RICHARDSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 1a.m. Friday hours, sheriff's deputies in Nebraska arrested 39-year-old Amber Gayer of Topeka, for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Driving Under Suspension.

Gayer was booked into the Richardson County Jail. She has two previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635113213762.png" alt="Gayer remains in the Richardson County jail, according to online records" />
 <figcaption>Gayer remains in the Richardson County jail, according to online records</figcaption>
 </figure>RICHARDSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.Just before 1a.m. Friday hours, sheriff's deputies in Nebraska arrested 39-year-old Amber Gayer of Topeka, for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Driving Under Suspension.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635026781954.png" alt="Photo Richardson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Richardson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Gayer was booked into the Richardson County Jail. She has two previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kan. felon was traveling with pink handgun

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Inmates with mental health issues are waiting months to get the medication and treatment they need to be deemed competent to assist in their own defense because a state hospital is so overtaxed.

Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. The man ultimately was sentenced to 16 months — less than a quarter of the amount of time he had been incarcerated.

Armbrister said the case encapsulates the “dark underbelly” of the state’s criminal justice system, which he believes fails to properly account for the mental health of those who are held in jail prior to conviction.

A large part of the reason that his case took so long was a significant backlog of inmates ordered to receive mental health treatment at the Larned State Hospital in Pawnee County. The backlog has led to many inmates spending months, if not years, behind bars even though they haven’t been convicted of a crime.

Armbrister said he believes the state must do more to fix the problem.

“I firmly believe the state of Kansas needs to build another state hospital, somewhere in the (Kansas City) metro area,” he said. “Larned is basically being swamped.”

The hospital’s backlog is an issue that affects not only Douglas County, but the entire state.

The state hospital’s waiting list includes 157 male inmates and 14 female inmates, according to data provided by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which oversees the hospital. For the male inmates, the average wait time is 171 days — or close to six months — KDADS spokeswoman Cara Sloan-Ramos said in an email.

But Sloan-Ramos said the hospital is working to provide mobile services for competency treatment. She said it is specifically working with Sedgwick and Shawnee counties — home to Wichita and Topeka, respectively — to identify offenders who meet criteria to receive services in a jail setting rather than at the state hospital.

Whether that option could help Douglas County inmates remains to be seen. One inmate from the county has been on the hospital’s waiting list for almost a full year, but 18 people are still ahead of him.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez said the backlog is a longstanding problem that “absolutely negatively impacts the rights” of inmates. She said one of the only options her office has is to dismiss cases, which often is not appropriate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634755726300.png" alt="Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Inmates with mental health issues are waiting months to get the medication and treatment they need to be deemed competent to assist in their own defense because a state hospital is so overtaxed.Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. The man ultimately was sentenced to 16 months — less than a quarter of the amount of time he had been incarcerated.Armbrister said the case encapsulates the “dark underbelly” of the state’s criminal justice system, which he believes fails to properly account for the mental health of those who are held in jail prior to conviction.A large part of the reason that his case took so long was a significant backlog of inmates ordered to receive mental health treatment at the Larned State Hospital in Pawnee County. The backlog has led to many inmates spending months, if not years, behind bars even though they haven’t been convicted of a crime.Armbrister said he believes the state must do more to fix the problem.“I firmly believe the state of Kansas needs to build another state hospital, somewhere in the (Kansas City) metro area,” he said. “Larned is basically being swamped.”The hospital’s backlog is an issue that affects not only Douglas County, but the entire state.The state hospital’s waiting list includes 157 male inmates and 14 female inmates, according to data provided by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which oversees the hospital. For the male inmates, the average wait time is 171 days — or close to six months — KDADS spokeswoman Cara Sloan-Ramos said in an email.But Sloan-Ramos said the hospital is working to provide mobile services for competency treatment. She said it is specifically working with Sedgwick and Shawnee counties — home to Wichita and Topeka, respectively — to identify offenders who meet criteria to receive services in a jail setting rather than at the state hospital.Whether that option could help Douglas County inmates remains to be seen. One inmate from the county has been on the hospital’s waiting list for almost a full year, but 18 people are still ahead of him.Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez said the backlog is a longstanding problem that “absolutely negatively impacts the rights” of inmates. She said one of the only options her office has is to dismiss cases, which often is not appropriate.

Kansas inmates wait months for mental health treatment

By ABIGAIL CENSKY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-21/why-new-political-maps-could-give-more-power-to-kansas-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — For the first time in more than 30 years, 
Kansas will count all of its college students in the towns where they go
 to school for redrawing state legislative districts next year.

Since
 1990, Lawrence, Manhattan, Emporia and other college towns lost out on 
the potential political clout those students represented in an archaic 
and costly census readjustment aimed at preserving rural political 
power.

“I never really expected (the change) to happen,” said 
Davis Hammet, who leads the Loud Light group focused on mobilizing young
 voters.

“I remember like, six, seven years ago reading the Kansas
 Constitution and thinking about how getting rid of this census 
adjustment would be one of the most important things for the youth vote 
and for representative democracy in Kansas,” he said.

Yet in 2019,
 an overwhelming majority of Kansas voters and a bipartisan group of 
state lawmakers agreed with Hammet — voting for Kansas to stop spending 
additional money to readjust the U.S. Census count on college campuses 
and military bases. Kansas passed a <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020/b2019_20/measures/documents/scr1605_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a> ending the practice.

Now,
 communities like Manhattan and Lawrence, home to the state’s largest 
universities, can expect a louder voice in the Legislature. Still, the 
power of university towns across Kansas will largely depend on how 
Republicans controlling the process draw the districts.

“Even if 
places like Lawrence in Manhattan get a bit more representation, those 
lines can still be drawn politically,” said Patrick Miller, a professor 
of political science at the University of Kansas.

Which is, essentially, “however the Republican majority in Topeka wants,” he said.

But Republicans risk blowback if their maps appear too cynically drawn to sap Democrats of Statehouse influence.

The proposed redistricting <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/misc/proposedguidelinesandcriteriafor2022congressionalandstatelegislativeredistricting.pdf" target="_blank">guidelines</a>
 for 2022 indicate a state House district should have roughly 23,504 
people and a state Senate District should have roughly 73,447 people. 
Deviations from those ideal numbers shouldn’t be greater than 5% in most
 cases.

Now that students are included in the district population 
totals, the two Lawrence area districts, represented by Democratic Reps.
 Christina Haswood and Mike Amyx, have too many people for one district.

Haswood said she worries the pandemic means some students who would’ve ordinarily been on campus weren’t there to be counted.

“We’re really not capturing a good year,” she said.

<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Publications/Redistricting/Kansas-Population-Change-2010-2020-by-House-District.pdf" target="_blank">Population gain maps</a>
 compiled by the Kansas Legislative Research Department show Haswood’s 
district needs to trim out 1,554 too many people and Amyx’s district 
must lose 6,892.

The same surplus exists for House districts in 
Riley County. Students at Kansas State University bump numbers in House 
District 66 to roughly 8,000 people more than the ideal range, and 
nearly 3,000 people above the ideal range in House District 67.

All
 of those people will have to go into new districts or be added to 
districts which are redrawn to include people leftover from districts 
like Haswood’s and Amyx’s.

State Senate districts in both Douglas 
and Riley counties have roughly 12,000 too many people. Miller said 
smaller college towns like Emporia, Hays and Pittsburg could also 
potentially gain representation, but he said, “the lines can still be 
drawn in ways that offset that and advantage Republicans.”

That 
could mean new seats for the Lawrence and Manhattan area, or districts 
that take some population gains and stretch farther out into nearby 
rural areas.

“You start messing with one district and it affects 
several others as you go through the process,” said Republican Rep. Mark
 Schreiber, who represents a district including Emporia State. 
Schrieber’s district needs to add 490 people, but he said he’s not 
worried about the change.

“It’s a big puzzle,” Schreiber said, “that’s what they’re charged to come up with.”

Haswood
 said she’s hopeful the maps will be drawn in good faith, but “this is 
politics and we all will be fighting to ensure gerrymandering does not 
happen.”

Even if college towns gain more representation, it’s not 
likely to yield anything but a marginal benefit to Democrats or 
seriously endanger any Republican incumbents.

In fact, communities
 like Manhattan and Lawrence could wind up getting more representation 
thanks to students yet walk away from the 2022 redistricting cycle with 
an overall more Republican district because of how lines are drawn.

“That is absolutely a realistic scenario,” Miller said.

Abigail Censky is the political reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @AbigailCensky or email her at abigailcensky@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634842084911.png" alt="Abigail Censky / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Abigail Censky / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By ABIGAIL CENSKY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-21/why-new-political-maps-could-give-more-power-to-kansas-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — For the first time in more than 30 years, 
Kansas will count all of its college students in the towns where they go
 to school for redrawing state legislative districts next year.Since
 1990, Lawrence, Manhattan, Emporia and other college towns lost out on 
the potential political clout those students represented in an archaic 
and costly census readjustment aimed at preserving rural political 
power.“I never really expected (the change) to happen,” said 
Davis Hammet, who leads the Loud Light group focused on mobilizing young
 voters.“I remember like, six, seven years ago reading the Kansas
 Constitution and thinking about how getting rid of this census 
adjustment would be one of the most important things for the youth vote 
and for representative democracy in Kansas,” he said.Yet in 2019,
 an overwhelming majority of Kansas voters and a bipartisan group of 
state lawmakers agreed with Hammet — voting for Kansas to stop spending 
additional money to readjust the U.S. Census count on college campuses 
and military bases. Kansas passed a <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020/b2019_20/measures/documents/scr1605_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a> ending the practice.Now,
 communities like Manhattan and Lawrence, home to the state’s largest 
universities, can expect a louder voice in the Legislature. Still, the 
power of university towns across Kansas will largely depend on how 
Republicans controlling the process draw the districts.“Even if 
places like Lawrence in Manhattan get a bit more representation, those 
lines can still be drawn politically,” said Patrick Miller, a professor 
of political science at the University of Kansas.Which is, essentially, “however the Republican majority in Topeka wants,” he said.But Republicans risk blowback if their maps appear too cynically drawn to sap Democrats of Statehouse influence.The proposed redistricting <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/misc/proposedguidelinesandcriteriafor2022congressionalandstatelegislativeredistricting.pdf" target="_blank">guidelines</a>
 for 2022 indicate a state House district should have roughly 23,504 
people and a state Senate District should have roughly 73,447 people. 
Deviations from those ideal numbers shouldn’t be greater than 5% in most
 cases.Now that students are included in the district population 
totals, the two Lawrence area districts, represented by Democratic Reps.
 Christina Haswood and Mike Amyx, have too many people for one district.Haswood said she worries the pandemic means some students who would’ve ordinarily been on campus weren’t there to be counted.“We’re really not capturing a good year,” she said.<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Publications/Redistricting/Kansas-Population-Change-2010-2020-by-House-District.pdf" target="_blank">Population gain maps</a>
 compiled by the Kansas Legislative Research Department show Haswood’s 
district needs to trim out 1,554 too many people and Amyx’s district 
must lose 6,892.The same surplus exists for House districts in 
Riley County. Students at Kansas State University bump numbers in House 
District 66 to roughly 8,000 people more than the ideal range, and 
nearly 3,000 people above the ideal range in House District 67.All
 of those people will have to go into new districts or be added to 
districts which are redrawn to include people leftover from districts 
like Haswood’s and Amyx’s.State Senate districts in both Douglas 
and Riley counties have roughly 12,000 too many people. Miller said 
smaller college towns like Emporia, Hays and Pittsburg could also 
potentially gain representation, but he said, “the lines can still be 
drawn in ways that offset that and advantage Republicans.”That 
could mean new seats for the Lawrence and Manhattan area, or districts 
that take some population gains and stretch farther out into nearby 
rural areas.“You start messing with one district and it affects 
several others as you go through the process,” said Republican Rep. Mark
 Schreiber, who represents a district including Emporia State. 
Schrieber’s district needs to add 490 people, but he said he’s not 
worried about the change.“It’s a big puzzle,” Schreiber said, “that’s what they’re charged to come up with.”Haswood
 said she’s hopeful the maps will be drawn in good faith, but “this is 
politics and we all will be fighting to ensure gerrymandering does not 
happen.”Even if college towns gain more representation, it’s not 
likely to yield anything but a marginal benefit to Democrats or 
seriously endanger any Republican incumbents.In fact, communities
 like Manhattan and Lawrence could wind up getting more representation 
thanks to students yet walk away from the 2022 redistricting cycle with 
an overall more Republican district because of how lines are drawn.“That is absolutely a realistic scenario,” Miller said.Abigail Censky is the political reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @AbigailCensky or email her at abigailcensky@kcur.org.

Why new political maps could give more power to Kan. college towns

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death Friday following an altercation with another man in the yard of a home in Kansas City police said.

Police on Saturday identified the victim as 28-year-old Darryl Gilland. A person of interest remains in custody as detectives work with prosecutors on charges, police said in a news release.

Officers responding shortly before 3:30 p.m. to a cutting call were directed to the rear of the residence where they found the victim who had been stabbed.

Emergency medical responders declared the man dead at the scene. Police placed the other man in custody for further investigation.

Detectives are not searching for any other suspects in the case.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death Friday following an altercation with another man in the yard of a home in Kansas City police said.Police on Saturday identified the victim as 28-year-old Darryl Gilland. A person of interest remains in custody as detectives work with prosecutors on charges, police said in a news release.Officers responding shortly before 3:30 p.m. to a cutting call were directed to the rear of the residence where they found the victim who had been stabbed.Emergency medical responders declared the man dead at the scene. Police placed the other man in custody for further investigation.Detectives are not searching for any other suspects in the case.

Police: ID victim in fatal stabbing at home in Kansas City

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly honored minority- and woman-owned businesses and others, including a business in western Kansas, who help them achieve success as part of Kansas Minority Enterprise Development (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.XiCvBWCulT7_QFoAhKRhiWI_aYsIrURzOT1U5-zm0P8/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">MED</a>) Week.

“I am impressed by the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of our state’s minority- and women-owned companies honored today,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“When women and minority-owned businesses succeed, everyone succeeds: our economy, our communities, and our state. This week and every week, my administration will search for opportunities to&nbsp;support&nbsp;them&nbsp;reaching&nbsp;their full potential.”

The Kansas Department of Commerce’s&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.xSqNDzXHtbE28vuZ50u17_hdhBXy3r1Z_NRcN-R1X8U/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">Office of Minority and Women Business Development</a>&nbsp;hosted its 36th&nbsp;Annual Minority and Women Business Awards Luncheon Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka. The event highlighting Kansas Minority Enterprise Development (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTEwMjAuNDc2NDQ2MDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2djYzAyLnNhZmVsaW5rcy5wcm90ZWN0aW9uLm91dGxvb2suY29tLz91cmw9aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cubWJkYS5nb3YlMkYmZGF0YT0wNCU3QzAxJTdDUmF5bmEuS2Fyc3QlNDBrcy5nb3YlN0M1MmQwZTI0ZWRhMjQ0ZTQyNTNjMTA4ZDk5M2ZhMWE4YyU3Q2RjYWU4MTAxYzkyZDQ4MGNiYzQzYzY3NjFjY2NjYzVhJTdDMCU3QzAlN0M2Mzc3MDM1MjQ2NTA0ODc4MjklN0NVbmtub3duJTdDVFdGcGJHWnNiM2Q4ZXlKV0lqb2lNQzR3TGpBd01EQWlMQ0pRSWpvaVYybHVNeklpTENKQlRpSTZJazFoYVd3aUxDSlhWQ0k2TW4wJTNEJTdDMTAwMCZzZGF0YT1URmo0anR5WkRGNFZQa0VGRXJPVmxGTVpIdk9HbEI5V0RSUnVBeVBvSWkwJTNEJnJlc2VydmVkPTAifQ.O-W_YWNKOoHTAsWvP9-pIHA366nzPspogSKZtfBDrDc/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">MED</a>) Week recognized 12 minority- and woman-owned companies, three individuals and one corporation from across the state for their support and efforts to create new opportunities.

“Minority- and woman-owned businesses are an integral part of the Kansas economy,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said.&nbsp;“We greatly value the contributions these businesses and advocates provide to our state, from the jobs they create to the way they enrich communities and lives. We owe them all our sincerest praise and support for keeping our economy strong and vibrant, particularly through the economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

MED Week is celebrated nationally to recognize the more than 9.2 million minority business enterprises that support the U.S. economy and generate over $1.8 trillion in revenue. The Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Minority and Women Business Development holds this annual luncheon to recognize economic contributions of woman- and minority-owned businesses and communities around our state.

Today, minority- and woman-owned businesses have a major economic impact that translates into the creation and maintenance of jobs. These jobs not only sustain the individual worker, but contribute to the economic security of their families, the economic vitality of their communities and of the nation.

“MED Week is a time to spotlight so many outstanding achievements in Kansas, and also showcase the resources available to Kansans who are already in business, or considering a new venture,”&nbsp;Office of Minority and Women Business Development Director Rhonda Harris said. “It’s important that we recognize these efforts during MED Week and every week.”

The Office of Minority and Women Business Development also certifies businesses with designations of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). Companies certified receive preferential selection for public and private contracts and for business-related financial assistance programs. MBE, WBE and DBEs can also participate in business education workshops and seminars through the office. To learn more, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.IVj5bLJ0g3A7D-mJA0zPWGxos0WUS7k9xjaKYtYxtX4/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">Office of Minority and Women Business Development</a>.

Companies being recognized during the MED Week celebration include:

Construction Firm Universal Construction Company, Inc. Kansas City

Manufacturing Firm Thimesch Enterprises, LLC dba BEPC Wichita

Professional Service Firm LimeLight Marketing Pittsburg

Retail Firm Reese’s Enterprises, Inc. Ulysses

Service Industry Firm Onyx Salon, Spa and Wellness Cafe Topeka

Supplier/Distributor Firm N’Credibly Sweet, LLC Andover

Construction Firm Blue Bear, Inc. Shawnee

Manufacturing Firm Natural Choice Company St. Mary’s

Professional Service Firm CJD Consulting Solutions, LLC Junction City

Retail Firm Reliant Apparel, LLC Topeka

Service Industry Firm Maze Freight Solutions, Inc. Overland Park&nbsp;

Supplier/Distributor Firm Mid Star Lab, Inc. Tonganoxie

Young Entrepreneur Nelson McConnell Nelson’s Flavorades, LLC Kansas City

Minority Business Advocate Sheila Ellis-Glasper SEG Media Collective, LLC Manhattan

Women Business Advocate Sheri Berger Here To There Consulting Shawnee

Corporation of the Year Kiewit Energy Group Lenexa

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634766838828.jpeg" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly honored minority- and woman-owned businesses Wednesday in Topeka during&nbsp; Kansas Minority Enterprise Development Week .&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly honored minority- and woman-owned businesses Wednesday in Topeka during&nbsp; Kansas Minority Enterprise Development Week .&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Office of GovernorTOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly honored minority- and woman-owned businesses and others, including a business in western Kansas, who help them achieve success as part of Kansas Minority Enterprise Development (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.XiCvBWCulT7_QFoAhKRhiWI_aYsIrURzOT1U5-zm0P8/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">MED</a>) Week.“I am impressed by the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of our state’s minority- and women-owned companies honored today,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“When women and minority-owned businesses succeed, everyone succeeds: our economy, our communities, and our state. This week and every week, my administration will search for opportunities to&nbsp;support&nbsp;them&nbsp;reaching&nbsp;their full potential.”The Kansas Department of Commerce’s&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.xSqNDzXHtbE28vuZ50u17_hdhBXy3r1Z_NRcN-R1X8U/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">Office of Minority and Women Business Development</a>&nbsp;hosted its 36th&nbsp;Annual Minority and Women Business Awards Luncheon Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka. The event highlighting Kansas Minority Enterprise Development (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.O-W_YWNKOoHTAsWvP9-pIHA366nzPspogSKZtfBDrDc/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">MED</a>) Week recognized 12 minority- and woman-owned companies, three individuals and one corporation from across the state for their support and efforts to create new opportunities.“Minority- and woman-owned businesses are an integral part of the Kansas economy,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said.&nbsp;“We greatly value the contributions these businesses and advocates provide to our state, from the jobs they create to the way they enrich communities and lives. We owe them all our sincerest praise and support for keeping our economy strong and vibrant, particularly through the economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”MED Week is celebrated nationally to recognize the more than 9.2 million minority business enterprises that support the U.S. economy and generate over $1.8 trillion in revenue. The Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Minority and Women Business Development holds this annual luncheon to recognize economic contributions of woman- and minority-owned businesses and communities around our state.Today, minority- and woman-owned businesses have a major economic impact that translates into the creation and maintenance of jobs. These jobs not only sustain the individual worker, but contribute to the economic security of their families, the economic vitality of their communities and of the nation.“MED Week is a time to spotlight so many outstanding achievements in Kansas, and also showcase the resources available to Kansans who are already in business, or considering a new venture,”&nbsp;Office of Minority and Women Business Development Director Rhonda Harris said. “It’s important that we recognize these efforts during MED Week and every week.”The Office of Minority and Women Business Development also certifies businesses with designations of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). Companies certified receive preferential selection for public and private contracts and for business-related financial assistance programs. MBE, WBE and DBEs can also participate in business education workshops and seminars through the office. To learn more, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.IVj5bLJ0g3A7D-mJA0zPWGxos0WUS7k9xjaKYtYxtX4/s/1303161001/br/114319366858-l" target="_blank">Office of Minority and Women Business Development</a>.Companies being recognized during the MED Week celebration include:Woman-Owned BusinessesConstruction Firm Universal Construction Company, Inc. Kansas CityManufacturing Firm Thimesch Enterprises, LLC dba BEPC WichitaProfessional Service Firm LimeLight Marketing PittsburgRetail Firm Reese’s Enterprises, Inc. UlyssesService Industry Firm Onyx Salon, Spa and Wellness Cafe TopekaSupplier/Distributor Firm N’Credibly Sweet, LLC AndoverMinority-Owned BusinessesConstruction Firm Blue Bear, Inc. ShawneeManufacturing Firm Natural Choice Company St. Mary’sProfessional Service Firm CJD Consulting Solutions, LLC Junction CityRetail Firm Reliant Apparel, LLC TopekaService Industry Firm Maze Freight Solutions, Inc. Overland Park&nbsp;Supplier/Distributor Firm Mid Star Lab, Inc. TonganoxieYoung Entrepreneur Nelson McConnell Nelson’s Flavorades, LLC Kansas CityMinority Business Advocate Sheila Ellis-Glasper SEG Media Collective, LLC ManhattanWomen Business Advocate Sheri Berger Here To There Consulting ShawneeCorporation of the Year Kiewit Energy Group Lenexa

Western KS business honored during Kansas Minority Enterprise Development Week 

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE, Associated Press

Millions more Americans are now eligible for COVID-19 boosters, but figuring out who’s eligible and when can be confusing. And adding to the challenge is that this time around, people can choose a different brand of vaccine for that extra dose.

A number of factors, including the vaccine you started with and when your last dose was, help determine when you qualify. Just like the initial shots, boosters are free and will be available at pharmacies, doctors’ offices and clinics.

People who are fully vaccinated are still strongly protected against hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But immunity against infection can wane over time, and the extra-contagious delta variant is spreading widely. U.S. health authorities want to shore up protection in at-risk people who were vaccinated months ago, though they emphasize that the priority remains getting the unvaccinated their first shots.

ARE BOOSTERS AVAILABLE FOR ALL THREE VACCINES AUTHORIZED IN THE U.S.?

Yes, Pfizer boosters began last month, and this week the government cleared extra doses of the Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines too. More than 120 million Americans will become eligible for a booster in the coming months, or about 2 out of every 3 vaccinated adults, officials say. But who’s eligible — and when — differs depending on which vaccine you got first.

If you got Pfizer or Moderna shots first, you’re eligible if your last dose was at least six months ago and you’re 65 or older, or are a younger adult who has health problems or a job or living conditions that put you at higher risk of severe illness or exposure to the coronavirus. Health care workers, for example, are included because they are regularly exposed to the virus and can’t come to work with even the mildest of infections.

Anyone who got a J&amp;J shot at least two months ago is eligible, regardless of age or other factors.

WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT VACCINES?

A single shot of the J&amp;J vaccine is less effective than two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer formulas, and health authorities decided it was important for the J&amp;J recipients to achieve a similar level of protection. As for the timing, J&amp;J simply tested more people with a two-month booster than one at six months. For recipients of Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, there’s no clear data that everybody needs another dose, but immunity against infection in at least some people appeared to wane around six months.

WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO WAIT SIX MONTHS?

Experts agree that getting a booster too soon can reduce the benefit. Timing matters because the immune system gradually builds layers of defenses over months, and letting that response mature improves the chances another, later dose will provide even stronger protection.

WHAT DOES ‘MIXING AND MATCHING’ BOOSTER DOSES MEAN?

It means a booster of a different brand from your original vaccination. That gives flexibility in situations such as nursing homes where only one type of booster might be brought in. It also gives people at risk of a rare side effect linked to one kind of vaccine the option of switching to a different shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration didn’t recommend that people switch but left open the option. Preliminary results of a government study found an extra dose of any vaccine triggered a boost of virus-fighting antibodies regardless of what shots people got to begin with. For people who originally got a J&amp;J vaccination, the Moderna and Pfizer shots appeared to offer a stronger boost. But researchers cautioned the study was too small to say one combination is better than another.

DO I NEED A BOOSTER TO STILL BE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED?

No, the CDC says people still are considered fully vaccinated starting two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the single-dose J&amp;J shot. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the definition of fully vaccinated is not being changed for now because not everyone is eligible for boosters at this point.

Nobody knows. Some scientists think eventually people may get regular COVID-19 shots like annual flu vaccinations. But researchers will need to study how long protection from the current boosters lasts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635085085116.png" alt="A COVID booster vaccine drive-through clinic last month in Lawrence- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health" />
 <figcaption>A COVID booster vaccine drive-through clinic last month in Lawrence- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE, Associated PressMillions more Americans are now eligible for COVID-19 boosters, but figuring out who’s eligible and when can be confusing. And adding to the challenge is that this time around, people can choose a different brand of vaccine for that extra dose.A number of factors, including the vaccine you started with and when your last dose was, help determine when you qualify. Just like the initial shots, boosters are free and will be available at pharmacies, doctors’ offices and clinics.Here are some things to know:WHY ARE BOOSTERS NEEDED?People who are fully vaccinated are still strongly protected against hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But immunity against infection can wane over time, and the extra-contagious delta variant is spreading widely. U.S. health authorities want to shore up protection in at-risk people who were vaccinated months ago, though they emphasize that the priority remains getting the unvaccinated their first shots.ARE BOOSTERS AVAILABLE FOR ALL THREE VACCINES AUTHORIZED IN THE U.S.?Yes, Pfizer boosters began last month, and this week the government cleared extra doses of the Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines too. More than 120 million Americans will become eligible for a booster in the coming months, or about 2 out of every 3 vaccinated adults, officials say. But who’s eligible — and when — differs depending on which vaccine you got first.CAN I GET A BOOSTER NOW?If you got Pfizer or Moderna shots first, you’re eligible if your last dose was at least six months ago and you’re 65 or older, or are a younger adult who has health problems or a job or living conditions that put you at higher risk of severe illness or exposure to the coronavirus. Health care workers, for example, are included because they are regularly exposed to the virus and can’t come to work with even the mildest of infections.WHAT IF I GOT THE J&amp;J SHOT?Anyone who got a J&amp;J shot at least two months ago is eligible, regardless of age or other factors.WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT VACCINES?A single shot of the J&amp;J vaccine is less effective than two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer formulas, and health authorities decided it was important for the J&amp;J recipients to achieve a similar level of protection. As for the timing, J&amp;J simply tested more people with a two-month booster than one at six months. For recipients of Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, there’s no clear data that everybody needs another dose, but immunity against infection in at least some people appeared to wane around six months.WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO WAIT SIX MONTHS?Experts agree that getting a booster too soon can reduce the benefit. Timing matters because the immune system gradually builds layers of defenses over months, and letting that response mature improves the chances another, later dose will provide even stronger protection.WHAT DOES ‘MIXING AND MATCHING’ BOOSTER DOSES MEAN?It means a booster of a different brand from your original vaccination. That gives flexibility in situations such as nursing homes where only one type of booster might be brought in. It also gives people at risk of a rare side effect linked to one kind of vaccine the option of switching to a different shot.SHOULD I SEEK OUT A DIFFERENT VACCINE?The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration didn’t recommend that people switch but left open the option. Preliminary results of a government study found an extra dose of any vaccine triggered a boost of virus-fighting antibodies regardless of what shots people got to begin with. For people who originally got a J&amp;J vaccination, the Moderna and Pfizer shots appeared to offer a stronger boost. But researchers cautioned the study was too small to say one combination is better than another.DO I NEED A BOOSTER TO STILL BE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED?No, the CDC says people still are considered fully vaccinated starting two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the single-dose J&amp;J shot. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the definition of fully vaccinated is not being changed for now because not everyone is eligible for boosters at this point.WILL THIS BE MY LAST BOOSTER?Nobody knows. Some scientists think eventually people may get regular COVID-19 shots like annual flu vaccinations. But researchers will need to study how long protection from the current boosters lasts.___

Is it time to get a COVID-19 booster? Which one?

TOPEKA, Kansas. –&nbsp;Lansing Correctional Facility resident Lawrence A. Brown, Jr., died Friday after being transported to St. John’s Hospital, in Leavenworth where he was pronounced deceased by hospital staff, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 The cause of death is pending an autopsy, but is not believed to be COVID-19 related.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of KDOC, the death is under investigation by KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

Brown, 32, was currently serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction (Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635078594657.png" alt="Brown was serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction for Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee." />
 <figcaption>Brown was serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction for Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kansas. –&nbsp;Lansing Correctional Facility resident Lawrence A. Brown, Jr., died Friday after being transported to St. John’s Hospital, in Leavenworth where he was pronounced deceased by hospital staff, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections. The cause of death is pending an autopsy, but is not believed to be COVID-19 related.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of KDOC, the death is under investigation by KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).Brown, 32, was currently serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction (Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee).&nbsp;

State reports death of 32-year-old Kansas inmate 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">the Texas law that bans most abortions</a>&nbsp;to remain in place, but has agreed to hear arguments in the case in early November.

The justices said Friday they will decide whether the Justice Department and abortion providers can sue in federal court over a law that Justice Sonia Sotomayor said was “enacted in open disregard of the constitutional rights of women seeking abortion care in Texas.”

Answering that question will help determine whether the law should be blocked while legal challenges continue. The court is moving at an unusually fast pace that suggests it plans to make a decision quickly. Arguments are set for Nov. 1.

The court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a85_5h25.pdf" target="_blank">action</a>&nbsp;leaves in place for the time being a law that clinics say has led to an 80% reduction in abortions in the nation’s second-largest state.

The justices said in their order that they were deferring action on a request from the Justice Department to put the law on hold. Sotomayor wrote that she would have blocked the law now.

“The promise of future adjudication offers cold comfort, however, for Texas women seeking abortion care, who are entitled to relief now,” Sotomayor wrote.

Sotomayor was the only justice to make her views clear, but it seems there were not five votes on the nine-member court to immediately block the law Friday. It takes just four justices to decide to hear a case.

The court first declined to block the law in September, in response to an emergency filing by the abortion providers. The vote was 5-4 vote, with the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joining two other conservatives in the majority. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Sotomayor and the other two liberal justices in voting to keep the law on hold while the legal fight goes on in lower courts.

Now, though, the justices, in a rare move, have decided to weigh in before lower courts definitively decide the issues.

Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, said she was happy the law remains in effect. “This is a great development for the Pro-Life movement because the law will continue to save an estimated 100 babies per day, and because the justices will actually discuss whether these lawsuits are valid in the first place,” Schwartz said in a statement.

Amy Hagstrom Miller, the chief executive of Whole Woman’s Health, said Friday’s order means patients will continue to be denied care at her four clinics in Texas, on top of the hundreds who already have been turned away. Providers say the ability of Texas’ nearly two dozen clinics to stay open is threatened the longer the law stays in effect, although Hagstrom Miller said she was not aware of any imminent closures.

But she said clinics are trying “to band together and get resources” to keep doors open. In 2013, another restrictive Texas anti-abortion law led to the closing of half the state’s 40-plus clinics. The Supreme Court ultimately struck down that law in 2016, but some clinics never reopened.

“It’s a matter of time if this law continues to be enforced,” Hagstrom Miller said. “It will cause clinics to close and further decimate the fabric of care that is needed to take care of people across the state.”

The law has been in effect since September, aside from a district court-ordered pause that lasted just 48 hours, and bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.

That’s well before the Supreme Court’s major abortion decisions allow states to prohibit abortion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-15-week-ban-5d066a9dc0030a4f8297711f341c9f5a">although the court has agreed to hear an appeal from Mississippi asking it to overrule those decisions, in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey</a>.

But the Texas law was written to evade early federal court review by putting enforcement of it into the hands of private citizens, rather than state officials.

The focus of the high court arguments will not be on the abortion ban, but whether the Justice Department and the providers can sue and obtain a court order that effectively prevents the law from being enforced, the Supreme Court said in its brief order.

If the law stays in effect, “no decision of this Court is safe. States need not comply with, or even challenge, precedents with which they disagree. They may simply outlaw the exercise of whatever rights they disfavor,” the Biden administration wrote in a brief filed earlier in the day.

Other state-enforced bans on abortion before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks, have been blocked by courts because they conflict with Supreme Court precedents.

“Texas should not obtain a different result simply by pairing its unconstitutional law with an unprecedented enforcement scheme designed to evade the traditional mechanisms for judicial review,” the administration wrote.

A day earlier, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21A85/197064/20211021113524436_21A85_United%20States%20v.%20Texas_Opposition.pdf" target="_blank">state urged the court to leave the law in place</a>, saying the federal government lacked the authority to file its lawsuit challenging the Texas ban.

The Justice Department filed suit over the law after the Supreme Court rejected the earlier effort by abortion providers to put the measure on hold temporarily.

In early October, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled for the administration, putting the law on hold and allowing abortions to resume.

Two days later, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the law back into effect.

The court already is hearing arguments on Dec. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">the Mississippi case</a>&nbsp;in which that state is calling for the court to overrule the Roe and Casey decisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634041318695.png" alt="Abortion protesters in Kansas City in September 2021-photo Planned Parenthood" />
 <figcaption>Abortion protesters in Kansas City in September 2021-photo Planned Parenthood</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">the Texas law that bans most abortions</a>&nbsp;to remain in place, but has agreed to hear arguments in the case in early November.The justices said Friday they will decide whether the Justice Department and abortion providers can sue in federal court over a law that Justice Sonia Sotomayor said was “enacted in open disregard of the constitutional rights of women seeking abortion care in Texas.”Answering that question will help determine whether the law should be blocked while legal challenges continue. The court is moving at an unusually fast pace that suggests it plans to make a decision quickly. Arguments are set for Nov. 1.The court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a85_5h25.pdf" target="_blank">action</a>&nbsp;leaves in place for the time being a law that clinics say has led to an 80% reduction in abortions in the nation’s second-largest state.The justices said in their order that they were deferring action on a request from the Justice Department to put the law on hold. Sotomayor wrote that she would have blocked the law now.“The promise of future adjudication offers cold comfort, however, for Texas women seeking abortion care, who are entitled to relief now,” Sotomayor wrote.Sotomayor was the only justice to make her views clear, but it seems there were not five votes on the nine-member court to immediately block the law Friday. It takes just four justices to decide to hear a case.The court first declined to block the law in September, in response to an emergency filing by the abortion providers. The vote was 5-4 vote, with the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joining two other conservatives in the majority. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Sotomayor and the other two liberal justices in voting to keep the law on hold while the legal fight goes on in lower courts.Now, though, the justices, in a rare move, have decided to weigh in before lower courts definitively decide the issues.Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, said she was happy the law remains in effect. “This is a great development for the Pro-Life movement because the law will continue to save an estimated 100 babies per day, and because the justices will actually discuss whether these lawsuits are valid in the first place,” Schwartz said in a statement.Amy Hagstrom Miller, the chief executive of Whole Woman’s Health, said Friday’s order means patients will continue to be denied care at her four clinics in Texas, on top of the hundreds who already have been turned away. Providers say the ability of Texas’ nearly two dozen clinics to stay open is threatened the longer the law stays in effect, although Hagstrom Miller said she was not aware of any imminent closures.But she said clinics are trying “to band together and get resources” to keep doors open. In 2013, another restrictive Texas anti-abortion law led to the closing of half the state’s 40-plus clinics. The Supreme Court ultimately struck down that law in 2016, but some clinics never reopened.“It’s a matter of time if this law continues to be enforced,” Hagstrom Miller said. “It will cause clinics to close and further decimate the fabric of care that is needed to take care of people across the state.”The law has been in effect since September, aside from a district court-ordered pause that lasted just 48 hours, and bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.That’s well before the Supreme Court’s major abortion decisions allow states to prohibit abortion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-15-week-ban-5d066a9dc0030a4f8297711f341c9f5a">although the court has agreed to hear an appeal from Mississippi asking it to overrule those decisions, in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey</a>.But the Texas law was written to evade early federal court review by putting enforcement of it into the hands of private citizens, rather than state officials.The focus of the high court arguments will not be on the abortion ban, but whether the Justice Department and the providers can sue and obtain a court order that effectively prevents the law from being enforced, the Supreme Court said in its brief order.If the law stays in effect, “no decision of this Court is safe. States need not comply with, or even challenge, precedents with which they disagree. They may simply outlaw the exercise of whatever rights they disfavor,” the Biden administration wrote in a brief filed earlier in the day.Other state-enforced bans on abortion before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks, have been blocked by courts because they conflict with Supreme Court precedents.“Texas should not obtain a different result simply by pairing its unconstitutional law with an unprecedented enforcement scheme designed to evade the traditional mechanisms for judicial review,” the administration wrote.A day earlier, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21A85/197064/20211021113524436_21A85_United%20States%20v.%20Texas_Opposition.pdf" target="_blank">state urged the court to leave the law in place</a>, saying the federal government lacked the authority to file its lawsuit challenging the Texas ban.The Justice Department filed suit over the law after the Supreme Court rejected the earlier effort by abortion providers to put the measure on hold temporarily.In early October, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled for the administration, putting the law on hold and allowing abortions to resume.Two days later, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the law back into effect.The court already is hearing arguments on Dec. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">the Mississippi case</a>&nbsp;in which that state is calling for the court to overrule the Roe and Casey decisions.___

Court fast tracks showdown on nation's most restrictive abortion law

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —A Salina man died in an accident just after 4:30p.m. Saturday in Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy Impala driven by&nbsp; Lance Michael Martin, 41, Salina, was&nbsp;was westbound on Kansas 156 just west of Avenue D.

The Chevy traveled across the center line and struck an eastbound 2012 Peterbilt semi driven by Kevin Lee Cooper, 49, Longview Washington.&nbsp; 

After the vehicles collided, the Peterbilt semi traveled back into the westbound lane and was struck by a 2007 Peterbilt semi driven by Michael John Campbell, 53, of Tescott.

Martin was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Parsons Funeral Home. Cooper was not transported for treatment. Campbell was not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —A Salina man died in an accident just after 4:30p.m. Saturday in Ellsworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy Impala driven by&nbsp; Lance Michael Martin, 41, Salina, was&nbsp;was westbound on Kansas 156 just west of Avenue D.The Chevy traveled across the center line and struck an eastbound 2012 Peterbilt semi driven by Kevin Lee Cooper, 49, Longview Washington.&nbsp; After the vehicles collided, the Peterbilt semi traveled back into the westbound lane and was struck by a 2007 Peterbilt semi driven by Michael John Campbell, 53, of Tescott.Martin was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Parsons Funeral Home. Cooper was not transported for treatment. Campbell was not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after 3-vehicle semi crash


HUTCHINSON — Despite the higher visibility of some school board races due to controversy over COVID response and what some may see as future threats in curriculum, from a fundamental standpoint, new school board members will walk in to a situation where the math problems may not change.

"It appears that the funding situation is relatively stable," said Mark Tallman with the Kansas Association of School Boards. "The system we're trying to have in place to do some things around looking at student learning, both measurements and supports are relatively stable, but that can change at any time and I guess that's the exciting thing about being part of this."

There are state issues that constrain local school board actions, to a point.

"By and large, how much money a district gets is determined by the state," Tallman said. "How we measure progress is often determined by the state. The framework of things like how you negotiate with teachers is an issue that will be coming up next spring for a lot of boards. Many new board members are not very familiar with this. It really is a balance between the powers you have that are very important, but also understanding the limits on those powers, that I think surprise many new board members."

In addition, because they are the appropriators, the legislature can pass bills to open or close the checkbook based on their political wants and needs and not those of a local district, but eventually, there is hope that local boards will be able to get back to some of the priorities they were working on before COVID challenged normal for a couple of years.

"We've had a lot of good achievements educationally," Tallman said. "We know that there are kids who still aren't getting to where we need to be and we know we're struggling with having people with the skills to do the things that we want done. Some of those efforts, I think, were really pushed out of the spotlight by the pandemic."

It's also still unknown exactly how much real learning loss there was as a result of COVID and what kinds of supports will even be possible to help patch that up, since schools are having just as hard a time hiring people as the rest of the economy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582221969260.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON — Despite the higher visibility of some school board races due to controversy over COVID response and what some may see as future threats in curriculum, from a fundamental standpoint, new school board members will walk in to a situation where the math problems may not change."It appears that the funding situation is relatively stable," said Mark Tallman with the Kansas Association of School Boards. "The system we're trying to have in place to do some things around looking at student learning, both measurements and supports are relatively stable, but that can change at any time and I guess that's the exciting thing about being part of this."There are state issues that constrain local school board actions, to a point."By and large, how much money a district gets is determined by the state," Tallman said. "How we measure progress is often determined by the state. The framework of things like how you negotiate with teachers is an issue that will be coming up next spring for a lot of boards. Many new board members are not very familiar with this. It really is a balance between the powers you have that are very important, but also understanding the limits on those powers, that I think surprise many new board members."In addition, because they are the appropriators, the legislature can pass bills to open or close the checkbook based on their political wants and needs and not those of a local district, but eventually, there is hope that local boards will be able to get back to some of the priorities they were working on before COVID challenged normal for a couple of years."We've had a lot of good achievements educationally," Tallman said. "We know that there are kids who still aren't getting to where we need to be and we know we're struggling with having people with the skills to do the things that we want done. Some of those efforts, I think, were really pushed out of the spotlight by the pandemic."It's also still unknown exactly how much real learning loss there was as a result of COVID and what kinds of supports will even be possible to help patch that up, since schools are having just as hard a time hiring people as the rest of the economy.

Tallman: Balance key for new school board members

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault and have a&nbsp; suspect in custody.

Just before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, police responded to a 911 call on N. Ash in Wichita, according to a media release.

 They contacted a female victim who reported being raped by an unknown man. The victim reported that she had been talking to the suspect online. 

After talking online, the suspect went to the victim's home. When the suspect arrived at the home, the victim realized it was not the person she thought she had been talking to. The suspect then entered her home and sexually assaulted her before leaving.

Officers identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jeffrey Scroggins. Officers located and took him into custody in the 1900 block of W. 35th Street South in Wichita.

 He was interviewed by Domestic Violence-Sex Crimes detectives and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail&nbsp;on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Rape.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634850741103.png" alt="Scroggins photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Scroggins photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault and have a&nbsp; suspect in custody.Just before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, police responded to a 911 call on N. Ash in Wichita, according to a media release. They contacted a female victim who reported being raped by an unknown man. The victim reported that she had been talking to the suspect online. After talking online, the suspect went to the victim's home. When the suspect arrived at the home, the victim realized it was not the person she thought she had been talking to. The suspect then entered her home and sexually assaulted her before leaving.Officers identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jeffrey Scroggins. Officers located and took him into custody in the 1900 block of W. 35th Street South in Wichita. He was interviewed by Domestic Violence-Sex Crimes detectives and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail&nbsp;on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Rape.

Rape arrest: After online chat man went to Kan. woman's home

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINA —Police arrested a Kansas man who had an active warrant after he was found hiding in a closet under some clothing.

Just before 10p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Baker Street for the report of a physical altercation, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

Officers were told that James Mallett III, 34, of Salina, was involved in the altercation. One of the officers knew that Mallett had an active probation violation warrant from Saline County District Court, Forrester said.

When officers arrived, Mallett opened the door inside a locked storm door. Officers asked Mallet to come outside, but he instead shut the door. Another resident allowed officers inside, and they located Mallett in a closet under some clothing, according to Forrester.

Mallett was arrested on the warrant and on a requested charge of felony interference with law enforcement officers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634906448286.jpeg" alt="James Mallett has three previous convictions for domestic battery over the past five years-photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>James Mallett has three previous convictions for domestic battery over the past five years-photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA —Police arrested a Kansas man who had an active warrant after he was found hiding in a closet under some clothing.Just before 10p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Baker Street for the report of a physical altercation, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.Officers were told that James Mallett III, 34, of Salina, was involved in the altercation. One of the officers knew that Mallett had an active probation violation warrant from Saline County District Court, Forrester said.When officers arrived, Mallett opened the door inside a locked storm door. Officers asked Mallet to come outside, but he instead shut the door. Another resident allowed officers inside, and they located Mallett in a closet under some clothing, according to Forrester.Mallett was arrested on the warrant and on a requested charge of felony interference with law enforcement officers.

Kan. man with domestic battery convictions found hiding in closet

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 8a.m. Friday, a sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on 118th Road west of US Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

After identifying that the driver’s license was suspended.  The deputy arrested the driver, Nicole Lynn Thompson, 30, of Holton. 

She is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634995653451.png" alt="Thompson-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Thompson-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just after 8a.m. Friday, a sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on 118th Road west of US Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.After identifying that the driver’s license was suspended. The deputy arrested the driver, Nicole Lynn Thompson, 30, of Holton. She is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.

Sheriff: Kan. woman had suspended license, was transporting drugs

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-10-25/how-a-meatpacking-plant-changed-one-kansas-town-40-years-ago-and-left-a-colorado-community-behind">Kansas News Service</a>

GARDEN CITY&nbsp;— Drivers approaching this cattle city on 
Kansas 156 watch as the scenery changes from a patchwork of southwest 
Kansas crop fields, pastures and feedlots to a collage of suburban 
sprawl.

The Home Depot stands next to the Dick’s Sporting Goods, 
which shares a parking lot with the Old Navy that just opened this 
summer.

Across the street, one of the town’s two Burger Kings 
serves up Whoppers in the shadow of the only Target store for a 
three-hour drive in any direction.

One hundred miles west, Russ Baldwin makes a left turn off Main Street into an empty parking lot in Lamar, Colorado.

“Behold: the former Burger King,” Baldwin said, lifting his hand from the steering wheel. “Home of the ex-Whopper.”

Plywood boards cover the drive-thru window. Next door, the old K-Mart sits vacant.

Within minutes, he drives past the airport that <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2014/02/07/more-on-the-cover-story-wayne-sidebar.html" target="_blank">lost its last commercial flight</a> in the early 2000s. Then the factory that used to be the town’s largest employer — until it abruptly shut down 15 years ago.

“That was pretty much the perfect storm,” Baldwin said. “You’re sitting there going, ‘What’s next, a locust invasion?’ ”

Just a few decades ago, the two outposts were basically Kansas and Colorado versions of each other. But in 1980, the <a href="https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/4939/research.pdf?sequence=3&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank">world’s largest meatpacking plant</a> opened on the outskirts of Garden City. Almost overnight, it became the fastest growing part of Kansas.

Thousands of new jobs. Billions of dollars in new industry. A boomtown in a region that has <a href="https://ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/popmax.pdf" target="_blank">lost residents</a> for generations.

The
 plant’s arrival marked a milestone for Garden City, making it the 
epicenter of the High Plains beef industry. And the city’s decision to 
open its doors to the thousands of immigrant and refugee workers who 
would accompany the plant has — at least so far — helped it escape the 
fate of the many surrounding towns that still see an unending exodus.&nbsp;

What’s more, the diverging trajectories of Garden City and Lamar over the past 40-some years offer a glimpse at the knife’s edge between prosperity and decline in rural America.

That’s because the town that Garden City beat out to win the meatpacking plant was Lamar.

Garden City and Lamar share the same 
river, the same highway, the same railroad line and the same Dust Bowl 
past. And through the 1960s, they were roughly the same size.

But the population of Finney County — home to Garden City — has <a href="https://ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/population.pdf" target="_blank">doubled</a> since 1970. It’s now over <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/finneycountykansas/PST045219" target="_blank">38,000</a>.

The number of people living in Prowers County — home to Lamar — has slowly <a href="https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-7.pdf" target="_blank">slipped</a> under <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/prowerscountycolorado" target="_blank">12,000</a>.

Larry
 Jones has watched the transformation of western Kansas’ largest city 
from his farm and cattle company that sits just outside of town.

“If you’d been here 20 years ago and looked at it,” he said, “you wouldn't recognize the town.”

Next
 door to Jones’ milo field sits the giant, boxy structure that 
resuscitated Garden City: Tyson Foods’ Finney County beef plant. Inside,
 more than 3,000 workers — most of them immigrants and refugees — 
butcher <a href="https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/22036-the-smoldering-impact-of-tyson-holcomb-fire" target="_blank">6,000 head of cattle</a> every day.

So what made Garden City and Lamar the two finalists to win this sprawling slaughterhouse in the first place?

As often happens on the High Plains, it comes back to water.

Meatpacking
 plants historically operated in urban centers, such as Kansas City and 
Chicago. But in the 1960s, packers began to build plants in the 
countryside — away from big city unions and closer to cattle and the 
grain that fattens them through the last few months of their lives.

Around
 that same time, the number of water wells drilled into the Ogallala 
Aquifer underneath this region skyrocketed. Those wells plus new center 
pivot irrigation technology allowed farmers to grow more water-intensive
 crops in places that get hardly any rain.

It created an ecosystem. The aquifer waters the corn. The corn feeds the cows. The cows supply the meatpackers.

“The
 way to add value to grain is to put it in an animal,” Don Stull said. 
”And the way to add value to an animal is to slaughter it.”

Stull has <a href="http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/conferen/kepc11/HarvestofChange.pdf" target="_blank">tracked</a> the beef industry’s impact on Garden City for more than three decades as a University of Kansas professor and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Blues-Poultry-Industry-Contemporary/dp/1111828784" target="_blank">author</a>.
 He calls it the first of rural America’s food-processing boomtowns — 
quickly transforming from what he described as a white agrarian 
community in 1980 to one of the <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/kansas-population-change-between-census-decade.html" target="_blank">most diverse</a> places in Kansas.

Yet
 the city’s metamorphosis came with growing pains. Rapid expansion 
brought plenty of challenges that it’s still dealing with, like strains 
on housing, health care, education and social services. And because many
 of the plant workers were, and are, immigrants and refugees, the type 
of growth the city experienced also worried some white residents.

“But if you ask anybody,” Stull said, “they'd rather have the problems of growth than the problems of decline.”

That’s
 why local leaders pushed hard to land the plant four decades ago — 
offering a “better package” than Lamar, Stull said — to help secure the 
town’s future economically. And so far, it has.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635186722644.png" alt="Local officials and meatpacking executives shovel dirt at the groundbreaking of the meatpacking plant just outside Garden City in 1979. Finney County Historical Society" />
 <figcaption>Local officials and meatpacking executives shovel dirt at the groundbreaking of the meatpacking plant just outside Garden City in 1979. Finney County Historical Society</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-10-25/how-a-meatpacking-plant-changed-one-kansas-town-40-years-ago-and-left-a-colorado-community-behind">Kansas News Service</a>GARDEN CITY&nbsp;— Drivers approaching this cattle city on 
Kansas 156 watch as the scenery changes from a patchwork of southwest 
Kansas crop fields, pastures and feedlots to a collage of suburban 
sprawl.The Home Depot stands next to the Dick’s Sporting Goods, 
which shares a parking lot with the Old Navy that just opened this 
summer.Across the street, one of the town’s two Burger Kings 
serves up Whoppers in the shadow of the only Target store for a 
three-hour drive in any direction.One hundred miles west, Russ Baldwin makes a left turn off Main Street into an empty parking lot in Lamar, Colorado.“Behold: the former Burger King,” Baldwin said, lifting his hand from the steering wheel. “Home of the ex-Whopper.”Plywood boards cover the drive-thru window. Next door, the old K-Mart sits vacant.Within minutes, he drives past the airport that <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2014/02/07/more-on-the-cover-story-wayne-sidebar.html" target="_blank">lost its last commercial flight</a> in the early 2000s. Then the factory that used to be the town’s largest employer — until it abruptly shut down 15 years ago.“That was pretty much the perfect storm,” Baldwin said. “You’re sitting there going, ‘What’s next, a locust invasion?’ ”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635186799155.png" alt="Lamar (left) has seen some of its businesses, like this Burger King, close over the past two decades. Garden City's Burger King (right) stands in the middle of the city's growing retail district, next to the region's only Target store. David Condos" />
 <figcaption>Lamar (left) has seen some of its businesses, like this Burger King, close over the past two decades. Garden City's Burger King (right) stands in the middle of the city's growing retail district, next to the region's only Target store. David Condos</figcaption>
 </figure>Just a few decades ago, the two outposts were basically Kansas and Colorado versions of each other. But in 1980, the <a href="https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/4939/research.pdf?sequence=3&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank">world’s largest meatpacking plant</a> opened on the outskirts of Garden City. Almost overnight, it became the fastest growing part of Kansas.Thousands of new jobs. Billions of dollars in new industry. A boomtown in a region that has <a href="https://ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/popmax.pdf" target="_blank">lost residents</a> for generations.The
 plant’s arrival marked a milestone for Garden City, making it the 
epicenter of the High Plains beef industry. And the city’s decision to 
open its doors to the thousands of immigrant and refugee workers who 
would accompany the plant has — at least so far — helped it escape the 
fate of the many surrounding towns that still see an unending exodus.&nbsp;What’s more, the diverging trajectories of Garden City and Lamar over the past 40-some years offer a glimpse at the knife’s edge between prosperity and decline in rural America.That’s because the town that Garden City beat out to win the meatpacking plant was Lamar.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635186831709.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Fork in the road</h2>Garden City and Lamar share the same 
river, the same highway, the same railroad line and the same Dust Bowl 
past. And through the 1960s, they were roughly the same size.But the population of Finney County — home to Garden City — has <a href="https://ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/population.pdf" target="_blank">doubled</a> since 1970. It’s now over <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/finneycountykansas/PST045219" target="_blank">38,000</a>.The number of people living in Prowers County — home to Lamar — has slowly <a href="https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-7.pdf" target="_blank">slipped</a> under <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/prowerscountycolorado" target="_blank">12,000</a>.Larry
 Jones has watched the transformation of western Kansas’ largest city 
from his farm and cattle company that sits just outside of town.“If you’d been here 20 years ago and looked at it,” he said, “you wouldn't recognize the town.”Next
 door to Jones’ milo field sits the giant, boxy structure that 
resuscitated Garden City: Tyson Foods’ Finney County beef plant. Inside,
 more than 3,000 workers — most of them immigrants and refugees — 
butcher <a href="https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/22036-the-smoldering-impact-of-tyson-holcomb-fire" target="_blank">6,000 head of cattle</a> every day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635186871760.png" alt="Larry Jones' farm is so close to the Tyson Foods' meatpacking plant that beef trucks often take wrong turns into his fields. The plant can be seen in the distance over his right shoulder. David Condos" />
 <figcaption>Larry Jones' farm is so close to the Tyson Foods' meatpacking plant that beef trucks often take wrong turns into his fields. The plant can be seen in the distance over his right shoulder. David Condos</figcaption>
 </figure>So what made Garden City and Lamar the two finalists to win this sprawling slaughterhouse in the first place?As often happens on the High Plains, it comes back to water.Meatpacking
 plants historically operated in urban centers, such as Kansas City and 
Chicago. But in the 1960s, packers began to build plants in the 
countryside — away from big city unions and closer to cattle and the 
grain that fattens them through the last few months of their lives.Around
 that same time, the number of water wells drilled into the Ogallala 
Aquifer underneath this region skyrocketed. Those wells plus new center 
pivot irrigation technology allowed farmers to grow more water-intensive
 crops in places that get hardly any rain.It created an ecosystem. The aquifer waters the corn. The corn feeds the cows. The cows supply the meatpackers.“The
 way to add value to grain is to put it in an animal,” Don Stull said. 
”And the way to add value to an animal is to slaughter it.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635186911563.png" alt="In this photo from 1990, two meatpacking workers trim beef carcasses inside the plant near Garden City. Finney County Historical Society" />
 <figcaption>In this photo from 1990, two meatpacking workers trim beef carcasses inside the plant near Garden City. Finney County Historical Society</figcaption>
 </figure>Stull has <a href="http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/conferen/kepc11/HarvestofChange.pdf" target="_blank">tracked</a> the beef industry’s impact on Garden City for more than three decades as a University of Kansas professor and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Blues-Poultry-Industry-Contemporary/dp/1111828784" target="_blank">author</a>.
 He calls it the first of rural America’s food-processing boomtowns — 
quickly transforming from what he described as a white agrarian 
community in 1980 to one of the <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/kansas-population-change-between-census-decade.html" target="_blank">most diverse</a> places in Kansas.Yet
 the city’s metamorphosis came with growing pains. Rapid expansion 
brought plenty of challenges that it’s still dealing with, like strains 
on housing, health care, education and social services. And because many
 of the plant workers were, and are, immigrants and refugees, the type 
of growth the city experienced also worried some white residents.“But if you ask anybody,” Stull said, “they'd rather have the problems of growth than the problems of decline.”That’s
 why local leaders pushed hard to land the plant four decades ago — 
offering a “better package” than Lamar, Stull said — to help secure the 
town’s future economically. And so far, it has.The beef industry now pumps around <a href="https://agriculture.ks.gov/economic-development-statistics/county-statistics-(a-h)/finney-county" target="_blank">$2 billion</a> into the county’s economy each year. The city has parlayed its growth into becoming the <a href="https://www.garden-city.org/home/showdocument?id=62" target="_blank">region’s retail hub</a>, regularly drawing shoppers from more than 100 miles away — including many from Lamar.So what would Garden City look like today if the plant had been built somewhere else?“Well,” Stull said, “look at Lamar.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635186977245.png" alt="The population of Garden City's county has doubled since 1970 to more than 38,000. But the number of people living in Lamar's county has slipped under 12,000. David Condos" />
 <figcaption>The population of Garden City's county has doubled since 1970 to more than 38,000. But the number of people living in Lamar's county has slipped under 12,000. David Condos</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The other side</h2>Russ Baldwin moved to Lamar the same year the meatpacking plant opened in Garden City. He now runs the local weekly newspaper.As
 he ends his driving tour of shuttered businesses, he rolls to a stop in
 a parking lot on the east edge of town. Weeds grow high along the 
cracks in the pavement.The four-story building on the other side of a chain-link fence used to house a German <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/25/us/colorado-town-looks-to-better-days-with-a-german-bus-factory.html" target="_blank">bus manufacturer</a>. At its peak, it had roughly 600 people on the payroll. In 2006, it laid off the last 300.“There
 were no more paychecks. Things were not being bought at grocery 
stores,” Baldwin said. “People were scrambling, and there just wasn't 
another job.”Between 2000 and 2020, Lamar’s county lost 17% of its population.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635187023255.png" alt="This building used to be home to Lamar's Neoplan bus manufacturing plant before it laid off its last 300 workers in 2006. David Condos" />
 <figcaption>This building used to be home to Lamar's Neoplan bus manufacturing plant before it laid off its last 300 workers in 2006. David Condos</figcaption>
 </figure>It’s a vicious cycle that’s repeated across rural America. Having 
fewer jobs and businesses makes it hard for towns to attract and retain 
residents. Having fewer residents makes it hard for towns to get and 
keep jobs and businesses.Today, Baldwin described Lamar as a mix 
of people who want to help turn things around for the town and those who
 still cling to the fading memory of what the town used to be.“There’s
 an element in town that reveres the status quo and doesn’t really want 
to see too much change,” he said. “But you can’t stop change, I don’t 
care how hard you try.”<h2>‘Hindsight’s always 20/20’</h2>Stephanie Gonzales wants to change that outlook. She heads the regional economic development organization, <a href="https://www.seced.net/mission.html" target="_blank">SECED</a>, that tries to tempt employers to move to town.“We have wide-open spaces, so lots of places to put a business,” she said. “You can’t beat rural America.”She
 grew up in Lamar in the 1980s. Her parents, brothers, uncles and 
cousins were among those laid off from the bus-making plant.&nbsp;Fifteen
 years later, she said Lamar now fights the perception that the town 
doesn’t have enough people to make it worthwhile for businesses to set 
up shop there.Meanwhile, residents often drive over an hour to shop in Garden City, essentially dooming the few businesses left in Lamar.“The
 growth that (Garden City has) experienced, could have ... really 
benefited Lamar,” Gonzales said, “had there been maybe some different 
mentality at the time.”That mentality was a fear of change. Some 
people in Lamar were worried about the influx of immigrant and refugee 
workers. She said that kept Lamar from pushing harder to try to get the 
plant.“We should have welcomed the diverse numbers of people,” she said. “that would have been employed in a facility like that.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635187070106.png" alt="An old convenience store sign on Lamar's Main Street misses some letters it has lost over the years. David Condos" />
 <figcaption>An old convenience store sign on Lamar's Main Street misses some letters it has lost over the years. David Condos</figcaption>
 </figure>County Commissioner Ron Cook said Lamar has missed out on several 
opportunities over the years — in addition to the meatpacking plant — 
because of those fears. So the town has had to adjust.“We’ve
 learned. We’re more open to diversity and changing things in the 
county,” Cook said. “I wish they were possibly a little more open with 
that back in the day.”Lamar has seen some modest successes. A couple of data and call centers have relocated to town recently. A new $500,000 <a href="https://theprowersjournal.com/2021/09/fall-sod-covering-escondido-park-for-2022/" target="_blank">sports complex</a> plans to open early next spring. Residents will soon <a href="https://theprowersjournal.com/2021/07/lamar-marijuana-ballot-questions-approved-on-first-reading/" target="_blank">decide</a> if Lamar will join Colorado’s lucrative recreational marijuana market.But Wendy Buxton-Andrade, another county commissioner, said the loss of the meatpacking plant continues to haunt Lamar.“Forty years later, hindsight’s always 20/20,” Buxton-Andrade said. “It’s a shame. … We missed a huge opportunity.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635187098980.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>County Commissioner Ron Cook said Lamar has missed out on several 
opportunities over the years — in addition to the meatpacking plant — 
because of those fears. So the town has had to adjust.“We’ve
 learned. We’re more open to diversity and changing things in the 
county,” Cook said. “I wish they were possibly a little more open with 
that back in the day.”Lamar has seen some modest successes. A couple of data and call centers have relocated to town recently. A new $500,000 <a href="https://theprowersjournal.com/2021/09/fall-sod-covering-escondido-park-for-2022/" target="_blank">sports complex</a> plans to open early next spring. Residents will soon <a href="https://theprowersjournal.com/2021/07/lamar-marijuana-ballot-questions-approved-on-first-reading/" target="_blank">decide</a> if Lamar will join Colorado’s lucrative recreational marijuana market.But Wendy Buxton-Andrade, another county commissioner, said the loss of the meatpacking plant continues to haunt Lamar.“Forty years later, hindsight’s always 20/20,” Buxton-Andrade said. “It’s a shame. … We missed a huge opportunity.”<h2>Going bust</h2>Yet in the High Plains, prosperity is no given — even for Garden City.“If the Tyson plant were to close tomorrow,” said Stull, the KU professor, “Garden City would be in a world of hurt.”It won’t close tomorrow. But Stull said it’s just a matter of time before this boomtown goes bust.The end will come when the water — it’s irrigating those crops that 
feed the cows that end up in the giant slaughterhouses — runs out. Some 
meatpacking plants have <a href="https://www.manufacturing.net/operations/news/13173458/meatpackers-close-with-fewer-us-cows" target="_blank">already moved out</a> of the southern High Plains in search of <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/121558/what-climate-change-doing-texas-cattle-ranch" target="_blank">more reliable water</a> sources.And eventually — likely <a href="http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic18/" target="_blank">just decades</a> from now — the Ogallala Aquifer under southwest Kansas will go dry, parching Garden City’s beef industry along with it.“Unless
 something can be done to turn that trend around,” Stull said, 
“ultimately, western Kansas will look like eastern Colorado.”David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.