SEDGWICK COUNTY—The parents of a toddler found dead&nbsp; in a crib in the family’s mobile home in April of 2019 are going to prison.

On Thursday,&nbsp;Judge David Kaufman sentenced 26-year-old Brandi Marchant and 31-year-old Patrick Javonovich to almost 27-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

They plead guilty to second-degree reckless murder, aggravated kidnapping and child abuse during a July hearing.

Kansas child welfare authorities investigated two reports of possible abuse or neglect involving the couple in the 17 months before their son was found dead.

The Kansas Department of Children and Families completed its investigation into the death of Zaiden Javonovich, who authorities believe was dead days before his body was discovered.

In a report summary obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the agency said it found physical abuse and neglect in the case but provided no other details.&nbsp;

Zaiden’s 4-month-old brother, who is Marchant’s son, was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition.

In November 2017, the Department of Children and Families investigated possible emotional abuse after a report that Marchant made homicidal and suicidal statements in front of the children. One child who reported a homicidal statement mentioned Zaiden, according to the report. Several people were interviewed but investigators could not substantiate the claim.

A year later, the department was told the younger boy tested positive for marijuana at birth. The case could not be investigated as an abuse/neglect case because medical officials did not indicate the boy’s health was hurt by marijuana use, the summary states.

Instead, a Family in Need of Assessment case was started. A social worker who met with the couple found both children appearing healthy, with all necessary supplies for the infant, according to the report. The parents, who are not married, completed a federally required plan of safe care and in another visit, Marchant completed a Department of Children and Families safety plan. The case was closed Jan. 14.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662114988746.png" alt="Javonovich from his Sedgwick County booking photo 2019&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Javonovich from his Sedgwick County booking photo 2019&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—The parents of a toddler found dead&nbsp; in a crib in the family’s mobile home in April of 2019 are going to prison.On Thursday,&nbsp;Judge David Kaufman sentenced 26-year-old Brandi Marchant and 31-year-old Patrick Javonovich to almost 27-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.They plead guilty to second-degree reckless murder, aggravated kidnapping and child abuse during a July hearing.Kansas child welfare authorities investigated two reports of possible abuse or neglect involving the couple in the 17 months before their son was found dead.The Kansas Department of Children and Families completed its investigation into the death of Zaiden Javonovich, who authorities believe was dead days before his body was discovered.In a report summary obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the agency said it found physical abuse and neglect in the case but provided no other details.&nbsp;Zaiden’s 4-month-old brother, who is Marchant’s son, was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition.In November 2017, the Department of Children and Families investigated possible emotional abuse after a report that Marchant made homicidal and suicidal statements in front of the children. One child who reported a homicidal statement mentioned Zaiden, according to the report. Several people were interviewed but investigators could not substantiate the claim.A year later, the department was told the younger boy tested positive for marijuana at birth. The case could not be investigated as an abuse/neglect case because medical officials did not indicate the boy’s health was hurt by marijuana use, the summary states.Instead, a Family in Need of Assessment case was started. A social worker who met with the couple found both children appearing healthy, with all necessary supplies for the infant, according to the report. The parents, who are not married, completed a federally required plan of safe care and in another visit, Marchant completed a Department of Children and Families safety plan. The case was closed Jan. 14.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kan. couple sentenced for abuse death of 2-year-old son

By OSEA GIUNTELLA <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-way-to-help-college-students-get-enough-sleep-pay-them-to-go-to-bed-189492">The Conversation</a>

Small financial incentives can get college students to go to bed 
earlier and sleep significantly longer. That’s what my colleagues and I 
found through an <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w30375">experiment</a> that involved 508 students at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Oxford.

When the students were offered US$7.50 per night Monday through 
Thursday – a total of $30 per week – to sleep longer, they were 13% more
 likely than those who were not offered the incentive to sleep seven to 
nine hours. They were also 16% less likely to sleep fewer than six 
hours.

We collected data from wearable activity trackers, surveys and 
time-use diaries. The people to whom the incentives were offered were 
chosen randomly from the group of people who agreed to be part of the 
study.

The incentives were offered for three weeks, but the effects lasted 
even after they were removed. Specifically, those who had initially 
gotten the incentives were still 9% more likely to sleep seven to nine 
hours per night for up to six weeks after students stopped receiving 
them. This suggests the effects of the incentives may last for several 
weeks.

The time-use diaries documented a reduction in screen time. That is, 
students spent less time watching TV and videos or using smart devices 
during the experiment. There was no evidence of a decline in time spent 
studying or in time spent socializing. This suggests students gave up 
screen time rather than time with friends to get to bed earlier and 
sleep longer.

Sleep deprivation has been <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/sleep-deprivation-described-serious-public-health-problem">recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010001">public health epidemic</a>. It can have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/">adverse effects on people’s physical and mental health</a>,
 decision-making and productivity. Our findings shine light on what it 
takes to get people to adopt better sleeping habits and avoid these 
negative outcomes.

Sleep deprivation is a big problem among college students. Most college students <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26396272/">sleep less than</a> the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html">recommended minimum of seven hours per night</a>.

Good sleep is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z">better academic performance</a>. Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality have been linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156372">mental health problems among college students</a>.

Since college often marks the first time young adults may find 
themselves fully in charge of their schedules, they could benefit from 
help or incentives to form good sleep habits.

<a href="https://realtimeresearch.invisibly.com/insights/america-sleeps-brado">Multiple surveys</a> indicate that many people feel they are <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/27/more-than-60-percent-of-americans-rarely-feel-rested-and-energized-in-the-morning/">not getting enough sleep</a>. When people experience a night of poor sleep, the effects are felt the next day.

Our results suggest that just knowing about the benefits of good 
sleep is not enough for people to actually adopt better sleeping habits.
 Rather, it may take incentives. 

Interventions that help individuals form routines, such as reduced screen time, may have longer-lasting effects. 

A relevant question is whether similar people can be motivated to get
 better sleep without monetary incentives and with less costly nudges. 

In the future, we plan to explore whether interventions to improve 
sleep habits during college may also help students boost their academic 
performance. We’d also like to examine whether these interventions can 
work with different populations and in different places.

Osea Giuntella is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662152961172.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By OSEA GIUNTELLA <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-way-to-help-college-students-get-enough-sleep-pay-them-to-go-to-bed-189492">The Conversation</a><h2>The big idea</h2>Small financial incentives can get college students to go to bed 
earlier and sleep significantly longer. That’s what my colleagues and I 
found through an <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w30375">experiment</a> that involved 508 students at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Oxford.When the students were offered US$7.50 per night Monday through 
Thursday – a total of $30 per week – to sleep longer, they were 13% more
 likely than those who were not offered the incentive to sleep seven to 
nine hours. They were also 16% less likely to sleep fewer than six 
hours.We collected data from wearable activity trackers, surveys and 
time-use diaries. The people to whom the incentives were offered were 
chosen randomly from the group of people who agreed to be part of the 
study.The incentives were offered for three weeks, but the effects lasted 
even after they were removed. Specifically, those who had initially 
gotten the incentives were still 9% more likely to sleep seven to nine 
hours per night for up to six weeks after students stopped receiving 
them. This suggests the effects of the incentives may last for several 
weeks.The time-use diaries documented a reduction in screen time. That is, 
students spent less time watching TV and videos or using smart devices 
during the experiment. There was no evidence of a decline in time spent 
studying or in time spent socializing. This suggests students gave up 
screen time rather than time with friends to get to bed earlier and 
sleep longer.<h2>Why it matters</h2>Sleep deprivation has been <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/sleep-deprivation-described-serious-public-health-problem">recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010001">public health epidemic</a>. It can have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/">adverse effects on people’s physical and mental health</a>,
 decision-making and productivity. Our findings shine light on what it 
takes to get people to adopt better sleeping habits and avoid these 
negative outcomes.Sleep deprivation is a big problem among college students. Most college students <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26396272/">sleep less than</a> the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html">recommended minimum of seven hours per night</a>. Good sleep is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z">better academic performance</a>. Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality have been linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156372">mental health problems among college students</a>. Since college often marks the first time young adults may find 
themselves fully in charge of their schedules, they could benefit from 
help or incentives to form good sleep habits.<a href="https://realtimeresearch.invisibly.com/insights/america-sleeps-brado">Multiple surveys</a> indicate that many people feel they are <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/27/more-than-60-percent-of-americans-rarely-feel-rested-and-energized-in-the-morning/">not getting enough sleep</a>. When people experience a night of poor sleep, the effects are felt the next day.Our results suggest that just knowing about the benefits of good 
sleep is not enough for people to actually adopt better sleeping habits.
 Rather, it may take incentives. Interventions that help individuals form routines, such as reduced screen time, may have longer-lasting effects. <h2>What is still unknown</h2>A relevant question is whether similar people can be motivated to get
 better sleep without monetary incentives and with less costly nudges. <h2>What’s next</h2>In the future, we plan to explore whether interventions to improve 
sleep habits during college may also help students boost their academic 
performance. We’d also like to examine whether these interventions can 
work with different populations and in different places.Osea Giuntella is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189492/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

Help college students get enough sleep? Pay them to go to bed

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

On Sept. 4, 
2002, the tragic and inexplicable occurred: an unknown subject murdered 
two Great Bend residents and walked away from the Dolly Madison bakery -
 one of the city's busiest intersections at one of the busiest times of 
day. Yet 20 years later, the case remains unsolved.

Just before 8 
p.m. that evening, a delivery driver found the bodies of 24-year-old 
Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake. Alexander had recently begun
 working at the bakery outlet store, and Drake was a customer that day. 

Alicia
 Mong (Drake) graduated from Great Bend High School in 1996. In 2002,&nbsp; 
she was living in Hutchinson. Sept. 4 should have been an otherwise 
unremarkable day except it was a long one and Mong remembers being 
tired. She tried to call her grandmother, Mary, before going to bed.

"She
 didn’t answer," Mong said. "I was not at all concerned because she was 
fiercely independent and spent a lot of time at her sisters' houses. We 
went on with it and went to bed. I really do not know what time it was 
when we were awoken by loud banging on our front door. We opened it, and
 there were two police officers telling me that I needed to call my dad 
because something had happened to my grandma, and she was deceased."

With
 few details to go on, Mong gathered her family and made the 70-minute 
drive to Great Bend. She dropped her kids off with family and headed for
 the bakery.

"When we pulled up there were so many cars, lights and people 
standing around," said Mong. "I found my dad and just hugged him. He 
told me what he knew, which was very little. I just remember feeling so 
very sad for him. His mom was murdered, people were staring at our 
family, driving up asking questions. Officers were asking questions, and
 all he could do was stand there and endure it. It sucked, simple as 
that."

Once the body was removed from the bakery at 10th and 
Harrison, the family retreated to Mong's parents' home and began 
notifying other family members of the death. The following day, an agent
 from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation asked the family for access to 
Mary's home. Mong and her father accompanied the agent.

"The agent
 asked a lot of questions, as he should," Mong said, "but the one that 
stood out to me was directed to my dad. 'Did your mom have any enemies 
that we should know about? Is there anyone who was angry at her or would
 have reason to hurt her?' I don’t know why, but it angered me. I could 
only think, 'Seriously, no! What the heck! Why would you ask that?' No 
one was so mad at my 79-year-old, four-foot, 11-inch grandma that they 
would want to kill her. I know now they had to ask those types of 
questions, but man, did that hit me wrong."

Everything changed for
 the family after Sept. 4. All families deal with loss, but most, 
fortunately, never have to endure a murder investigation. "In my 
experience, everything was so secretive and scary," said Mong. "There 
was some sort of law enforcement around all the time, at the viewing, 
the funeral service, and the burial. I thought differently about going 
places. I looked at people differently."

Mong recalls attending 
the Kansas State Fair shortly after the double murder. She saw a 
potential suspect in every passerby. "I watched people walk by; I 
studied them," she said. "I remember thinking, 'Someone here could know 
something, or someone here could be the person who killed my grandma.' I
 remember internally yelling at myself to stop, put the thoughts away, 
enjoy the time with my family, but it wasn’t going to happen. We ended 
up leaving the fair pretty early."

The Dolly Madison case is also 
exceptional because it has yet to be solved. There is no closure in 
brutal crimes, but a conviction would provide some relief, and perhaps, 
even answers. The Drake family never received that. Alicia's father and 
Mary's son, Ron, passed away in October 2020, never seeing a killer 
brought to justice. The nature of the crime brought about many theories.

"I
 started to question the truth and believe all the stories I heard from 
people, hoping they were the one," Mong said. "The one that could give 
us the golden information. But I realized there were a lot of people 
that just thought they knew what happened or wanted to be the hero and 
had all the answers.

"This never heals. It never goes away. In the
 last 20 years, we have had several phone calls, texts, Facebook 
messages from strangers telling us they know what happened that night. 
They tell us names, places, and stories that we relay to law 
enforcement, but nothing ever comes from it. They also tell us the 
police know what happened, but they will never be able to convict anyone
 for the crime. It never slips your mind, and when it does finally get 
put to the back of your brain, something pops up again, and the pain and
 anger resurface."

There is one saving grace about Sept. 4, 2002. 
According to an eyewitness that day, before going to the bakery, Mary 
had stopped by Alicia's sister's home to pick up her granddaughter for 
the trip. Fortunately, no one was home. "Her daughter could have easily 
been with Grandma and things could have been much, much worse," Mong 
said. "This will always stick with us."

Mong remembers being close to her grandmother growing up. She said 
Mary was strong, independent, loving, compassionate, and resourceful. 
Mong wants her to be remembered as more than a murder victim but also as
 a sister, an aunt, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

"My
 grandma was my idol," Mong said. "She was my person. I can’t remember a
 time or a memory that she was not a part of. She meant so much to my 
family that there are no words to express how grateful I am to have had 
her in my life."

Mary's mother passed away at a young age during 
childbirth, so Mary and her siblings were raised by her father and 
grandmother. Mary had three sons, enduring her own grief when the eldest
 passed away in his 20s. She later divorced and raised her other two 
sons on her own, working at Fuller Brush until retirement. She enjoyed 
playing cards and spending time with her family.

Mong said her 
fondest childhood memories always include her grandmother. On Saturday 
nights, Mary set up the hideaway couch for Alicia and her sister, 
watching "Saturday Night Live" with some old-fashioned popcorn that 
included spray-on butter unique to Mary's house. Other nights it was the
 same routine in front of "Hee Haw" or "Barbara Mandrell &amp; the 
Mandrel Sisters." On especially good nights, Mary treated the girls to 
slivers of a frozen Snickers bar and ice-cold Pepsi.

"Then every 
Sunday morning there was no TV, but the radio was on, and the music was 
playing," Mong recalls. "She would clean and do laundry on Sundays, and I
 remember watching her dance around. She loved to Polka and sing while 
she was working. As my sister and I got older and busier, we didn’t 
spend as much time with Grandma but that changed again when mine and my 
sister’s oldest were born and Grandma became a great-grandma. Those 
girls changed her life, and she loved them. She was the center of our 
world when we were little, and then she became the center of their world
 as well. She was so much more than a murder victim."

Twenty years
 later, Mong still feels anger and disappointment. She said she knows 
about as much today as she did in 2002, but the feelings are compounded 
by not having any answers - of disappointing Mary and Ron for not being 
able to find the tip that might lead to the murderer. She's angry that 
she and her family have been denied the opportunity to properly grieve 
the loss of a loved one.

"Normally after the service and burial, 
you start to gradually heal," she said. "Your anger and sadness 
eventually turn into happy memories. Not with this. This will never end.
 I knew that no one was being held responsible for the murders. I knew 
the murderer was out there walking around among us somewhere. I was 
always on the lookout for someone that might match the sketch. I 
listened to every conversation I could, watched every person around me, 
and couldn’t think of anything else. 

"It was not because I was 
scared. I was angry. I was so very angry that this happened to my 
grandma. I was mad that it seemed everyone knew what was going on except
 for us. We knew very little. I was mad because it felt that there was 
not enough being done. I was angry that I knew how much my grandma 
suffered during her last minutes, instead of peacefully passing in her 
old age. I was angry that this affected my parents so severely. The two 
and their marriage were never the same. I was angry that my sister was 
so hurt and anxious, and there was absolutely nothing that I or anyone 
could do about it. I was angry that they took her from her 
great-grandchildren. 

"I have learned to deal with the anger for 
the most part, but I must admit that I am still angry after 20 years. 
"We are without answers and still no closer to justice and closure. I am
 angry because it doesn’t seem, in any way, that law enforcement is 
trying to find these monsters. Most of all, I am still angry that 
someone took my person away from me."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124319156.jpeg" alt="Mary Drake with her son and granddaughters years before the double homicide in Great Bend 20 years ago on Sept. 4, 2002." />
 <figcaption>Mary Drake with her son and granddaughters years before the double homicide in Great Bend 20 years ago on Sept. 4, 2002.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostOn Sept. 4, 
2002, the tragic and inexplicable occurred: an unknown subject murdered 
two Great Bend residents and walked away from the Dolly Madison bakery -
 one of the city's busiest intersections at one of the busiest times of 
day. Yet 20 years later, the case remains unsolved.Just before 8 
p.m. that evening, a delivery driver found the bodies of 24-year-old 
Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake. Alexander had recently begun
 working at the bakery outlet store, and Drake was a customer that day. Alicia
 Mong (Drake) graduated from Great Bend High School in 1996. In 2002,&nbsp; 
she was living in Hutchinson. Sept. 4 should have been an otherwise 
unremarkable day except it was a long one and Mong remembers being 
tired. She tried to call her grandmother, Mary, before going to bed."She
 didn’t answer," Mong said. "I was not at all concerned because she was 
fiercely independent and spent a lot of time at her sisters' houses. We 
went on with it and went to bed. I really do not know what time it was 
when we were awoken by loud banging on our front door. We opened it, and
 there were two police officers telling me that I needed to call my dad 
because something had happened to my grandma, and she was deceased."With
 few details to go on, Mong gathered her family and made the 70-minute 
drive to Great Bend. She dropped her kids off with family and headed for
 the bakery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124347303.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"When we pulled up there were so many cars, lights and people 
standing around," said Mong. "I found my dad and just hugged him. He 
told me what he knew, which was very little. I just remember feeling so 
very sad for him. His mom was murdered, people were staring at our 
family, driving up asking questions. Officers were asking questions, and
 all he could do was stand there and endure it. It sucked, simple as 
that."Once the body was removed from the bakery at 10th and 
Harrison, the family retreated to Mong's parents' home and began 
notifying other family members of the death. The following day, an agent
 from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation asked the family for access to 
Mary's home. Mong and her father accompanied the agent."The agent
 asked a lot of questions, as he should," Mong said, "but the one that 
stood out to me was directed to my dad. 'Did your mom have any enemies 
that we should know about? Is there anyone who was angry at her or would
 have reason to hurt her?' I don’t know why, but it angered me. I could 
only think, 'Seriously, no! What the heck! Why would you ask that?' No 
one was so mad at my 79-year-old, four-foot, 11-inch grandma that they 
would want to kill her. I know now they had to ask those types of 
questions, but man, did that hit me wrong."Everything changed for
 the family after Sept. 4. All families deal with loss, but most, 
fortunately, never have to endure a murder investigation. "In my 
experience, everything was so secretive and scary," said Mong. "There 
was some sort of law enforcement around all the time, at the viewing, 
the funeral service, and the burial. I thought differently about going 
places. I looked at people differently."Mong recalls attending 
the Kansas State Fair shortly after the double murder. She saw a 
potential suspect in every passerby. "I watched people walk by; I 
studied them," she said. "I remember thinking, 'Someone here could know 
something, or someone here could be the person who killed my grandma.' I
 remember internally yelling at myself to stop, put the thoughts away, 
enjoy the time with my family, but it wasn’t going to happen. We ended 
up leaving the fair pretty early."The Dolly Madison case is also 
exceptional because it has yet to be solved. There is no closure in 
brutal crimes, but a conviction would provide some relief, and perhaps, 
even answers. The Drake family never received that. Alicia's father and 
Mary's son, Ron, passed away in October 2020, never seeing a killer 
brought to justice. The nature of the crime brought about many theories."I
 started to question the truth and believe all the stories I heard from 
people, hoping they were the one," Mong said. "The one that could give 
us the golden information. But I realized there were a lot of people 
that just thought they knew what happened or wanted to be the hero and 
had all the answers."This never heals. It never goes away. In the
 last 20 years, we have had several phone calls, texts, Facebook 
messages from strangers telling us they know what happened that night. 
They tell us names, places, and stories that we relay to law 
enforcement, but nothing ever comes from it. They also tell us the 
police know what happened, but they will never be able to convict anyone
 for the crime. It never slips your mind, and when it does finally get 
put to the back of your brain, something pops up again, and the pain and
 anger resurface."There is one saving grace about Sept. 4, 2002. 
According to an eyewitness that day, before going to the bakery, Mary 
had stopped by Alicia's sister's home to pick up her granddaughter for 
the trip. Fortunately, no one was home. "Her daughter could have easily 
been with Grandma and things could have been much, much worse," Mong 
said. "This will always stick with us."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124384403.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mong remembers being close to her grandmother growing up. She said 
Mary was strong, independent, loving, compassionate, and resourceful. 
Mong wants her to be remembered as more than a murder victim but also as
 a sister, an aunt, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother."My
 grandma was my idol," Mong said. "She was my person. I can’t remember a
 time or a memory that she was not a part of. She meant so much to my 
family that there are no words to express how grateful I am to have had 
her in my life."Mary's mother passed away at a young age during 
childbirth, so Mary and her siblings were raised by her father and 
grandmother. Mary had three sons, enduring her own grief when the eldest
 passed away in his 20s. She later divorced and raised her other two 
sons on her own, working at Fuller Brush until retirement. She enjoyed 
playing cards and spending time with her family.Mong said her 
fondest childhood memories always include her grandmother. On Saturday 
nights, Mary set up the hideaway couch for Alicia and her sister, 
watching "Saturday Night Live" with some old-fashioned popcorn that 
included spray-on butter unique to Mary's house. Other nights it was the
 same routine in front of "Hee Haw" or "Barbara Mandrell &amp; the 
Mandrel Sisters." On especially good nights, Mary treated the girls to 
slivers of a frozen Snickers bar and ice-cold Pepsi."Then every 
Sunday morning there was no TV, but the radio was on, and the music was 
playing," Mong recalls. "She would clean and do laundry on Sundays, and I
 remember watching her dance around. She loved to Polka and sing while 
she was working. As my sister and I got older and busier, we didn’t 
spend as much time with Grandma but that changed again when mine and my 
sister’s oldest were born and Grandma became a great-grandma. Those 
girls changed her life, and she loved them. She was the center of our 
world when we were little, and then she became the center of their world
 as well. She was so much more than a murder victim."Twenty years
 later, Mong still feels anger and disappointment. She said she knows 
about as much today as she did in 2002, but the feelings are compounded 
by not having any answers - of disappointing Mary and Ron for not being 
able to find the tip that might lead to the murderer. She's angry that 
she and her family have been denied the opportunity to properly grieve 
the loss of a loved one."Normally after the service and burial, 
you start to gradually heal," she said. "Your anger and sadness 
eventually turn into happy memories. Not with this. This will never end.
 I knew that no one was being held responsible for the murders. I knew 
the murderer was out there walking around among us somewhere. I was 
always on the lookout for someone that might match the sketch. I 
listened to every conversation I could, watched every person around me, 
and couldn’t think of anything else. "It was not because I was 
scared. I was angry. I was so very angry that this happened to my 
grandma. I was mad that it seemed everyone knew what was going on except
 for us. We knew very little. I was mad because it felt that there was 
not enough being done. I was angry that I knew how much my grandma 
suffered during her last minutes, instead of peacefully passing in her 
old age. I was angry that this affected my parents so severely. The two 
and their marriage were never the same. I was angry that my sister was 
so hurt and anxious, and there was absolutely nothing that I or anyone 
could do about it. I was angry that they took her from her 
great-grandchildren. "I have learned to deal with the anger for 
the most part, but I must admit that I am still angry after 20 years. 
"We are without answers and still no closer to justice and closure. I am
 angry because it doesn’t seem, in any way, that law enforcement is 
trying to find these monsters. Most of all, I am still angry that 
someone took my person away from me."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662124407999.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

20 years later: Memories of life before, after Great Bend murders

WASHINGTON – Throughout 2022, Americans have experienced an unacceptable level of flight delays and cancellations. When these disruptions occur, airlines are required to support passengers based on commitments made in their customer service plans, but too often passengers find those plans are difficult to understand and do not guarantee services – such as meals or hotel accommodations when they must wait overnight at an airport – even for flights that are delayed or canceled because of the carrier, according to statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to go to the </a>airline customer service dashboard

To ensure the traveling public has easy access to this information, the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday rolled out a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/flighthelp">airline customer service dashboard</a>, which includes recent improvements to customer service made by airlines at the urging of Secretary Buttigieg. &nbsp;

Two weeks ago, Secretary Buttigieg wrote a letter to airline CEOs informing them that DOT would publish the dashboard before Labor Day and urged the airlines to improve their customer service plans before the release. As a result, all but one of the ten largest U.S. airlines made significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers when their flights are canceled or delayed because of an airline issue. For example, no airline unconditionally guaranteed meal vouchers or hotels prior to Secretary Buttigieg’s letter. Now, nine of the 10 guarantee meals and eight of the 10 guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes the delay or cancelation. &nbsp;

The dashboard provides air travelers a one-stop location to obtain information on the services and amenities they should receive from airlines if they experience delays or cancelations that are caused by something within the airline’s control like a mechanical or staffing issue. The dashboard also provides a clear comparison of amenities the airlines have committed to provide, which will assist consumers when deciding which airline to fly. The creation of this new tool is one of the many steps the Department is taking to improve customer service provided to travelers. The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to provide the promised services. The Department has also provided direct links to airlines’ customer service plans on its Aviation Consumer Protection website.&nbsp;

“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,”&nbsp;said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions. The Department will continue to support passengers and to hold airlines responsible for adhering to their customer obligations.”&nbsp;

Regardless of the cause of the delays or cancelations, the Department expects airlines to provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions. Moreover, regardless of the cause of significant delays or cancelations, airlines are required to provide prompt refunds to ticketed passengers should a passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered such as rebooking on another flight.&nbsp;

In addition to the dashboard, the Department is currently collecting comments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/part-ongoing-airline-consumer-protections-efforts-usdot-announces-new-rulemaking">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;that would 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund, 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department is also considering options for an additional rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience flight disruptions.&nbsp;

In addition, the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer">(OACP)</a>&nbsp;recently concluded its investigation of 10 airlines and is pursuing enforcement action against them for extreme delays in providing refunds for flights the airlines canceled or significantly changed. The Office is also actively investigating the refund practices of additional airlines flying to, from, or within the United States. In November 2021, OACP issued its largest fine ever against an airline for extreme delays in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the United States that a carrier canceled.&nbsp;

Further, over the past year, the Department has taken a number of other actions to improve protection for airline passengers such as: &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662036320157.png" alt="Image U.S. DOT" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. DOT</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON – Throughout 2022, Americans have experienced an unacceptable level of flight delays and cancellations. When these disruptions occur, airlines are required to support passengers based on commitments made in their customer service plans, but too often passengers find those plans are difficult to understand and do not guarantee services – such as meals or hotel accommodations when they must wait overnight at an airport – even for flights that are delayed or canceled because of the carrier, according to statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to go to the </a>airline customer service dashboardTo ensure the traveling public has easy access to this information, the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday rolled out a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/flighthelp">airline customer service dashboard</a>, which includes recent improvements to customer service made by airlines at the urging of Secretary Buttigieg. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662036500540.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Two weeks ago, Secretary Buttigieg wrote a letter to airline CEOs informing them that DOT would publish the dashboard before Labor Day and urged the airlines to improve their customer service plans before the release. As a result, all but one of the ten largest U.S. airlines made significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers when their flights are canceled or delayed because of an airline issue. For example, no airline unconditionally guaranteed meal vouchers or hotels prior to Secretary Buttigieg’s letter. Now, nine of the 10 guarantee meals and eight of the 10 guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes the delay or cancelation. &nbsp;The dashboard provides air travelers a one-stop location to obtain information on the services and amenities they should receive from airlines if they experience delays or cancelations that are caused by something within the airline’s control like a mechanical or staffing issue. The dashboard also provides a clear comparison of amenities the airlines have committed to provide, which will assist consumers when deciding which airline to fly. The creation of this new tool is one of the many steps the Department is taking to improve customer service provided to travelers. The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to provide the promised services. The Department has also provided direct links to airlines’ customer service plans on its Aviation Consumer Protection website.&nbsp;“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,”&nbsp;said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions. The Department will continue to support passengers and to hold airlines responsible for adhering to their customer obligations.”&nbsp;Regardless of the cause of the delays or cancelations, the Department expects airlines to provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions. Moreover, regardless of the cause of significant delays or cancelations, airlines are required to provide prompt refunds to ticketed passengers should a passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered such as rebooking on another flight.&nbsp;In addition to the dashboard, the Department is currently collecting comments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/part-ongoing-airline-consumer-protections-efforts-usdot-announces-new-rulemaking">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;that would 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund, 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department is also considering options for an additional rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience flight disruptions.&nbsp;In addition, the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer">(OACP)</a>&nbsp;recently concluded its investigation of 10 airlines and is pursuing enforcement action against them for extreme delays in providing refunds for flights the airlines canceled or significantly changed. The Office is also actively investigating the refund practices of additional airlines flying to, from, or within the United States. In November 2021, OACP issued its largest fine ever against an airline for extreme delays in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the United States that a carrier canceled.&nbsp;Further, over the past year, the Department has taken a number of other actions to improve protection for airline passengers such as: &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Calling on airlines to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-announces-first-ever-bill-rights-passengers-disabilities-calls-airlines-seat">seat families together free of charge</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Issuing fines to multiple airlines that violated tarmac delay rule violations. &nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Issuing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-announces-proposed-rule-improve-accessibility-lavatories">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;to improve accessibility of lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for individuals with disabilities and creating the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/disabilitybillofrights">Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights</a>.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

New help for airline passengers from U.S. Dept. of Transportation

🎥 Docs: The most important tests of your child's life

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have identified the victim as 37-year-old Bridget Ann Musser of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, commercial truck and a bicycle ridden by Musser were involved in the accident at 4th Street and Kansas Avenue.

First responders found Musser the roadway. She&nbsp; was pronounced deceased at the scene. The investigation by the Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team continues, according to Stanley..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662065354078.png" alt="The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team is on scene investigating-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team is on scene investigating-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal accident have identified the victim as 37-year-old Bridget Ann Musser of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, commercial truck and a bicycle ridden by Musser were involved in the accident at 4th Street and Kansas Avenue.First responders found Musser the roadway. She&nbsp; was pronounced deceased at the scene. The investigation by the Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team continues, according to Stanley..

Police ID Kansas bicyclist struck, killed by commercial truck

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas jury announced Thursday that it could not reach a verdict in the trial of a woman accused of killing her ex-husband and his girlfriend 20 years ago.

Jurors deliberated for about 35 hours over six days in Dana Chandler's trial. Chandler, now 62, was&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/533881f36a074a55a7699e52b77f0763">charged with two counts of first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;in the shooting deaths of 47-year-old Mike Sisco and 53-year-old Karen Harkness in July 2002, in Topeka.

The jury foreman told Shawnee County District Court Judge Cheryl Rios that jurors were not able to reach a unanimous verdict in the case, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/09/01/dana-chandler-2nd-murder-trial-double-homicide-charges-hung-jury-topeka/7937917001/">reported.</a>

Thursday's proceedings lasted only a few moments. A status hearing to determine the next step in the long-running case was set for Sept. 29.

Chandler's daughter Hailey Sisco, who testified that she believes her mother killed her father, cried while being hugged by prosecutor Charles Kitt.

Defense attorney Tom Bath hugged Chandler, who will remain in custody at least until the status hearing.

Juror Ben Alford told the Capital-Journal that the final vote was 7-5 to convict Chandler. He said votes taken throughout the lengthy deliberations were always close.

Prosecutors alleged Chandler killed the couple because she was jealous of their relationship after her acrimonious divorce from Sisco. Chandler always maintained her innocence, saying she was in Colorado when the victims were killed.

During closing arguments Aug. 25, prosecutor Kitt acknowledged there was little physical evidence linking Chandler to the crime. But he said obsessive behavior toward Sisco combined with circumstantial evidence should convince jurors that she killed the couple.

“This is not a case that science can solve,” he said. “This case is about jealousy of Mike Sisco. Jealousy that Mike Sisco was able to move on with his life. Jealousy about the new relationship that Mike Sisco had found.”

Investigators said Chandler spied on Sisco and Harkness, entered Sisco’s home without permission and tried to reconcile with him just weeks before the murders. Phone records shows Chandler called Sisco and Harkness nearly 700 times in the seven months before their deaths.

Bath argued that law enforcement missed the opportunity to investigate other suspects because they focused solely on her. He underlined the limited physical evidence found at the scene and questioned the way it was handled by investigators and forensic scientists.

“How many instances did we see where evidence was not followed up on, not collected or not tested?” Bath asked the jury.

He continued: “We see time and time again, the police ignored evidence. They didn’t follow evidence — they followed their bias.”

Prosecutors stunned court observers last week before closing arguments when they called a woman, Terri Anderson, who said she saw Chandler leaving Harkness’ home on the night the couple was killed — the first time in the two-decade-old case that anyone had placed Chandler at the scene.

Anderson, who lived across the street, testified that she called 911 after hearing gunshots that night, and that she talked to investigators the next day. However, she said she had not talked to police or investigators in the last two decades, and defense attorneys noted that no police records exist to confirm that she called police or that she talked to investigators.

On Thursday, defense attorneys called witnesses who undermined Anderson’s story. Topeka Police Det. Lance Green said Anderson’s testimony that Chandler was at the scene shortly before midnight on July 6, 2002, conflicts with other testimony that Sisco and Harkness were at a casino until at least 1:30 a.m. July 7.

Chandler was originally charged with the killings after a decade of investigation, and in 2012&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/1a7254e40a4041a2af6ee2b5dd84dc80">was found guilty of two counts of murder</a>. She was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole for 50 years.

The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a7bf444f550144da85887405174fb2da">overturned Chandler’s conviction i</a>n 2018, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-supreme-court-topeka-crime-1b16fa5d53c75ecb1d863c4f9dbbe497">misconduct by prosecutor Jacqie Spradling</a>, who was later disbarred.

The second trial was delayed as Chandler and her attorneys filed numerous motions seeking to exclude evidence, a change of venue and dismissal of the case. The trial began Aug. 5.

According to court records, investigators said nothing was taken from the victims’ home. The gun was never recovered and no fingerprints were found on empty shell casings at the scene. Hairs later taken from Chandler did not match hair and fiber samples at the scene, and no evidence of the crime was found in her car.

However, some family members suspected Chandler, who they said was upset and angry after Sisco initiated their divorce in 1997 and was given full custody of their children.

Chandler was living in Denver, Colorado, when the couple died. She told investigators she was driving and hiking in Colorado when the murders occurred, but stories about her specific routes were inconsistent, with gaps in her credit card receipts and cellphone use, according to court records.

Prosecutors alleged Chandler drove from Denver to Topeka, killed the couple and returned home.

The investigation went cold until 2009. After CBS’ “48 Hours” aired an episode about the unsolved killings, then-Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor appointed a team to investigate cold cases, including Chandler’s.

Chandler, who had moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, to live with her sister, was arrested in 2011 and charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592599404405.png" alt="Chandler photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Chandler photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas jury announced Thursday that it could not reach a verdict in the trial of a woman accused of killing her ex-husband and his girlfriend 20 years ago.Jurors deliberated for about 35 hours over six days in Dana Chandler's trial. Chandler, now 62, was&nbsp;<a href="http://apnews.com/533881f36a074a55a7699e52b77f0763">charged with two counts of first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;in the shooting deaths of 47-year-old Mike Sisco and 53-year-old Karen Harkness in July 2002, in Topeka.The jury foreman told Shawnee County District Court Judge Cheryl Rios that jurors were not able to reach a unanimous verdict in the case, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/09/01/dana-chandler-2nd-murder-trial-double-homicide-charges-hung-jury-topeka/7937917001/">reported.</a>Thursday's proceedings lasted only a few moments. A status hearing to determine the next step in the long-running case was set for Sept. 29.Chandler's daughter Hailey Sisco, who testified that she believes her mother killed her father, cried while being hugged by prosecutor Charles Kitt.Defense attorney Tom Bath hugged Chandler, who will remain in custody at least until the status hearing.Juror Ben Alford told the Capital-Journal that the final vote was 7-5 to convict Chandler. He said votes taken throughout the lengthy deliberations were always close.Prosecutors alleged Chandler killed the couple because she was jealous of their relationship after her acrimonious divorce from Sisco. Chandler always maintained her innocence, saying she was in Colorado when the victims were killed.During closing arguments Aug. 25, prosecutor Kitt acknowledged there was little physical evidence linking Chandler to the crime. But he said obsessive behavior toward Sisco combined with circumstantial evidence should convince jurors that she killed the couple.“This is not a case that science can solve,” he said. “This case is about jealousy of Mike Sisco. Jealousy that Mike Sisco was able to move on with his life. Jealousy about the new relationship that Mike Sisco had found.”Investigators said Chandler spied on Sisco and Harkness, entered Sisco’s home without permission and tried to reconcile with him just weeks before the murders. Phone records shows Chandler called Sisco and Harkness nearly 700 times in the seven months before their deaths.Bath argued that law enforcement missed the opportunity to investigate other suspects because they focused solely on her. He underlined the limited physical evidence found at the scene and questioned the way it was handled by investigators and forensic scientists.“How many instances did we see where evidence was not followed up on, not collected or not tested?” Bath asked the jury.He continued: “We see time and time again, the police ignored evidence. They didn’t follow evidence — they followed their bias.”Prosecutors stunned court observers last week before closing arguments when they called a woman, Terri Anderson, who said she saw Chandler leaving Harkness’ home on the night the couple was killed — the first time in the two-decade-old case that anyone had placed Chandler at the scene.Anderson, who lived across the street, testified that she called 911 after hearing gunshots that night, and that she talked to investigators the next day. However, she said she had not talked to police or investigators in the last two decades, and defense attorneys noted that no police records exist to confirm that she called police or that she talked to investigators.On Thursday, defense attorneys called witnesses who undermined Anderson’s story. Topeka Police Det. Lance Green said Anderson’s testimony that Chandler was at the scene shortly before midnight on July 6, 2002, conflicts with other testimony that Sisco and Harkness were at a casino until at least 1:30 a.m. July 7.Chandler was originally charged with the killings after a decade of investigation, and in 2012&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/1a7254e40a4041a2af6ee2b5dd84dc80">was found guilty of two counts of murder</a>. She was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole for 50 years.The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a7bf444f550144da85887405174fb2da">overturned Chandler’s conviction i</a>n 2018, citing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-supreme-court-topeka-crime-1b16fa5d53c75ecb1d863c4f9dbbe497">misconduct by prosecutor Jacqie Spradling</a>, who was later disbarred.The second trial was delayed as Chandler and her attorneys filed numerous motions seeking to exclude evidence, a change of venue and dismissal of the case. The trial began Aug. 5.According to court records, investigators said nothing was taken from the victims’ home. The gun was never recovered and no fingerprints were found on empty shell casings at the scene. Hairs later taken from Chandler did not match hair and fiber samples at the scene, and no evidence of the crime was found in her car.However, some family members suspected Chandler, who they said was upset and angry after Sisco initiated their divorce in 1997 and was given full custody of their children.Chandler was living in Denver, Colorado, when the couple died. She told investigators she was driving and hiking in Colorado when the murders occurred, but stories about her specific routes were inconsistent, with gaps in her credit card receipts and cellphone use, according to court records.Prosecutors alleged Chandler drove from Denver to Topeka, killed the couple and returned home.The investigation went cold until 2009. After CBS’ “48 Hours” aired an episode about the unsolved killings, then-Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor appointed a team to investigate cold cases, including Chandler’s.Chandler, who had moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, to live with her sister, was arrested in 2011 and charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder.

Hung jury: Kan. woman's trial for killing ex-husband, his girlfriend 

JOHNSON COUNTY —Investigators say improper discard of smoking material is to blame for the fire at the Meadowlark Hills Apartments in the 9100 Block of Robinson in Overland Park.

Investigators believe a cigarette put out in a rusted through coffee can allowed fire to ignite a deck and eventually an exterior wall at the two story apartment building.

Just before 4:30a.m. crews from Overland Park and Lenexa responded to the apartment complex. First arriving units saw smoke coming from the building. Residents were able to safely escape. A second alarm was called for additional manpower. The fire was located primarily in an exterior wall and required significant work to dig out. It took crews almost 90 minutes to put the fire out. 

There were no injuries. Twelve people are displaced from the six apartment units. The cause is being ruled accidental. Fire officials reminded the public to completely extinguish smoking materials in sand or water before discarding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662061264061.png" alt="Photo Overland Park Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Overland Park Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Investigators say improper discard of smoking material is to blame for the fire at the Meadowlark Hills Apartments in the 9100 Block of Robinson in Overland Park.Investigators believe a cigarette put out in a rusted through coffee can allowed fire to ignite a deck and eventually an exterior wall at the two story apartment building.Just before 4:30a.m. crews from Overland Park and Lenexa responded to the apartment complex. First arriving units saw smoke coming from the building. Residents were able to safely escape. A second alarm was called for additional manpower. The fire was located primarily in an exterior wall and required significant work to dig out. It took crews almost 90 minutes to put the fire out. There were no injuries. Twelve people are displaced from the six apartment units. The cause is being ruled accidental. Fire officials reminded the public to completely extinguish smoking materials in sand or water before discarding.

Discarded cigarette blamed for 2-alarm Kan. apartment fire

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Security staff at Wichita Southeast High School,&nbsp; 2641 S 127th Street E, were forced to use pepper spray during an incident in the cafeteria on Wednesday.

"There was an altercation at the school involving 7 or 8 students during lunch that caused a large crowd to gather," according to USD 259 media relations manager Susan Arensman.

"The school security officer used pepper spray in the area to disperse the crowd. No students were directly sprayed. No one was injured."

"When situations get where we cannot get students to comply and the learning environment is deemed unsafe we may have to resort to these measures, School principal Ben Mitchell wrote in a note sent to parents and guardians.

"If you have any questions please feel free to call, email, or schedule an appointment with me. My door is always open," Mitchell wrote.

The students involved are facing disciplinary action, according to Arensman.&nbsp;

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Security staff at Wichita Southeast High School,&nbsp; 2641 S 127th Street E, were forced to use pepper spray during an incident in the cafeteria on Wednesday."There was an altercation at the school involving 7 or 8 students during lunch that caused a large crowd to gather," according to USD 259 media relations manager Susan Arensman."The school security officer used pepper spray in the area to disperse the crowd. No students were directly sprayed. No one was injured.""When situations get where we cannot get students to comply and the learning environment is deemed unsafe we may have to resort to these measures, School principal Ben Mitchell wrote in a note sent to parents and guardians."If you have any questions please feel free to call, email, or schedule an appointment with me. My door is always open," Mitchell wrote.The students involved are facing disciplinary action, according to Arensman.&nbsp;

Students face discipline after Kan. school staff forced to use pepper spray 

By SARA WILSON <a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/lawsuit-filed-against-archdiocese-of-denver-in-child-sexual-abuse-case/">Colorado Newsline</a>

Leaders in the Archdiocese of Denver neglected to protect a young 
girl from sexual abuse in the 1980s, despite being warned of the 
priest’s predatory nature, a lawsuit filed last week in Denver District 
Court alleges.

Father Marshall Gourley sexually abused a girl when she was between 
the ages of 7 and 11 years old while she attended church programming, 
and it resulted in a lifetime of trauma and struggle, the lawsuit 
alleges.

“When Fr. Gourley was abusing Plaintiff, Defendants knew, or should 
have known, that Fr. Marshall Gourley was unfit for the priesthood, 
specifically unfit to engage minors with the authority, control, 
respect, and reverence of a priest and representative of Defendants 
because, in part, they had received notice Fr. Gourley had committed 
acts of sexual abuse on children,” the lawsuit reads.

A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2020_12_01_Colorado_Special_Masters_Supplemental_Report_Final.pdf#page=28">December 2020 report</a>
 led by the Colorado attorney general’s office documented systemic child
 sexual abuse by priests and named 52 priests who abused children in the
 state between 1951 and 1999. Gourley was not identified in that report.

Gourley was ordained in 1982 as a Theatine priest and was then assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

He was first publicly accused of sexual abuse in 1997 when a man 
filed a lawsuit alleging that Gourley assaulted him repeatedly between 
1981 and 1984. That lawsuit ended up being dismissed because the 
survivor waited too long to file. The archdiocese removed Gourley from 
his position after the 1997 lawsuit.

The new lawsuit alleges, however, that a “concerned citizen” brought 
concerns to the archdiocese in the mid-1980s, well before that first 
lawsuit. The church did not take any actions to remove Gourley then.

“The Archdiocese accused the concerned citizen of a lack of faith and
 worked to prevent the public and parishioners, like Plaintiff’s 
grandmother, from learning of the allegations of abuse against Fr. 
Gourley,” the lawsuit reads.

It was around this time that the young girl’s alleged abuse began, 
described as “openly” caressing and fondling children on church property
 as he provided child care and Sunday school activities, the lawsuit 
alleges.

The church’s inaction to prevent the abuse even with knowledge of it 
shows “wanton and reckless disregard for the safety and welfare of 
parishioners and children in connection with members of the cloth,” the 
lawsuit reads.

This abuse set the survivor up for “a lifetime of struggle, severe 
mental health impairments, and future vulnerability,” including 
post-traumatic stress disorder, the inability to hold a job and 
difficulty participating in society, the lawsuit says.

She is “only now beginning to understand the psychological impact Fr.
 Gourley’s sexual abuse has had on her life, only now beginning to 
comprehend and to address the harm caused (her) by the actions of all 
Defendants in authorizing and permitting Fr. Gourley to be in a position
 of access to Plaintiff based on their authority, which resulted in the 
sexual abuse,” the lawsuit reads.

“Particularly within deeply devout communities like the Catholic 
Church, it’s really not that unusual for it to take decades (for 
survivors) to come forward,” Paul Linnenburger, a plaintiff’s attorney, 
told Colorado Newsline. “It’s the norm for all sorts of reasons. Part of
 it is holding priests in such high regard in the community and the fear
 that that instills. Part of it is the expected manifestations of 
childhood trauma in the psyche, like a heavy amount of self blame. It’s 
to be expected that it takes years and years, and decades even, to 
accept that this happened and this may have been wrong.”

Linnenburger said he expects the lawsuit to go differently than the dismissed 1997 one for a variety of reasons, including a <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2022/01/07/lawsuit-child-sexual-abuse-archdiocese-denver/">new law that took effect this year</a> that altered statutes of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse.

“We’re fairly comfortable that this case will survive a motion to 
dismiss on statute of limitations grounds,” he said. “We’re comfortable 
that we’re on solid ground there.”

The Archdiocese of Denver did not respond to request for comment.

An attorney who has worked with church abuse victims <a target="_blank" href="https://adamhorowitzlaw.com/fr-marshall-gourley-archdiocese-of-denver/">says that Gourley’s whereabouts are unknown</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662129922345.png" alt="Christ the King Chapel, at the Archdiocese of Denver campus, is pictured April 1, 2021. (Faith Miller/Colorado Newsline)" />
 <figcaption>Christ the King Chapel, at the Archdiocese of Denver campus, is pictured April 1, 2021. (Faith Miller/Colorado Newsline)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SARA WILSON <a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/lawsuit-filed-against-archdiocese-of-denver-in-child-sexual-abuse-case/">Colorado Newsline</a>Leaders in the Archdiocese of Denver neglected to protect a young 
girl from sexual abuse in the 1980s, despite being warned of the 
priest’s predatory nature, a lawsuit filed last week in Denver District 
Court alleges.Father Marshall Gourley sexually abused a girl when she was between 
the ages of 7 and 11 years old while she attended church programming, 
and it resulted in a lifetime of trauma and struggle, the lawsuit 
alleges.“When Fr. Gourley was abusing Plaintiff, Defendants knew, or should 
have known, that Fr. Marshall Gourley was unfit for the priesthood, 
specifically unfit to engage minors with the authority, control, 
respect, and reverence of a priest and representative of Defendants 
because, in part, they had received notice Fr. Gourley had committed 
acts of sexual abuse on children,” the lawsuit reads.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2020_12_01_Colorado_Special_Masters_Supplemental_Report_Final.pdf#page=28">December 2020 report</a>
 led by the Colorado attorney general’s office documented systemic child
 sexual abuse by priests and named 52 priests who abused children in the
 state between 1951 and 1999. Gourley was not identified in that report.Gourley was ordained in 1982 as a Theatine priest and was then assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe.He was first publicly accused of sexual abuse in 1997 when a man 
filed a lawsuit alleging that Gourley assaulted him repeatedly between 
1981 and 1984. That lawsuit ended up being dismissed because the 
survivor waited too long to file. The archdiocese removed Gourley from 
his position after the 1997 lawsuit.The new lawsuit alleges, however, that a “concerned citizen” brought 
concerns to the archdiocese in the mid-1980s, well before that first 
lawsuit. The church did not take any actions to remove Gourley then.“The Archdiocese accused the concerned citizen of a lack of faith and
 worked to prevent the public and parishioners, like Plaintiff’s 
grandmother, from learning of the allegations of abuse against Fr. 
Gourley,” the lawsuit reads.It was around this time that the young girl’s alleged abuse began, 
described as “openly” caressing and fondling children on church property
 as he provided child care and Sunday school activities, the lawsuit 
alleges.The church’s inaction to prevent the abuse even with knowledge of it 
shows “wanton and reckless disregard for the safety and welfare of 
parishioners and children in connection with members of the cloth,” the 
lawsuit reads.This abuse set the survivor up for “a lifetime of struggle, severe 
mental health impairments, and future vulnerability,” including 
post-traumatic stress disorder, the inability to hold a job and 
difficulty participating in society, the lawsuit says.She is “only now beginning to understand the psychological impact Fr.
 Gourley’s sexual abuse has had on her life, only now beginning to 
comprehend and to address the harm caused (her) by the actions of all 
Defendants in authorizing and permitting Fr. Gourley to be in a position
 of access to Plaintiff based on their authority, which resulted in the 
sexual abuse,” the lawsuit reads.“Particularly within deeply devout communities like the Catholic 
Church, it’s really not that unusual for it to take decades (for 
survivors) to come forward,” Paul Linnenburger, a plaintiff’s attorney, 
told Colorado Newsline. “It’s the norm for all sorts of reasons. Part of
 it is holding priests in such high regard in the community and the fear
 that that instills. Part of it is the expected manifestations of 
childhood trauma in the psyche, like a heavy amount of self blame. It’s 
to be expected that it takes years and years, and decades even, to 
accept that this happened and this may have been wrong.”Linnenburger said he expects the lawsuit to go differently than the dismissed 1997 one for a variety of reasons, including a <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2022/01/07/lawsuit-child-sexual-abuse-archdiocese-denver/">new law that took effect this year</a> that altered statutes of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse.“We’re fairly comfortable that this case will survive a motion to 
dismiss on statute of limitations grounds,” he said. “We’re comfortable 
that we’re on solid ground there.”The Archdiocese of Denver did not respond to request for comment.An attorney who has worked with church abuse victims <a target="_blank" href="https://adamhorowitzlaw.com/fr-marshall-gourley-archdiocese-of-denver/">says that Gourley’s whereabouts are unknown</a>.

Lawsuit filed against Archdiocese of Denver in child sex abuse case

WASHINGTON (AP) —New COVID-19 boosters that target today's most common omicron strains are set to begin soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">updated shots</a>&nbsp;Thursday.

The decision by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky came shortly after the agency's advisers said if enough people roll up their sleeves, the shots could blunt a winter surge.

“They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection,” she said in a statement.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-cd39872e31c490cb92c7678a8de83499">tweaked shots</a>&nbsp;made by Pfizer and rival Moderna offer Americans a chance to get the most up-to-date protection at yet another critical period in the pandemic. They’re combination or “bivalent” shots — half the original vaccine and half protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron versions now causing nearly all COVID-19 infections.

The CDC's advisers struggled with who should get the new booster and when because only a similarly tweaked vaccine, not the exact recipe, has been studied in people so far.

But ultimately the panel deemed it the best option considering the U.S. still is experiencing tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases and about 500 deaths every day — even before an expected new winter wave.

“I think they’re going to be an effective tool for disease prevention this fall and into the winter,” said CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado.

Comparing the tweak that has been studied in people and the one the U.S. actually will use, "it is the same scaffolding, part of the same roof, we’re just putting in some dormers and windows,” said Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University.

The CDC is expected to adopt that recommendation soon, the last step before shots can begin. Pfizer said it expected to deliver 3 million doses to vaccination sites around the country by Tuesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-england-54d29ae3af5c700f15d704c14ee224b5">The original COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;still offer strong protection against severe illness and death, especially among younger and healthier people who’ve gotten at least one booster.

But those vaccines were designed to target the virus strain that circulated in early 2020. Effectiveness drops as new mutants emerge and more time passes since someone’s last shot. Since April, hospitalization rates in people over age 65 have jumped, the CDC said.

The new updated shots are only for use as a booster, not for someone's first-ever vaccinations. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer's bivalent option for people 12 and older while Moderna's is for adults only.

A big unknown: exactly how much benefit people will get from one of those extra shots.

The CDC said more than 1,400 people have been included in several studies of a prior tweak to the vaccine recipe targeting an earlier omicron strain named BA.1. That omicron-targeting combo shot proved safe and able to rev up virus-fighting antibodies, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-moderna-inc-f7a22b7a7d50a45b294ee5af8b63c1d3">European</a>&nbsp;regulators on Thursday recommended using that type of booster.

In the U.S., the FDA wanted fall boosters to target the currently circulating omicron strains. Rather than waiting until possibly November for more human studies to be finished, the agency accepted mouse testing that showed the newer tweak sparked a similarly good immune response.

That’s how flu vaccines are updated every year, the CDC noted.

Dr. Pablo Sanchez of the Ohio State University was the only CDC adviser to vote against recommending the shots. He said he believes the bivalent vaccine is safe and that he likely will get it.

But “I just feel that this was a bit premature” given the absence of human data on how well it works, he said.

Several CDC advisers said that to get the maximum benefit, people will need to wait longer between their last vaccination and the new booster than the two-month minimum set by the FDA. Waiting at least three months would be better, they said.

One more change: The FDA no longer authorizes use of the original-recipe boosters for anyone 12 or older — a source of potential confusion for people who had planned on getting a regular booster this week and now may have to wait for the new kind to arrive at their local pharmacy or clinic.

It's not clear how many people will want an updated shot. Just half of vaccinated Americans got the first recommended booster dose, and only a third of those 50 and older who were urged to get a second booster did so.

The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both companies —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662076170437.png" alt="The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both Moderna and Pfizer —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible." />
 <figcaption>The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both Moderna and Pfizer —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —New COVID-19 boosters that target today's most common omicron strains are set to begin soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">updated shots</a>&nbsp;Thursday.The decision by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky came shortly after the agency's advisers said if enough people roll up their sleeves, the shots could blunt a winter surge.“They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection,” she said in a statement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-cd39872e31c490cb92c7678a8de83499">tweaked shots</a>&nbsp;made by Pfizer and rival Moderna offer Americans a chance to get the most up-to-date protection at yet another critical period in the pandemic. They’re combination or “bivalent” shots — half the original vaccine and half protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron versions now causing nearly all COVID-19 infections.The CDC's advisers struggled with who should get the new booster and when because only a similarly tweaked vaccine, not the exact recipe, has been studied in people so far.But ultimately the panel deemed it the best option considering the U.S. still is experiencing tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases and about 500 deaths every day — even before an expected new winter wave.“I think they’re going to be an effective tool for disease prevention this fall and into the winter,” said CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado.Comparing the tweak that has been studied in people and the one the U.S. actually will use, "it is the same scaffolding, part of the same roof, we’re just putting in some dormers and windows,” said Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University.The CDC is expected to adopt that recommendation soon, the last step before shots can begin. Pfizer said it expected to deliver 3 million doses to vaccination sites around the country by Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-england-54d29ae3af5c700f15d704c14ee224b5">The original COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;still offer strong protection against severe illness and death, especially among younger and healthier people who’ve gotten at least one booster.But those vaccines were designed to target the virus strain that circulated in early 2020. Effectiveness drops as new mutants emerge and more time passes since someone’s last shot. Since April, hospitalization rates in people over age 65 have jumped, the CDC said.The new updated shots are only for use as a booster, not for someone's first-ever vaccinations. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer's bivalent option for people 12 and older while Moderna's is for adults only.A big unknown: exactly how much benefit people will get from one of those extra shots.The CDC said more than 1,400 people have been included in several studies of a prior tweak to the vaccine recipe targeting an earlier omicron strain named BA.1. That omicron-targeting combo shot proved safe and able to rev up virus-fighting antibodies, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-moderna-inc-f7a22b7a7d50a45b294ee5af8b63c1d3">European</a>&nbsp;regulators on Thursday recommended using that type of booster.In the U.S., the FDA wanted fall boosters to target the currently circulating omicron strains. Rather than waiting until possibly November for more human studies to be finished, the agency accepted mouse testing that showed the newer tweak sparked a similarly good immune response.That’s how flu vaccines are updated every year, the CDC noted.Dr. Pablo Sanchez of the Ohio State University was the only CDC adviser to vote against recommending the shots. He said he believes the bivalent vaccine is safe and that he likely will get it.But “I just feel that this was a bit premature” given the absence of human data on how well it works, he said.Several CDC advisers said that to get the maximum benefit, people will need to wait longer between their last vaccination and the new booster than the two-month minimum set by the FDA. Waiting at least three months would be better, they said.One more change: The FDA no longer authorizes use of the original-recipe boosters for anyone 12 or older — a source of potential confusion for people who had planned on getting a regular booster this week and now may have to wait for the new kind to arrive at their local pharmacy or clinic.It's not clear how many people will want an updated shot. Just half of vaccinated Americans got the first recommended booster dose, and only a third of those 50 and older who were urged to get a second booster did so.The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both companies —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible.

CDC OKs updated COVID boosters: Free shots available soon

RENO COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after a violent incident in Hutchinson.

Just after 3p.m. Thursday police responded to the Porter Commons apartment complex 1417 Katie Drive in Hutchinson.

Police found a woman with facial injuries and apparent broken bones. There was evidence that her apartment door was forced open. Several people were inside when the door was kicked in.

There were several bullet holes on the exterior of several apartments and two more victims were in the area when gunshots were fired by a man later identified as 24-year-old Dakota Ney.&nbsp;

Ney was arrested on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated assault, four counts of aggravated burglary, shooting into an occupied dwelling, felony criminal damage and misdemeanor criminal damage, along with felon in possession of a firearm.

Located elsewhere and also arrested was 21-year-old Aryanna Fernandez on a requested charge of aggravated battery and aggravated burglary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662116129858.png" alt="Ney has a previous conviction for aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Ney has a previous conviction for aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after a violent incident in Hutchinson.Just after 3p.m. Thursday police responded to the Porter Commons apartment complex 1417 Katie Drive in Hutchinson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662068173611.jpeg" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation in Hutchinson" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation in Hutchinson</figcaption>
 </figure>Police found a woman with facial injuries and apparent broken bones. There was evidence that her apartment door was forced open. Several people were inside when the door was kicked in.There were several bullet holes on the exterior of several apartments and two more victims were in the area when gunshots were fired by a man later identified as 24-year-old Dakota Ney.&nbsp;Ney was arrested on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated assault, four counts of aggravated burglary, shooting into an occupied dwelling, felony criminal damage and misdemeanor criminal damage, along with felon in possession of a firearm.Located elsewhere and also arrested was 21-year-old Aryanna Fernandez on a requested charge of aggravated battery and aggravated burglary.

Police arrest 2 after shots fired at Hutchinson apartment complex 

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery in Manhattan.

Just after 1a.m. Thursday, officers filed a report for aggravated robbery in the 600 block of 3rd Place in Manhattan. 

A 30-year-old man reported a male suspect known to him robbed him at gunpoint of $450 cash after a withdrawal at the Navy Federal Credit Union ATM.&nbsp;

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

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery in Manhattan.Just after 1a.m. Thursday, officers filed a report for aggravated robbery in the 600 block of 3rd Place in Manhattan. A 30-year-old man reported a male suspect known to him robbed him at gunpoint of $450 cash after a withdrawal at the Navy Federal Credit Union ATM.&nbsp;Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353#">Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers</a>. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police: Kan. man robbed after $450 ATM withdrawal 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen after a crash following a chase in Wichita.&nbsp;

Just before 3:30p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a collision involving a 2019 GMC pickup driven by 15-year-old Crispin W.&nbsp;Barajas of Wichita. The pickup fled the scene. 

Police found the pickup traveling eastbound on Kansas 42 at Tyler.&nbsp; The driver fled again, continued eastbound and rear ended a 2016 Infiniti Q50 driven by Tynice Rochell Johnson, 56, Wichita and a 2022 Toyota Highlander driven by Shannon Christine Peterson, 52, Hagerstown, Maryland.

EMS transported Johnson to&nbsp;Asension Via Christi St. Joseph, Peterson and two adult passenger in the Toyota to Wesley Medical Center. Police arrested Barajas.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen after a crash following a chase in Wichita.&nbsp;Just before 3:30p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a collision involving a 2019 GMC pickup driven by 15-year-old Crispin W.&nbsp;Barajas of Wichita. The pickup fled the scene. Police found the pickup traveling eastbound on Kansas 42 at Tyler.&nbsp; The driver fled again, continued eastbound and rear ended a 2016 Infiniti Q50 driven by Tynice Rochell Johnson, 56, Wichita and a 2022 Toyota Highlander driven by Shannon Christine Peterson, 52, Hagerstown, Maryland.EMS transported Johnson to&nbsp;Asension Via Christi St. Joseph, Peterson and two adult passenger in the Toyota to Wesley Medical Center. Police arrested Barajas.

15-year-old Kansas boy jailed after chase, 3-vehicle crash

HUTCHINSON — 
Jade Piros de Carvalho, director of the Office of Broadband Development 
for the Kansas Department of Commerce, said that the large<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/1905c590-62b4-4e3c-a055-a27193f292dd"> FCC award to NextLink that includes many Kansas communities</a>
 will have an effect on a state program her office administers through 
the Treasury Department that is also federal pass through dollars.

"If
 you have an area that's already covered by another federal grant, then 
you can't receive this federal grant," Piros de Carvalho said. "The 
problem is, the Treasury award, they're part of the American Rescue Plan
 Act."

That law requires funds be expended in around two 
years, and preferential treatment is given to in-ground broadband like 
fiber and cable. The NextLink service in Kansas, as Piros de Carvalho 
understands it now, is based on wireless, and the RDOF funds have an 
eight-year build out horizon.

"I just need to reach out to NextLink," Piros de Carvalho said. "I've
 been texting them. I need to call with them. I'd like to see what their
 build out schedule for Kansas is. They got RDOF in a lot of states."

The expansion of broadband by all possible methods is the goal, but connectivity is always better sooner than later.

Public
 comments are being accepted for the submitted applications for the 
state administered Capital Projects Fund-Infrastructure Program until 
September 9. To the degree that this narrows the number of eligible 
applications, it may help some non-Nextlink connected areas to qualify.

"It's
 helpful in that we know that those NextLink awarded areas will be 
considered served, so we can knock them out of our program's 
consideration."

The service providers’ funding requests for the 
CPF program total almost $600 million for the available $83.5 million in
 funding provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury under the American 
Rescue Plan Act.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662136805159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON — 
Jade Piros de Carvalho, director of the Office of Broadband Development 
for the Kansas Department of Commerce, said that the large<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/1905c590-62b4-4e3c-a055-a27193f292dd"> FCC award to NextLink that includes many Kansas communities</a>
 will have an effect on a state program her office administers through 
the Treasury Department that is also federal pass through dollars."If
 you have an area that's already covered by another federal grant, then 
you can't receive this federal grant," Piros de Carvalho said. "The 
problem is, the Treasury award, they're part of the American Rescue Plan
 Act."That law requires funds be expended in around two 
years, and preferential treatment is given to in-ground broadband like 
fiber and cable. The NextLink service in Kansas, as Piros de Carvalho 
understands it now, is based on wireless, and the RDOF funds have an 
eight-year build out horizon."I just need to reach out to NextLink," Piros de Carvalho said. "I've
 been texting them. I need to call with them. I'd like to see what their
 build out schedule for Kansas is. They got RDOF in a lot of states."The expansion of broadband by all possible methods is the goal, but connectivity is always better sooner than later.Public
 comments are being accepted for the submitted applications for the 
state administered Capital Projects Fund-Infrastructure Program until 
September 9. To the degree that this narrows the number of eligible 
applications, it may help some non-Nextlink connected areas to qualify."It's
 helpful in that we know that those NextLink awarded areas will be 
considered served, so we can knock them out of our program's 
consideration."The service providers’ funding requests for the 
CPF program total almost $600 million for the available $83.5 million in
 funding provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury under the American 
Rescue Plan Act.

FCC award to broadband provider could help other small Kansas providers

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a substitute teacher and coach in Great Bend on multiple charges involving students.

On Tuesday,&nbsp; the Great Bend Police Department received a Crime Stoppers tip regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and the sale of tobacco products involving a Great Bend sports coach and local teen students.

Detectives began investigating the tips and compiling more details of the report. After conducting interviews, executing search warrants and collecting digital evidence related to this report, investigators learned that multiple sex offenses occurred in addition to the sale of tobacco products to minors.

Further investigation lead to the arrest on Thursday of 27-year-old Bryce Hofmeister. He was booked on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, electronic solicitation and contributing to a child's misconduct. The arrest did not happen on school grounds.

Hofmeister served as a substitute teacher at Great Bend Middle School and Great Bend High School. He also was an assistant coach for multiple sports.

In a statement released to USD 428 families, the school district said they will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials. The district also stated Hofmeister not return to work in the district.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662070173589.jpeg" alt="Hofmeister-photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Hofmeister-photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a substitute teacher and coach in Great Bend on multiple charges involving students.On Tuesday,&nbsp; the Great Bend Police Department received a Crime Stoppers tip regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and the sale of tobacco products involving a Great Bend sports coach and local teen students.Detectives began investigating the tips and compiling more details of the report. After conducting interviews, executing search warrants and collecting digital evidence related to this report, investigators learned that multiple sex offenses occurred in addition to the sale of tobacco products to minors.Further investigation lead to the arrest on Thursday of 27-year-old Bryce Hofmeister. He was booked on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, electronic solicitation and contributing to a child's misconduct. The arrest did not happen on school grounds.Hofmeister served as a substitute teacher at Great Bend Middle School and Great Bend High School. He also was an assistant coach for multiple sports.In a statement released to USD 428 families, the school district said they will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials. The district also stated Hofmeister not return to work in the district.

Kan. substitute teacher, coach accused of child sex crimes

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden warned Thursday night that “equality and democracy are under assault” in the U.S. as he sounded an alarm about his predecessor, Donald Trump, and “MAGA Republican” adherents, labeling them an extremist threat to the nation and its future.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden warned Thursday night that “equality and democracy are under assault” in the U.S. as he sounded an alarm about his predecessor, Donald Trump, and “MAGA Republican” adherents, labeling them an extremist threat to the nation and its future.Click below to watch a replay of the President's speech<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3qSmRoVo5AA?start=1004" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Aiming to reframe the November elections as part of a battle for the nation's soul — “the work of my presidency," Biden used his prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to argue that Trump and “Make America Great Again” allies are a challenge to nation’s system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens’ way of life.“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic," Biden declared. He said they “are determined to take this country backward’ they “promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of political violence.”The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and his adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump allies' ideological proposals and relentless denial of the nation's 2020 election results.“MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards,” Biden is saying, according to prepared remarks released by the White House. “Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.”“For a long time, we’ve reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not,” Biden says. “We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us.”Biden, who largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-social-media-donald-trump-fb978862035511b12bdf0b3cc5e5d644">increasingly vocal</a>&nbsp;in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party's recent legislative wins and wary of Trump's return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks.Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden’s birthplace.At a Democratic fundraiser last week, Biden likened the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism.”In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intended to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden argues that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and is calling on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It's a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.“I respect conservative Republicans,” Biden said last week. “I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.”Delivering a preemptive rebuttal from Scranton Thursday evening, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused Biden of trying to divide Americans, and blasted the Democrats' record in Washington, pointing to rising inflation, crime and government spending.“In the past two years, Joe Biden has launched an assault on the soul of America, on its people, on its laws, on its most sacred values," he said. "He has launched an assault on our democracy. His policies have severely wounded America’s soul, diminished America’s spirit and betrayed America’s trust.”Asked about McCarthy's criticism, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “we understand we hit a nerve” with the GOP leader, and quoted the Republican's prior statements saying Trump bore responsibility for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said calling Trump out for attacks on democracy "can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”Even this week, Trump was posting on his beleaguered social media platform about overturning the 2020 election results and holding a new presidential election, which would violate the Constitution.Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, said it’s not unusual for there to be tension between a president and his successor, but it’s “unprecedented for a former president to be actively trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution.”“The challenge that President Biden faces is to get on with his agenda while still doing what he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Naftali said. “That’s not easy.”The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Department of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump's Florida home. Still, Biden has taken advantage of some Republicans’ quick condemnation of federal law enforcement.“You can’t be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection,” Biden said Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.Biden's appearance Thursday night was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded event, a mark of how the president views defeating the Trump agenda as much as a policy aim as a political one. The major broadcast television networks were not expected to carry the address live.Biden's trip to Philadelphia is just one of his three to the state within a week, a sign of Pennsylvania's importance in the midterms, with competitive Senate and governor's races. However, neither Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrats' Senate nominee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, was expected to attend Thursday night.The White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: holding out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infrastructure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP policies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people's views, and rejecting efforts to undermine confidence in the nation’s election or diminish its standing abroad.The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Capitol attack.Lies surrounding that presidential race have triggered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republican-dominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by conspiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promising to restore integrity to a system that has been undermined by false claims.There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.This year, election officials face not only the continuing threat of foreign interference but also ransomware, politically motivated hackers and insider threats. Over the past year, security breaches have been reported at a small number of local election offices in which authorities are investigating whether office staff improperly accessed or provided improper access to sensitive voting technology.-----WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will sound an alarm Thursday night about what he views as “extremist” threats to American democracy from the restive forces of Trumpism, aiming to reframe the November elections as part of an unceasing battle for the “soul of the nation.”Nearly two years after he defeated Donald Trump, it's a reprise of Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-pa-state-wire-joe-biden-ap-top-news-donald-trump-d5c415b99a6945dbbecf60d57bcf68cb">2020 campaign theme,</a>&nbsp;casting the midterm election stakes in as dire terms as those that sent him to the Oval Office. His prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia will lay out what he sees as the risks from those he has dubbed “ultra-MAGA Republicans” to the nation's system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens' way of life.The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and and his “Make America Great Again” adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump conservatives' ideological proposals and 2020 election denialism.Biden, who had largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-social-media-donald-trump-fb978862035511b12bdf0b3cc5e5d644">increasingly vocal</a>&nbsp;in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party's recent legislative wins and wary of Trump's return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks.At a Democratic fundraiser last week, Biden likened the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism.”In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intends to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden plans to argue that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.“The president thinks that there is an extremist threat to our democracy,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. “It's not stopping. It's continuing.”Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and would use his remarks to call on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It's a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.“I respect conservative Republicans,” Biden said last week. “I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.”House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy dismissed any such distinction, accusing the president of trying to "disparage hard-working Americans.” He planned to deliver a preemptive rebuttal to Biden from Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the president was born.In remarks earlier Thursday on Fox News, McCarthy said Biden was “trying to distract from the disaster that he’s created in this country.”A senior White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview Biden's remarks, said the president's speech wasn't aimed at one politician or the GOP as a whole, but rather the Trump supporters who have denied the 2020 election results and sow doubt about future contests. The official said that Biden would acknowledge the importance of political disagreements in a country as diverse as the U.S., but aim to draw a line at rhetoric and actions that call into question the health of the country's democracy.The official said Biden aimed to speak “not as a Democratic president, but as a president of a democracy.”Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said calling Trump out for attacks on democracy "can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”Even this week, Trump was posting on his beleaguered social media platform about overturning the 2020 election results and holding a new presidential election, which would violate the Constitution.Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, said it’s not unusual for there to be tension between a president and his successor, but it’s “unprecedented for a former president to be actively trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution.”“The challenge that President Biden faces is to get on with his agenda while still doing what he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Naftali said. “That’s not easy.”The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Department of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump's Florida home. Still, Biden has taken advantage of some Republicans’ quick condemnation of federal law enforcement.“You can’t be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection,” Biden said Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.Biden's appearance Thursday night was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded event, a mark of how the president views defeating the Trump agenda as much as a policy aim as a political one. The major broadcast television networks were not expected to carry the address live.Biden's trip to Philadelphia is just one of his three to the state within a week, a sign of Pennsylvania's importance in the midterms, with competitive Senate and governor's races. However, neither Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrats' Senate nominee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, was expected to attend Thursday night.Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Biden's birthplace.The White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: holding out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infrastructure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP policies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people's views, and rejecting efforts to undermine confidence in the nation’s election or diminish its standing abroad.The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.Lies surrounding that presidential race have triggered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republican-dominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by conspiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promising to restore integrity to a system that has been undermined by false claims.There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.This year, election officials face not only the continuing threat of foreign interference but also ransomware, politically motivated hackers and insider threats. Over the past year, security breaches have been reported at a small number of local election offices in which authorities are investigating whether office staff improperly accessed or provided improper access to sensitive voting technology.