp;that a La Niña weather pattern, which fueled droughts across the West and Great Plains in 2022, will show up for a third consecutive winter.&nbsp;And the National Drought Mitigation Center expects drought to persist 
across Kansas through at least the end of this year.

To make 
matters worse, a poor crop this season will likely leave fields with 
less residue — the pieces of plant matter that remain on the ground to 
help soil store moisture. And with so much of western Kansas already in a
 deep precipitation deficit, Haag said, it’ll take more than a few rains
 here and there to get the region back on its feet.

“We can really
 end up in one of these death spirals,” Haag said, “until we get a 
really above-average year in terms of precipitation and crop yields that
 then kind of pulls us back out of it.”

Marc Ramsey has heard from other western Kansas farmers who consider 
him lucky for having anything to harvest at all. Lots of folks who 
planted dryland, or nonirrigated, corn this year won’t even bother 
taking a combine into their fields.

“I guess they get to relax a 
little bit more in the next couple of weeks,” Ramsey said. “But, you 
know, that's the kind of relaxation none of us want.”

Last year 
was dry too, Ramsey said, but his soil still had enough residual water 
to produce more than 50 bushels of corn per acre. This year, one of the <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-08-24/here-are-7-ways-this-dry-hot-year-stacks-up-against-the-worst-droughts-in-kansas-history" target="_blank">hottest, driest summers</a> on record has rung that dirt dry — the USDA reports that <a href="https://www.agriculture.com/weather/news/86-of-kansas-is-short-or-very-short-on-soil-moisture" target="_blank">86% of the soil</a> across Kansas doesn’t have enough moisture.

And
 just a couple of weeks from now, Ramsey and farmers across western 
Kansas will be planting their winter wheat crop into that same dry 
ground.

“Hopefully we've taken care of it, and it'll give us another shot.”

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank"> @davidcondos</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663680425377.png" alt="Many cornfields in western Kansas, like this one just outside of Garden City, have been parched by the drought. Estimates predict that Kansas corn farmers will harvest 122 million fewer bushels this year than they did last year. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Many cornfields in western Kansas, like this one just outside of Garden City, have been parched by the drought. Estimates predict that Kansas corn farmers will harvest 122 million fewer bushels this year than they did last year. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-09-20/how-the-drought-killing-kansas-corn-crops-could-make-you-pay-more-for-gas-and-beef">Kansas News Service</a>This dry, hot summer has claimed its share of victims in Marc Ramsey’s cornfields.Fewer
 than seven inches of rain have fallen this year in the area he farms 
between Dighton and Scott City — nearly one foot below the historical 
average.“This is a year unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Ramsey 
said. “There are lots of times this year I’ve just kind of been at a 
loss for words.”Across western Kansas, vast swaths of brown, 
shriveled corn plants succumbed to the oppressive weather before 
reaching more than a couple of feet tall. Others grew ears with no 
kernels or no ears at all. Some of Ramsey’s stalks that stretched to 
six-feet-tall on July rains withered down to nothing under the late 
summer sun.The harvests from these western Kansas cornfields 
typically fuel billion-dollar industries, such as feeding cattle. But 
with so little corn to go around this year, those industrial customers 
are paying a premium to ship grain in from other states just to keep 
their operations running.Even during the region’s last big drought a decade ago, Ramsey said, 
his cornfields still had a decent number of bushels to harvest. This 
year, he estimates roughly half of the corn he planted won’t yield a 
single piece of grain.“Just saying ‘zero yield’ is a painful thing to say,” Ramsey said. “It’s hard not to be disappointed.”The ripple effects of this year’s poor corn harvest in Kansas will extend well beyond stressing farmers and their livelihoods. As
 it becomes more difficult and expensive for cattle feedlots — where 
animals are fattened up for slaughter — and ethanol plants to get the 
corn they need, people across Kansas could face higher prices at the 
grocery store and the gas pump.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663680497163.png" alt="This map from Kansas Mesonet shows how many inches below-average precipitation totals are for various places across Kansas. A higher number (and darker red coloring) means that a location is more dry this year compared with historical averages." />
 <figcaption>This map from Kansas Mesonet shows how many inches below-average precipitation totals are for various places across Kansas. A higher number (and darker red coloring) means that a location is more dry this year compared with historical averages.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The corn crunch</h2>Historically, it’s been common to see corn sell in western Kansas for about $4 a bushel.Dan
 O’Brien, a Kansas State University agricultural economist based in 
Colby, said that number has roughly doubled. Prices had already been 
creeping up since Russia invaded Ukraine — another major corn exporter —
 and now thanks to the drought-fueled shortage, the price in western 
Kansas is around $8 per bushel.“The reason that we built those 
grain-using industries out here had to do with availability of grain, 
and now they’re crunched,” O’Brien said. “That sets off a whole series 
of responses … all of them not good.”The lack of local corn 
supply is already pushing Kansas cattle and ethanol companies to bring 
in grain by rail from places like Iowa, Illinois and Ohio. That’ll 
inflate corn prices across the Midwest, as local corn-dependent 
industries in those states suddenly have to compete with more buyers 
from Kansas.But it’ll especially hurt Kansas. O’Brien estimates 
it’ll cost Kansas industries an extra $1 per bushel to ship in corn from
 other states.Each steer at a feedlot can eat up to <a href="https://www.iowabeefcenter.org/ResearchProjects/IBC4.pdf" target="_blank">60 bushels</a> of corn before it gets turned into beef. Kansas feedlots have <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Livestock_Releases/Cattle_on_Feed/2022/KS-cof2208.pdf" target="_blank">2.35 million</a> bovine mouths to feed. So paying an extra dollar to ship in those bushels could add up quickly.In the short term, O’Brien expects the corn crunch to push meat and ethanol prices up. Beef prices had <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/30/1120023642/beef-prices-are-down-right-now-but-that-may-not-last" target="_blank">fallen recently</a> as the drought forced livestock owners to sell off more of their cattle.But even those higher prices might not be enough to keep corn-dependent companies profitable in western Kansas.“Is
 that enough to offset the major increase in the cost of corn?” O’Brien 
said. “Whether it’s livestock feeders or ethanol plants, they all 
operate on the margin.”Feedlots that can’t afford to pay a 
premium for getting corn from out of state may have to send some animals
 to slaughter early. And if the drought continues and corn prices remain
 high for months, it could start to reshape the future of those 
industries in western Kansas.There might not be enough corn in 
western Kansas to keep ethanol plants going here for the long term, 
O’Brien said, when they could shift operations to the other parts of the
 Corn Belt where the grain is more readily available. Likewise, some 
Kansas feedlots may buy less cattle next year because of the rising cost
 of grain.Cattle ranching and feeding has the largest economic impact of any agricultural sector in Kansas, contributing roughly <a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/docs/default-source/ag-marketing/county-ag-stats/2022-county-ag-stats/state-of-kansas-reports-8-12-2022.pdf?sfvrsn=553e9bc1_4" target="_blank">$9 billion</a> to the state economy. Ethanol production contributes another <a href="https://www.agriculture.ks.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ag-contribution-2018-with-retail-ethanol-combined-update-final.pdf?sfvrsn=49078bc1_0" target="_blank">$850 million</a>.“If
 things get rough enough out in the west,” O’Brien said, “it affects the
 economic livelihood of everybody in the whole state.”<h2>Breaking the drought</h2>The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Kansas farmers will harvest <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/crop0922.pdf" target="_blank">628 million bushels</a> of corn this year. That would be 122 million bushels less than last year.If
 you multiply those 122 million missing bushels by the elevated 
$8-per-bushel prices, it means the state’s agricultural economy is 
missing out on nearly $1 billion due to the drought.“If you just 
look at the typical annual Kansas corn and sorghum production,” Kansas 
State University agronomist Lucas Haag said, “and then figure the 
reductions that are going to be due to drought, we’re talking huge sums 
of money.”The USDA says <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Crop_Progress_and_Condition/2022/KS-weekly0912.pdf" target="_blank">more than half</a> of the state’s corn is in poor or very poor condition. That’s up from around 20% at this point <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Crop_Progress_and_Condition/2021/KS-weekly0913.pdf" target="_blank">last year</a>.It’s
 a similar story for sorghum, which is typically considered a more 
drought-tolerant alternative to corn. More than half of Kansas sorghum 
is in poor or very poor condition — up from just 15% last year.While
 irrigation has helped some farms avoid the worst, Haag said, many 
fields with center pivot sprinklers will still be abandoned because 
farmers just couldn’t pump enough water to save them.“There's 
very few areas of the state where we actually have wells that have the 
capacity to match up for when we're this short of precipitation,” Haag 
said.Water levels in the Ogallala aquifer — the primary water source for most of western Kansas — have been <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-03-31/how-kansas-could-lose-billions-in-land-values-as-its-underground-water-runs-dry" target="_blank">declining for decades</a> since the dawn of irrigated farmland. Estimates show that if pumping trends continue,<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/aug13/groundwater82613.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/aug13/groundwater82613.html" target="_blank">more than two-thirds</a> of the water under Kansas will be gone within 40 years.And it’s unclear when farmers in western Kansas will feel some relief.It’s the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/12/1122259523/triple-dip-la-nina-explained-weather" target="_blank">first time in decades</a>&nbsp;that a La Niña weather pattern, which fueled droughts across the West and Great Plains in 2022, will show up for a third consecutive winter.&nbsp;And the National Drought Mitigation Center expects drought to persist 
across Kansas through at least the end of this year.Corrected 8 a.m. WednesdayTo make 
matters worse, a poor crop this season will likely leave fields with 
less residue — the pieces of plant matter that remain on the ground to 
help soil store moisture. And with so much of western Kansas already in a
 deep precipitation deficit, Haag said, it’ll take more than a few rains
 here and there to get the region back on its feet.“We can really
 end up in one of these death spirals,” Haag said, “until we get a 
really above-average year in terms of precipitation and crop yields that
 then kind of pulls us back out of it.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Seasonal Drought Outlook for the rest of 2022 shows that drought may develop in and around the Central and Southern Plains. Drought may improve or be removed in the Northwest, Northeast and Hawaii<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Drought?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Drought</a> may persist in areas west of the Mississippi River and across the West <a href="https://t.co/LJTlJi5C6Z">pic.twitter.com/LJTlJi5C6Z</a>&mdash; Drought Center (@DroughtCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/DroughtCenter/status/1571585975574462464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Marc Ramsey has heard from other western Kansas farmers who consider 
him lucky for having anything to harvest at all. Lots of folks who 
planted dryland, or nonirrigated, corn this year won’t even bother 
taking a combine into their fields.“I guess they get to relax a 
little bit more in the next couple of weeks,” Ramsey said. “But, you 
know, that's the kind of relaxation none of us want.”Last year 
was dry too, Ramsey said, but his soil still had enough residual water 
to produce more than 50 bushels of corn per acre. This year, one of the <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-08-24/here-are-7-ways-this-dry-hot-year-stacks-up-against-the-worst-droughts-in-kansas-history" target="_blank">hottest, driest summers</a> on record has rung that dirt dry — the USDA reports that <a href="https://www.agriculture.com/weather/news/86-of-kansas-is-short-or-very-short-on-soil-moisture" target="_blank">86% of the soil</a> across Kansas doesn’t have enough moisture.And
 just a couple of weeks from now, Ramsey and farmers across western 
Kansas will be planting their winter wheat crop into that same dry 
ground.“Hopefully we've taken care of it, and it'll give us another shot.”David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank"> @davidcondos</a>.

How drought killing Kan. corn could make you pay more for gas, beef

&nbsp;WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Roger Marshall led 11 of his Senate Republican colleagues on a letter to the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, and American Express condemning them for removing gun sales from being categorized as “general merchandise” and instead placing gun sales into a separate category, according to a statement from the senator's office.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/V-M-Amex-Letter-on-Gun-Merchant-Code.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter submitted by Senators

The CEOs decision came at the recommendation of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which has no authority over the affairs of American businesses. The Senators expressed deep concern that these credit card companies’ new policy would infringe upon the Second Amendment Rights of law-abiding American citizens in their letter, writing in part,

“This decision, which is already being hailed by radical anti-gun activists, is the first step towards backdoor gun control on law-abiding Americans…&nbsp;Creating a new merchant code for gun transactions is a choice being made by each of your companies. You are choosing the side of gun control advocates over the privacy and Second Amendment rights of millions of law-abiding Americans… Your companies are the facilitators of the vast majority of daily financial transactions in America, and that gives you incredible influence over everyday commerce, and thus every American’s very way of life. If you are intent on abusing that influence you will leave Congress no choice but to intercede on behalf of our constituents and all of the law abiding Americans who will not stand by as large banks and the payment networks that serve them do an end run around their constitutional Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms…”

The Senators concluded their letter by requesting answers from the CEOs related to what factors influenced each company to settled on this new policy, how the recategorization of gun sales backs up claims that the action would reduce gun violence, and if customers would be able to continue to use these companies’ services without discrimination, among other issues.

Senators Thom Tillis (NC), John Barrasso (WY), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Rick Scott (FL), Ben Sasse (NE), Marco Rubio (FL), Dan Sullivan (AK), Mike Crapo (ID), Bill Cassidy (LA), James Risch (ID), and Steve Daines (MT) cosigned Senator Marshall’s letter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663617496645.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Roger Marshall led 11 of his Senate Republican colleagues on a letter to the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard, and American Express condemning them for removing gun sales from being categorized as “general merchandise” and instead placing gun sales into a separate category, according to a statement from the senator's office.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/V-M-Amex-Letter-on-Gun-Merchant-Code.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to read the full letter submitted by SenatorsThe CEOs decision came at the recommendation of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which has no authority over the affairs of American businesses. The Senators expressed deep concern that these credit card companies’ new policy would infringe upon the Second Amendment Rights of law-abiding American citizens in their letter, writing in part,“This decision, which is already being hailed by radical anti-gun activists, is the first step towards backdoor gun control on law-abiding Americans…&nbsp;Creating a new merchant code for gun transactions is a choice being made by each of your companies. You are choosing the side of gun control advocates over the privacy and Second Amendment rights of millions of law-abiding Americans… Your companies are the facilitators of the vast majority of daily financial transactions in America, and that gives you incredible influence over everyday commerce, and thus every American’s very way of life. If you are intent on abusing that influence you will leave Congress no choice but to intercede on behalf of our constituents and all of the law abiding Americans who will not stand by as large banks and the payment networks that serve them do an end run around their constitutional Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms…”The Senators concluded their letter by requesting answers from the CEOs related to what factors influenced each company to settled on this new policy, how the recategorization of gun sales backs up claims that the action would reduce gun violence, and if customers would be able to continue to use these companies’ services without discrimination, among other issues.Senators Thom Tillis (NC), John Barrasso (WY), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Rick Scott (FL), Ben Sasse (NE), Marco Rubio (FL), Dan Sullivan (AK), Mike Crapo (ID), Bill Cassidy (LA), James Risch (ID), and Steve Daines (MT) cosigned Senator Marshall’s letter.

Marshall calls out credit card CEOs for infringing on 2nd amendment rights

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-19/kansas-foster-kids-get-moved-around-less-often-but-some-still-have-to-sleep-in-offices">Kansas News Service</a>

Kansas foster care contractors had more than 50 children sleep in 
offices and other inappropriate places in 2021 — despite a court 
settlement that pushes the state to fix its ailing, privatized foster 
care system.

That’s according to a new, third-party report 
released Monday, which concludes the contractors weren’t facing 
extraordinary circumstances that would justify these arrangements.

Still, the Kansas foster care system has improved, the report found.

The
 state’s contractors hit targets for moving children among foster homes 
less often. During 2021, 86% of the state’s foster kids were in stable 
placements, which topped the goal of 80% set for that year.

The 
report gauges the state’s progress toward goals set out in a 2020 court 
settlement stemming from a 2018 class-action lawsuit.

Kansas was supposed to make sure that foster care providers stopped making <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-02/kansas-foster-children-are-still-sleeping-in-offices-years-after-promises-that-would-end" target="_blank">kids sleep in offices</a>, conference rooms and similar places by the end of 2021.

“We
 understand that it takes time for meaningful change,” said Teresa 
Woody, the litigation director for Kansas Appleseed, one of the groups 
that brought the lawsuit. “But there’s a lot that needs to be done to 
protect foster care children.”

Wood praised signs of progress. But she said Kansas will need to keep working on community <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-12/foster-kids-in-kansas-cant-get-the-mental-health-care-they-need-but-there-might-be-a-fix" target="_blank">mental health services</a>,
 contractor accountability, and supports that help families keep their 
children. She urged the Legislature to help with funding.

Most of 
the children who slept in offices and similarly inappropriate places in 
2021 were there for one night. A handful slept there longer, including 
one whose stay outside of foster homes lasted 54 days.

Kansas was 
also supposed to put a stop to night-to-night foster home placements by 
Dec. 31, 2021. Those are situations in which foster kids get moved 
within a day. About 800 children experienced night-to-night moves in 
2021.

More than 6,000 kids are in foster care in Kansas.

The
 Kansas agency that oversees foster care said in a press release that 
several initiatives will help give children more stability. The 
Department for Children and Families recently launched a network 
intended to offer stand-by service beds and added therapeutic foster 
homes for higher-needs children.

Gov. Laura Kelly highlighted these facts in a press release responding to the findings.

“My
 administration inherited a broken child welfare system,” Kelly said. 
“We have made substantial progress in making sure kids are in stable 
placements and experience fewer moves. There’s more work to be done, but
 this report shows we are headed in the right direction.”

Kansas 
agreed to a long list of improvements in the 2020 settlement, which 
includes a series of deadlines for reaching those goals.

The state has completed some of the changes already — such as tracking how many foster kids end up in correctional facilities.

But
 the third-party report found that the foster care system continues to 
subject children to delays in mental health care. And the state needs to
 improve its data, to allow for tracking caseworker workloads, for 
example.

The court settlement resulted from a 2018 class-action lawsuit against state officials.

Foster care contractors were shuffling children night after night from one home to the next, and having some sleep in offices.

The suit also accused Kansas of failing to ensure that foster kids get appropriate mental health care.

Children in foster care have high rates of trauma and mental health needs. By some estimates, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5421550/#:~:text=Between%2050%20and%2080%25%20of,et%20al.%2C%202005)." target="_blank">as many as 50-80%</a> need mental health services.

A team of lawyers from the <a href="https://youthlaw.org/" target="_blank">National Center for Youth Law</a>, <a href="https://www.childrensrights.org/" target="_blank">Children’s Rights</a>, <a href="https://www.kansasappleseed.org/" target="_blank">Kansas Appleseed</a> and private law firms represented the plaintiffs.

The
 lawsuit said some children had to switch their locations more than 100 
times while in foster care. It argued that the situation compounded 
children’s trauma and made them, in effect, homeless.

The class-action suit didn’t ask for money. Instead, it demanded Kansas fix its foster care system.

The 2020 settlement gave Kansas various deadlines to make a long list of improvements.

Under
 the settlement, the Center for the Study of Social Policy is 
determining whether Kansas reaches various benchmarks, in part by 
checking random samples of foster kids to see how often they get moved 
and whether they receive timely mental health care.

A separate court settlement from earlier this summer requires the foster care system to <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-30/kansas-foster-care-will-pay-1-25-million-after-a-child-was-sexually-assaulted-in-a-contractors-office/" target="_blank">pay $1.25 million</a> after a child was sexually assaulted while forced to sleep in an office.

The
 assault happened in 2018. The victim was 13 years old at that time and 
had been sleeping in a Johnson County office of foster care contractor 
KVC Kansas. KVC was also keeping an 18-year-old there who had a history 
of abusing others and attacked the girl when KVC staff weren’t around.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service. You 
can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663681037546.png" alt=" David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-19/kansas-foster-kids-get-moved-around-less-often-but-some-still-have-to-sleep-in-offices">Kansas News Service</a>Kansas foster care contractors had more than 50 children sleep in 
offices and other inappropriate places in 2021 — despite a court 
settlement that pushes the state to fix its ailing, privatized foster 
care system.That’s according to a new, third-party report 
released Monday, which concludes the contractors weren’t facing 
extraordinary circumstances that would justify these arrangements.Still, the Kansas foster care system has improved, the report found.The
 state’s contractors hit targets for moving children among foster homes 
less often. During 2021, 86% of the state’s foster kids were in stable 
placements, which topped the goal of 80% set for that year.The 
report gauges the state’s progress toward goals set out in a 2020 court 
settlement stemming from a 2018 class-action lawsuit.Kansas was supposed to make sure that foster care providers stopped making <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-02/kansas-foster-children-are-still-sleeping-in-offices-years-after-promises-that-would-end" target="_blank">kids sleep in offices</a>, conference rooms and similar places by the end of 2021.“We
 understand that it takes time for meaningful change,” said Teresa 
Woody, the litigation director for Kansas Appleseed, one of the groups 
that brought the lawsuit. “But there’s a lot that needs to be done to 
protect foster care children.”Wood praised signs of progress. But she said Kansas will need to keep working on community <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-12/foster-kids-in-kansas-cant-get-the-mental-health-care-they-need-but-there-might-be-a-fix" target="_blank">mental health services</a>,
 contractor accountability, and supports that help families keep their 
children. She urged the Legislature to help with funding.Most of 
the children who slept in offices and similarly inappropriate places in 
2021 were there for one night. A handful slept there longer, including 
one whose stay outside of foster homes lasted 54 days.Kansas was 
also supposed to put a stop to night-to-night foster home placements by 
Dec. 31, 2021. Those are situations in which foster kids get moved 
within a day. About 800 children experienced night-to-night moves in 
2021.More than 6,000 kids are in foster care in Kansas.The
 Kansas agency that oversees foster care said in a press release that 
several initiatives will help give children more stability. The 
Department for Children and Families recently launched a network 
intended to offer stand-by service beds and added therapeutic foster 
homes for higher-needs children.Gov. Laura Kelly highlighted these facts in a press release responding to the findings.“My
 administration inherited a broken child welfare system,” Kelly said. 
“We have made substantial progress in making sure kids are in stable 
placements and experience fewer moves. There’s more work to be done, but
 this report shows we are headed in the right direction.”Kansas 
agreed to a long list of improvements in the 2020 settlement, which 
includes a series of deadlines for reaching those goals.The state has completed some of the changes already — such as tracking how many foster kids end up in correctional facilities.But
 the third-party report found that the foster care system continues to 
subject children to delays in mental health care. And the state needs to
 improve its data, to allow for tracking caseworker workloads, for 
example.The court settlement resulted from a 2018 class-action lawsuit against state officials.Foster care contractors were shuffling children night after night from one home to the next, and having some sleep in offices.The suit also accused Kansas of failing to ensure that foster kids get appropriate mental health care.Children in foster care have high rates of trauma and mental health needs. By some estimates, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5421550/#:~:text=Between%2050%20and%2080%25%20of,et%20al.%2C%202005)." target="_blank">as many as 50-80%</a> need mental health services.A team of lawyers from the <a href="https://youthlaw.org/" target="_blank">National Center for Youth Law</a>, <a href="https://www.childrensrights.org/" target="_blank">Children’s Rights</a>, <a href="https://www.kansasappleseed.org/" target="_blank">Kansas Appleseed</a> and private law firms represented the plaintiffs.The
 lawsuit said some children had to switch their locations more than 100 
times while in foster care. It argued that the situation compounded 
children’s trauma and made them, in effect, homeless.The class-action suit didn’t ask for money. Instead, it demanded Kansas fix its foster care system.The 2020 settlement gave Kansas various deadlines to make a long list of improvements.Under
 the settlement, the Center for the Study of Social Policy is 
determining whether Kansas reaches various benchmarks, in part by 
checking random samples of foster kids to see how often they get moved 
and whether they receive timely mental health care.A separate court settlement from earlier this summer requires the foster care system to <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-30/kansas-foster-care-will-pay-1-25-million-after-a-child-was-sexually-assaulted-in-a-contractors-office/" target="_blank">pay $1.25 million</a> after a child was sexually assaulted while forced to sleep in an office.The
 assault happened in 2018. The victim was 13 years old at that time and 
had been sleeping in a Johnson County office of foster care contractor 
KVC Kansas. KVC was also keeping an 18-year-old there who had a history 
of abusing others and attacked the girl when KVC staff weren’t around.Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service. You 
can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Report: Kansas foster care system improved — but still lacking

CLAY COUNTY—A Clay Center man died in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay Center.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Blue Bird school bus driven by Brenda G. Peterson, 71, Clay Center, was eastbound on Lincoln Avenue approaching Sixth Street.

The driver failed to see a pedestrian identified as Harold R. Mugler, 69, Clay Center, who was walking southbound across Lincoln Avenue in the crosswalk.&nbsp; The bus hit Mugler.&nbsp; &nbsp;No students were on the bus when the accident occurred, according to USD 379.

Mugler was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Neill Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home.

CLAY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 379 are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident involving a school bus in Clay Center.&nbsp;

Just after 7a.m. Tuesday, officials notified the Kansas Highway Patrol of the accident at 6th and Lincoln in Clay Center.&nbsp;No students were on the bus when the accident occurred, according to the school district.

The pedestrian crossing the road southbound at the time of being hit. This did not occur within a school zone, according to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner.

CLAY COUNTY—A Clay Center man died in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Tuesday in Clay Center.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Blue Bird school bus driven by Brenda G. Peterson, 71, Clay Center, was eastbound on Lincoln Avenue approaching Sixth Street.The driver failed to see a pedestrian identified as Harold R. Mugler, 69, Clay Center, who was walking southbound across Lincoln Avenue in the crosswalk.&nbsp; The bus hit Mugler.&nbsp; &nbsp;No students were on the bus when the accident occurred, according to USD 379.Mugler was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Neill Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home.---------------CLAY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 379 are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident involving a school bus in Clay Center.&nbsp;Just after 7a.m. Tuesday, officials notified the Kansas Highway Patrol of the accident at 6th and Lincoln in Clay Center.&nbsp;No students were on the bus when the accident occurred, according to the school district.The pedestrian crossing the road southbound at the time of being hit. This did not occur within a school zone, according to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

KHP IDs man struck and killed by school bus in Clay Center

KINGMAN COUNTY—The Kingman Historic Theater announced two fundraisers to assist those displaced by fire at the Eagle Acres apartment complex, 501 N. Thompson Street in Kingman.

According to the Theater, they are doing a raffle to go with the Fundraising Events that include two concerts on Saturday, Sept. 24, by The Other Guys Band. The first concert will start at 7pm. Doors will open at 6pm.The second will start at 10pm. Doors will open at 9pm.

The theater will begin the raffle on the September 24, at The Other Guys Band Concert and will continue through the movie on September 25.

Drawing will be live on the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kingmantheatre/"> theater Facebook page </a>after the movie on Sunday.

Both events are free will donation at the door. All donations will go 100 percent to the fund being set up at Citizen's bank.

Friends have also established a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/eagle-acres-fire-victims-fundraiser?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unknown&amp;utm_campaign=comms_34pk+eagle-acres-fire-victims-fundraiser">GoFundMe</a> to help the twelve families displaced by the fire.

&nbsp;If you would like to donate, call the theatre at 620-532-1253 and leave a message, or email at kingmancommunitytheatreassoc@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663668288156.png" alt="photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>KINGMAN COUNTY—The Kingman Historic Theater announced two fundraisers to assist those displaced by fire at the Eagle Acres apartment complex, 501 N. Thompson Street in Kingman.According to the Theater, they are doing a raffle to go with the Fundraising Events that include two concerts on Saturday, Sept. 24, by The Other Guys Band. The first concert will start at 7pm. Doors will open at 6pm.The second will start at 10pm. Doors will open at 9pm.The theater will begin the raffle on the September 24, at The Other Guys Band Concert and will continue through the movie on September 25.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663668356120.png" alt="photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Drawing will be live on the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/kingmantheatre/"> theater Facebook page </a>after the movie on Sunday.Both events are free will donation at the door. All donations will go 100 percent to the fund being set up at Citizen's bank.Friends have also established a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/eagle-acres-fire-victims-fundraiser?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unknown&amp;utm_campaign=comms_34pk+eagle-acres-fire-victims-fundraiser">GoFundMe</a> to help the twelve families displaced by the fire.&nbsp;If you would like to donate, call the theatre at 620-532-1253 and leave a message, or email at kingmancommunitytheatreassoc@gmail.com.

Kingman Historic Theatre: Fundraiser for victims of apartment fire

TOPEKA – A Kansas man was sentenced Monday to 69 months in prison for engaging in a wire fraud scheme, according to the United State's Attorney.

In May 2022, Shawn Lynn Parcells, 42, of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

According to court documents, in July 2016, Parcells, as owner of National Autopsy Services, LLC, convinced a client he was qualified to conduct an autopsy based on the false credentials. The client paid the defendant $5,000.00 and received an emailed copy of a final report from Parcells. 

The report included an opinion made within “a certain degree of medical certainty as a Forensic, Neuro, and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Fellow,” and appeared authored by the defendant. No pathologist participated in this examination or report.

According to court documents, between May 2016 and May 2019, the defendant used NAS to obtain fees from more than 350 clients for a total amount of $ $1,166.000. In many cases, the defendant failed to provide an authentic completed report.

“It’s troubling whenever criminals deceptively present themselves as professionals to commit fraud on unwitting victims, but the fact that Parcells’ schemes were predicated upon exploiting the grief and bereavement of others, makes his act a particularly predatory crime,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.

“During their most vulnerable state, Mr. Parcells willfully defrauded individuals while they were grieving the loss of a loved one. He used deception as a means to prey on those looking to find answers surrounding the death of their loved ones by claiming to be a pathologist and being able to provide those answers” said FBI Special Agent in Charges Charles Dayoub. “Mr. Parcells fraudulently collected fees and profited on their grief for his own personal gain. The sentencing sends a clear message - the FBI will hold those accountable who use deception and fraud to take advantage of others in our community.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574875994992.png" alt="Shawn Parcells photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shawn Parcells photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – A Kansas man was sentenced Monday to 69 months in prison for engaging in a wire fraud scheme, according to the United State's Attorney.In May 2022, Shawn Lynn Parcells, 42, of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.According to court documents, in July 2016, Parcells, as owner of National Autopsy Services, LLC, convinced a client he was qualified to conduct an autopsy based on the false credentials. The client paid the defendant $5,000.00 and received an emailed copy of a final report from Parcells. The report included an opinion made within “a certain degree of medical certainty as a Forensic, Neuro, and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Fellow,” and appeared authored by the defendant. No pathologist participated in this examination or report.According to court documents, between May 2016 and May 2019, the defendant used NAS to obtain fees from more than 350 clients for a total amount of $ $1,166.000. In many cases, the defendant failed to provide an authentic completed report.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605802099921.png" alt="From the Parcells indictment -courtesy U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>From the Parcells indictment -courtesy U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>“It’s troubling whenever criminals deceptively present themselves as professionals to commit fraud on unwitting victims, but the fact that Parcells’ schemes were predicated upon exploiting the grief and bereavement of others, makes his act a particularly predatory crime,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.“During their most vulnerable state, Mr. Parcells willfully defrauded individuals while they were grieving the loss of a loved one. He used deception as a means to prey on those looking to find answers surrounding the death of their loved ones by claiming to be a pathologist and being able to provide those answers” said FBI Special Agent in Charges Charles Dayoub. “Mr. Parcells fraudulently collected fees and profited on their grief for his own personal gain. The sentencing sends a clear message - the FBI will hold those accountable who use deception and fraud to take advantage of others in our community.”