Shelly Beth Shelton, 71, returned home to the heavenly Father and 
took her place once again by her husband on February 23, 2023, in 
Salina. She was born on April 28, 1951, to Ivan S. &amp; Betty (Eastes) 
Freeman. She married her one true love, Douglas Shelton on January 16, 
1970, in Great Bend. He died October 17, 2014.

A long time Great Bend resident, Shelly was the office manager of 
Farley Machine Works until her retirement in 2014 to be by Doug’s side 
during his illness. She also had previously worked for Sunflower 
Diversified Services and Tomlinson Oil Company. Family and her love for 
them were most important to her. Next was her love for animals. Shelly 
always had a houseful and room for more.

Survivors include her son, Jason Shelton and wife Jenny, of Stafford;
 her daughter, Tasha Di Loreto and husband, Dan, of Salina; seven 
grandchildren, Austin McGinnes of Hutchinson, Jarod Shelton of Stafford,
 Jena Shelton of Stafford, McKenzie Green of Wichita, Lexus Di Loreto of
 Salina, Trista Shelton of Stafford and Danny Di Loreto of Salina; and 
four great-grandchildren, Jensyn and Caisyn Smith, Aidyn McGinnes, and 
Hadley Green, with another great-grandchild on the way. Also surviving 
her are her sisters-in-law, Melody Cell, Rhonda Shelton, and Sharon 
Wondra, and husband Harold, all of Great Bend and Michelle Shelton of 
Salina; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in 
death by her parents; and her husband, Doug Shelton.

Visitation will be held from Noon to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 28,
 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 5:00 
to 7:00 p.m. Graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, 
March 1, 2023, at the Great Bend Cemetery, with Pastor Tom Swain 
presiding. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been designated to the Camp
 Discovery &amp; Sweet Betes Kansas, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677347343634.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shelly Beth Shelton, 71, returned home to the heavenly Father and 
took her place once again by her husband on February 23, 2023, in 
Salina. She was born on April 28, 1951, to Ivan S. &amp; Betty (Eastes) 
Freeman. She married her one true love, Douglas Shelton on January 16, 
1970, in Great Bend. He died October 17, 2014.A long time Great Bend resident, Shelly was the office manager of 
Farley Machine Works until her retirement in 2014 to be by Doug’s side 
during his illness. She also had previously worked for Sunflower 
Diversified Services and Tomlinson Oil Company. Family and her love for 
them were most important to her. Next was her love for animals. Shelly 
always had a houseful and room for more.Survivors include her son, Jason Shelton and wife Jenny, of Stafford;
 her daughter, Tasha Di Loreto and husband, Dan, of Salina; seven 
grandchildren, Austin McGinnes of Hutchinson, Jarod Shelton of Stafford,
 Jena Shelton of Stafford, McKenzie Green of Wichita, Lexus Di Loreto of
 Salina, Trista Shelton of Stafford and Danny Di Loreto of Salina; and 
four great-grandchildren, Jensyn and Caisyn Smith, Aidyn McGinnes, and 
Hadley Green, with another great-grandchild on the way. Also surviving 
her are her sisters-in-law, Melody Cell, Rhonda Shelton, and Sharon 
Wondra, and husband Harold, all of Great Bend and Michelle Shelton of 
Salina; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in 
death by her parents; and her husband, Doug Shelton.Visitation will be held from Noon to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 28,
 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 5:00 
to 7:00 p.m. Graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, 
March 1, 2023, at the Great Bend Cemetery, with Pastor Tom Swain 
presiding. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been designated to the Camp
 Discovery &amp; Sweet Betes Kansas, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Shelly Beth Shelton

Leona Helen Boor, 89, Hays, died Thursday, February 23, 2023, at her home.

She was born September 24, 1933, in 
Hoxie, the daughter of William and Louise (Gaede) Rall.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona graduated
 from Hoxie High School, and on October 8, 1951, she was united in 
marriage to Harold G. Boor in Grinnell.&nbsp;&nbsp;They celebrated 63 years of 
marriage before he preceded her in death on January 25, 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was
 a devout member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church where she 
served as a Eucharistic Minister, helped with funeral dinners, and was a
 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Adorer. &nbsp;She was also a member&nbsp;of 
Christian Mothers, Daughters of Isabella Circle #254, and the Extension 
Homemakers Unit.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was employed at Travenol and St. John’s Nursing 
Home, and a volunteer worker at the Community Assistance Center. &nbsp;She 
was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker, and enjoyed sewing, 
gardening, and crafting.

Survivors include two sons: Doug Boor 
and wife Joyce of Hutchinson, Stan Boor and wife Cindy of Hays, two 
daughters: Cheryl Grabbe and husband Richard of Overland Park, Missy 
Gollhofer and husband Phil of Fort Worth, TX, two brothers: Kurt and 
Gaeheart Rall, 14 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and numerous 
nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Harold, a son: Harlan Boor, a step grandson: Aaron 
Koehn, six brothers: Ted, Ervin, Bob, Bill, Elmer, and Lorenz, and five 
sisters: Rose, Wilma, Louise, Mary, and Helen.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 
10:00 am on Monday, February 27, 2023, at Immaculate Heart of Mary 
Catholic Church, with Fr. Nick Parker officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Burial will follow 
in St. Joseph Cemetery.&nbsp;&nbsp;Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 on 
Sunday, and from 9:00 am until 9:45 on Monday, all at Hays Memorial 
Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;A combined Daughters of Isabella and Perpetual 
Eucharistic Adoration Adorers rosary will be at 5:30 pm followed by a 
vigil service at 7:15 pm, all on Sunday at the funeral home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Memorials 
are suggested and payable to Hospice of HaysMed, Immaculate Heart of 
Mary Church, or for masses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Condolences and memories of Leona may be 
shared with her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677246979959.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Leona Helen Boor, 89, Hays, died Thursday, February 23, 2023, at her home.She was born September 24, 1933, in 
Hoxie, the daughter of William and Louise (Gaede) Rall.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona graduated
 from Hoxie High School, and on October 8, 1951, she was united in 
marriage to Harold G. Boor in Grinnell.&nbsp;&nbsp;They celebrated 63 years of 
marriage before he preceded her in death on January 25, 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was
 a devout member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church where she 
served as a Eucharistic Minister, helped with funeral dinners, and was a
 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Adorer. &nbsp;She was also a member&nbsp;of 
Christian Mothers, Daughters of Isabella Circle #254, and the Extension 
Homemakers Unit.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was employed at Travenol and St. John’s Nursing 
Home, and a volunteer worker at the Community Assistance Center. &nbsp;She 
was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker, and enjoyed sewing, 
gardening, and crafting.Survivors include two sons: Doug Boor 
and wife Joyce of Hutchinson, Stan Boor and wife Cindy of Hays, two 
daughters: Cheryl Grabbe and husband Richard of Overland Park, Missy 
Gollhofer and husband Phil of Fort Worth, TX, two brothers: Kurt and 
Gaeheart Rall, 14 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and numerous 
nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Harold, a son: Harlan Boor, a step grandson: Aaron 
Koehn, six brothers: Ted, Ervin, Bob, Bill, Elmer, and Lorenz, and five 
sisters: Rose, Wilma, Louise, Mary, and Helen.Mass of Christian Burial will be at 
10:00 am on Monday, February 27, 2023, at Immaculate Heart of Mary 
Catholic Church, with Fr. Nick Parker officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Burial will follow 
in St. Joseph Cemetery.&nbsp;&nbsp;Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 on 
Sunday, and from 9:00 am until 9:45 on Monday, all at Hays Memorial 
Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;A combined Daughters of Isabella and Perpetual 
Eucharistic Adoration Adorers rosary will be at 5:30 pm followed by a 
vigil service at 7:15 pm, all on Sunday at the funeral home.&nbsp;&nbsp;Memorials 
are suggested and payable to Hospice of HaysMed, Immaculate Heart of 
Mary Church, or for masses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Condolences and memories of Leona may be 
shared with her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

Leona Helen Boor

Donna Rae Crist passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at the Phillips County Hospital, Phillipsburg, at the age of 85.

She was born on October 10, 1937, in Belleville, KS the daughter of Clarence A. “Abbie” and Fannie (Bates) Williams.

On October 10, 1953, in Phillipsburg, KS, she was united in marriage 
to Garth Junior Crist.&nbsp; The couple was blessed with two sons, Mark and 
Daniel “D.C."

Donna was a homemaker.&nbsp; She and Garth could be found most evenings 
watching the world pass by at the square in Phillipsburg.&nbsp; She was known
 as a jokester to friends and family and was always looking for a way to
 put a smile on your face.&nbsp; Her grandchildren were her greatest pride 
and joy.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Wayne, Dennis, 
Bob, and Norman Williams; sister Nancy Banks; and her husband Garth in 
1996.

Survivors include her sons Mark and wife JoAnn of McPherson and D.C. 
and wife Pam of Phillipsburg; 5 grandchildren: Renee Anderson and 
husband Mark, Erica Matyak and husband Luke, Travis Crist and wife 
Megan, Lucas Crist and wife Addie, and Tanner Crist and fiancé Rylea 
Rains; 5 great grandchildren; sister Catherine Derowitsch of Belleville,
 KS; and 3 sisters-in-law Alma Williams of Sedgwick, KS, Virginia 
Williams of Belleville, KS, and Carol Williams of Derby, KS.

Those that knew Donna, knew her faith in God was abundant, and her 
memory will be carried on through her children, grandchildren, 
great-grandchildren, and the many, many people whose lives she touched.

Cremation is planned.&nbsp; Services are pending.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Logan Manor c/o Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677180145186.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Donna Rae Crist passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at the Phillips County Hospital, Phillipsburg, at the age of 85.She was born on October 10, 1937, in Belleville, KS the daughter of Clarence A. “Abbie” and Fannie (Bates) Williams.On October 10, 1953, in Phillipsburg, KS, she was united in marriage 
to Garth Junior Crist.&nbsp; The couple was blessed with two sons, Mark and 
Daniel “D.C."Donna was a homemaker.&nbsp; She and Garth could be found most evenings 
watching the world pass by at the square in Phillipsburg.&nbsp; She was known
 as a jokester to friends and family and was always looking for a way to
 put a smile on your face.&nbsp; Her grandchildren were her greatest pride 
and joy.She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Wayne, Dennis, 
Bob, and Norman Williams; sister Nancy Banks; and her husband Garth in 
1996.Survivors include her sons Mark and wife JoAnn of McPherson and D.C. 
and wife Pam of Phillipsburg; 5 grandchildren: Renee Anderson and 
husband Mark, Erica Matyak and husband Luke, Travis Crist and wife 
Megan, Lucas Crist and wife Addie, and Tanner Crist and fiancé Rylea 
Rains; 5 great grandchildren; sister Catherine Derowitsch of Belleville,
 KS; and 3 sisters-in-law Alma Williams of Sedgwick, KS, Virginia 
Williams of Belleville, KS, and Carol Williams of Derby, KS.Those that knew Donna, knew her faith in God was abundant, and her 
memory will be carried on through her children, grandchildren, 
great-grandchildren, and the many, many people whose lives she touched.Cremation is planned.&nbsp; Services are pending.Memorial contributions may be made to the Logan Manor c/o Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.

Donna Rae Crist

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, China is offering a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.

<a href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/202302/t20230224_11030713.html">Click here to read</a> the proposal

The proposal follows China's recent announcement that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-united-states-government-qin-gang-dc73aa6268321fa5722db4eb067b4209">trying to act as mediator</a>&nbsp;in the war that has re-energized Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China's top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.

With its release, President Xi Jinping's government is reiterating China's claim to being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion. The document echoes Russian claims that Western governments are to blame for the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion and criticizes sanctions on Russia.

At the Munich meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed skepticism about Beijing's position before the plan's release. He said China has provided non-lethal assistance that supports Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort and said the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-antony-blinken-xi-jinping-4501b49359d73b6efbac87b2af54f189">has intelligence</a>&nbsp;that Beijing is “considering providing lethal support.” China has called the allegation a “smear” and said it lacks evidence.

China’s proposal calls for a cease-fire and peace talks, and an end to sanctions against Russia.

China placed responsibility for sanctions on other “relevant countries” without naming them. These countries, it says, “should stop abusing unilateral sanctions” and “do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis.”

Many of the 12 points were very general and did not contain specific proposals.

Without mentioning either Russia or Ukraine, it says sovereignty of all countries should be upheld. It didn't specify what that would look like for Ukraine, and the land taken from it since Russia seized Crimea in 2014.

The proposal also condemns a “Cold War mentality,” a term that often refers to the United States and the U.S.-European military alliance NATO. “The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” the proposal says. Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded a promise that Ukraine will not join the bloc before the invasion.

Other points call for a cease-fire, peace talks, protection for prisoners of war and stopping attacks on civilians, without elaborating, as well as keeping nuclear power plants safe and facilitating grain exports.

“The basic tone and the fundamental message in the policy is quite pro-Russia,” said Li Mingjiang, a professor of Chinese foreign policy and international security at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

DOES CHINA BACK RUSSIA IN ITS WAR ON UKRAINE?

China has offered contradictory statements regarding its stance. It says Russia was provoked into taking action by NATO’s eastward expansion, but has also claimed neutrality on the war.

Ahead of Russia's attack, Xi and Putin attended the opening of last year's Winter Olympics in Beijing and issued a statement that their governments had a “no limits” friendship. China has since ignored Western criticism and reaffirmed that pledge.

Putin has said he expects Xi to visit Russia in the next few months. China has yet to confirm that.

China is “trying to have it both ways,” Blinken said Sunday on NBC.

“Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine, but privately, as I said, we’ve seen already over these past months the provision of non-lethal assistance that does go directly to aiding and abetting Russia’s war effort.”

China’s support for Russia has been largely rhetorical and political. Beijing has helped to prevent efforts to condemn Moscow at the United Nations. There is no public evidence it is currently supplying arms to Russia, but the U.S. has said China is providing non-lethal support already and may do more.

Blinken, at the Munich conference, said the United States has long been concerned that China would provide weapons to Russia. “We have information that gives us concern that they are considering providing lethal support to Russia,” he said.

Blinken said he expressed to the Chinese envoy to the meeting, Wang Yi, that “this would be a serious problem.”

NATO's chief said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-politics-jens-stoltenberg-e8874580698b31cdfac96a60f13eef5b">he had seen some signs that</a>&nbsp;China may be ready to provide arms and warned that would be it would be supporting a violation of international law.

Russian and Chinese forces have held joint drills since the invasion, most recently with the South African navy in a shipping lane off the South African coast.

Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed doubt about China's willingness to send lethal aid to Russia.

“I think that if China will help them … it will not (be) weaponry. It will (be) some kinds of like clothes,” Reznikov said in Kyiv Monday.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution Thursday that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces, sending a strong message on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion that Moscow's aggression must stop.

The resolution, drafted by Ukraine in consultation with its allies, passed 141-7, with 32 abstentions.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the vote was more evidence that not only the West backs his country.

“This vote defies the argument that the global south does not stand on Ukraine’s side," Kuleba said. "Many countries representing Latin America, Africa, Asia voted in favor.”

The General Assembly has become the most important U.N. body dealing with Ukraine because the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, is paralyzed by Russia’s veto power. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, unlike Security Council resolutions, but serve as a barometer of world opinion.

The seven countries voting against Thursday's resolution were Belarus, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Mali, which has developed close military ties with Russia. Amendments proposed by Belarus would have weakened or stripped much of the language but were resoundingly defeated.

The vote was slightly below the highest total for the five previous resolutions approved by the 193-member world body since Russia sent troops and tanks across the border into its smaller neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. That tally, in an October resolution against Russia’s illegal annexations, won approval by 143 countries.

Foreign ministers and diplomats from more than 75 countries addressed the assembly during two days of debate, with many urging support for the resolution that upholds Ukraine’s territorial integrity, a basic principle of the U.N. Charter that all countries must subscribe to when they join the world organization.

The war has killed tens of thousands on both sides and has reduced entire Ukrainian cities to ruins and its impact has been felt worldwide in higher food and fuel costs and rising inflation.

Venezuela’s deputy ambassador addressed the council on behalf of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous resolutions on Ukraine: Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Laos, Mali, Nicaragua, North Korea, St. Vincent, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

While other countries focused on Russia’s actions, Venezuelan Deputy Ambassador Joaquín Pérez Ayestarán said Wednesday that all countries without exception “must stringently comply with the United Nations Charter,” a barely veiled dig at an international order long dominated by the U.S. and Europe, and at what some call violations of the charter.

Ayestarán said the countries in his group were against what he called divisive action in the General Assembly, and for “a spirit of compromise.”

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters that the aggressor and the victim can’t be put on equal footing.

“Russia has not sent any positive signal of any minimum willingness to work for a peace,” Borrell said. Instead, Russia is intensifying attacks, firing 50,000 rounds every day, and has put 300,000 soldiers on the front lines, double the 150,000 it massed before the invasion, he said.

Facing this reality, Borrell said, the EU and the West have to support Ukraine militarily, impose sanctions on Russia, and try to isolate Moscow diplomatically which is what Kyiv’s supporters are trying to do at the United Nations this week.

China’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dai Bing, told the assembly Thursday: “We support Russia and Ukraine in moving towards each other. ... The international community should make joint efforts to facilitate peace talks.”

China says it is neutral in the conflict and an advocate of peace talks, but has not criticized the invasion or described it as such. Beijing has condemned the U.S. and its allies over sanctions on Moscow and military assistance to Ukraine. China and Russia have increasingly aligned their foreign policies to oppose the U.S.-led international order.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed the strength of those ties when he met Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow this week.

More broadly, Russia and Ukraine have been trying to win support from around the world.

The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, spoke Tuesday about the U.N. resolution with India's national security adviser because “Ukraine is interested in the broadest possible support for the resolution, in particular from the countries of the global south,” a statement from Zelenskyy’s office said.

India had a Cold War dependence on the Soviet Union and has abstained several times from voting on U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that Russia cease its invasion.

Less-powerful countries, including many in Africa, also have been caught up in the diplomatic wrangling.

“We were colonized, and we forgive those who colonized us. Now the colonizers are asking us to be enemies with Russia, who never colonized us; is that fair?” Uganda’s foreign minister, Abubaker Jeje Odongo, told the Sputnik news agency this month.

Russia is Africa’s top arms supplier and Odongo also noted that most of his country’s military equipment is Russian-made.

“Countries in Africa have traditionally been attached in the Cold War division to the Soviet Union, having the old nostalgia, but also Russia has good tools, how to motivate them to be on their side,” Slovak Foreign Minister Rastislav Káčer told reporters in New York on Thursday. “And then there are others, like China, who are big powers, and are very carefully following what’s going on, and calculating what’s good for them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677205747640.png" alt="China abstained Thursday when the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-china-united-nations-6965d19c953c2f6e45f483c1dfe04a7f">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;approved a nonbinding resolution that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. It is one of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous U.N. resolutions on Ukraine." />
 <figcaption>China abstained Thursday when the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-china-united-nations-6965d19c953c2f6e45f483c1dfe04a7f">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;approved a nonbinding resolution that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. It is one of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous U.N. resolutions on Ukraine.</figcaption>
 </figure>TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, China is offering a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.<a href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/202302/t20230224_11030713.html">Click here to read</a> the proposalThe proposal follows China's recent announcement that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-united-states-government-qin-gang-dc73aa6268321fa5722db4eb067b4209">trying to act as mediator</a>&nbsp;in the war that has re-energized Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China's top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.With its release, President Xi Jinping's government is reiterating China's claim to being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion. The document echoes Russian claims that Western governments are to blame for the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion and criticizes sanctions on Russia.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The General Assembly has called for an end to the war in Ukraine and demanded Russia’s immediate withdrawal from the country, in line with the UN Charter. The special <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA</a> session comes one year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. <a href="https://t.co/HTW3SeutBj">https://t.co/HTW3SeutBj</a> <a href="https://t.co/HGIkLIE0Hq">pic.twitter.com/HGIkLIE0Hq</a>&mdash; United Nations (@UN) <a href="https://twitter.com/UN/status/1628892411345661955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>At the Munich meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed skepticism about Beijing's position before the plan's release. He said China has provided non-lethal assistance that supports Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort and said the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-antony-blinken-xi-jinping-4501b49359d73b6efbac87b2af54f189">has intelligence</a>&nbsp;that Beijing is “considering providing lethal support.” China has called the allegation a “smear” and said it lacks evidence.WHAT HAS CHINA PROPOSED?China’s proposal calls for a cease-fire and peace talks, and an end to sanctions against Russia.China placed responsibility for sanctions on other “relevant countries” without naming them. These countries, it says, “should stop abusing unilateral sanctions” and “do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis.”Many of the 12 points were very general and did not contain specific proposals.Without mentioning either Russia or Ukraine, it says sovereignty of all countries should be upheld. It didn't specify what that would look like for Ukraine, and the land taken from it since Russia seized Crimea in 2014.The proposal also condemns a “Cold War mentality,” a term that often refers to the United States and the U.S.-European military alliance NATO. “The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” the proposal says. Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded a promise that Ukraine will not join the bloc before the invasion.Other points call for a cease-fire, peace talks, protection for prisoners of war and stopping attacks on civilians, without elaborating, as well as keeping nuclear power plants safe and facilitating grain exports.“The basic tone and the fundamental message in the policy is quite pro-Russia,” said Li Mingjiang, a professor of Chinese foreign policy and international security at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.DOES CHINA BACK RUSSIA IN ITS WAR ON UKRAINE?China has offered contradictory statements regarding its stance. It says Russia was provoked into taking action by NATO’s eastward expansion, but has also claimed neutrality on the war.Ahead of Russia's attack, Xi and Putin attended the opening of last year's Winter Olympics in Beijing and issued a statement that their governments had a “no limits” friendship. China has since ignored Western criticism and reaffirmed that pledge.Putin has said he expects Xi to visit Russia in the next few months. China has yet to confirm that.China is “trying to have it both ways,” Blinken said Sunday on NBC.“Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine, but privately, as I said, we’ve seen already over these past months the provision of non-lethal assistance that does go directly to aiding and abetting Russia’s war effort.”HAS CHINA PROVIDED SUPPORT TO RUSSIA?China’s support for Russia has been largely rhetorical and political. Beijing has helped to prevent efforts to condemn Moscow at the United Nations. There is no public evidence it is currently supplying arms to Russia, but the U.S. has said China is providing non-lethal support already and may do more.Blinken, at the Munich conference, said the United States has long been concerned that China would provide weapons to Russia. “We have information that gives us concern that they are considering providing lethal support to Russia,” he said.Blinken said he expressed to the Chinese envoy to the meeting, Wang Yi, that “this would be a serious problem.”NATO's chief said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-politics-jens-stoltenberg-e8874580698b31cdfac96a60f13eef5b">he had seen some signs that</a>&nbsp;China may be ready to provide arms and warned that would be it would be supporting a violation of international law.Russian and Chinese forces have held joint drills since the invasion, most recently with the South African navy in a shipping lane off the South African coast.Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed doubt about China's willingness to send lethal aid to Russia.“I think that if China will help them … it will not (be) weaponry. It will (be) some kinds of like clothes,” Reznikov said in Kyiv Monday.----------UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution Thursday that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces, sending a strong message on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion that Moscow's aggression must stop.The resolution, drafted by Ukraine in consultation with its allies, passed 141-7, with 32 abstentions.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the vote was more evidence that not only the West backs his country.“This vote defies the argument that the global south does not stand on Ukraine’s side," Kuleba said. "Many countries representing Latin America, Africa, Asia voted in favor.”The General Assembly has become the most important U.N. body dealing with Ukraine because the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, is paralyzed by Russia’s veto power. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, unlike Security Council resolutions, but serve as a barometer of world opinion.The seven countries voting against Thursday's resolution were Belarus, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Mali, which has developed close military ties with Russia. Amendments proposed by Belarus would have weakened or stripped much of the language but were resoundingly defeated.The vote was slightly below the highest total for the five previous resolutions approved by the 193-member world body since Russia sent troops and tanks across the border into its smaller neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. That tally, in an October resolution against Russia’s illegal annexations, won approval by 143 countries.Foreign ministers and diplomats from more than 75 countries addressed the assembly during two days of debate, with many urging support for the resolution that upholds Ukraine’s territorial integrity, a basic principle of the U.N. Charter that all countries must subscribe to when they join the world organization.The war has killed tens of thousands on both sides and has reduced entire Ukrainian cities to ruins and its impact has been felt worldwide in higher food and fuel costs and rising inflation.Venezuela’s deputy ambassador addressed the council on behalf of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous resolutions on Ukraine: Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Laos, Mali, Nicaragua, North Korea, St. Vincent, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.While other countries focused on Russia’s actions, Venezuelan Deputy Ambassador Joaquín Pérez Ayestarán said Wednesday that all countries without exception “must stringently comply with the United Nations Charter,” a barely veiled dig at an international order long dominated by the U.S. and Europe, and at what some call violations of the charter.Ayestarán said the countries in his group were against what he called divisive action in the General Assembly, and for “a spirit of compromise.”European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters that the aggressor and the victim can’t be put on equal footing.“Russia has not sent any positive signal of any minimum willingness to work for a peace,” Borrell said. Instead, Russia is intensifying attacks, firing 50,000 rounds every day, and has put 300,000 soldiers on the front lines, double the 150,000 it massed before the invasion, he said.Facing this reality, Borrell said, the EU and the West have to support Ukraine militarily, impose sanctions on Russia, and try to isolate Moscow diplomatically which is what Kyiv’s supporters are trying to do at the United Nations this week.China’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dai Bing, told the assembly Thursday: “We support Russia and Ukraine in moving towards each other. ... The international community should make joint efforts to facilitate peace talks.”China says it is neutral in the conflict and an advocate of peace talks, but has not criticized the invasion or described it as such. Beijing has condemned the U.S. and its allies over sanctions on Moscow and military assistance to Ukraine. China and Russia have increasingly aligned their foreign policies to oppose the U.S.-led international order.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed the strength of those ties when he met Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow this week.More broadly, Russia and Ukraine have been trying to win support from around the world.The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, spoke Tuesday about the U.N. resolution with India's national security adviser because “Ukraine is interested in the broadest possible support for the resolution, in particular from the countries of the global south,” a statement from Zelenskyy’s office said.India had a Cold War dependence on the Soviet Union and has abstained several times from voting on U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that Russia cease its invasion.Less-powerful countries, including many in Africa, also have been caught up in the diplomatic wrangling.“We were colonized, and we forgive those who colonized us. Now the colonizers are asking us to be enemies with Russia, who never colonized us; is that fair?” Uganda’s foreign minister, Abubaker Jeje Odongo, told the Sputnik news agency this month.Russia is Africa’s top arms supplier and Odongo also noted that most of his country’s military equipment is Russian-made.“Countries in Africa have traditionally been attached in the Cold War division to the Soviet Union, having the old nostalgia, but also Russia has good tools, how to motivate them to be on their side,” Slovak Foreign Minister Rastislav Káčer told reporters in New York on Thursday. “And then there are others, like China, who are big powers, and are very carefully following what’s going on, and calculating what’s good for them.”___

China calls for Russia-Ukraine cease-fire; U.S. doubts neutrality

Michael Edward “Mike” Crawford, 68, passed away on February 22, 2023,
 at Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kansas. He was born on April 5, 1954, in 
McAlester, Oklahoma, to Earl and Joy (Pendley) Crawford. On October 25, 
1986, he married Nancy Keeler in Great Bend, Kansas. She survives.

A resident of Great Bend for over 40 years, Mike spent his career as 
Superintendent of the Street Department for the City of Great Bend. He 
was a member of the NRA, and enjoyed hunting, motorcycles, watching 
sports, and coaching his children’s teams, specifically softball.

Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Anthony and Alex 
Crawford, both of Great Bend; a daughter, Emily Crawford (Mike Beagle) 
of Great Bend; two grandchildren, Jayden Crawford and Maddie Beagle; 
mother, Joy White of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and two brothers, Stan 
(Laura) Crawford of St. Joseph, Missouri, and David (Rhonda) Crawford of
 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is preceded in death by his father; 
stepfather, Bob White; and an infant sister, Anita Kay.

Visitation will take place Sunday, February 26, 2023, from noon to 
8:00 p.m., with family receiving guests from noon to 2:00 p.m. at Bryant
 Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, 
February 27, 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home with Pastor Daniel Vandenburg 
presiding. Interment will follow at Great Bend Cemetery North. 

Memorials
 have been designated to the American Cancer Society or Golden Belt 
Humane Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677180246804.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michael Edward “Mike” Crawford, 68, passed away on February 22, 2023,
 at Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kansas. He was born on April 5, 1954, in 
McAlester, Oklahoma, to Earl and Joy (Pendley) Crawford. On October 25, 
1986, he married Nancy Keeler in Great Bend, Kansas. She survives.A resident of Great Bend for over 40 years, Mike spent his career as 
Superintendent of the Street Department for the City of Great Bend. He 
was a member of the NRA, and enjoyed hunting, motorcycles, watching 
sports, and coaching his children’s teams, specifically softball.Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Anthony and Alex 
Crawford, both of Great Bend; a daughter, Emily Crawford (Mike Beagle) 
of Great Bend; two grandchildren, Jayden Crawford and Maddie Beagle; 
mother, Joy White of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and two brothers, Stan 
(Laura) Crawford of St. Joseph, Missouri, and David (Rhonda) Crawford of
 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is preceded in death by his father; 
stepfather, Bob White; and an infant sister, Anita Kay.Visitation will take place Sunday, February 26, 2023, from noon to 
8:00 p.m., with family receiving guests from noon to 2:00 p.m. at Bryant
 Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, 
February 27, 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home with Pastor Daniel Vandenburg 
presiding. Interment will follow at Great Bend Cemetery North. Memorials
 have been designated to the American Cancer Society or Golden Belt 
Humane Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Michael Edward 'Mike' Crawford

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' ethics commission has been investigating Republican campaign activities for at least a year, and the GOP-controlled Legislature is moving to reduce the agency's power and legalize practices apparently under scrutiny.

Republicans backing a bill to overhaul&nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.kansas.gov/">the state Governmental Ethics Commission</a>&nbsp;and rewrite campaign finance laws said Wednesday they're trying to ensure fair treatment of the people and groups scrutinized by the commission. But lawmakers drafted this year's measure amid a court battle over the commission's demand for documents from Kansas Republican Party officials, and critics see the bill as an effort to kneecap the agency.

Documents filed in court over subpoenas issued by the commission indicate that it has been investigating whether Republicans funneled national GOP funds through various committees to legislative candidates in 2020 to avoid contribution limits. One commission report made public in October includes transactions involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-wichita-elections-topeka-b356a78372fd6db9d62ac996459ea641">Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-topeka-wichita-dan-hawkins-00703940e631419a6347afeee59e342a">House Speaker Dan Hawkins,</a>&nbsp;both Wichita-area Republicans, before they took over those offices. The report does not specifically allege wrongdoing by them, however, and the commission has yet to file any complaints over such issues.

It was not lost on the bill's older critics that this year marks the 50th anniversary of investigations into Watergate, the political dirty tricks and obstruction of justice scandal that later forced then-President Richard Nixon to resign. Those scandals prompted Kansas lawmakers to create the ethics commission and enact campaign, lobbying and ethics laws.

“Perhaps we’ve forgotten what happens when government runs amok in the darkness of the night,” said Democratic state Rep. John Carmichael, of Wichita, a lawyer in his mid-60s.

Republicans argue that the ethics commission is engaged in an unwarranted fishing expedition and lawmakers need to see that people's right to due legal process is protected.

Masterson told reporters earlier this month that the commission had asked about his communications but “they’ve since dropped that.” Hawkins said Wednesday that he has not been subpoenaed.

“It’s like you’re guilty until proven innocent, like you’re guilty of something. I didn’t do anything,” Masterson said. “I’m not worried about any of it.”

The GOP-dominated House Elections Committee approved the bill Tuesday on an 8-4 party-line vote, sending it to the full House for a debate as early as this week.

Committee Chair Pat Proctor, a Kansas City-area Republican, said Wednesday that because the bill is not retroactive, it wouldn't interfere with the commission's current investigation. He argued that money represents speech when it’s used for political purposes, making the ethics commission an agency that regulates speech, so that warrants scrutiny.

“It’s a spurious argument that we are not allowed to talk about ethics because there may or may not be some investigation going on,” Proctor said.

This year's bill would limit commission fines and require the commission to get a state district court judge's permission to issue a subpoena. A judge could sanction the commission for subpoenas deemed to create “an undue burden or expense” and the subjects of complaints could have their hearings handled by an outside administrative judge instead of the commission.

It would no longer be illegal in most instances for one donor to give money to a person or group specifically to pass along to the first donor's favored candidate — making it easier to evade contribution limits. Restrictions would be removed on candidates funneling contributions meant for their campaigns to other candidates, party groups or political action committees.

Critics say such changes would render the state's campaign finance laws meaningless. After the bill cleared committee, Skoglund told reporters the measure “stands exactly for the premise that if you are powerful enough, you just change the law to make what you are doing legal.”

State Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Kansas City-area Democrat, said Wednesday, “This to me is more of a witch hunt and trying to tear down something because I didn't like the outcome.”

In February 2020, the commission issued subpoenas to at least seven Kansas Republican Party officials, seeking all communications — including emails, texts and social media messages — between them and at least 20 other people, including Masterson, for the last seven months of 2020.

In April, a Kansas Chamber of Commerce lobbyist told reporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-campaigns-legislature-kansas-elections-a0e42fb5eb9b235f49946747ce644e50">the group also had received a subpoena.</a>&nbsp;His disclosure came as GOP lawmakers sought for a few hours to rewrite laws organizing the commission so that Skoglund no longer would be qualified for his job.

In August, the commission went to state district court in Shawnee County, home to Kansas' capital of Topeka, to get subpoenas enforced. An attorney for several recipients made theirs public, along with the commission's related “Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.”

In late December, a judge heard arguments on quashing the subpoenas and she indicated from the bench that she was considering whether they were too broad. She had not ruled as of Wednesday.

By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' ethics commission has been investigating Republican campaign activities for at least a year, and the GOP-controlled Legislature is moving to reduce the agency's power and legalize practices apparently under scrutiny.Republicans backing a bill to overhaul&nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.kansas.gov/">the state Governmental Ethics Commission</a>&nbsp;and rewrite campaign finance laws said Wednesday they're trying to ensure fair treatment of the people and groups scrutinized by the commission. But lawmakers drafted this year's measure amid a court battle over the commission's demand for documents from Kansas Republican Party officials, and critics see the bill as an effort to kneecap the agency.Documents filed in court over subpoenas issued by the commission indicate that it has been investigating whether Republicans funneled national GOP funds through various committees to legislative candidates in 2020 to avoid contribution limits. One commission report made public in October includes transactions involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-wichita-elections-topeka-b356a78372fd6db9d62ac996459ea641">Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-topeka-wichita-dan-hawkins-00703940e631419a6347afeee59e342a">House Speaker Dan Hawkins,</a>&nbsp;both Wichita-area Republicans, before they took over those offices. The report does not specifically allege wrongdoing by them, however, and the commission has yet to file any complaints over such issues.It was not lost on the bill's older critics that this year marks the 50th anniversary of investigations into Watergate, the political dirty tricks and obstruction of justice scandal that later forced then-President Richard Nixon to resign. Those scandals prompted Kansas lawmakers to create the ethics commission and enact campaign, lobbying and ethics laws.“Perhaps we’ve forgotten what happens when government runs amok in the darkness of the night,” said Democratic state Rep. John Carmichael, of Wichita, a lawyer in his mid-60s.Republicans argue that the ethics commission is engaged in an unwarranted fishing expedition and lawmakers need to see that people's right to due legal process is protected.Masterson told reporters earlier this month that the commission had asked about his communications but “they’ve since dropped that.” Hawkins said Wednesday that he has not been subpoenaed.“It’s like you’re guilty until proven innocent, like you’re guilty of something. I didn’t do anything,” Masterson said. “I’m not worried about any of it.”The GOP-dominated House Elections Committee approved the bill Tuesday on an 8-4 party-line vote, sending it to the full House for a debate as early as this week.Committee Chair Pat Proctor, a Kansas City-area Republican, said Wednesday that because the bill is not retroactive, it wouldn't interfere with the commission's current investigation. He argued that money represents speech when it’s used for political purposes, making the ethics commission an agency that regulates speech, so that warrants scrutiny.“It’s a spurious argument that we are not allowed to talk about ethics because there may or may not be some investigation going on,” Proctor said.This year's bill would limit commission fines and require the commission to get a state district court judge's permission to issue a subpoena. A judge could sanction the commission for subpoenas deemed to create “an undue burden or expense” and the subjects of complaints could have their hearings handled by an outside administrative judge instead of the commission.It would no longer be illegal in most instances for one donor to give money to a person or group specifically to pass along to the first donor's favored candidate — making it easier to evade contribution limits. Restrictions would be removed on candidates funneling contributions meant for their campaigns to other candidates, party groups or political action committees.Critics say such changes would render the state's campaign finance laws meaningless. After the bill cleared committee, Skoglund told reporters the measure “stands exactly for the premise that if you are powerful enough, you just change the law to make what you are doing legal.”State Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Kansas City-area Democrat, said Wednesday, “This to me is more of a witch hunt and trying to tear down something because I didn't like the outcome.”In February 2020, the commission issued subpoenas to at least seven Kansas Republican Party officials, seeking all communications — including emails, texts and social media messages — between them and at least 20 other people, including Masterson, for the last seven months of 2020.In April, a Kansas Chamber of Commerce lobbyist told reporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-campaigns-legislature-kansas-elections-a0e42fb5eb9b235f49946747ce644e50">the group also had received a subpoena.</a>&nbsp;His disclosure came as GOP lawmakers sought for a few hours to rewrite laws organizing the commission so that Skoglund no longer would be qualified for his job.In August, the commission went to state district court in Shawnee County, home to Kansas' capital of Topeka, to get subpoenas enforced. An attorney for several recipients made theirs public, along with the commission's related “Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.”In late December, a judge heard arguments on quashing the subpoenas and she indicated from the bench that she was considering whether they were too broad. She had not ruled as of Wednesday.

Amid probe, Kansas lawmakers move to overhaul ethics agency

October 31, 1941 ~ February 22, 2023

An obituary and services are pending with Bateman Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677620952352.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>October 31, 1941 ~ February 22, 2023An obituary and services are pending with Bateman Funeral Home.

Dennis Korbelik

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man has been sentenced for a crash that killed his 14-year-old daughter in October of 2020.

Jensen Lay was sentenced to&nbsp;60 days in jail and 3-years probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after 11:30a.m. on October 28, 2020, police responded to an injury accident in the 1000 block of North Tyler Road in Wichita, according to Officer Kevin Wheeler. They found 14-year-old Aryana Lay trapped in a Pontiac G6. Emergency crews attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

Investigators learned the teen's father Jensen Lay was driving the Pontiac southbound on Tyler Road at a high rate of speed, according to Wheeler. He lost control of the car. It spun into two northbound Ford F150 pickups. The other two drivers were not seriously injured.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676892461985.png" alt="Lay-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Lay-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man has been sentenced for a crash that killed his 14-year-old daughter in October of 2020.Jensen Lay was sentenced to&nbsp;60 days in jail and 3-years probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677016602515.png" alt="Scene of the fatal 2020 crash-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the fatal 2020 crash-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 11:30a.m. on October 28, 2020, police responded to an injury accident in the 1000 block of North Tyler Road in Wichita, according to Officer Kevin Wheeler. They found 14-year-old Aryana Lay trapped in a Pontiac G6. Emergency crews attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Investigators learned the teen's father Jensen Lay was driving the Pontiac southbound on Tyler Road at a high rate of speed, according to Wheeler. He lost control of the car. It spun into two northbound Ford F150 pickups. The other two drivers were not seriously injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;------------

Father sentenced in Kan. crash that killed 14-year-old daughter

Sandra Sue “Sandy” Ochs, 82, Hays, died Sunday, February 19, 2023, at Ellis Good Samaritan Society.

She was born December 27, 1940, in Hays,
 Kansas the daughter of Eldred A. “Pete” and Louise (Turner) Ficken.&nbsp; 
Sandy lived in Bison until the age of six when her family moved to 
La Crosse where she attended grade school and graduated from high school.
 &nbsp;In 1961, she graduated from Dominican School of Nursing in Great Bend 
and worked as a registered nurse in La Crosse, Colby, and Hays.&nbsp; She 
later worked for USD 489 as a library secretary.&nbsp; On October 28, 1961, 
she was united in marriage to Richard J. “Dick” Ochs at St. Michael’s 
Church in La Crosse.&nbsp; They celebrated nearly 57 years of marriage before 
he preceded her in death on August 5, 2018.&nbsp; Sandy was a member of the 
S.O.S. breast cancer survivor group, enjoyed crocheting, and was a 
wonderful cook.&nbsp; She loved her beloved dogs and fishing, camping, 
cruises, and traveling with Dick.

Survivors include her son: Jeff 
Ochs-Kisner and husband Steve of Olathe, daughter: Kenda Fischer and 
husband Rodger of Ellis, three inherited grandchildren: Janet Schebaum 
and husband Derick of Concordia, Nicole Bollig and husband Tom of 
Lawrence, and Brianna Myers and husband Nate of Hays, and five inherited
 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dick, and her sister: Mary Lou Alberti.

A celebration of Sandy’s life will be 
at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall 
2350 E. 8th HWY 40, in Hays for close family and friends.&nbsp; Private 
family burial will be in Mt. Allen Cemetery.&nbsp; 

Memorials are suggested 
and payable to: Cancer Council of Ellis County or to Humane Society of 
the High Plains.&nbsp; Services are in the care of Hays Memorial Chapel 
Funeral Home and condolences and memories of Sandy may be shared with 
her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677097131628.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Sandra Sue “Sandy” Ochs, 82, Hays, died Sunday, February 19, 2023, at Ellis Good Samaritan Society.She was born December 27, 1940, in Hays,
 Kansas the daughter of Eldred A. “Pete” and Louise (Turner) Ficken.&nbsp; 
Sandy lived in Bison until the age of six when her family moved to 
La Crosse where she attended grade school and graduated from high school.
 &nbsp;In 1961, she graduated from Dominican School of Nursing in Great Bend 
and worked as a registered nurse in La Crosse, Colby, and Hays.&nbsp; She 
later worked for USD 489 as a library secretary.&nbsp; On October 28, 1961, 
she was united in marriage to Richard J. “Dick” Ochs at St. Michael’s 
Church in La Crosse.&nbsp; They celebrated nearly 57 years of marriage before 
he preceded her in death on August 5, 2018.&nbsp; Sandy was a member of the 
S.O.S. breast cancer survivor group, enjoyed crocheting, and was a 
wonderful cook.&nbsp; She loved her beloved dogs and fishing, camping, 
cruises, and traveling with Dick.Survivors include her son: Jeff 
Ochs-Kisner and husband Steve of Olathe, daughter: Kenda Fischer and 
husband Rodger of Ellis, three inherited grandchildren: Janet Schebaum 
and husband Derick of Concordia, Nicole Bollig and husband Tom of 
Lawrence, and Brianna Myers and husband Nate of Hays, and five inherited
 great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dick, and her sister: Mary Lou Alberti.A celebration of Sandy’s life will be 
at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall 
2350 E. 8th HWY 40, in Hays for close family and friends.&nbsp; Private 
family burial will be in Mt. Allen Cemetery.&nbsp; Memorials are suggested 
and payable to: Cancer Council of Ellis County or to Humane Society of 
the High Plains.&nbsp; Services are in the care of Hays Memorial Chapel 
Funeral Home and condolences and memories of Sandy may be shared with 
her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

Sandra Sue 'Sandy' Ochs

Anita Joanne Ikenberry, age 86, passed away on February 19, 2023, at the Gove County Medical Center, Quinter, Kansas. She was born on August 9, 1936, in Geneseo, Kansas, the daughter of Clarence and Rose (Blade)&nbsp;Willms.

Joanne married Cloyd Ikenberry in Geneseo on October 17, 1954. Joanne and Cloyd lived in several places before returning to Quinter where they raised their three children.

Joanne was a member of the United Methodist Church of Quinter and the United Methodist Women.&nbsp; During her earlier years, she worked as a bookkeeper for the Quinter Co-op. She then went on to work as a clerk at&nbsp;Gyer&nbsp;Pharmacy.&nbsp; Joanne worked for 25 years in the Gove County Medical Center kitchen and then in the Quinter High School kitchen.&nbsp; She was also the bookkeeper and a part-time truck driver for Ike’s Car and Truck Service, but her most cherished occupation was taking care of her family. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Joanne is survived by her husband Cloyd of Quinter; one son, Ross Ikenberry and his wife, Brenda, of Wichita; two daughters, Debra&nbsp;Steventon&nbsp;and her husband, David, of Bothell, WA, and Marsha Tuttle and her husband, Rodney, of Quinter; five grandchildren, Jennifer Ikenberry, Drew (Janae) Tuttle, Brandon Ikenberry, Casey (Justine) Tuttle, and Joshua&nbsp;Steventon; and four great-grandchildren, Jade, Carson, Mia, and Connie Tuttle.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2023, 11:00 A.M. at the United Methodist Church, Quinter. A visitation will be held at Schmitt Funeral Home on Friday, March 10, 2023, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Inurnment will be&nbsp;at a later date&nbsp;at the Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery, WaKeeney.

Memorial Contributions may be given to the Grainfield American Legion Post 301 or the United Methodist Women Auxiliary in care of Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 S. Main, Quinter, KS  67752.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677091087637.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Anita Joanne Ikenberry, age 86, passed away on February 19, 2023, at the Gove County Medical Center, Quinter, Kansas. She was born on August 9, 1936, in Geneseo, Kansas, the daughter of Clarence and Rose (Blade)&nbsp;Willms.Joanne married Cloyd Ikenberry in Geneseo on October 17, 1954. Joanne and Cloyd lived in several places before returning to Quinter where they raised their three children.Joanne was a member of the United Methodist Church of Quinter and the United Methodist Women.&nbsp; During her earlier years, she worked as a bookkeeper for the Quinter Co-op. She then went on to work as a clerk at&nbsp;Gyer&nbsp;Pharmacy.&nbsp; Joanne worked for 25 years in the Gove County Medical Center kitchen and then in the Quinter High School kitchen.&nbsp; She was also the bookkeeper and a part-time truck driver for Ike’s Car and Truck Service, but her most cherished occupation was taking care of her family. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.Joanne is survived by her husband Cloyd of Quinter; one son, Ross Ikenberry and his wife, Brenda, of Wichita; two daughters, Debra&nbsp;Steventon&nbsp;and her husband, David, of Bothell, WA, and Marsha Tuttle and her husband, Rodney, of Quinter; five grandchildren, Jennifer Ikenberry, Drew (Janae) Tuttle, Brandon Ikenberry, Casey (Justine) Tuttle, and Joshua&nbsp;Steventon; and four great-grandchildren, Jade, Carson, Mia, and Connie Tuttle.A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2023, 11:00 A.M. at the United Methodist Church, Quinter. A visitation will be held at Schmitt Funeral Home on Friday, March 10, 2023, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Inurnment will be&nbsp;at a later date&nbsp;at the Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery, WaKeeney.Memorial Contributions may be given to the Grainfield American Legion Post 301 or the United Methodist Women Auxiliary in care of Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 S. Main, Quinter, KS 67752.

Anita Joanne Ikenberry

Johna Marie Hornung, 52, died February 14, 2023, at St. Francis Hospital 
in Wichita, following a nine-year battle with cancer. She was born on 
July 20, 1970, in Russell, the daughter of Carl and Phyllis (Ott) 
Klinzman. During her childhood, the family moved frequently 
throughout Kansas and some in Oklahoma following her father's work. The 
family eventually made their home in Ford. Johna graduated from Bucklin 
High School in 1988. After graduation, Johna attended Brown Mackey 
College in Salina. She later worked at the Marriott in Vail, Colorado. 
Johna returned to Dodge and worked at several places including Dillions,
 Arrowhead West, the Center for Independent Living, and as a para for 
USD 443. On October 22, 2011, Johna was united in marriage to 
Christian Hornung. They made their home in Dodge City. Johna returned to
 school, first at Dodge City Community College and then at Wichita State
 University, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She then went to 
work at USD 443 as a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Comanche 
Middle School. Johna showed amazing strength and dedication as she was 
able to accomplish these goals while undergoing cancer treatments and 
dialysis. She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her 
nieces and nephews. Johna is survived by her husband, Christian 
of Dodge City, three sisters, Nita Simonton and husband Marvin of Belle 
Plaine, Lenette Varnell and husband Gaylen of Ford, and Lee Walker and 
husband Henry of Salina; parents-in-law, Don and Christy Hornung of 
Dodge City; step-mother, Linda Klinzman of Columbus, brother-in-law, 
Matt Hornung and wife Victoria of Dodge City; nieces and nephews, 
Randall, Jeremy, Levi, Keith, Cody, and Nikita; great nieces and 
nephews, Zaine, Callie, Trivitt, Ayden, Livia, Jody, Brady, and Hannah. 
She is preceded in death by her parents; aunts and uncles, Bob and 
Thelma Klinzman, Bob and Dorothy Vise, and Pete Pasquale. Visitation
 will be held at Swaim Funeral Chapel, Dodge City on Friday, February 
24, 2023, from 12:00 to 7:00 PM. with a Vigil Service starting at 7:00 
PM. Funeral service will be held at Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 
Dodge City on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 10:00 AM with Rev. Wesley 
Schawe presiding. Burial will follow at Ford Cemetery.

Memorials are 
suggested to the Kidney Foundation for research in care of the funeral 
home. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guest book at 
www.swaimfuneralhome.com.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676987188873.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Johna Marie Hornung, 52, died February 14, 2023, at St. Francis Hospital 
in Wichita, following a nine-year battle with cancer. She was born on 
July 20, 1970, in Russell, the daughter of Carl and Phyllis (Ott) 
Klinzman. During her childhood, the family moved frequently 
throughout Kansas and some in Oklahoma following her father's work. The 
family eventually made their home in Ford. Johna graduated from Bucklin 
High School in 1988. After graduation, Johna attended Brown Mackey 
College in Salina. She later worked at the Marriott in Vail, Colorado. 
Johna returned to Dodge and worked at several places including Dillions,
 Arrowhead West, the Center for Independent Living, and as a para for 
USD 443. On October 22, 2011, Johna was united in marriage to 
Christian Hornung. They made their home in Dodge City. Johna returned to
 school, first at Dodge City Community College and then at Wichita State
 University, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She then went to 
work at USD 443 as a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Comanche 
Middle School. Johna showed amazing strength and dedication as she was 
able to accomplish these goals while undergoing cancer treatments and 
dialysis. She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her 
nieces and nephews. Johna is survived by her husband, Christian 
of Dodge City, three sisters, Nita Simonton and husband Marvin of Belle 
Plaine, Lenette Varnell and husband Gaylen of Ford, and Lee Walker and 
husband Henry of Salina; parents-in-law, Don and Christy Hornung of 
Dodge City; step-mother, Linda Klinzman of Columbus, brother-in-law, 
Matt Hornung and wife Victoria of Dodge City; nieces and nephews, 
Randall, Jeremy, Levi, Keith, Cody, and Nikita; great nieces and 
nephews, Zaine, Callie, Trivitt, Ayden, Livia, Jody, Brady, and Hannah. 
She is preceded in death by her parents; aunts and uncles, Bob and 
Thelma Klinzman, Bob and Dorothy Vise, and Pete Pasquale. Visitation
 will be held at Swaim Funeral Chapel, Dodge City on Friday, February 
24, 2023, from 12:00 to 7:00 PM. with a Vigil Service starting at 7:00 
PM. Funeral service will be held at Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 
Dodge City on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 10:00 AM with Rev. Wesley 
Schawe presiding. Burial will follow at Ford Cemetery. Memorials are 
suggested to the Kidney Foundation for research in care of the funeral 
home. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guest book at 
www.swaimfuneralhome.com.&nbsp;

Johna Marie Hornung

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man has been sentenced to consecutive life sentences for first degree murder and attempted capital murder. Matthew Bibee, Jr., 22, Overland Park, will be eligible for parole after serving 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In October, a jury found Bibee guilty in the death of 17-year-old Rowan Padgett, who was murdered in the 12300 block of South Mullen Court as part in a failed $8 Xanax deal.

In Jan. of 2020, Jordan Denny, of Olathe was sentenced&nbsp; for drug charges in connection with the case. She originally was charged with felony murder in the March 2019 death of Padgett.

The affidavit said Matthew Lee Bibee Jr. arranged to buy the anxiety medication through Denny, who was then 16. She told authorities her supplier fell through and that she asked Padgett to leave with Bibee because her father had called police.

Padgett was killed after getting into the car with Bibee, who was wounded two days later in an exchange of gunfire with police.

Another teen was sentenced to more than four years in a juvenile corrections facility for helping to set up the deal.

In March of 2019, Bibee was also involved in shooting at a police officer in Olathe. The officer, who was investigating a carjecking, was not hurt..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676656170093.png" alt="Bibee" />
 <figcaption>Bibee</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man has been sentenced to consecutive life sentences for first degree murder and attempted capital murder. Matthew Bibee, Jr., 22, Overland Park, will be eligible for parole after serving 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In October, a jury found Bibee guilty in the death of 17-year-old Rowan Padgett, who was murdered in the 12300 block of South Mullen Court as part in a failed $8 Xanax deal.In Jan. of 2020, Jordan Denny, of Olathe was sentenced&nbsp; for drug charges in connection with the case. She originally was charged with felony murder in the March 2019 death of Padgett.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578656299375.png" alt="Rowan Padgett photo <a href="https://www.penwellgabelkc.com/Obituary/170460/Rowan-Padgett/Olathe-KS">courtesy Penwell Gable&nbsp;</a>" />
 <figcaption>Rowan Padgett photo <a href="https://www.penwellgabelkc.com/Obituary/170460/Rowan-Padgett/Olathe-KS">courtesy Penwell Gable&nbsp;</a></figcaption>
 </figure>The affidavit said Matthew Lee Bibee Jr. arranged to buy the anxiety medication through Denny, who was then 16. She told authorities her supplier fell through and that she asked Padgett to leave with Bibee because her father had called police.Padgett was killed after getting into the car with Bibee, who was wounded two days later in an exchange of gunfire with police.Another teen was sentenced to more than four years in a juvenile corrections facility for helping to set up the deal.In March of 2019, Bibee was also involved in shooting at a police officer in Olathe. The officer, who was investigating a carjecking, was not hurt..

Kan. man sentenced in connection with $8 Xanax deal killing

Wanda H. Limper, age 72, died Saturday, February 18, 2023, at her home 
in Ulysses. She was born August 9, 1950, in San Diego, California, the 
daughter of John Werner and WaDean (Miller) McClung. 
Wanda grew up in California and graduated from Grantville High School in
 El Cajon. She moved to Ulysses to marry Ronald Limper on October 20, 
1978. Wanda was always busy and worked as a bartender, accountant, real
 estate agent, recorder at the Grant County Court House Register of 
Deeds office, and was a payroll clerk for WT Contractors. She had her 
abstract license and owned and operated Grant County Land and Title 
until she retired. After retirement, she and Ron traveled all over the 
United States for two years seeing the sights and visiting family. 
Wanda also enjoyed vegetable gardening. 
Wanda is survived by Ron, her husband of 44 years; son, Randall Berry of
 Quinter, Kansas; daughter, Mitziauna Newland and husband Isaac of 
Blane, Washington; sisters, Mary Monk of Cottonwood, Alabama, and Pat 
Texler of Fortuna, California; two grandchildren, Giaus and Elliott 
Newland; sister-in-law, Sharon Wickwar of Ulysses; cousin, Lana and 
Terry Anderson of Ulysses; nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and 
great-nephews. 
Wanda is preceded in death by her parents, John and WaDean McClung; and her brother, John in 1973. 
Cremation has taken place and there will be no service at this time.

 
Memorial contributions may be given to St. Catherine Hospice in care of 
Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave., Ulysses, KS  67880.  
Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676919891028.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Wanda H. Limper, age 72, died Saturday, February 18, 2023, at her home 
in Ulysses. She was born August 9, 1950, in San Diego, California, the 
daughter of John Werner and WaDean (Miller) McClung. 
Wanda grew up in California and graduated from Grantville High School in
 El Cajon. She moved to Ulysses to marry Ronald Limper on October 20, 
1978. Wanda was always busy and worked as a bartender, accountant, real
 estate agent, recorder at the Grant County Court House Register of 
Deeds office, and was a payroll clerk for WT Contractors. She had her 
abstract license and owned and operated Grant County Land and Title 
until she retired. After retirement, she and Ron traveled all over the 
United States for two years seeing the sights and visiting family. 
Wanda also enjoyed vegetable gardening. 
Wanda is survived by Ron, her husband of 44 years; son, Randall Berry of
 Quinter, Kansas; daughter, Mitziauna Newland and husband Isaac of 
Blane, Washington; sisters, Mary Monk of Cottonwood, Alabama, and Pat 
Texler of Fortuna, California; two grandchildren, Giaus and Elliott 
Newland; sister-in-law, Sharon Wickwar of Ulysses; cousin, Lana and 
Terry Anderson of Ulysses; nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and 
great-nephews. 
Wanda is preceded in death by her parents, John and WaDean McClung; and her brother, John in 1973. 
Cremation has taken place and there will be no service at this time. 
Memorial contributions may be given to St. Catherine Hospice in care of 
Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave., Ulysses, KS 67880. 
Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.

Wanda H. Limper

Johanna Biel, Age 94, passed away on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 
the Park Lane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas. She was born on May 6,
 1928, in Marienthal, Kansas, to George &amp; Frances Berning Kessler. 
She dedicated her life to her family, her community, and her Church. She
 was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church in Marienthal, Kansas.

On October 21, 1952, she married Albert Biel Jr. in Marienthal, Kansas. He passed away on February 8, 2020.

Surviving family include her children- Ron &amp; Verla Biel of 
Callaway, Nebraska, Stan &amp; Sherry Biel of Marienthal, Kansas, Bonnie
 &amp; Perry Owens of Minneapolis, Kansas,&nbsp; and Delores Hembree of 
Amarillo, Texas, one brother Hilary &amp; Connie Kessler of Scott City, 
Kansas, one sister Juanita Dinges of Ness City, Kansas, one 
brother-in-law Eugene &amp; Billie Biel of Leoti, Kansas, one 
sister-in-law Katherine Berning of Leoti, Kansas, thirteen 
grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and 2 step great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, five sisters, and one son-in-law.

Vigil service will be held at 7:00 pm on Friday, February 24, 2023, at
 St. Mary Church in Marienthal, Kansas with Father Tim Hickey presiding.

Funeral mass will be on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at
 St. Mary Church in Marienthal, Kansas with Father Tim Hickey and Fr. 
Don Bedore presiding. &nbsp;

Memorials may be given to the Wichita County Amusement Association or
 St. Mary’s Church in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 161, 
Leoti, Kansas, 67861.

Visitation will be from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm on Wednesday, February
 22, 2023, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on Thursday, February 23, and 10:00 am to
 4:00 pm at Price and Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676919755626.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Johanna Biel, Age 94, passed away on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 
the Park Lane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas. She was born on May 6,
 1928, in Marienthal, Kansas, to George &amp; Frances Berning Kessler. 
She dedicated her life to her family, her community, and her Church. She
 was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church in Marienthal, Kansas.On October 21, 1952, she married Albert Biel Jr. in Marienthal, Kansas. He passed away on February 8, 2020.Surviving family include her children- Ron &amp; Verla Biel of 
Callaway, Nebraska, Stan &amp; Sherry Biel of Marienthal, Kansas, Bonnie
 &amp; Perry Owens of Minneapolis, Kansas,&nbsp; and Delores Hembree of 
Amarillo, Texas, one brother Hilary &amp; Connie Kessler of Scott City, 
Kansas, one sister Juanita Dinges of Ness City, Kansas, one 
brother-in-law Eugene &amp; Billie Biel of Leoti, Kansas, one 
sister-in-law Katherine Berning of Leoti, Kansas, thirteen 
grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and 2 step great-grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, five sisters, and one son-in-law. Vigil service will be held at 7:00 pm on Friday, February 24, 2023, at
 St. Mary Church in Marienthal, Kansas with Father Tim Hickey presiding.Funeral mass will be on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at
 St. Mary Church in Marienthal, Kansas with Father Tim Hickey and Fr. 
Don Bedore presiding. &nbsp;Memorials may be given to the Wichita County Amusement Association or
 St. Mary’s Church in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 161, 
Leoti, Kansas, 67861.Visitation will be from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm on Wednesday, February
 22, 2023, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on Thursday, February 23, and 10:00 am to
 4:00 pm at Price and Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.&nbsp;

Johanna M. Biel

Dennis "Joe" Pflaum, age 75 of Hays, Kansas, passed away Thursday, February 16, 2023, at HaysMed. Joe was born on November 5, 1947, in Falls City, Nebraska to Albert and Leola (Wissman) Pflaum. On October 5, 1969, he married Vicki (Furnas) in the Falls City Methodist Church. Joe was the owner of Brown’s Shoe Fit in Hays for 41 years. In addition to owning the store he drove an Athletic Bus for Fort Hays State, drove a flagger vehicle for Hess Services moving oilfield tanks, as well as helping with car transports for local car dealerships. Joe was an avid outdoorsman particularly hunting and fishing and enjoyed traveling the country. His greatest joy was being able to attend his grandchildren’s sporting events.&nbsp; He is survived by his wife, Vicki Pflaum of Hays; his son, Aaron Matthew Pflaum and significant other, Stacy Budig and his children, twin girls, Brooke and Brittany and his son, Blake all of Hays; his daughter, Lindsay Hart and husband Jamie and their son, Braxton all of Hays; two sisters, Rosie Wanchisen of Denver, Colorado and Joyce Neilsen and husband Jim of Broomfield, Colorado as well as his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents,; a brother, Kenny Pflaum and his wife Lori; and a brother-in-law, Tom Wanchisen. Funeral services will be&nbsp;1:00 PM Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at the First United Methodist Church of Hays with pastor Troy Miller officiating. Private family burial will take place in Falls City. Memorial contributions are suggested to HaysMed Hospice, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks or the Cancer Council of Ellis County. Donations made payable to the organization may be sent in care of Keithley Funeral Homes,&nbsp;PO Box 86 Hays, KS 67601. Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/" target="_blank">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a> Arrangements in care of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine, Hays, KS 67601.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676738039574.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Dennis "Joe" Pflaum, age 75 of Hays, Kansas, passed away Thursday, February 16, 2023, at HaysMed. Joe was born on November 5, 1947, in Falls City, Nebraska to Albert and Leola (Wissman) Pflaum. On October 5, 1969, he married Vicki (Furnas) in the Falls City Methodist Church. Joe was the owner of Brown’s Shoe Fit in Hays for 41 years. In addition to owning the store he drove an Athletic Bus for Fort Hays State, drove a flagger vehicle for Hess Services moving oilfield tanks, as well as helping with car transports for local car dealerships. Joe was an avid outdoorsman particularly hunting and fishing and enjoyed traveling the country. His greatest joy was being able to attend his grandchildren’s sporting events.&nbsp; He is survived by his wife, Vicki Pflaum of Hays; his son, Aaron Matthew Pflaum and significant other, Stacy Budig and his children, twin girls, Brooke and Brittany and his son, Blake all of Hays; his daughter, Lindsay Hart and husband Jamie and their son, Braxton all of Hays; two sisters, Rosie Wanchisen of Denver, Colorado and Joyce Neilsen and husband Jim of Broomfield, Colorado as well as his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents,; a brother, Kenny Pflaum and his wife Lori; and a brother-in-law, Tom Wanchisen. Funeral services will be&nbsp;1:00 PM Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at the First United Methodist Church of Hays with pastor Troy Miller officiating. Private family burial will take place in Falls City. Memorial contributions are suggested to HaysMed Hospice, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks or the Cancer Council of Ellis County. Donations made payable to the organization may be sent in care of Keithley Funeral Homes,&nbsp;PO Box 86 Hays, KS 67601. Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/" target="_blank">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a> Arrangements in care of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine, Hays, KS 67601.

Dennis 'Joe' Pflaum

By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS and SHARON LURYE&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY (AP) —She’d be a senior right now, preparing for graduation in a few months, probably leading her school’s modern dance troupe and taking art classes.

Instead, Kailani Taylor-Cribb hasn’t taken a single class in what used to be her high school since the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She vanished from Cambridge, Massachusetts’ public school roll in 2021 and has been, from an administrative standpoint, unaccounted for since then.

She is among hundreds of thousands of students around the country who disappeared from public schools during the pandemic and didn’t resume their studies elsewhere.

An analysis by The Associated Press, Stanford University’s Big Local News project and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/research/publication/where-kids-went-nonpublic-schooling-and-demographic-change-during-pandemic">Stanford education professor Thomas Dee</a>&nbsp;found an estimated 230,000 students in 21 states whose absences could not be accounted for. These students didn’t move out of state, and they didn’t sign up for private school or home-school, according to publicly available data.

“Missing” students received crisis-level attention in 2020 after the pandemic closed schools nationwide. In the years since, they have become largely a budgeting problem. School leaders and some state officials worried aloud about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-chicago-race-and-ethnicity-a178d2dbe5d8e10d155b3f740da39609">fiscal challenges their districts faced</a>&nbsp;if these students didn’t come back. Each student represents money from the city, state and federal governments.

Gone is the urgency to find the students who left — those eligible for free public education but who are not receiving any schooling at all. Early in the pandemic, school&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-nv-state-wire-virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-38c690c6db207bf585082fd25aa14b2d">staff went door-to-door to reach and reengage kids</a>. Most such efforts have ended.

“Everyone is talking about declining enrollment, but no one is talking about who’s leaving the system and why,” said Tom Sheppard, a New York City parent and representative on the city's Panel for Educational Policy.

“No one,” he said, “is forthcoming.”

The missing kids identified by AP and Stanford represent far more than a number. The analysis highlights thousands of students who may have dropped out of school or missed out on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-education-race-and-ethnicity-atlanta-ff46418c59af90132998817731fe166a">basics of reading</a>&nbsp;and school routines in kindergarten and first grade.

That’s thousands of students who matter to someone. Thousands of students who need help re-entering school, work and everyday life.

“That’s the stuff that no one wants to talk about,” said Sonja Santelises, the chief executive officer of Baltimore's public schools, speaking about her fellow superintendents.

“We want to say it’s outside stuff” that’s keeping kids from returning to school, she said, such as caring for younger siblings or the need to work. But she worries teens sometimes lack caring adults at school who can discuss their concerns about life.

“That’s really scary,” Santelises said.

Discussion of children's recovery from the pandemic has focused largely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-covid-46cb725e08110f8ad3c1b303ec9eefad">test scores and performance</a>. But Dee says the data suggests a need to understand more about children who aren’t in school and how that will affect their development.

“This is leading evidence that tells us we need to be looking more carefully at the kids who are no longer in public schools,” he said.

Over months of reporting, the AP learned of students and families avoiding school for a range of reasons. Some are still afraid of COVID-19, are homeless or have left the country. Some students couldn’t study online and found jobs instead. Some slid into depression.

During the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">prolonged online learning</a>, some students fell so far behind developmentally and academically that they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-san-francisco-mental-459a57d7c8f69d25f0c36780d41a65a7">no longer knew how to behave</a>&nbsp;or learn at school. Many of these students, while largely absent from class, are still officially on school rosters. That makes it harder to truly count the number of missing students. The real tally of young people not receiving an education is likely far greater than the 230,000 figure calculated by the AP and Stanford.

In some cases, this wasn’t sudden. Many students were struggling well before the pandemic descended.

Kailani, for one, had begun to feel alienated at her school. In ninth grade, a few months before the pandemic hit, she was unhappy at home and had been moved to a different math class because of poor grades.

Kailani has ADHD and says the white teaching assistant assigned to help her focus in her new class targeted her because she was Black, blaming Kailani when classmates acted up. She also didn’t allow Kailani to use her headphones while working independently in class, something Kailani says was permitted in her special education plan to help her focus.

After that, Kailani stopped attending math. Instead, she cruised the hallways or read in the library.

Ultimately, the pandemic and at-home education relieved the anxiety Kailani felt from being in the school building. Kailani preferred online school because she could turn off her camera and engage as she chose. Her grades improved.

When the school reopened, she never returned.

A Cambridge schools spokesperson looked into Kailani’s complaints. “Several individuals demonstrated great concern and compassion towards her and the challenges she was facing outside of school,” Sujata Wycoff said. She said the district has a “reputation of being deeply dedicated to the education and well-being of our students.”

To assess just how many students have gone missing, AP and Big Local News canvassed every state in the nation to find the most recently available data on both public and non-public schools, as well as census estimates for the school-age population.

Overall, public school enrollment fell by over 700,000 students between the 2019-20 and 2021-22 school years in the 21 states plus Washington, D.C., that provided the necessary data.

Those states saw private-school enrollment grow by over 100,000 students.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-buffalo-education-d37f4f1d12e57b72e5ddf67d4f897d9a">Home-schooling grew even more</a>, surging by more than 180,000.

But the data showed 230,000 students who were neither in private school nor registered for home-school. Their absences could not be explained by population loss, either — such as falling birth rates or families who moved out of state.

States where kindergarten is optional were more likely to have larger numbers of unaccounted-for students, suggesting the missing also include many young learners kept home instead of starting school.

California alone showed over 150,000 missing students in the data, and New York had nearly 60,000. Census estimates are imperfect. So AP and Stanford ran a similar analysis for pre-pandemic years in those two states. It found almost no missing students at all, confirming something out of the ordinary occurred during the pandemic.

The true number of missing students is likely much higher. The analysis doesn’t include data from 29 states, including Texas and Illinois, or the unknown numbers of ghost students who are technically enrolled but rarely make it to class.

For some students, it was impossible to overcome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">losing the physical connection</a>&nbsp;with school and teachers during the pandemic's school closures.

José Escobar, an immigrant from El Salvador, had only recently enrolled in the 10th grade in Boston Public Schools when the campus shut down in March 2020. His school-issued laptop didn’t work, and because of bureaucratic hurdles, the district&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/01e9302796d749b6aadc35ddc8f4c946">didn’t issue a new one for several weeks</a>. His father stopped paying their phone bills after losing his restaurant job. Without any working technology for months, he never logged into remote classes.

When instruction resumed online that fall, he decided to walk away and find work as a prep cook. “I can’t learn that way,” he said in Spanish. At 21, he’s still eligible for school in Boston, but says he’s too old for high school and needs to work to help his family.

Another Boston student became severely depressed during online learning and was hospitalized for months. Back home, he refuses to attend school or leave his room despite visits from at least one teacher. When his mother asked him about speaking to a reporter, he cursed her out.

These are all students who have formally left school and have likely been erased from enrollment databases. Many others who are enrolled are not receiving an education.

In Los Angeles last year, nearly half of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 10% of the school year. For students with disabilities, the numbers are even higher: According to district data, 55% missed at least 18 school days. It’s not clear how many students were absent more than that. The city’s Unified School District did not respond to requests for this data.

Los Angeles officials have spoken openly about attempts to find unschooled students and help remove obstacles that are preventing them from coming to school. Laundry services have been offered, as has help with housing. But for some students and their parents, the problem sits within a school system they say has routinely failed their children.

By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS and SHARON LURYE&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) —She’d be a senior right now, preparing for graduation in a few months, probably leading her school’s modern dance troupe and taking art classes.Instead, Kailani Taylor-Cribb hasn’t taken a single class in what used to be her high school since the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She vanished from Cambridge, Massachusetts’ public school roll in 2021 and has been, from an administrative standpoint, unaccounted for since then.She is among hundreds of thousands of students around the country who disappeared from public schools during the pandemic and didn’t resume their studies elsewhere.An analysis by The Associated Press, Stanford University’s Big Local News project and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/research/publication/where-kids-went-nonpublic-schooling-and-demographic-change-during-pandemic">Stanford education professor Thomas Dee</a>&nbsp;found an estimated 230,000 students in 21 states whose absences could not be accounted for. These students didn’t move out of state, and they didn’t sign up for private school or home-school, according to publicly available data.In short, they’re missing.“Missing” students received crisis-level attention in 2020 after the pandemic closed schools nationwide. In the years since, they have become largely a budgeting problem. School leaders and some state officials worried aloud about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-chicago-race-and-ethnicity-a178d2dbe5d8e10d155b3f740da39609">fiscal challenges their districts faced</a>&nbsp;if these students didn’t come back. Each student represents money from the city, state and federal governments.Gone is the urgency to find the students who left — those eligible for free public education but who are not receiving any schooling at all. Early in the pandemic, school&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-nv-state-wire-virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-38c690c6db207bf585082fd25aa14b2d">staff went door-to-door to reach and reengage kids</a>. Most such efforts have ended.“Everyone is talking about declining enrollment, but no one is talking about who’s leaving the system and why,” said Tom Sheppard, a New York City parent and representative on the city's Panel for Educational Policy.“No one,” he said, “is forthcoming.”A PROBLEM NOT DISCUSSEDThe missing kids identified by AP and Stanford represent far more than a number. The analysis highlights thousands of students who may have dropped out of school or missed out on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-education-race-and-ethnicity-atlanta-ff46418c59af90132998817731fe166a">basics of reading</a>&nbsp;and school routines in kindergarten and first grade.That’s thousands of students who matter to someone. Thousands of students who need help re-entering school, work and everyday life.“That’s the stuff that no one wants to talk about,” said Sonja Santelises, the chief executive officer of Baltimore's public schools, speaking about her fellow superintendents.“We want to say it’s outside stuff” that’s keeping kids from returning to school, she said, such as caring for younger siblings or the need to work. But she worries teens sometimes lack caring adults at school who can discuss their concerns about life.“That’s really scary,” Santelises said.Discussion of children's recovery from the pandemic has focused largely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-covid-46cb725e08110f8ad3c1b303ec9eefad">test scores and performance</a>. But Dee says the data suggests a need to understand more about children who aren’t in school and how that will affect their development.“This is leading evidence that tells us we need to be looking more carefully at the kids who are no longer in public schools,” he said.Over months of reporting, the AP learned of students and families avoiding school for a range of reasons. Some are still afraid of COVID-19, are homeless or have left the country. Some students couldn’t study online and found jobs instead. Some slid into depression.During the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">prolonged online learning</a>, some students fell so far behind developmentally and academically that they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-san-francisco-mental-459a57d7c8f69d25f0c36780d41a65a7">no longer knew how to behave</a>&nbsp;or learn at school. Many of these students, while largely absent from class, are still officially on school rosters. That makes it harder to truly count the number of missing students. The real tally of young people not receiving an education is likely far greater than the 230,000 figure calculated by the AP and Stanford.In some cases, this wasn’t sudden. Many students were struggling well before the pandemic descended.Kailani, for one, had begun to feel alienated at her school. In ninth grade, a few months before the pandemic hit, she was unhappy at home and had been moved to a different math class because of poor grades.Kailani has ADHD and says the white teaching assistant assigned to help her focus in her new class targeted her because she was Black, blaming Kailani when classmates acted up. She also didn’t allow Kailani to use her headphones while working independently in class, something Kailani says was permitted in her special education plan to help her focus.After that, Kailani stopped attending math. Instead, she cruised the hallways or read in the library.Ultimately, the pandemic and at-home education relieved the anxiety Kailani felt from being in the school building. Kailani preferred online school because she could turn off her camera and engage as she chose. Her grades improved.When the school reopened, she never returned.A Cambridge schools spokesperson looked into Kailani’s complaints. “Several individuals demonstrated great concern and compassion towards her and the challenges she was facing outside of school,” Sujata Wycoff said. She said the district has a “reputation of being deeply dedicated to the education and well-being of our students.”LOSING THE PHYSICAL CONNECTIONTo assess just how many students have gone missing, AP and Big Local News canvassed every state in the nation to find the most recently available data on both public and non-public schools, as well as census estimates for the school-age population.Overall, public school enrollment fell by over 700,000 students between the 2019-20 and 2021-22 school years in the 21 states plus Washington, D.C., that provided the necessary data.Those states saw private-school enrollment grow by over 100,000 students.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-buffalo-education-d37f4f1d12e57b72e5ddf67d4f897d9a">Home-schooling grew even more</a>, surging by more than 180,000.But the data showed 230,000 students who were neither in private school nor registered for home-school. Their absences could not be explained by population loss, either — such as falling birth rates or families who moved out of state.States where kindergarten is optional were more likely to have larger numbers of unaccounted-for students, suggesting the missing also include many young learners kept home instead of starting school.California alone showed over 150,000 missing students in the data, and New York had nearly 60,000. Census estimates are imperfect. So AP and Stanford ran a similar analysis for pre-pandemic years in those two states. It found almost no missing students at all, confirming something out of the ordinary occurred during the pandemic.The true number of missing students is likely much higher. The analysis doesn’t include data from 29 states, including Texas and Illinois, or the unknown numbers of ghost students who are technically enrolled but rarely make it to class.For some students, it was impossible to overcome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">losing the physical connection</a>&nbsp;with school and teachers during the pandemic's school closures.José Escobar, an immigrant from El Salvador, had only recently enrolled in the 10th grade in Boston Public Schools when the campus shut down in March 2020. His school-issued laptop didn’t work, and because of bureaucratic hurdles, the district&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/01e9302796d749b6aadc35ddc8f4c946">didn’t issue a new one for several weeks</a>. His father stopped paying their phone bills after losing his restaurant job. Without any working technology for months, he never logged into remote classes.When instruction resumed online that fall, he decided to walk away and find work as a prep cook. “I can’t learn that way,” he said in Spanish. At 21, he’s still eligible for school in Boston, but says he’s too old for high school and needs to work to help his family.Another Boston student became severely depressed during online learning and was hospitalized for months. Back home, he refuses to attend school or leave his room despite visits from at least one teacher. When his mother asked him about speaking to a reporter, he cursed her out.These are all students who have formally left school and have likely been erased from enrollment databases. Many others who are enrolled are not receiving an education.In Los Angeles last year, nearly half of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 10% of the school year. For students with disabilities, the numbers are even higher: According to district data, 55% missed at least 18 school days. It’s not clear how many students were absent more than that. The city’s Unified School District did not respond to requests for this data.WHEN SCHOOLS DON’T COME THROUGHLos Angeles officials have spoken openly about attempts to find unschooled students and help remove obstacles that are preventing them from coming to school. Laundry services have been offered, as has help with housing. But for some students and their parents, the problem sits within a school system they say has routinely failed their children.“Parents are bereft,” said Allison Hertog, who represents around three dozen families whose children missed significant learning when California’s physical classrooms&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">closed for more than a year</a>&nbsp;during the early pandemic.Ezekiel West, 10, is in fourth grade but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-education-race-and-ethnicity-atlanta-ff46418c59af90132998817731fe166a">reads at a first grade level</a>. Before the pandemic shutdowns, he was shuffled from school to school when educators couldn’t address his impulsive behavior.During online learning, his mother couldn’t get home internet and struggled with the WiFi hotspots provided by the school. She worked as a home health aide and couldn’t monitor Ezekiel online.When he returned to school in fall 2021 as a third grader, he was frustrated that his classmates had made more progress as the years passed.“I did not feel prepared,” he said in a recent phone interview. “I couldn’t really learn as fast as the other kids, and that kind of made me upset.”An administrative judge ruled Los Angeles’ schools had violated Ezekiel’s rights and ordered the district to give him a spot at a new school, with a special plan to ease him back into learning and trusting teachers. The school didn’t follow the plan, so his mother stopped sending him in October.“I can’t trust them,” Miesha Clarke said. Los Angeles school officials did not respond to requests for comment on Ezekiel’s case.Last month, Ezekiel signed up for a public online school for California students. To enroll him, his mother agreed to give up his special education plan. His attorney, Hertog, worries the program won’t work for someone with Ezekiel’s needs and is looking for yet another option with more flexibility.At least three of the students Hertog has represented, including Ezekiel, have disappeared from school for long periods since in-person instruction resumed. Their situations were avoidable, she said: “It’s pretty disgraceful that the school systems allowed this to go on for so long.”When Kailani stopped logging into her virtual classes during the spring of her sophomore year, she received several emails from the school telling her she’d been truant. Between two to four weeks after she disappeared from Zoom school, her homeroom advisor and Spanish teacher each wrote to her, asking where she was. And the school’s dean of students called her great-grandmother, her legal guardian, to inform her about Kailani’s disappearance from school.They didn’t communicate further, according to Kailani. She went to work at Chipotle, ringing up orders in Boston’s financial district.In December, Kailani moved to North Carolina to make a new start. She teaches dance to elementary school kids now. Last month, she passed her high school equivalency exams. She wants to take choreography classes.But she knows, looking back, that things could have been different. While she has no regrets about leaving high school, she says she might have changed her mind if someone at school had shown more interest and attention to her needs and support for her as a Black student.“All they had to do was take action,” Kailani said. “There were so many times they could have done something. And they did nothing.”___This article is based on&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurl.stanford.edu%2Fsb152xr1685&amp;data=05%7C01%7CCEThompson%40ap.org%7C6c49dd050c364343fca308db056e81a3%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638109744508543557%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Q2qXinMTYpdx%2B2fXQuPpMwjpoiQ5WDHFw7aVfZptf1A%3D&amp;reserved=0">data collected</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press and Stanford University’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbiglocalnews.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CCEThompson%40ap.org%7C6c49dd050c364343fca308db056e81a3%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638109744508543557%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2BPfvjrhaPp6kGP52BKK78SkRm8%2BwxQOl%2B%2FObzgO9KNo%3D&amp;reserved=0">Big Local News</a>&nbsp;project. Data was compiled by Sharon Lurye of the AP, Thomas Dee of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, and Justin Mayo of Big Local News.