By MIKE FITZGERALD <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/03/07/former-st-louis-teacher-helping-lead-coalition-pushing-back-on-book-bans/">Missouri Independent</a>

Heather Fleming, sitting on a bench in St. Louis’ Forest Park, takes in the view on a warm early afternoon in February.&nbsp;

Behind her is the Jewel Box, the 
giant glass-paneled greenhouse that’s a park emblem. Before her are rows
 of tall trees, their branches stripped bare. And further on, on nearby 
walkways and trails, is a steady single-file flow of joggers, walkers 
and cyclists — humans of all ages, sizes, shapes and colors.

Fleming has been coming here nearly 
her whole life, since she was a little girl growing up in one of St. 
Charles County’s relatively few black families.

One reason she likes this spot is because it offers a vision of the future she’s spent her life imagining.

Fleming, 46, worked 13 years as a 
high school English teacher, and worked another three years as an equity
 and diversity consultant.&nbsp;

“That’s why I like Forest Park so 
much,” she said. “It seems the one place in St. Louis that’s neutral. 
There’s so much of St. Louis that has been steeped in racism, that it’s 
almost palpable.”

But here, in this corner of town, 
Forest Park is “a testament to what I hope all of St. Louis can become,”
 she said. “It’s a place where you get lots of different types of people
 and lots of different types of experiences…So why can’t we do that 
everywhere?”&nbsp;

It is a question that weighs on 
Fleming these days as her vision of an inclusive America is being 
challenged like never before in her lifetime.

Fleming is the founder of Missouri Equity Education Partnership, which nearly a year ago started as an informal Facebook group.&nbsp;

It has since grown into the spearhead
 of a coalition of local groups pushing back against school district 
book bans, as well as efforts in Jefferson City to pass a deluge of 
bills to exert greater control over the ways race, gender and history 
are taught in Missouri classrooms.

And it has had an immediate impact.&nbsp;

Case in point: In
 a 4-3 decision back in January, the Wentzville School Board banned 
eight books, including “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison after some 
parents complained it is not suitable for kids and contains “graphic 
sexual violence.”&nbsp;

The Morrison book, published in 1970,
 is about Pecola, a black girl growing up in rural Ohio during the World
 War II era. She wants blue eyes because she’s told she’s “ugly” because
 of her dark skin. The target of many previous attempts to ban it from 
school libraries nationwide, the novel explores the themes of racism, 
incest, rape and out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

Fleming partnered with the St. Louis bookstore EyeSeeMe to deliver free copies to anyone who requested it.

Mo. EEP raised more than $3,000 in 
the first few hours after launching the book program on January 27. 
Three weeks later, the program had raised more than $19,000 and sent out
 nearly 600 copies of the “Bluest Eye,” Fleming said.

Ultimately, the Wentzville book ban backfired, said Fleming, who previously taught English at Parkway North High School.

“What is really happening is that 
it’s alerting people to the underlying malignancy of this whole thing,” 
she said. “It’s starting to wake more people up.”

In late February the Wentzville Board
 of Education held a special meeting and voted to rescind their decision
 to remove the “Bluest Eye.”&nbsp;

‘…nothing around me represented me or included me’

Fleming said she always knew she wanted to be a teacher.

Growing up in St. Charles, Fleming 
has many good memories of school. But they are tempered by the fact she 
always felt, at least in the classroom, as an outsider. When she 
graduated from St. Chiarles West High School nearly 30 years ago, she 
was one of only five black students out of a class of almost 400, she 
said.

“And I think that’s why I’m 
passionate about this,” she said. “It’s that I know that experience of 
feeling like nothing around me represented me or included me.”&nbsp;

Fleming has an older sister and a 
much younger brother. Her parents are solidly middle class: her father 
worked as a production manager at the Airwick Industries plant in St. 
Peters, while her mother worked as an office assistant at McDonnell 
Douglas aircraft company in St. Louis.

In seventh grade, Fleming invited her best friend at the time, a white girl, to come to her house for a sleepover.&nbsp;

“And the day of, she called me and 
said her dad didn’t want her staying at any black people’s house,” she 
recalls. “The reality is that as black people we deal with a lot of 
those things. So we don’t have the luxury of saying it’s all 
colorblind.”

Married with two grown sons and a 
13-year-old daughter in middle school, Fleming began teaching English at
 Parkway North High School in 2005. Soon, she began teaching salary 
credit courses for fellow teachers on diversity and inclusion.&nbsp;

“Mostly what I taught is, ‘How do we 
allow all stories into a room?’ It’s actually giving empathy to anyone 
who can be other’ed,” she said. “It was allowing each person to feel 
like they were a valued part of the classroom.”

Fleming started her equity training 
company, In Purpose Educational Services, in 2018, when she approached a
 crossroad in her life.

After earning a master’s degree in 
school administration, Fleming said she interviewed for eight school 
administration jobs — and got turned down for each one.

“I can’t tell you how many times I was told a white male candidate was a better fit,” she said.&nbsp;

So, she said, she prayed on the matter, and realized she needed to make a big change.

“Kind of the question that came to me
 was, If you could be doing anything, and money wasn’t a consideration, 
what would it be?” she said. “It was equity work.”

While Fleming’s advocacy has shown 
results at the local level, her coalition has also trained its focus on 
action in Jefferson City — specifically, a spate of bills Fleming views as
 educational gag orders seeking to undermine public trust and prevent 
honest discussions of unpleasant topics like America’s history of 
slavery and the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Supporters of these measures call 
them overdue reforms that will bolster accountability and transparency 
in Missouri classrooms. They argue the goal is simply to ensure parental
 rights are being respected.

State Rep. Doug Richey, chairman of 
the legislature’s Joint Education Committee and the sponsor of one of 
the bills, said his goal is to improve public education, not harm it.

“I’m not a grenade thrower,’ said 
Richey, R-Excelsior Springs. “I’m someone who believes it’s important to
 do what’s necessary, but I’m not looking to burn down the institution 
and celebrate that I’ve done something. That doesn’t help anybody.”

“The real impact will be that as 
teachers attempt to discuss these issues, they’re going to be fearful of
 perhaps saying something that violates one of these laws,” Fleming 
said. “They’re going either a) avoid it altogether or b) have such a 
sanitized version that it’s not the truth.”

At a Jan. 11 House Education Committee hearing in Jefferson City centered on the first
 wave of education bills this legislative session, Fleming showed up 
with nearly 150 supporters to pack the hearing room. What’s more, the 
1,600 emailed testimonies from other witnesses — the vast majority 
opposed to the bills — set a record for the sheer number of written 
testimonies submitted.

The two GOP bills that drew Fleming and her supporters were Richey’s <a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1995&amp;year=2022&amp;code=R">House Bill 1995</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1474&amp;year=2022&amp;code=R">House Bill 1474</a>, sponsored by Rep.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails.aspx?year=2022&amp;code=R&amp;district=107"> Nick Schroer</a>,
 R-O’Fallon. The bills were combined into a “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” 
with a section restricting the teaching of critical race theory, a 
decades-old academic framework that focuses on the idea that race and 
racism permeate America’s institutions and hurt people of color.

Republicans deride CRT as divisive 
and formulated to make white kids feel ashamed about their forebears’ 
treatment of minority groups. Educators such as Fleming, however, argue 
there’s no evidence CRT is being taught in any Missouri classrooms.

In response to the show of public 
opposition, Richey said language specifically citing CRT was removed 
from the bill, though it still refers to several topic areas that would 
be prohibited in the classroom, such as making students feel “collective
 guilt” for their ancestors’ misdeeds

“The language we’ve landed on now closes the door to that kind of chilling effect,” Richey said.

Soon after the Wentzville book ban 
took effect back in January, the ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit in 
U.S. District Court in St. Louis on behalf of two Wentzville school 
district students.&nbsp;

The civil liberties group sought to 
stop the removal of the books on the grounds “the decisive factor in the
 decisions to remove the Banned Books was dislike of the ideas or 
opinions contained in the books by policymakers, school officials, 
community members, or a combination of those,” according to the lawsuit.

As for rescinding the district ban on
 “The Bluest Eye,” Anthony Rothert, the ACLU’s director of integrated 
advocacy, called it “welcome news,” but added the ban remains in effect 
for the other books, while the district’s “policies make it easy for any
 community member to force any book from the shelves even when they 
shamelessly target books by and about communities of color, LGBTQ people
 and other marginalized groups.”&nbsp;

Fleming’s efforts to challenge the 
book ban and to raise money to purchase the banned books for students 
who want to read them has led to a flood of abuse on TikTok, Facebook 
and other social media, she said.

“At this point I’ve been told I’m 
pro-pornography, pro-molestation and pro-incest,” she said. “And that’s a
 ridiculous claim. What I am for is the ability to teach kids that there
 are so many experiences, and not all of them are going to be good.”

In October, a member of Concerned 
Parents of Rockwood, filed a consumer complaint against Fleming and Mo. 
EEP with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office.&nbsp;

The woman alleged that Fleming used Mo. EEP “to disparage, silence and publicly shame parents” in the Rockwood district.

Fleming denies the allegations. Schmitt’s office has not moved on the complaint.

What’s happening in Jefferson City is being echoed nationwide.

Since Jan. 2021, nearly 160 “educational
 gag order” bills have been introduced or prefiled in 39 states, 
according to PEN America, a group that represents authors.&nbsp;

The measures span a wide gamut, from 
Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would prohibit public K-12 
teachers from “encourag[ing] classroom discussion about sexual 
orientation or gender identity” in primary grade levels,” to efforts 
working through the Indiana and Iowa legislatures to
 place cameras in classrooms so that parents can view livestreams of 
their children and keep teachers under constant surveillance.

To Fleming, the engine behind these efforts is fueled by shifting demographics.

America is on its way to becoming a 
majority-minority nation at the same time its white population is 
shrinking. After centuries of dominance, white people will become a 
numerical minority over the course of the next generation. A lot of 
Americans are unhappy with that prospect, she said.&nbsp;

“When you can suddenly activate that 
fear in the majority that one day, because they might be a minority, 
they might be treated like minorities,” she said.

Critical Race Theory is an academic 
framework that few people outside law schools and graduate programs had 
heard of before mid-2020.&nbsp;

But since then it has become a 
rallying cry for conservatives who believe CRT is inherently divisive. 
In their minds, CRT has infiltrated classrooms with the aim of making 
white kids feel ashamed about unpleasant chapters in the American story.

Fleming denies that CRT is being 
taught in Missouri K-12 classrooms. They say attacks on it are part of 
an effort to turn CRT into an umbrella term that covers any serious attempt to teach about race, gender and racism in America.

Johnnie Calloway, a spokesman for the
 nonprofit Missouri Prosper, said schools should refrain from teaching 
about systemic or institutional racism.&nbsp;

His organization, according to its 
website, consists of a “group of parents dedicated to creating strong 
communities where families and individuals can have the opportunity to 
prosper and self-govern.” &nbsp;

“It has nothing to do with race at 
this point,” said Calloway, who is Black. “Much respect to Martin Luther
 King and the Civil Rights movement, but it’s disingenuous to say in 
2022 that race is stopping anybody from being successful.”&nbsp;

During public testimony before the 
legislature’s Joint Committee on Education last August, witnesses noted a
 survey by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
 to determine how many schools were teaching critical race theory.

Of the 425 Missouri schools that 
responded to the DESE survey, only one indicated it includes lessons 
about critical race theory.

Richey, based on his discussions with
 parents and school officials around the state, said he’s not surprised 
only one school district acknowledged teaching some aspect of CRT.

“When you ask the question that is 
more fitting for a K-12 school district, that number increases 
significantly because now you’re talking about using the assumptions of 
critical race theory,” he said.

He declined to cite specific evidence
 during an interview to support his assertions that CRT is being taught 
in Missouri classrooms, instead pointing to the goals of his bill.&nbsp;

“This is a bill that is responding to
 the fact that we do have public school districts supported by public 
tax dollars that are utilizing some of these concepts,” he said, “and 
that needs to stop.”

On a Saturday morning in late 
February more than 70 people gather outside the entrance to University 
City High School, located just outside of St. Louis. They have shown up 
for a “Rally for Truth in Education,” sponsored by Metropolitan 
Congregations United, a close Mo. EEP ally.

The mood is upbeat and energized. A 
series of speakers, including some high school students, read sections 
from an open letter to the Missouri General Assembly that call for the 
repudiation of the Richey bill.

A young woman, reading off a copy of 
the letter, tells her audience that a culturally “responsive education 
is student-centered and reflects students’ experiences. A public school 
should be where every student sees their identity included, represented,
 respected and honored.”&nbsp;

Lisa Thompson, a member of MCU’s 
education task force, tells the crowd the message has gotten out that 
most people will support equity and inclusion “and they will rise up and
 defend it.”

So the sponsors of HB 1995 changed the focus, she said.

“Now it’s called parents’ rights,” 
she said. “Who can oppose that? Parents should have rights, right? This 
language is a sneaky smokescreen for giving parents rights they already 
had, which also encourages a feeling of mistrust between parents and 
teachers.”

After an hour the rally ends and most
 of the crowd disperses. Fleming hangs back to talk to fellow Mo. EEP 
members. They climb a few steps to pose for a group photo, then break 
up.

&nbsp;Fleming
 acknowledges it’s possible HB 1995 could be passed into law, but if 
that happens she and the movement she leads won’t give up, she said.

“We’re going to be successful in the 
end because we have enough people that care, that are passionate about 
this” she said. “Because as we can tell by that rally, there are so many
 people that imagine a different future for America.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646670728736.png" alt="Heather Fleming in St. Louis’ Forrest Park (photo by Mike Fitzgerald). " />
 <figcaption>Heather Fleming in St. Louis’ Forrest Park (photo by Mike Fitzgerald). </figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE FITZGERALD <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/03/07/former-st-louis-teacher-helping-lead-coalition-pushing-back-on-book-bans/">Missouri Independent</a>Heather Fleming, sitting on a bench in St. Louis’ Forest Park, takes in the view on a warm early afternoon in February.&nbsp;Behind her is the Jewel Box, the 
giant glass-paneled greenhouse that’s a park emblem. Before her are rows
 of tall trees, their branches stripped bare. And further on, on nearby 
walkways and trails, is a steady single-file flow of joggers, walkers 
and cyclists — humans of all ages, sizes, shapes and colors.Fleming has been coming here nearly 
her whole life, since she was a little girl growing up in one of St. 
Charles County’s relatively few black families.One reason she likes this spot is because it offers a vision of the future she’s spent her life imagining.Fleming, 46, worked 13 years as a 
high school English teacher, and worked another three years as an equity
 and diversity consultant.&nbsp;“That’s why I like Forest Park so 
much,” she said. “It seems the one place in St. Louis that’s neutral. 
There’s so much of St. Louis that has been steeped in racism, that it’s 
almost palpable.”But here, in this corner of town, 
Forest Park is “a testament to what I hope all of St. Louis can become,”
 she said. “It’s a place where you get lots of different types of people
 and lots of different types of experiences…So why can’t we do that 
everywhere?”&nbsp;It is a question that weighs on 
Fleming these days as her vision of an inclusive America is being 
challenged like never before in her lifetime.Fleming is the founder of Missouri Equity Education Partnership, which nearly a year ago started as an informal Facebook group.&nbsp;It has since grown into the spearhead
 of a coalition of local groups pushing back against school district 
book bans, as well as efforts in Jefferson City to pass a deluge of 
bills to exert greater control over the ways race, gender and history 
are taught in Missouri classrooms.And it has had an immediate impact.&nbsp;Case in point: In
 a 4-3 decision back in January, the Wentzville School Board banned 
eight books, including “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison after some 
parents complained it is not suitable for kids and contains “graphic 
sexual violence.”&nbsp;The Morrison book, published in 1970,
 is about Pecola, a black girl growing up in rural Ohio during the World
 War II era. She wants blue eyes because she’s told she’s “ugly” because
 of her dark skin. The target of many previous attempts to ban it from 
school libraries nationwide, the novel explores the themes of racism, 
incest, rape and out-of-wedlock pregnancy.Fleming partnered with the St. Louis bookstore EyeSeeMe to deliver free copies to anyone who requested it.Mo. EEP raised more than $3,000 in 
the first few hours after launching the book program on January 27. 
Three weeks later, the program had raised more than $19,000 and sent out
 nearly 600 copies of the “Bluest Eye,” Fleming said.Ultimately, the Wentzville book ban backfired, said Fleming, who previously taught English at Parkway North High School.“What is really happening is that 
it’s alerting people to the underlying malignancy of this whole thing,” 
she said. “It’s starting to wake more people up.”In late February the Wentzville Board
 of Education held a special meeting and voted to rescind their decision
 to remove the “Bluest Eye.”&nbsp;<h2>‘…nothing around me represented me or included me’</h2>Fleming said she always knew she wanted to be a teacher.Growing up in St. Charles, Fleming 
has many good memories of school. But they are tempered by the fact she 
always felt, at least in the classroom, as an outsider. When she 
graduated from St. Chiarles West High School nearly 30 years ago, she 
was one of only five black students out of a class of almost 400, she 
said.“And I think that’s why I’m 
passionate about this,” she said. “It’s that I know that experience of 
feeling like nothing around me represented me or included me.”&nbsp;Fleming has an older sister and a 
much younger brother. Her parents are solidly middle class: her father 
worked as a production manager at the Airwick Industries plant in St. 
Peters, while her mother worked as an office assistant at McDonnell 
Douglas aircraft company in St. Louis.In seventh grade, Fleming invited her best friend at the time, a white girl, to come to her house for a sleepover.&nbsp;“And the day of, she called me and 
said her dad didn’t want her staying at any black people’s house,” she 
recalls. “The reality is that as black people we deal with a lot of 
those things. So we don’t have the luxury of saying it’s all 
colorblind.”Married with two grown sons and a 
13-year-old daughter in middle school, Fleming began teaching English at
 Parkway North High School in 2005. Soon, she began teaching salary 
credit courses for fellow teachers on diversity and inclusion.&nbsp;“Mostly what I taught is, ‘How do we 
allow all stories into a room?’ It’s actually giving empathy to anyone 
who can be other’ed,” she said. “It was allowing each person to feel 
like they were a valued part of the classroom.”Fleming started her equity training 
company, In Purpose Educational Services, in 2018, when she approached a
 crossroad in her life.After earning a master’s degree in 
school administration, Fleming said she interviewed for eight school 
administration jobs — and got turned down for each one.“I can’t tell you how many times I was told a white male candidate was a better fit,” she said.&nbsp;So, she said, she prayed on the matter, and realized she needed to make a big change.“Kind of the question that came to me
 was, If you could be doing anything, and money wasn’t a consideration, 
what would it be?” she said. “It was equity work.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646670795360.png" alt="Heather Fleming with Mo. EEP volunteers following their legislator lobbying day event at the Missouri State Capitol on March 3, 2022 (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Heather Fleming with Mo. EEP volunteers following their legislator lobbying day event at the Missouri State Capitol on March 3, 2022 (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Educational ‘gag orders’</h2>While Fleming’s advocacy has shown 
results at the local level, her coalition has also trained its focus on 
action in Jefferson City — specifically, a spate of bills Fleming views as
 educational gag orders seeking to undermine public trust and prevent 
honest discussions of unpleasant topics like America’s history of 
slavery and the Tulsa Race Massacre.Supporters of these measures call 
them overdue reforms that will bolster accountability and transparency 
in Missouri classrooms. They argue the goal is simply to ensure parental
 rights are being respected.State Rep. Doug Richey, chairman of 
the legislature’s Joint Education Committee and the sponsor of one of 
the bills, said his goal is to improve public education, not harm it.“I’m not a grenade thrower,’ said 
Richey, R-Excelsior Springs. “I’m someone who believes it’s important to
 do what’s necessary, but I’m not looking to burn down the institution 
and celebrate that I’ve done something. That doesn’t help anybody.”Fleming doesn’t buy it.&nbsp;“The real impact will be that as 
teachers attempt to discuss these issues, they’re going to be fearful of
 perhaps saying something that violates one of these laws,” Fleming 
said. “They’re going either a) avoid it altogether or b) have such a 
sanitized version that it’s not the truth.”At a Jan. 11 House Education Committee hearing in Jefferson City centered on the first
 wave of education bills this legislative session, Fleming showed up 
with nearly 150 supporters to pack the hearing room. What’s more, the 
1,600 emailed testimonies from other witnesses — the vast majority 
opposed to the bills — set a record for the sheer number of written 
testimonies submitted.The two GOP bills that drew Fleming and her supporters were Richey’s <a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1995&amp;year=2022&amp;code=R">House Bill 1995</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1474&amp;year=2022&amp;code=R">House Bill 1474</a>, sponsored by Rep.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails.aspx?year=2022&amp;code=R&amp;district=107"> Nick Schroer</a>,
 R-O’Fallon. The bills were combined into a “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” 
with a section restricting the teaching of critical race theory, a 
decades-old academic framework that focuses on the idea that race and 
racism permeate America’s institutions and hurt people of color.Republicans deride CRT as divisive 
and formulated to make white kids feel ashamed about their forebears’ 
treatment of minority groups. Educators such as Fleming, however, argue 
there’s no evidence CRT is being taught in any Missouri classrooms.In response to the show of public 
opposition, Richey said language specifically citing CRT was removed 
from the bill, though it still refers to several topic areas that would 
be prohibited in the classroom, such as making students feel “collective
 guilt” for their ancestors’ misdeeds“The language we’ve landed on now closes the door to that kind of chilling effect,” Richey said.<h2>Pushback</h2>Soon after the Wentzville book ban 
took effect back in January, the ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit in 
U.S. District Court in St. Louis on behalf of two Wentzville school 
district students.&nbsp;The civil liberties group sought to 
stop the removal of the books on the grounds “the decisive factor in the
 decisions to remove the Banned Books was dislike of the ideas or 
opinions contained in the books by policymakers, school officials, 
community members, or a combination of those,” according to the lawsuit.As for rescinding the district ban on
 “The Bluest Eye,” Anthony Rothert, the ACLU’s director of integrated 
advocacy, called it “welcome news,” but added the ban remains in effect 
for the other books, while the district’s “policies make it easy for any
 community member to force any book from the shelves even when they 
shamelessly target books by and about communities of color, LGBTQ people
 and other marginalized groups.”&nbsp;Fleming’s efforts to challenge the 
book ban and to raise money to purchase the banned books for students 
who want to read them has led to a flood of abuse on TikTok, Facebook 
and other social media, she said.“At this point I’ve been told I’m 
pro-pornography, pro-molestation and pro-incest,” she said. “And that’s a
 ridiculous claim. What I am for is the ability to teach kids that there
 are so many experiences, and not all of them are going to be good.”In October, a member of Concerned 
Parents of Rockwood, filed a consumer complaint against Fleming and Mo. 
EEP with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office.&nbsp;The woman alleged that Fleming used Mo. EEP “to disparage, silence and publicly shame parents” in the Rockwood district.Fleming denies the allegations. Schmitt’s office has not moved on the complaint.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646670835949.png" alt="Heather Fleming at University City High School (photo by Mike Fitzgerald)." />
 <figcaption>Heather Fleming at University City High School (photo by Mike Fitzgerald).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Critical Race Theory</h2>What’s happening in Jefferson City is being echoed nationwide.Since Jan. 2021, nearly 160 “educational
 gag order” bills have been introduced or prefiled in 39 states, 
according to PEN America, a group that represents authors.&nbsp;The measures span a wide gamut, from 
Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would prohibit public K-12 
teachers from “encourag[ing] classroom discussion about sexual 
orientation or gender identity” in primary grade levels,” to efforts 
working through the Indiana and Iowa legislatures to
 place cameras in classrooms so that parents can view livestreams of 
their children and keep teachers under constant surveillance.To Fleming, the engine behind these efforts is fueled by shifting demographics.America is on its way to becoming a 
majority-minority nation at the same time its white population is 
shrinking. After centuries of dominance, white people will become a 
numerical minority over the course of the next generation. A lot of 
Americans are unhappy with that prospect, she said.&nbsp;“When you can suddenly activate that 
fear in the majority that one day, because they might be a minority, 
they might be treated like minorities,” she said.Critical Race Theory is an academic 
framework that few people outside law schools and graduate programs had 
heard of before mid-2020.&nbsp;But since then it has become a 
rallying cry for conservatives who believe CRT is inherently divisive. 
In their minds, CRT has infiltrated classrooms with the aim of making 
white kids feel ashamed about unpleasant chapters in the American story.Fleming denies that CRT is being 
taught in Missouri K-12 classrooms. They say attacks on it are part of 
an effort to turn CRT into an umbrella term that covers any serious attempt to teach about race, gender and racism in America.Johnnie Calloway, a spokesman for the
 nonprofit Missouri Prosper, said schools should refrain from teaching 
about systemic or institutional racism.&nbsp;His organization, according to its 
website, consists of a “group of parents dedicated to creating strong 
communities where families and individuals can have the opportunity to 
prosper and self-govern.” &nbsp;“It has nothing to do with race at 
this point,” said Calloway, who is Black. “Much respect to Martin Luther
 King and the Civil Rights movement, but it’s disingenuous to say in 
2022 that race is stopping anybody from being successful.”&nbsp;During public testimony before the 
legislature’s Joint Committee on Education last August, witnesses noted a
 survey by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
 to determine how many schools were teaching critical race theory.Of the 425 Missouri schools that 
responded to the DESE survey, only one indicated it includes lessons 
about critical race theory.Richey, based on his discussions with
 parents and school officials around the state, said he’s not surprised 
only one school district acknowledged teaching some aspect of CRT.“When you ask the question that is 
more fitting for a K-12 school district, that number increases 
significantly because now you’re talking about using the assumptions of 
critical race theory,” he said.He declined to cite specific evidence
 during an interview to support his assertions that CRT is being taught 
in Missouri classrooms, instead pointing to the goals of his bill.&nbsp;“This is a bill that is responding to
 the fact that we do have public school districts supported by public 
tax dollars that are utilizing some of these concepts,” he said, “and 
that needs to stop.”<h2>‘A different future for America’</h2>On a Saturday morning in late 
February more than 70 people gather outside the entrance to University 
City High School, located just outside of St. Louis. They have shown up 
for a “Rally for Truth in Education,” sponsored by Metropolitan 
Congregations United, a close Mo. EEP ally.The mood is upbeat and energized. A 
series of speakers, including some high school students, read sections 
from an open letter to the Missouri General Assembly that call for the 
repudiation of the Richey bill.A young woman, reading off a copy of 
the letter, tells her audience that a culturally “responsive education 
is student-centered and reflects students’ experiences. A public school 
should be where every student sees their identity included, represented,
 respected and honored.”&nbsp;Lisa Thompson, a member of MCU’s 
education task force, tells the crowd the message has gotten out that 
most people will support equity and inclusion “and they will rise up and
 defend it.”So the sponsors of HB 1995 changed the focus, she said.“Now it’s called parents’ rights,” 
she said. “Who can oppose that? Parents should have rights, right? This 
language is a sneaky smokescreen for giving parents rights they already 
had, which also encourages a feeling of mistrust between parents and 
teachers.”After an hour the rally ends and most
 of the crowd disperses. Fleming hangs back to talk to fellow Mo. EEP 
members. They climb a few steps to pose for a group photo, then break 
up.&nbsp;Fleming
 acknowledges it’s possible HB 1995 could be passed into law, but if 
that happens she and the movement she leads won’t give up, she said.“We’re going to be successful in the 
end because we have enough people that care, that are passionate about 
this” she said. “Because as we can tell by that rally, there are so many
 people that imagine a different future for America.”

Former Mo. teacher helping lead coalition pushing back on book bans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting for his country’s survival, Ukraine’s leader made a “desperate” plea Saturday to American lawmakers for the United States to help get more warplanes to his military and cut off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-joe-biden-business-europe-d30c144383033e2fc9bce6f3d5cfeb0b">Russian oil imports</a>&nbsp;as Kyiv tries to stave off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russian invasion</a>.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opened the private video call with U.S. lawmakers by telling them this may be the last time they see him alive. He has remained in Kyiv, the capital, which has a vast Russian armored column threatening from the north.

Appearing in what is now his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy-kyiv-poland-europe-c270027c825e009ed66988bb98a3476e">trademark army-green shirt&nbsp;</a>in front of a white wall with the Ukrainian flag, he told them Ukraine needs to secure its skies, either through a no-fly zone enforced by NATO or through the provision of more warplanes so Ukraine could better defend itself. Zelenskyy has been pleading for a no-fly zone for days, but NATO has refused, saying it could provoke a widespread war with Russia.

The hourlong exchange with some 300 members of Congress and their staffs came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-3d9e50b2fa8b08ce1f74c1b09403186e">Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities&nbsp;</a>and the number of Ukrainians who have fled the country grew to 1.4 million.

“President Zelenskyy made a desperate plea,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

He said Zelenskyy wants the U.S. to facilitate the transfer of planes from Eastern European allies. “I will do all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer,” Schumer said.

The U.S. is considering sending American-made F-16s as backfill to former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe that are now members of NATO. They, in turn, would send Ukraine their own Soviet-era MiGs, which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly.

There appears to be a logistical problem, however, in sending the F-16s to Poland or other East European allies because of a production backlog. These countries would essentially have to give their MiGs to the Ukrainians and accept an IOU from the U.S. for the F-16s. The situation is further complicated because the next shipment of F-16s is set for Taiwan, and Congress would be reluctant to delay those deliveries as it eyes China.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated the fighter jets are under consideration after meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba at the Poland-Ukraine border outside the town of Korczowa.

“We are talking about and working on everything,” Blinken told reporters.

Blinken reiterated that the U.S. support for Ukraine “not only has been unprecedented, not only is it going to continue, it’s going to increase.”

The U.S. Congress is working on a $10 billion package of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Schumer told Zelenskyy lawmakers hope to send it quickly to Ukraine, according to a person on the call and granted anonymity to discuss it.

When Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell asked about the types of military support his country needs, Zelenskyy said drones as well as planes would be the most helpful.

During the call, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia asked Zelenskyy about the idea of banning the import of Russian oil to the U.S., according to two other people granted anonymity to discuss the private call. They said Zelenskyy indicated such a ban would be effective in putting pressure on Russia.

Republicans and a growing number of Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, back the idea of an Russian oil import ban. The Biden administration has so far resisted that step, worried about rising prices at the pump.

Zelenskyy urged U.S. lawmakers to sanction Russia’s oil and gas sector, which has so far escaped the mounting sanctions imposed by the Biden administration and other countries.

The Ukrainian leader also urged lawmakers to suspend Visa and Mastercard credit card access in Russia — and the two announced later Saturday that they were doing just that. Mastercard said cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by its network and any card issued outside the country will not work at Russian stores or ATMs. Visa said it’s working with clients and partners in Russia to cease all Visa transactions over the coming days.

In a video posted to Twitter after the call, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said: “Anything that could hurt the Russian economy will help the Ukrainian people and may make this war more difficult for Putin.”

Zelenskyy’s office said he also suggested the U.S. consider imposing an embargo on all Russian goods and stripping Russia of its most-favored-nation trade status.

Lawmakers are concerned that Zelenskyy will be killed in the Russian invasion. They are also worried that a Ukrainian government under assault will be unable to function and to receive aid.

When one lawmaker asked diplomatically what would happen if he was killed, Zelenskyy acknowledged the concerns but implored Congress to do whatever it can to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s assault on his country.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said in a statement that Zelenskyy’s “message is simple: ‘close the skies or give us planes.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646538712168.png" alt="A view of the Zoom call with members of Congress -photo courtesy President Volodymyr Zelenskyy " />
 <figcaption>A view of the Zoom call with members of Congress -photo courtesy President Volodymyr Zelenskyy </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting for his country’s survival, Ukraine’s leader made a “desperate” plea Saturday to American lawmakers for the United States to help get more warplanes to his military and cut off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-joe-biden-business-europe-d30c144383033e2fc9bce6f3d5cfeb0b">Russian oil imports</a>&nbsp;as Kyiv tries to stave off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russian invasion</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just got off a call with President Zelenskyy and my Senate colleagues. President Zelenskyy&#39;s bravery and leadership has been an inspiration to the world in uniting against Vladimir Putin.&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1500174099213127683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opened the private video call with U.S. lawmakers by telling them this may be the last time they see him alive. He has remained in Kyiv, the capital, which has a vast Russian armored column threatening from the north.Appearing in what is now his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy-kyiv-poland-europe-c270027c825e009ed66988bb98a3476e">trademark army-green shirt&nbsp;</a>in front of a white wall with the Ukrainian flag, he told them Ukraine needs to secure its skies, either through a no-fly zone enforced by NATO or through the provision of more warplanes so Ukraine could better defend itself. Zelenskyy has been pleading for a no-fly zone for days, but NATO has refused, saying it could provoke a widespread war with Russia.The hourlong exchange with some 300 members of Congress and their staffs came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-3d9e50b2fa8b08ce1f74c1b09403186e">Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities&nbsp;</a>and the number of Ukrainians who have fled the country grew to 1.4 million.“President Zelenskyy made a desperate plea,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.He said Zelenskyy wants the U.S. to facilitate the transfer of planes from Eastern European allies. “I will do all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer,” Schumer said.The U.S. is considering sending American-made F-16s as backfill to former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe that are now members of NATO. They, in turn, would send Ukraine their own Soviet-era MiGs, which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly.There appears to be a logistical problem, however, in sending the F-16s to Poland or other East European allies because of a production backlog. These countries would essentially have to give their MiGs to the Ukrainians and accept an IOU from the U.S. for the F-16s. The situation is further complicated because the next shipment of F-16s is set for Taiwan, and Congress would be reluctant to delay those deliveries as it eyes China.Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated the fighter jets are under consideration after meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba at the Poland-Ukraine border outside the town of Korczowa.“We are talking about and working on everything,” Blinken told reporters.Blinken reiterated that the U.S. support for Ukraine “not only has been unprecedented, not only is it going to continue, it’s going to increase.”The U.S. Congress is working on a $10 billion package of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Schumer told Zelenskyy lawmakers hope to send it quickly to Ukraine, according to a person on the call and granted anonymity to discuss it.When Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell asked about the types of military support his country needs, Zelenskyy said drones as well as planes would be the most helpful.During the call, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia asked Zelenskyy about the idea of banning the import of Russian oil to the U.S., according to two other people granted anonymity to discuss the private call. They said Zelenskyy indicated such a ban would be effective in putting pressure on Russia.Republicans and a growing number of Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, back the idea of an Russian oil import ban. The Biden administration has so far resisted that step, worried about rising prices at the pump.Zelenskyy urged U.S. lawmakers to sanction Russia’s oil and gas sector, which has so far escaped the mounting sanctions imposed by the Biden administration and other countries.The Ukrainian leader also urged lawmakers to suspend Visa and Mastercard credit card access in Russia — and the two announced later Saturday that they were doing just that. Mastercard said cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by its network and any card issued outside the country will not work at Russian stores or ATMs. Visa said it’s working with clients and partners in Russia to cease all Visa transactions over the coming days.In a video posted to Twitter after the call, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said: “Anything that could hurt the Russian economy will help the Ukrainian people and may make this war more difficult for Putin.”Zelenskyy’s office said he also suggested the U.S. consider imposing an embargo on all Russian goods and stripping Russia of its most-favored-nation trade status.Lawmakers are concerned that Zelenskyy will be killed in the Russian invasion. They are also worried that a Ukrainian government under assault will be unable to function and to receive aid.When one lawmaker asked diplomatically what would happen if he was killed, Zelenskyy acknowledged the concerns but implored Congress to do whatever it can to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s assault on his country.Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said in a statement that Zelenskyy’s “message is simple: ‘close the skies or give us planes.’”___

Moran, other U.S. lawmakers hold video call with Ukraine's leader

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today updated its frequently asked questions (FAQs) (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/fs-2022-17.pdf">FS-2022-17</a>&nbsp;PDF)
 on the 2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments. 
These updates are to help eligible families properly claim the credit 
when they prepare and file their 2021 tax return.

These changes reflect that Publication 972, Child Tax Credit, has become obsolete. Taxpayers should refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-8812-form-1040">Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)</a>.
 Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) is now used to calculate child tax credits 
and to report advance child tax credit payments received in 2021, and to
 figure any additional tax owed if excess advance child tax credit 
payments were received during 2021.

These FAQs revisions and additions are as follows:

These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today updated its frequently asked questions (FAQs) (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/fs-2022-17.pdf">FS-2022-17</a>&nbsp;PDF)
 on the 2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments. 
These updates are to help eligible families properly claim the credit 
when they prepare and file their 2021 tax return.These changes reflect that Publication 972, Child Tax Credit, has become obsolete. Taxpayers should refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-8812-form-1040">Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)</a>.
 Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) is now used to calculate child tax credits 
and to report advance child tax credit payments received in 2021, and to
 figure any additional tax owed if excess advance child tax credit 
payments were received during 2021.These FAQs revisions and additions are as follows:<ul>
 <li>2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments — 
Topic B: Eligibility for Advance Child Tax Credit Payments and the 2021 
Child Tax Credit: Q3</li><li>2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments — Topic C: Calculation of the 2021 Child Tax Credit: Q1</li><li>2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments — Topic D: Calculation of Advance Child Tax Credit Payments: Q1</li>
 </ul>These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.

IRS: New details on 2021 Child Tax Credit, Advance Child Tax Credit payments

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chanute, Kansas, man serving with the Army National Guard pleaded guilty in federal court this week to sexually exploiting an 11-year-old southwest Missouri victim to produce child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

Christian Sinclair, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child.

By pleading guilty, Sinclair admitted that he used a minor to produce child pornography from Aug. 1, 2020, through June 15, 2021.

According to the plea agreement, a captain in the Kansas National Guard contacted the Sierra Vista, Arizona, police department on June 15, 2021, while his unit was deployed to Arizona. The captain reported that Sinclair, one of the soldiers in his command, was sexting an 11-year-old child in Missouri. Sinclair’s fiancée had reported to the captain earlier the same day that she had screenshots between herself and Sinclair in which Sinclair admitted to “cheating” on her with an 11-year-old child.

The child victim told investigators that she had sent Sinclair multiple pornographic videos and images of herself via Snapchat at Sinclair’s request. Sinclair admitted that he also sent pornographic images of himself to the child victim via Snapchat.

Under federal statutes, Sinclair is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Lamar, Mo., Police Department, the Sierra Vista, Arizona, Police Department, and the Chanute, Kan., Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646494837245.png" alt="Sinclair-photo Greene Co." />
 <figcaption>Sinclair-photo Greene Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chanute, Kansas, man serving with the Army National Guard pleaded guilty in federal court this week to sexually exploiting an 11-year-old southwest Missouri victim to produce child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.Christian Sinclair, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child.By pleading guilty, Sinclair admitted that he used a minor to produce child pornography from Aug. 1, 2020, through June 15, 2021.According to the plea agreement, a captain in the Kansas National Guard contacted the Sierra Vista, Arizona, police department on June 15, 2021, while his unit was deployed to Arizona. The captain reported that Sinclair, one of the soldiers in his command, was sexting an 11-year-old child in Missouri. Sinclair’s fiancée had reported to the captain earlier the same day that she had screenshots between herself and Sinclair in which Sinclair admitted to “cheating” on her with an 11-year-old child.The child victim told investigators that she had sent Sinclair multiple pornographic videos and images of herself via Snapchat at Sinclair’s request. Sinclair admitted that he also sent pornographic images of himself to the child victim via Snapchat.Under federal statutes, Sinclair is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Lamar, Mo., Police Department, the Sierra Vista, Arizona, Police Department, and the Chanute, Kan., Police Department.

Kan. National Guard soldier admits sexting with 11-year-old girl

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on whether the man who killed a former NFL player in a road rage incident in 2016 can be tried again for murder after his conviction on a lesser charge was overturned.

Authorities in the New Orleans suburb of Jefferson Parish originally charged Ronald Gasser with second-degree murder in the shooting of Joe McKnight. A high school football hero at Louisiana’s John Curtis Christian School, McKnight went on to play three seasons for the New York Jets and one with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Instead of murder, the jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-football-ronald-gasser-football-sports-joe-mcknight-a292a23d5dc641b2a112cbc442a40719">convicted Gasser of manslaughter.</a>&nbsp;But that verdict was later overturned because it came from a non-unanimous jury.

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office said the non-unanimous decision for manslaughter should not be treated as an acquittal on the murder charge. Prosecutors wanted another chance to try Gasser for murder.

A state district judge in Gretna ruled, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-entertainment-louisiana-new-orleans-fc99b53937d93ea1957f3aa3399e4267">a state appellate panel agreed&nbsp;</a>in a 2-1 ruling, that trying Gasser again on the murder charge would violate his constitutional protection against double jeopardy.

The state's highest court did not set a date for arguments on the issue.

Witnesses at the 2018 trial said McKnight had been weaving in and out of traffic at high speed before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fba7658e2fde4ad9a26cf2eeb11da9ff">the shooting</a>. But prosecutors argued that Gasser escalated the conflict, following McKnight down an exit that he would not ordinarily have taken.

Gasser’s defense team insisted he fired at McKnight in self-defense.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594910560020.png" alt="Gasser photo Jefferson Parish Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Gasser photo Jefferson Parish Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on whether the man who killed a former NFL player in a road rage incident in 2016 can be tried again for murder after his conviction on a lesser charge was overturned.Authorities in the New Orleans suburb of Jefferson Parish originally charged Ronald Gasser with second-degree murder in the shooting of Joe McKnight. A high school football hero at Louisiana’s John Curtis Christian School, McKnight went on to play three seasons for the New York Jets and one with the Kansas City Chiefs.Instead of murder, the jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-football-ronald-gasser-football-sports-joe-mcknight-a292a23d5dc641b2a112cbc442a40719">convicted Gasser of manslaughter.</a>&nbsp;But that verdict was later overturned because it came from a non-unanimous jury.The Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office said the non-unanimous decision for manslaughter should not be treated as an acquittal on the murder charge. Prosecutors wanted another chance to try Gasser for murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594918451537.png" alt="Deputies at the scene of Gasser's 2016 arrest photo courtesy WWL-TV" />
 <figcaption>Deputies at the scene of Gasser's 2016 arrest photo courtesy WWL-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>A state district judge in Gretna ruled, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-entertainment-louisiana-new-orleans-fc99b53937d93ea1957f3aa3399e4267">a state appellate panel agreed&nbsp;</a>in a 2-1 ruling, that trying Gasser again on the murder charge would violate his constitutional protection against double jeopardy.The state's highest court did not set a date for arguments on the issue.Witnesses at the 2018 trial said McKnight had been weaving in and out of traffic at high speed before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fba7658e2fde4ad9a26cf2eeb11da9ff">the shooting</a>. But prosecutors argued that Gasser escalated the conflict, following McKnight down an exit that he would not ordinarily have taken.Gasser’s defense team insisted he fired at McKnight in self-defense.

Killer of former KC Chief hopes to avoid 2nd murder charge

RENO COUNTY—&nbsp;Authorities found the body of one person who died in&nbsp;the Cottonwood Complex fire in Reno County.

 A second person who was missing has been found and is safe, according to Fire Chief Steve Beer.

Five task force units remained on the scene Sunday. Crews are also making detailed damage assessments.

Both shelters at Burrton High School and the Hutchinson Salvation Army are closed and all of those needing assistance are being handled by the Red Cross on a case-by-case basis. The cause of the fire has not been determined at this time and it will be several days before the fire is brought under control.

&nbsp;RENO COUNTY —The Cottonwood Complex fire began just after 12:3op.m. Saturday south of 4th Avenue near Willison. The fire quickly jumped Buhler Road and went east. The fire has burned about 12 square miles. There have been civilian injuries and one person is still reported as missing. If you have loved ones missing, you're asked to call 911. A 211 number has been set up to help with donations for those displaced by the fire.

A large number of structures were damaged or destroyed but the extent of the damage won't be known until Sunday. Crews continue to put out areas of fire within the area burned. Evergy is working to restore power to the area.

The following roads were still closed last Saturday. 4th Avenue and Avenue G from Buhler Road to the county line and Victory, Rayl and Worthington roads in those areas.

All other roads are open as of 11 p.m. but people are asked to stay out of the area due to the large number of trucks and other equipment in the area.

A temporary flight restriction is in place in the burned-out area due to aerial fire fighting efforts that will continue into tomorrow. Black Hawk helicopters are expected to assist starting tomorrow.&nbsp; That includes drones. Residents are being allowed back to their homes but any other traffic is not allowed. Cattle pens have been set up at the Gray residence at 8115 E. 4th Ave. for those who need to use them for livestock.

Officials do not know how serious the civilian injuries were and did say one fire truck was involved in an accident today. Crews will be working for several days to finish up the fire and a favorable forecast is calling for lighter winds and a chance of rain on Sunday. The fire department says it will hold another press conference Sunday morning.

HUTCHINSON— Hutchinson fire crews along with crews from Rice, McPherson, Harvey and Sedgwick counties are fighting a grass fire east of Hutchinson.&nbsp;

Evacuations are being recommended for residents along 30th Avenue between Buhler and Rayle Roads. Evacuations are also being ordered for residents along Avenue G between Buhler and Rayle.

Evacuations have been ordered for areas around the Palomino Development, residents around the old Cottonwood Hills golf course and all residents from Buhler Road to Rayle Road along 30th Avenue.

A shelter was established at the Salvation Army in Hutchinson for those being evacuated, according to&nbsp;Adam Weishaar of Reno County Emergency Management.&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Emergency management dispatched two Black Hawk helicopters to help with the aerial efforts  to fight the fire. 

The blaze started around 12:37 at 800 Willison which is about a mile west of Buhler Road. The fire quickly jumped into the old Cottonwood Hills golf course and raced east into Harvey County.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646524453263.png" alt="Tanker 95 coming in to refill to fight the fire in Reno County -photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service" />
 <figcaption>Tanker 95 coming in to refill to fight the fire in Reno County -photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROD ZOOK Hutch PostRENO COUNTY—&nbsp;Authorities found the body of one person who died in&nbsp;the Cottonwood Complex fire in Reno County. A second person who was missing has been found and is safe, according to Fire Chief Steve Beer.Five task force units remained on the scene Sunday. Crews are also making detailed damage assessments.Both shelters at Burrton High School and the Hutchinson Salvation Army are closed and all of those needing assistance are being handled by the Red Cross on a case-by-case basis. The cause of the fire has not been determined at this time and it will be several days before the fire is brought under control.--------&nbsp;RENO COUNTY —The Cottonwood Complex fire began just after 12:3op.m. Saturday south of 4th Avenue near Willison. The fire quickly jumped Buhler Road and went east. The fire has burned about 12 square miles. There have been civilian injuries and one person is still reported as missing. If you have loved ones missing, you're asked to call 911. A 211 number has been set up to help with donations for those displaced by the fire.A large number of structures were damaged or destroyed but the extent of the damage won't be known until Sunday. Crews continue to put out areas of fire within the area burned. Evergy is working to restore power to the area.The following roads were still closed last Saturday. 4th Avenue and Avenue G from Buhler Road to the county line and Victory, Rayl and Worthington roads in those areas.All other roads are open as of 11 p.m. but people are asked to stay out of the area due to the large number of trucks and other equipment in the area.A temporary flight restriction is in place in the burned-out area due to aerial fire fighting efforts that will continue into tomorrow. Black Hawk helicopters are expected to assist starting tomorrow.&nbsp; That includes drones. Residents are being allowed back to their homes but any other traffic is not allowed. Cattle pens have been set up at the Gray residence at 8115 E. 4th Ave. for those who need to use them for livestock.Officials do not know how serious the civilian injuries were and did say one fire truck was involved in an accident today. Crews will be working for several days to finish up the fire and a favorable forecast is calling for lighter winds and a chance of rain on Sunday. The fire department says it will hold another press conference Sunday morning.---------HUTCHINSON— Hutchinson fire crews along with crews from Rice, McPherson, Harvey and Sedgwick counties are fighting a grass fire east of Hutchinson.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">KTA Alert I35 in the El Dorado area there is smoke blowing over the road from a fire use caution in the area&mdash; Kansas Turnpike (@KansasTurnpike) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasTurnpike/status/1500234814150135819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Evacuations are being recommended for residents along 30th Avenue between Buhler and Rayle Roads. Evacuations are also being ordered for residents along Avenue G between Buhler and Rayle.Evacuations have been ordered for areas around the Palomino Development, residents around the old Cottonwood Hills golf course and all residents from Buhler Road to Rayle Road along 30th Avenue.A shelter was established at the Salvation Army in Hutchinson for those being evacuated, according to&nbsp;Adam Weishaar of Reno County Emergency Management.&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Emergency management dispatched two Black Hawk helicopters to help with the aerial efforts to fight the fire. The blaze started around 12:37 at 800 Willison which is about a mile west of Buhler Road. The fire quickly jumped into the old Cottonwood Hills golf course and raced east into Harvey County.&nbsp;

One person dead after wildfire near Hutchinson

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-01/opioids-are-killing-more-people-than-ever-and-kansas-lags-other-states-on-these-steps-to-help">Kansas News Service</a>

In September 2020, Seth Dewey got a phone call at home from someone using drugs.

“They said, ‘Seth, we need Narcan over here right now,’” Dewey said.

The call for <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/medications-counseling-related-conditions/naloxone" target="_blank">Narcan</a> suggested a life-and-death emergency requiring medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose.

Dewey,
 whose work for the Reno County Health Department in Hutchinson focuses 
on combating drug addiction and overdoses, promised to rush over with 
doses of what’s also known as naloxone to the site where two people 
panicked as they watched life slipping away from a third.

He urged them to call 911, too, but they feared getting arrested.

“So
 I said, ‘Well, listen, then I’m going to call 911,’” he said. “When I 
got there, I ended up having to use three doses of naloxone on this 
individual. … It brought back very slow, labored breathing.”

By 
the time law enforcement officers reached the scene — without any 
naloxone on hand — Dewey had stabilized the man. Medical responders 
arrived later.

For Dewey, that day illustrates the need for policy changes to help more people survive a national surge in opioid overdoses.

Kansas is one of just a few states without <a href="https://www.pdaps.org/datasets/good-samaritan-overdose-laws-1501695153" target="_blank">a good Samaritan law</a> that encourages people to call 911 when witnessing an overdose, by shielding them from prosecution.

Additionally,
 Kansans can’t count on law enforcement officers — who may beat 
ambulances to the scene of an ongoing overdose when every minute counts —
 to carry naloxone.

Across the country, fatal overdoses <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-01-10/dealers-are-spiking-drugs-with-fentanyl-and-killing-even-more-kansans-during-the-pandemic" target="_blank">rocketed in 2020</a>
 to more than 90,000. That record number was driven largely by dealers 
selling drugs laced with potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

Tallies
 aren’t complete yet for 2021, but provisional counts for the first half
 of the year suggest people died at even greater rates. And <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/overdose-deaths-surged-first-half-2021-underscoring-urgent-need-action?utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Improving+Health+Care+Quality" target="_blank">Kansas is among a handful of states showing the steepest increases</a>.

Studies show <a href="https://health.wusf.usf.edu/npr-health/2022-01-15/there-is-life-after-addiction-most-people-recover" target="_blank">most people recover</a>
 from drug use disorders, but the process often takes years and involves
 multiple relapses. The widespread practice of mixing fentanyl and <a href="https://news.wosu.org/wksu-stories/2017-05-26/as-fentanyl-spreads-dealers-now-targeting-african-americans" target="_blank">carfentanil</a> into so many drugs today means many people never get that far.

“We’re
 losing too many people due to this old idea that people have to hit 
rock bottom” before becoming sober, Dewey said. “People aren’t getting a
 chance to hit rock bottom, because they’re dying.”

Someone dies of overdose almost every month in <a href="https://reno.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6e5f01c85f524c08b9aea458926f8fdb" target="_blank">Reno County</a> — often more than one person.

Yet
 Dewey sees signs of change. The Reno County Sheriff’s Office and 
Hutchinson Police Department now train their officers on administering 
naloxone, and make sure they have it available.

A state good Samaritan law could also help, research suggests. The U.S. Government Accountability Office <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-248" target="_blank">published a report</a> last year documenting evidence that the rate of fatal opioid overdoses improves when states pass such laws.

The
 vast bulk of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil are 
smuggled from abroad, and increasingly blended with other substances.

That
 means people sometimes don’t know that the methamphetamine, oxycodone, 
cocaine or other substances they buy illegally contain synthetic opioids
 to make them more potent.

Overdosing is easy. Even minuscule amounts of these substances can kill. Fentanyl is up to <a href="https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/external_publications/EP60000/EP68838/RAND_EP68838.pdf" target="_blank">50 times</a> more potent than heroin.

This month, <a href="https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/external_publications/EP60000/EP68838/RAND_EP68838.pdf" target="_blank">a federal commission</a>
 released its report on synthetic opioids, calling the epidemic of 
addiction “one of our most-pressing national security, law enforcement, 
and public health challenges.”

Though most people addicted to the 
substances get them illegally, the report traces the rise in demand for 
and trafficking of synthetic opioids directly to <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/richard-sackler-oxycontin-oxycodone-strength-conceal-from-doctors-sealed-testimony" target="_blank">wide-scale addiction to OxyContin</a> prescription opiate painkillers starting in the 1990s.

“The
 overdose crisis in the United States claims more lives each year than 
firearms, suicide, homicide, or motor vehicle crashes,” the report said.
 “We must do more as a nation and a government.”

Better access to 
medical care for opioid addiction won’t stop the drug trafficking, it 
said, but offers one route to saving lives, as the “gold standard” for 
treating opioid use disorders.

Buprenorphine and other treatments

Yet
 experts at the health care research group Commonwealth Fund say only a 
small sliver of people with opioid addiction receive such medical care.

The
 treatment usually involves prescribing one of three medications — 
buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone — to ease cravings and even block
 the brain’s ability to experience euphoria from drugs like heroin and 
oxycodone.

Sometimes people who want this help struggle to find a 
health care provider and treatment program that they can afford. 
Sometimes they face insurance hurdles.

Meanwhile, access to drug 
treatment behind bars remains spotty at best, even though most 
incarcerated people have substance use disorders.

Despite some 
successful lawsuits, as well as federal legislation, pushing for 
widespread access to this treatment in correctional facilities, most 
people with addiction in prison or jail still don’t receive it.

In Kansas, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-02-16/a-few-kansas-jails-are-finally-allowing-medical-care-for-opioid-addiction" target="_blank">a few jails</a>
 have begun allowing medical care with buprenorphine, methadone or 
naltrexone. Since Crawford County Jail rolled out its program in August 
2020, more than 200 people have signed up for care, and most continued 
their treatment after leaving jail.

A spokeswoman for the state prison system says it allows such treatment, too, though <a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/08/10/these-meds-prevent-overdoses-few-federal-prisoners-are-getting-them" target="_blank">the Marshall Project</a>
 — an investigative journalism newsroom focused on criminal justice — 
considers the access to care in Kansas prisons to be limited.

Fentanyl test strips and naloxone supplies

The
 federal commission urges Congress to help local governments across the 
country afford naloxone so that they can equip all first responders with
 it.

And it calls for fentanyl test strip distribution programs and the development of best practices to help guide that work.

The
 strips let people test drugs they buy on the street to see if they’re 
laced with fentanyl, so they can protect themselves against unknowingly 
consuming it.

Kansas overdose prevention programs can’t distribute the test strips because they’re illegal under state law.

Last
 year, the Kansas House passed a bill to change that. The bill is now 
stalled in a Senate committee, which began to hold a hearing on the 
topic and then postponed the matter.

If the test strips become 
legal in Kansas, community groups that help people struggling with 
addiction will be able to use federal grants to buy and distribute 
supplies.

Ngoc Vuong sees the potential to save lives. He coordinates anti-addiction efforts for the <a href="https://www.partnersforwichita.org/safe-streets" target="_blank">Safe Streets program</a> in Wichita. He says part of helping people seek recovery is keeping them safe in the meantime.

That
 could mean distributing or explaining fentanyl test strips at outreach 
events geared toward people living on the street or who use illegal 
drugs or who are trying to stop using them.

“Letting them know 
about fentanyl test strips, how to use them,” Vuong said. “Then also add
 the caveat here that, ‘Whenever you’re ready to seek treatment, we’re 
here to help.’”

Dewey, at the Reno County Health Department, has a
 similar perspective. Building relationships is key, he said. And that 
includes talking to people in crisis about how to use naloxone and 
fentanyl test strips, and making sure they have access.

“Then they’re at least honest with us,” he said. “We want people to be honest with us. ‘Hey, man, I’m struggling with this.’”

Dewey
 speaks from experience. He used illegal drugs in the past, and ended up
 in the county jail. Ultimately he achieved long-term recovery.

“When
 we open up that relationship of trust” with people who use drugs, he 
said, “that’s when we start seeing a full cycle of (approaches) that 
could be used to help people when they’re ready.”

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646148908877.png" alt="Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-01/opioids-are-killing-more-people-than-ever-and-kansas-lags-other-states-on-these-steps-to-help">Kansas News Service</a>In September 2020, Seth Dewey got a phone call at home from someone using drugs.“They said, ‘Seth, we need Narcan over here right now,’” Dewey said.The call for <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/medications-counseling-related-conditions/naloxone" target="_blank">Narcan</a> suggested a life-and-death emergency requiring medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose.Dewey,
 whose work for the Reno County Health Department in Hutchinson focuses 
on combating drug addiction and overdoses, promised to rush over with 
doses of what’s also known as naloxone to the site where two people 
panicked as they watched life slipping away from a third.He urged them to call 911, too, but they feared getting arrested.“So
 I said, ‘Well, listen, then I’m going to call 911,’” he said. “When I 
got there, I ended up having to use three doses of naloxone on this 
individual. … It brought back very slow, labored breathing.”By 
the time law enforcement officers reached the scene — without any 
naloxone on hand — Dewey had stabilized the man. Medical responders 
arrived later.For Dewey, that day illustrates the need for policy changes to help more people survive a national surge in opioid overdoses.Kansas is one of just a few states without <a href="https://www.pdaps.org/datasets/good-samaritan-overdose-laws-1501695153" target="_blank">a good Samaritan law</a> that encourages people to call 911 when witnessing an overdose, by shielding them from prosecution.Additionally,
 Kansans can’t count on law enforcement officers — who may beat 
ambulances to the scene of an ongoing overdose when every minute counts —
 to carry naloxone.Across the country, fatal overdoses <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-01-10/dealers-are-spiking-drugs-with-fentanyl-and-killing-even-more-kansans-during-the-pandemic" target="_blank">rocketed in 2020</a>
 to more than 90,000. That record number was driven largely by dealers 
selling drugs laced with potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.Tallies
 aren’t complete yet for 2021, but provisional counts for the first half
 of the year suggest people died at even greater rates. And <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/overdose-deaths-surged-first-half-2021-underscoring-urgent-need-action?utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Improving+Health+Care+Quality" target="_blank">Kansas is among a handful of states showing the steepest increases</a>.Studies show <a href="https://health.wusf.usf.edu/npr-health/2022-01-15/there-is-life-after-addiction-most-people-recover" target="_blank">most people recover</a>
 from drug use disorders, but the process often takes years and involves
 multiple relapses. The widespread practice of mixing fentanyl and <a href="https://news.wosu.org/wksu-stories/2017-05-26/as-fentanyl-spreads-dealers-now-targeting-african-americans" target="_blank">carfentanil</a> into so many drugs today means many people never get that far.“We’re
 losing too many people due to this old idea that people have to hit 
rock bottom” before becoming sober, Dewey said. “People aren’t getting a
 chance to hit rock bottom, because they’re dying.”Someone dies of overdose almost every month in <a href="https://reno.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6e5f01c85f524c08b9aea458926f8fdb" target="_blank">Reno County</a> — often more than one person.Yet
 Dewey sees signs of change. The Reno County Sheriff’s Office and 
Hutchinson Police Department now train their officers on administering 
naloxone, and make sure they have it available.A state good Samaritan law could also help, research suggests. The U.S. Government Accountability Office <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-248" target="_blank">published a report</a> last year documenting evidence that the rate of fatal opioid overdoses improves when states pass such laws.Deadly synthetic opioidsThe
 vast bulk of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil are 
smuggled from abroad, and increasingly blended with other substances.That
 means people sometimes don’t know that the methamphetamine, oxycodone, 
cocaine or other substances they buy illegally contain synthetic opioids
 to make them more potent.Overdosing is easy. Even minuscule amounts of these substances can kill. Fentanyl is up to <a href="https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/external_publications/EP60000/EP68838/RAND_EP68838.pdf" target="_blank">50 times</a> more potent than heroin.This month, <a href="https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/external_publications/EP60000/EP68838/RAND_EP68838.pdf" target="_blank">a federal commission</a>
 released its report on synthetic opioids, calling the epidemic of 
addiction “one of our most-pressing national security, law enforcement, 
and public health challenges.”Though most people addicted to the 
substances get them illegally, the report traces the rise in demand for 
and trafficking of synthetic opioids directly to <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/richard-sackler-oxycontin-oxycodone-strength-conceal-from-doctors-sealed-testimony" target="_blank">wide-scale addiction to OxyContin</a> prescription opiate painkillers starting in the 1990s.“The
 overdose crisis in the United States claims more lives each year than 
firearms, suicide, homicide, or motor vehicle crashes,” the report said.
 “We must do more as a nation and a government.”Better access to 
medical care for opioid addiction won’t stop the drug trafficking, it 
said, but offers one route to saving lives, as the “gold standard” for 
treating opioid use disorders.Buprenorphine and other treatmentsYet
 experts at the health care research group Commonwealth Fund say only a 
small sliver of people with opioid addiction receive such medical care.The
 treatment usually involves prescribing one of three medications — 
buprenorphine, methadone or naltrexone — to ease cravings and even block
 the brain’s ability to experience euphoria from drugs like heroin and 
oxycodone.Sometimes people who want this help struggle to find a 
health care provider and treatment program that they can afford. 
Sometimes they face insurance hurdles.Meanwhile, access to drug 
treatment behind bars remains spotty at best, even though most 
incarcerated people have substance use disorders.Despite some 
successful lawsuits, as well as federal legislation, pushing for 
widespread access to this treatment in correctional facilities, most 
people with addiction in prison or jail still don’t receive it.In Kansas, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-02-16/a-few-kansas-jails-are-finally-allowing-medical-care-for-opioid-addiction" target="_blank">a few jails</a>
 have begun allowing medical care with buprenorphine, methadone or 
naltrexone. Since Crawford County Jail rolled out its program in August 
2020, more than 200 people have signed up for care, and most continued 
their treatment after leaving jail.A spokeswoman for the state prison system says it allows such treatment, too, though <a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/08/10/these-meds-prevent-overdoses-few-federal-prisoners-are-getting-them" target="_blank">the Marshall Project</a>
 — an investigative journalism newsroom focused on criminal justice — 
considers the access to care in Kansas prisons to be limited.Fentanyl test strips and naloxone suppliesThe
 federal commission urges Congress to help local governments across the 
country afford naloxone so that they can equip all first responders with
 it.And it calls for fentanyl test strip distribution programs and the development of best practices to help guide that work.The
 strips let people test drugs they buy on the street to see if they’re 
laced with fentanyl, so they can protect themselves against unknowingly 
consuming it.Kansas overdose prevention programs can’t distribute the test strips because they’re illegal under state law.Last
 year, the Kansas House passed a bill to change that. The bill is now 
stalled in a Senate committee, which began to hold a hearing on the 
topic and then postponed the matter.If the test strips become 
legal in Kansas, community groups that help people struggling with 
addiction will be able to use federal grants to buy and distribute 
supplies.Ngoc Vuong sees the potential to save lives. He coordinates anti-addiction efforts for the <a href="https://www.partnersforwichita.org/safe-streets" target="_blank">Safe Streets program</a> in Wichita. He says part of helping people seek recovery is keeping them safe in the meantime.That
 could mean distributing or explaining fentanyl test strips at outreach 
events geared toward people living on the street or who use illegal 
drugs or who are trying to stop using them.“Letting them know 
about fentanyl test strips, how to use them,” Vuong said. “Then also add
 the caveat here that, ‘Whenever you’re ready to seek treatment, we’re 
here to help.’”Dewey, at the Reno County Health Department, has a
 similar perspective. Building relationships is key, he said. And that 
includes talking to people in crisis about how to use naloxone and 
fentanyl test strips, and making sure they have access.“Then they’re at least honest with us,” he said. “We want people to be honest with us. ‘Hey, man, I’m struggling with this.’”Dewey
 speaks from experience. He used illegal drugs in the past, and ended up
 in the county jail. Ultimately he achieved long-term recovery.“When
 we open up that relationship of trust” with people who use drugs, he 
said, “that’s when we start seeing a full cycle of (approaches) that 
could be used to help people when they’re ready.”Celia 
Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Kansas lags other states on steps to help fight opioid deaths

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 75-year-old Kansas City-area man faces charges for allegedly pretending to be a police officer and pulling over a driver.

<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2022/03/04/man-charged-with-false-impersonation-law-enforcement-officer-accused-pulling-driver-over/">KCTV-TV</a>&nbsp;reports that the Missouri State Highway Patrol launched an investigation in January after a driver became suspicious after being pulled over. The driver told the patrol that after he passed another vehicle, that driver began following him closely, flashed his headlights and activated emergency lights.

The alleged victim said the man took his driver's license and pretended to run a computer check. The alleged victim noted the license plate identifiers of the vehicle that pulled him over, which led to the arrest.

Investigators say the suspect vehicle had what appeared to be emergency lights mounted in the front grill and a siren speaker. The suspect is not a police officer but worked decades ago for Kansas City police and the highway patrol.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 75-year-old Kansas City-area man faces charges for allegedly pretending to be a police officer and pulling over a driver.<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2022/03/04/man-charged-with-false-impersonation-law-enforcement-officer-accused-pulling-driver-over/">KCTV-TV</a>&nbsp;reports that the Missouri State Highway Patrol launched an investigation in January after a driver became suspicious after being pulled over. The driver told the patrol that after he passed another vehicle, that driver began following him closely, flashed his headlights and activated emergency lights.The alleged victim said the man took his driver's license and pretended to run a computer check. The alleged victim noted the license plate identifiers of the vehicle that pulled him over, which led to the arrest.Investigators say the suspect vehicle had what appeared to be emergency lights mounted in the front grill and a siren speaker. The suspect is not a police officer but worked decades ago for Kansas City police and the highway patrol.