WASHINGTON -- During a ceremony Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr to the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, according to a media release from WPD.

On October 28, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13896, authorizing and designating the Attorney General to create such a Commission that would explore modern issues affecting law enforcement that most impact the ability of American policing to reduce crime. The launch of the Commission was announced at today’s ceremony as well.

“There is no more noble and important profession than law enforcement. A free and safe society requires a trusted and capable police force to safeguard our rights to life and liberty,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “But as criminal threats and social conditions have changed the responsibilities and roles of police officers, there is a need for a modern study of how law enforcement can best protect and serve American communities.&nbsp; This is why the President instructed me to establish this critical Commission, whose members truly reflect the best there is in law enforcement. Together, we will examine, discuss, and debate how justice is administered in the United States and uncover opportunities for progress, improvement, and innovation.”

&nbsp;“It is an honor to have been chosen to serve on this Presidential Commission,” Chief Gordon Ramsay said.&nbsp; “I am looking forward to working with the other chosen criminal justice experts in examining how to effectively reduce crime and addressing social factors that contribute to crime.&nbsp; My goal is to not only help nationwide but also to bring the ideas back to Wichita and make it a safer community.”

The Executive Order instructs the Commission to conduct its study by focusing on the law enforcement officers who are tasked with reducing crime on a daily basis. It also directs the Commission to research “important current issues facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” and recommends a variety of subjects for study, such as, but not limited to:

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The challenges to law enforcement associated with mental illness, homelessness, substance abuse, and other social factors that influence crime and strain criminal justice resources;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of law enforcement officers, including in rural and tribal communities;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Refusals by State and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The need to promote public confidence and respect for the law and law enforcement officers; and

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The effects of technological innovations on law enforcement and the criminal justice system, including the challenges and opportunities presented by such innovations.

The Commission will principally conduct its study through a series of hearings, panel presentations, field visits, and other public meetings. At these events, the Commission will hear from subject matter experts, public officials, private citizens, and other relevant stakeholders and institutions who can provide valuable insight into these issues.

The Commissioners, appointed by the Attorney General and announced today, are&nbsp;urban police chiefs, state prosecutors, county sheriffs, members of rural and tribal law enforcement, federal agents, U.S. Attorneys, and a state attorney general. In addition to their diverse experiences and backgrounds, each member brings to the Commission an expertise in formulating and shaping law enforcement policy and leading police departments and law enforcement organizations.

The Commission will meet monthly for the next year and then report its findings to the Attorney General, who will submit a final report to the President.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579710455873.png" alt="Wichita police chief Gordon Ramsay (third from right) during Wednesday's ceremony -photo courtesy U.S. Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Wichita police chief Gordon Ramsay (third from right) during Wednesday's ceremony -photo courtesy U.S. Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON -- During a ceremony Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr to the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, according to a media release from WPD.On October 28, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13896, authorizing and designating the Attorney General to create such a Commission that would explore modern issues affecting law enforcement that most impact the ability of American policing to reduce crime. The launch of the Commission was announced at today’s ceremony as well.“There is no more noble and important profession than law enforcement. A free and safe society requires a trusted and capable police force to safeguard our rights to life and liberty,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “But as criminal threats and social conditions have changed the responsibilities and roles of police officers, there is a need for a modern study of how law enforcement can best protect and serve American communities.&nbsp; This is why the President instructed me to establish this critical Commission, whose members truly reflect the best there is in law enforcement. Together, we will examine, discuss, and debate how justice is administered in the United States and uncover opportunities for progress, improvement, and innovation.”&nbsp;“It is an honor to have been chosen to serve on this Presidential Commission,” Chief Gordon Ramsay said.&nbsp; “I am looking forward to working with the other chosen criminal justice experts in examining how to effectively reduce crime and addressing social factors that contribute to crime.&nbsp; My goal is to not only help nationwide but also to bring the ideas back to Wichita and make it a safer community.”The Executive Order instructs the Commission to conduct its study by focusing on the law enforcement officers who are tasked with reducing crime on a daily basis. It also directs the Commission to research “important current issues facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” and recommends a variety of subjects for study, such as, but not limited to:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The challenges to law enforcement associated with mental illness, homelessness, substance abuse, and other social factors that influence crime and strain criminal justice resources;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of law enforcement officers, including in rural and tribal communities;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Refusals by State and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The need to promote public confidence and respect for the law and law enforcement officers; and·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The effects of technological innovations on law enforcement and the criminal justice system, including the challenges and opportunities presented by such innovations.The Commission will principally conduct its study through a series of hearings, panel presentations, field visits, and other public meetings. At these events, the Commission will hear from subject matter experts, public officials, private citizens, and other relevant stakeholders and institutions who can provide valuable insight into these issues.The Commissioners, appointed by the Attorney General and announced today, are&nbsp;urban police chiefs, state prosecutors, county sheriffs, members of rural and tribal law enforcement, federal agents, U.S. Attorneys, and a state attorney general. In addition to their diverse experiences and backgrounds, each member brings to the Commission an expertise in formulating and shaping law enforcement policy and leading police departments and law enforcement organizations.The Commission will meet monthly for the next year and then report its findings to the Attorney General, who will submit a final report to the President.

Wichita police chief appointed to national commission on law enforcement

Laura J. Ostrom, 72, Hays, died Sunday, January 19, 2020 at HaysMed.

She was born October 19, 1947 in Hays 
the daughter of Oliver J. and Mary (Bright) Weber.&nbsp; She graduated from 
TMP-Marian High School and attended Fort Hays State University.&nbsp;&nbsp; She 
received her degree in Computer Data Programming from NCK-Tech.&nbsp; On 
November 17, 1979 she was united in marriage to Stephen F. Ostrom in 
Hays.&nbsp; She was a switchboard operator for St. Anthony Hospital, a 
receptionist for Dr. Hagler in Hays, a bookkeeper at John Hessian Nissan
 in Hays, worked in medical records at St. John’s of Hays, and worked in
 the kitchen at Hays Good Samaritan.&nbsp; She was a member of St. Michael’s 
Episcopal Church, the Eagles Lodge, and the VFW Auxiliary.&nbsp; She enjoyed 
playing Bingo, gambling trips to Topeka, growing lilies, peonies, and 
hostas, playing cards, and traveling.

Survivors include her husband; Stephen,
 of the home in Hays, two sons; James Ostrom and Keith Ostrom and wife 
Jessica, all of Hays, a daughter; Theresia Ostrom and her partner Thomas
 Adams III of Spavinaw, OK, a brother; Oliver “Butch” Weber, Jr. and 
wife Phyllis of Summerfield, FL, a sister; Theresia Weber-Stevens and 
husband Paul of Lawrence, KS, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm on 
Saturday, January 25, 2020 at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; Family
 will receive friends from 1:00 pm until service time.&nbsp; Memorials are 
suggested to the VFW Auxiliary or to Autism Speaks.&nbsp; Condolences and 
memories of Laura may be shared with the family at www. haysmemorial.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579643434682.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Laura J. Ostrom, 72, Hays, died Sunday, January 19, 2020 at HaysMed.She was born October 19, 1947 in Hays 
the daughter of Oliver J. and Mary (Bright) Weber.&nbsp; She graduated from 
TMP-Marian High School and attended Fort Hays State University.&nbsp;&nbsp; She 
received her degree in Computer Data Programming from NCK-Tech.&nbsp; On 
November 17, 1979 she was united in marriage to Stephen F. Ostrom in 
Hays.&nbsp; She was a switchboard operator for St. Anthony Hospital, a 
receptionist for Dr. Hagler in Hays, a bookkeeper at John Hessian Nissan
 in Hays, worked in medical records at St. John’s of Hays, and worked in
 the kitchen at Hays Good Samaritan.&nbsp; She was a member of St. Michael’s 
Episcopal Church, the Eagles Lodge, and the VFW Auxiliary.&nbsp; She enjoyed 
playing Bingo, gambling trips to Topeka, growing lilies, peonies, and 
hostas, playing cards, and traveling.Survivors include her husband; Stephen,
 of the home in Hays, two sons; James Ostrom and Keith Ostrom and wife 
Jessica, all of Hays, a daughter; Theresia Ostrom and her partner Thomas
 Adams III of Spavinaw, OK, a brother; Oliver “Butch” Weber, Jr. and 
wife Phyllis of Summerfield, FL, a sister; Theresia Weber-Stevens and 
husband Paul of Lawrence, KS, and numerous nieces and nephews.Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm on 
Saturday, January 25, 2020 at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; Family
 will receive friends from 1:00 pm until service time.&nbsp; Memorials are 
suggested to the VFW Auxiliary or to Autism Speaks.&nbsp; Condolences and 
memories of Laura may be shared with the family at www. haysmemorial.com

Laura J. Ostrom

Ann Loree (King) Meyer, 70 of Russell, Kansas, passed away on her birthday, Wednesday, January 15, 2020, at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas.

&nbsp;Ann was born January 15, 1950 in Enid, Oklahoma, the daughter of Frank Claude and Muriel Louise (Crouse) King.&nbsp; Ann always enjoyed meeting new people, a skill that came in handy as she lived in 5 different oilfield towns in Oklahoma and Kansas during her grade school years. Ann spent her high school years in Chase Kansas.

Ann was united in marriage to Douglas “Doug” Meyer on October 9, 1983 in Russell.&nbsp;

Ann was a Hairdresser and the owner of The Hair Shack in Russell. She built the business up to a total of 5 Hairdressers. This kept Brad &amp; Steve on their toes, as any trouble they would get into, she would hear about it before they got home.&nbsp; Ann enjoyed designing &amp; remodeling houses. Ann designed an addition to their home&nbsp; &amp; later mover her shop home, where she would operated 2 stations and do the bookkeeping for her husband’s oil operations.

Between 1988 and 2005, Ann lived in Longmont, Colorado and Beaver Oklahoma. She always had a Beauty Shop in her home and continued to run the office for the Oil and Trucking businesses. She was known for her Wednesday night sleepovers with her grandchildren. She enjoyed it very much, except for the one hour trip to drop them off at various schools with morning traffic. &nbsp;

In 2005, Ann moved back to Russell and “Semi-Retired.” She often said that she was retired and Doug was in his Semi. She continued her love for designing and remodeling houses, especially porches and kitchens. She was a dedicated member of the Zeta Mu.&nbsp; She enjoyed cooking for family and friends, her specialty being desserts.&nbsp; Her passion in life was her family and especially her grandchildren.

&nbsp;Ann’s surviving family include her husband of 36 years, Doug of the home; sons, Brad Neal (Allison) of Firestone, Colorado and Steve Neal (Tami) of Russell, Kansas; daughter, Ashleigh Meyer of Russell, Kansas; brothers, Don King (Pat) and Dale King (Brenda) all of Park Hill, Oklahoma; sister, Linda Cash of Vici, Oklahoma; and seven grandchildren, Jamie, Jordon, Dylan, Mellowdee, Tyler, Stylee and Debbie. Ann was preceded in death by her parents.&nbsp;

A Family Greeting will be held at the Dole-Specter Room at the Fossil Creek Hotel in Russell, Kansas from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Saturday, January 25, 2020. A private family burial of ashes will follow at a later date. A Memorial has been established with Post Rock Family Services Inc. Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579632203173.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ann Loree (King) Meyer, 70 of Russell, Kansas, passed away on her birthday, Wednesday, January 15, 2020, at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp;Ann was born January 15, 1950 in Enid, Oklahoma, the daughter of Frank Claude and Muriel Louise (Crouse) King.&nbsp; Ann always enjoyed meeting new people, a skill that came in handy as she lived in 5 different oilfield towns in Oklahoma and Kansas during her grade school years. Ann spent her high school years in Chase Kansas.Ann was united in marriage to Douglas “Doug” Meyer on October 9, 1983 in Russell.&nbsp;Ann was a Hairdresser and the owner of The Hair Shack in Russell. She built the business up to a total of 5 Hairdressers. This kept Brad &amp; Steve on their toes, as any trouble they would get into, she would hear about it before they got home.&nbsp; Ann enjoyed designing &amp; remodeling houses. Ann designed an addition to their home&nbsp; &amp; later mover her shop home, where she would operated 2 stations and do the bookkeeping for her husband’s oil operations.Between 1988 and 2005, Ann lived in Longmont, Colorado and Beaver Oklahoma. She always had a Beauty Shop in her home and continued to run the office for the Oil and Trucking businesses. She was known for her Wednesday night sleepovers with her grandchildren. She enjoyed it very much, except for the one hour trip to drop them off at various schools with morning traffic. &nbsp;In 2005, Ann moved back to Russell and “Semi-Retired.” She often said that she was retired and Doug was in his Semi. She continued her love for designing and remodeling houses, especially porches and kitchens. She was a dedicated member of the Zeta Mu.&nbsp; She enjoyed cooking for family and friends, her specialty being desserts.&nbsp; Her passion in life was her family and especially her grandchildren.&nbsp;Ann’s surviving family include her husband of 36 years, Doug of the home; sons, Brad Neal (Allison) of Firestone, Colorado and Steve Neal (Tami) of Russell, Kansas; daughter, Ashleigh Meyer of Russell, Kansas; brothers, Don King (Pat) and Dale King (Brenda) all of Park Hill, Oklahoma; sister, Linda Cash of Vici, Oklahoma; and seven grandchildren, Jamie, Jordon, Dylan, Mellowdee, Tyler, Stylee and Debbie. Ann was preceded in death by her parents.&nbsp;A Family Greeting will be held at the Dole-Specter Room at the Fossil Creek Hotel in Russell, Kansas from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Saturday, January 25, 2020. A private family burial of ashes will follow at a later date. A Memorial has been established with Post Rock Family Services Inc. Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

Ann Loree (King) Meyer

Reva Gael Lynd was born on October 8,
 1925 in Oakley, Kansas to Monte and Inez (McKim) Poague.&nbsp; She departed 
this life on December 20, 2019, at the age of 94 at the Trego County 
Lemke Memorial Hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Reva was the third of four children.&nbsp;
 At the age of four her family moved to WaKeeney where she became a 
longtime resident.&nbsp; After graduating from Trego Community High School, 
she attended K-State in Manhattan, KS, for two years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On September 4, 1946, she was united in marriage to Marvin Lynd.&nbsp; Reva and Marvin recently celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.&nbsp; Two children, Rex and Nancee were born to this union.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Soon after attending KSU for two 
years, Reva taught country school in Trego County for one year.&nbsp; She 
later worked as a medical records librarian for nine years at the Trego 
County Lemke Memorial Hospital.&nbsp; She was a member of the First 
Presbyterian Church in WaKeeney, and belonged to several clubs and 
organizations; to include, The Harmony Club, P.E.O., Boots and Saddle 
Club and several bridge clubs.&nbsp; After retirement, Reva and Marvin spent 
sixteen winters in Mesa, Arizona as “Snow Birds”.&nbsp;

Reva was a woman of many talents, 
hobbies and interests.&nbsp; Gifted with the ability to play music by ear, 
Reva was a very talented pianist.&nbsp; The family has many fond memories of 
singing around the piano to practically any song requested.&nbsp; Reva and 
her sister, Jan Reeder, entertained at regular family Christmas programs
 with hilarious parodies and skits themed around different family 
members.&nbsp; Due to her creative nature and great sense of humor, she 
always had something planned for family gatherings; such as treasure 
hunts, watermelon seed spitting contests, and fun themed parties and 
picnics at the farm.&nbsp; Reva was an avid reader and also a very skilled 
writer. She enjoyed pets, loved her family and just lit up when her 
grandchildren or great grandchildren visited.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Reva was a dedicated wife and mother 
who will be deeply missed. She was preceded in death by her parents, and
 two brothers; Leighton and Lowell Poague.

Left to mourn her passing and 
celebrate her life are her husband, Marvin; son Rex and wife Sue of Fort
 Collins, CO; daughter Nancee and husband Jerry of WaKeeney; her sister 
Janice Reeder of WaKeeney; six grandchildren, Sara Lynd, Melissa Phifer,
 Matthew Donker, Sandra Thomas, Mike and Shawn Loseke; and eight 
great-grandchildren, Makala Phifer, Ronin Thomas, Addie Loseke, Zoey 
Donker, Kyle Phifer, Liam Loseke, Nora Donker, and Dylan Lynd.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A Memorial Service will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 25, 
2020, at the First Presbyterian Church in WaKeeney, KS. There will be no
 visitation.&nbsp;

Memorials are suggested to First Presbyterian Church of WaKeeney or 
Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital Long Term Care in care of Schmitt 
Funeral Home of WaKeeney, 336 North 12th St., WaKeeney, KS&nbsp; 67672.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578599292824.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Reva Gael Lynd was born on October 8,
 1925 in Oakley, Kansas to Monte and Inez (McKim) Poague.&nbsp; She departed 
this life on December 20, 2019, at the age of 94 at the Trego County 
Lemke Memorial Hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Reva was the third of four children.&nbsp;
 At the age of four her family moved to WaKeeney where she became a 
longtime resident.&nbsp; After graduating from Trego Community High School, 
she attended K-State in Manhattan, KS, for two years.&nbsp;&nbsp;On September 4, 1946, she was united in marriage to Marvin Lynd.&nbsp; Reva and Marvin recently celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.&nbsp; Two children, Rex and Nancee were born to this union.&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon after attending KSU for two 
years, Reva taught country school in Trego County for one year.&nbsp; She 
later worked as a medical records librarian for nine years at the Trego 
County Lemke Memorial Hospital.&nbsp; She was a member of the First 
Presbyterian Church in WaKeeney, and belonged to several clubs and 
organizations; to include, The Harmony Club, P.E.O., Boots and Saddle 
Club and several bridge clubs.&nbsp; After retirement, Reva and Marvin spent 
sixteen winters in Mesa, Arizona as “Snow Birds”.&nbsp;Reva was a woman of many talents, 
hobbies and interests.&nbsp; Gifted with the ability to play music by ear, 
Reva was a very talented pianist.&nbsp; The family has many fond memories of 
singing around the piano to practically any song requested.&nbsp; Reva and 
her sister, Jan Reeder, entertained at regular family Christmas programs
 with hilarious parodies and skits themed around different family 
members.&nbsp; Due to her creative nature and great sense of humor, she 
always had something planned for family gatherings; such as treasure 
hunts, watermelon seed spitting contests, and fun themed parties and 
picnics at the farm.&nbsp; Reva was an avid reader and also a very skilled 
writer. She enjoyed pets, loved her family and just lit up when her 
grandchildren or great grandchildren visited.&nbsp;&nbsp;Reva was a dedicated wife and mother 
who will be deeply missed. She was preceded in death by her parents, and
 two brothers; Leighton and Lowell Poague.Left to mourn her passing and 
celebrate her life are her husband, Marvin; son Rex and wife Sue of Fort
 Collins, CO; daughter Nancee and husband Jerry of WaKeeney; her sister 
Janice Reeder of WaKeeney; six grandchildren, Sara Lynd, Melissa Phifer,
 Matthew Donker, Sandra Thomas, Mike and Shawn Loseke; and eight 
great-grandchildren, Makala Phifer, Ronin Thomas, Addie Loseke, Zoey 
Donker, Kyle Phifer, Liam Loseke, Nora Donker, and Dylan Lynd.&nbsp;&nbsp;A Memorial Service will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 25, 
2020, at the First Presbyterian Church in WaKeeney, KS. There will be no
 visitation.&nbsp;Memorials are suggested to First Presbyterian Church of WaKeeney or 
Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital Long Term Care in care of Schmitt 
Funeral Home of WaKeeney, 336 North 12th St., WaKeeney, KS&nbsp; 67672.&nbsp;

Reva G. Lynd

Mary Bernice "Neecy" Vickers Wood Sloan was born to Clarence I. and Ruth
 O. (Lyon) Vickers on July 10, 1925 in Sheridan County, Kansas.  She 
passed away at the Sheridan County Long Term Care on January 17, 2020 
after a short illness.  She graduated from Sheridan County High School 
in 1943. 

 She attended secretarial school in Denver, CO and then worked 
in Seattle, WA during the WWII years.  She moved back to Sheridan County
 and married Dale Wood on August 27, 1950.   Dale lost his life in an 
airplane accident a few months before their son Gregory Dale was born.  
Greg came into the world on October 17, 1951. 

Neecy was part owner of 
the grocery store/post office in Studley, Ks for several years.  She 
worked at the local Soil Conservation Service and at the Sloan &amp; 
Eland Law Firm.   Neecy married Ray Sloan September 14, 1963.  


Neecy’s days were filled with love for her Lord.  She taught many 
children in Sunday School classes and led several Bible Studies in the 
community throughout the years.   Her commitment to Christ was evident 
in every part of her life.   She was a constant source of strength as 
she shared lessons from Scripture.


Neecy’s backyard garden was a wonderful place that she spent many 
hours tending.  She looked forward to each spring anticipating the first
 plants poking through the soil.  Neecy still mowed her own lawn until 
the age of 92.  


Neecy is survived by her son Greg, wife Juliet and granddaughter 
Jessica; her brother, Bill Vickers; sisters, Vivian Wade, Charlotte 
Beeson and Dorothy Nation, step-sons Murray (Bonnie) and Richard 
(Glenda) Sloan, their families and many nieces and nephews.


She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dale Wood; 
husband, Ray Sloan; sisters, Fae Frasier, Leigh Vickers, and Phyllis 
McClelland.  


Neecy had two favorite sayings.  “That’s a good thing” and “I’ve got
 that square filled”.    She has accomplished both and is resting in the
 arms of Jesus.


A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2020, 10:00 
A.M. at the Christ Community Church with Pastor Ben Rhodes presiding.  
Burial will follow in the Hoxie City Cemetery.  Visitation will be 
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at the Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, Hoxie, 
Kansas from 1:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M.  Memorials are suggested to the 
Christ Community Church Building Fund or the Sheridan County Library and
 may be sent in care Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, Hoxie, Kansas 67740.  
Words of comfort may be left at www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579615350468.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mary Bernice "Neecy" Vickers Wood Sloan was born to Clarence I. and Ruth
 O. (Lyon) Vickers on July 10, 1925 in Sheridan County, Kansas. She 
passed away at the Sheridan County Long Term Care on January 17, 2020 
after a short illness. She graduated from Sheridan County High School 
in 1943. She attended secretarial school in Denver, CO and then worked 
in Seattle, WA during the WWII years. She moved back to Sheridan County
 and married Dale Wood on August 27, 1950. Dale lost his life in an 
airplane accident a few months before their son Gregory Dale was born. 
Greg came into the world on October 17, 1951. Neecy was part owner of 
the grocery store/post office in Studley, Ks for several years. She 
worked at the local Soil Conservation Service and at the Sloan &amp; 
Eland Law Firm. Neecy married Ray Sloan September 14, 1963. 
Neecy’s days were filled with love for her Lord. She taught many 
children in Sunday School classes and led several Bible Studies in the 
community throughout the years. Her commitment to Christ was evident 
in every part of her life. She was a constant source of strength as 
she shared lessons from Scripture.
Neecy’s backyard garden was a wonderful place that she spent many 
hours tending. She looked forward to each spring anticipating the first
 plants poking through the soil. Neecy still mowed her own lawn until 
the age of 92. 
Neecy is survived by her son Greg, wife Juliet and granddaughter 
Jessica; her brother, Bill Vickers; sisters, Vivian Wade, Charlotte 
Beeson and Dorothy Nation, step-sons Murray (Bonnie) and Richard 
(Glenda) Sloan, their families and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dale Wood; 
husband, Ray Sloan; sisters, Fae Frasier, Leigh Vickers, and Phyllis 
McClelland. 
Neecy had two favorite sayings. “That’s a good thing” and “I’ve got
 that square filled”. She has accomplished both and is resting in the
 arms of Jesus.
A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2020, 10:00 
A.M. at the Christ Community Church with Pastor Ben Rhodes presiding. 
Burial will follow in the Hoxie City Cemetery. Visitation will be 
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at the Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, Hoxie, 
Kansas from 1:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Memorials are suggested to the 
Christ Community Church Building Fund or the Sheridan County Library and
 may be sent in care Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, Hoxie, Kansas 67740. 
Words of comfort may be left at www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com

Mary Bernice 'Neecy' (Vickers) Sloan

Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson held steady at $48.75 a barrel. That's 50 cents a barrel higher than a week ago, and $2.25 a barrel less than at the start of this year. Current prices are seven dollars a barrel higher than a year ago.

The weekly rig count from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service was down one rig to eight rigs operating in eastern Kansas, and up two to 15 rigs west of Wichita. The total is 18% lower than a month ago and 30% lower than a year ago at this time.&nbsp; Drilling was underway on one lease in Russell County. Baker Hughes reports 796 active drilling rigs across the U.S., an increase of 14 oil rigs and one seeking natural gas.&nbsp; The count in Texas was up five rigs, while New Mexico and North Dakota were each up three.&nbsp; Canada reported 244 active drilling rigs, up 41 from a week ago.

Kansas Regulators granted permits for drilling at eleven new locations across the state last week, four of them east of Wichita and seven in Western Kansas. That's 38 new permits so far this year.

Independent Oil &amp; Gas reports 29 newly-completed wells across the state, 57 so far this year. There were eight new completions in eastern Kansas, and 21 in the western half of the state, including one in Russell County and two in Stafford County.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports average U.S. crude production last year reached 12.2 million barrels per day.&nbsp; That's an increase of 1.3 million barrels per day.&nbsp;&nbsp;Petroleum imports dropped from 2.3 million to just half a million barrels per day last year. The U.S. has remained a net petroleum exporter since September, and EIA predicts that will continue through 2020 and 2021.

U.S. natural gas production set a new record last year: 92 billion cubic feet per day. In its monthly Short Term Energy Outlook, the government predicts U.S. operators will beat that total this year and again next year.&nbsp; Natural gas prices are predicted to drop this year but recover and actually gain ground next year.

U.S. operators set another production record last week.&nbsp; The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports production of 12.98 million barrels per day for the week ending January 10. That beats the previous record by about 100-thousand barrels per day. &nbsp;

As our production continues to increase, U.S. imports continue to drop, and we remain a net petroleum exporter. EIA reported imports of 6.6 million barrels per day last week, down 179-thousand barrels per day.&nbsp; The four-week average is about 13% less than the same period a year ago.

Regulators in North Dakota report that state's crude-oil production dipped in November from October's record high.&nbsp; The Department of Mineral Resources reported statewide production of 1.515 million barrels. That's down 2,500 barrels per day from the state's record set the previous month. The state's operators were able to capture just 83% of the natural gas produced at the state's oil wells, and were forced to vent or flare the remaining 17%.

Oil-by-rail in the U.S. continues to show increases over the same period a year ago, despite a broad downturn in freight-train traffic.&nbsp; The Association of American Railroads reports 14,303 tanker cars moved petroleum and petroleum products during the week ending January 11. That's up 2.8% from the same week a year ago. Canada reports a 12.9% increase.

New shipping fuel regulations have dramatically boosted demand for heavy-sweet grades of crude oil, which are the best suited to produce newly-required low-sulfur fuel. Reuters cites one spot deal in which more than half a million barrels of Australian heavy sweet crude were sold at a $30 premium, or nearly $100 a barrel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574099516454.jpeg" alt="<a href="https://drlg4ksoil.com/">Discovery Drilling</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://drlg4ksoil.com/">Discovery Drilling</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARKansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson held steady at $48.75 a barrel. That's 50 cents a barrel higher than a week ago, and $2.25 a barrel less than at the start of this year. Current prices are seven dollars a barrel higher than a year ago.The weekly rig count from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service was down one rig to eight rigs operating in eastern Kansas, and up two to 15 rigs west of Wichita. The total is 18% lower than a month ago and 30% lower than a year ago at this time.&nbsp; Drilling was underway on one lease in Russell County. Baker Hughes reports 796 active drilling rigs across the U.S., an increase of 14 oil rigs and one seeking natural gas.&nbsp; The count in Texas was up five rigs, while New Mexico and North Dakota were each up three.&nbsp; Canada reported 244 active drilling rigs, up 41 from a week ago.Kansas Regulators granted permits for drilling at eleven new locations across the state last week, four of them east of Wichita and seven in Western Kansas. That's 38 new permits so far this year.Independent Oil &amp; Gas reports 29 newly-completed wells across the state, 57 so far this year. There were eight new completions in eastern Kansas, and 21 in the western half of the state, including one in Russell County and two in Stafford County.The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports average U.S. crude production last year reached 12.2 million barrels per day.&nbsp; That's an increase of 1.3 million barrels per day.&nbsp;&nbsp;Petroleum imports dropped from 2.3 million to just half a million barrels per day last year. The U.S. has remained a net petroleum exporter since September, and EIA predicts that will continue through 2020 and 2021.U.S. natural gas production set a new record last year: 92 billion cubic feet per day. In its monthly Short Term Energy Outlook, the government predicts U.S. operators will beat that total this year and again next year.&nbsp; Natural gas prices are predicted to drop this year but recover and actually gain ground next year.U.S. operators set another production record last week.&nbsp; The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports production of 12.98 million barrels per day for the week ending January 10. That beats the previous record by about 100-thousand barrels per day. &nbsp;As our production continues to increase, U.S. imports continue to drop, and we remain a net petroleum exporter. EIA reported imports of 6.6 million barrels per day last week, down 179-thousand barrels per day.&nbsp; The four-week average is about 13% less than the same period a year ago.Regulators in North Dakota report that state's crude-oil production dipped in November from October's record high.&nbsp; The Department of Mineral Resources reported statewide production of 1.515 million barrels. That's down 2,500 barrels per day from the state's record set the previous month. The state's operators were able to capture just 83% of the natural gas produced at the state's oil wells, and were forced to vent or flare the remaining 17%.Oil-by-rail in the U.S. continues to show increases over the same period a year ago, despite a broad downturn in freight-train traffic.&nbsp; The Association of American Railroads reports 14,303 tanker cars moved petroleum and petroleum products during the week ending January 11. That's up 2.8% from the same week a year ago. Canada reports a 12.9% increase.New shipping fuel regulations have dramatically boosted demand for heavy-sweet grades of crude oil, which are the best suited to produce newly-required low-sulfur fuel. Reuters cites one spot deal in which more than half a million barrels of Australian heavy sweet crude were sold at a $30 premium, or nearly $100 a barrel.

News From the Oil Patch, Jan. 20

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — Adolfo Cardenas smiles faintly at the memory of traveling with his 14-year-old son from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexico border in only nine days, riding buses and paying a smuggler $6,000 to ensure passage through highway checkpoints.

Father and son walked about 10 minutes in Arizona’s stifling June heat before surrendering to border agents. Instead of being released with paperwork to appear in immigration court in Dallas, where Cardenas hopes to live with a cousin, they were bused more than an hour to wait in the Mexican border city of Mexicali.

“It was a surprise. I never imagined this would happen,” Cardenas, 39, said while waiting at a Mexicali migrant shelter for his fifth court appearance in San Diego, on Jan. 24.

Illegal crossings plummeted across the border after the Trump administration made more asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. court. The drop has been most striking on the western Arizona border, a pancake-flat desert with a vast canal system from the Colorado River that turns bone-dry soil into fields of melons and wheat and orchards of dates and lemons.

Arrests in the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector nearly hit 14,000 in May, when the policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico took effect there. By October, they fell 94%, to less than 800, and have stayed there since, making Yuma the second-slowest of the agency’s nine sectors on the Mexican border, just ahead of the perennially quiet Big Bend sector in Texas.

Illegal crossings in western Arizona have swung sharply before, and there are several reasons for the recent drop. But Anthony Porvaznik, chief of the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector, said the so-called Migration Protection Protocols have been a huge deterrent, based on agents’ interviews with people arrested.

“Their whole goal was to be released into the United States, and once that was taken off the shelf for them, and they couldn’t be released into the United States anymore, then that really diminished the amount of traffic that came through here,” Porvaznik said.

In the neighboring Tucson sector, arrests rose each month from August to December, bucking a border-wide trend and making it the second-busiest corridor after Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Porvaznik attributes Tucson’s spike to the absence of the policy there until three months ago.

In late November, the administration began busing asylum-seekers five hours from Tucson to El Paso, Texas, for court and delivering them to Mexican authorities there to wait. This month, officials scrapped the buses by returning migrants to Mexico near Tucson and requiring them to travel on their own to El Paso.

More than 55,000 asylum-seekers were returned to Mexico to wait for hearings through November, 10 months after the policy was introduced in San Diego.

The immigrants were from more than three dozen countries, and nearly 2 out of 3 were Guatemalan or Honduran, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Mexicans are exempt.

Critics say the policy is unfair and exposes asylum-seekers to extreme violence in Mexican border cities, where attorneys are difficult to find.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups asked to put the policy on hold during a legal challenge. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Oct. 1 and has not indicated when it will decide.

On Tuesday, critics scored a partial victory in a separate lawsuit when a federal judge in San Diego said asylum-seekers who are being returned to Mexico from California must have access to hired attorneys before and during key interviews to determine if they can stay in the U.S. while their cases proceed.

Immigration judges hear cases in San Diego and El Paso, while other asylum-seekers report to tent camps in the Texas cities of Laredo and Brownsville, where they are connected to judges by video.

In Yuma, asylum-seekers are held in short-term cells until space opens up to be returned to Mexicali through a neighboring California sector. Those interviewed by The Associated Press waited up to a week in Yuma, though Border Patrol policy says people generally shouldn’t be held more than 72 hours.

Volunteers visit Mexicali shelters to offer bus tickets or a two-hour ride to Tijuana, along with hotel rooms for the night before court appearances in San Diego.

Cardenas, who worked construction in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, said he feels unsafe in Mexico and that it was impossible to escape gangs in Honduras. “They are in every corner,” he said.

Enma Florian of Guatemala, who crossed the border illegally with her 16- and 13-year-old sons near Yuma in August, doesn’t know if she would stay in Mexico or return to Guatemala if denied asylum in the U.S. The grant rate for Guatemalan asylum-seekers was 14% for the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, compared with 18% for Salvadorans, 13% for Hondurans and 11% for Mexicans.

“The dream was to reach the United States,” she said, holding out hope that she will settle with relatives in Maryland.

While illegal crossings have nosedived in Yuma, asylum-seekers still sign up on a waiting list to enter the U.S. at an official crossing in San Luis, Arizona. U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls the Mexican shelter that manages the list to say how many asylum claims it will process each day. The shelter estimates the wait at three to four months.

Angel Rodriguez, one of 143 Cubans on the shelter’s waiting list of 1,484 people, has had bright moments in Mexico, including a beautiful Christmas meal. But the 51-year-old rarely goes outside and he dreads the possibility of being forced to wait for hearings in Mexico after his number is called to make an initial asylum claim in the US.

“That’s sending me to hell again,” said Rodriguez, who hopes to settle with friends in Dallas or Miami. “If I’m going to seek asylum, I’m going to look to a country that is the safest and respects human rights. That country is the United States of America.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1565991611783.png" alt="As the sun sets near McAllen, TX, migrants who crossed the Rio Grande surrender to U.S. Border Patrol agents near an area known as Rincon on June 5, 2019 From here, they will be transported to a processing center. photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection" />
 <figcaption>As the sun sets near McAllen, TX, migrants who crossed the Rio Grande surrender to U.S. Border Patrol agents near an area known as Rincon on June 5, 2019 From here, they will be transported to a processing center. photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection</figcaption>
 </figure>YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — Adolfo Cardenas smiles faintly at the memory of traveling with his 14-year-old son from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexico border in only nine days, riding buses and paying a smuggler $6,000 to ensure passage through highway checkpoints.Father and son walked about 10 minutes in Arizona’s stifling June heat before surrendering to border agents. Instead of being released with paperwork to appear in immigration court in Dallas, where Cardenas hopes to live with a cousin, they were bused more than an hour to wait in the Mexican border city of Mexicali.“It was a surprise. I never imagined this would happen,” Cardenas, 39, said while waiting at a Mexicali migrant shelter for his fifth court appearance in San Diego, on Jan. 24.Illegal crossings plummeted across the border after the Trump administration made more asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. court. The drop has been most striking on the western Arizona border, a pancake-flat desert with a vast canal system from the Colorado River that turns bone-dry soil into fields of melons and wheat and orchards of dates and lemons.Arrests in the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector nearly hit 14,000 in May, when the policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico took effect there. By October, they fell 94%, to less than 800, and have stayed there since, making Yuma the second-slowest of the agency’s nine sectors on the Mexican border, just ahead of the perennially quiet Big Bend sector in Texas.Illegal crossings in western Arizona have swung sharply before, and there are several reasons for the recent drop. But Anthony Porvaznik, chief of the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector, said the so-called Migration Protection Protocols have been a huge deterrent, based on agents’ interviews with people arrested.“Their whole goal was to be released into the United States, and once that was taken off the shelf for them, and they couldn’t be released into the United States anymore, then that really diminished the amount of traffic that came through here,” Porvaznik said.In the neighboring Tucson sector, arrests rose each month from August to December, bucking a border-wide trend and making it the second-busiest corridor after Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Porvaznik attributes Tucson’s spike to the absence of the policy there until three months ago.In late November, the administration began busing asylum-seekers five hours from Tucson to El Paso, Texas, for court and delivering them to Mexican authorities there to wait. This month, officials scrapped the buses by returning migrants to Mexico near Tucson and requiring them to travel on their own to El Paso.More than 55,000 asylum-seekers were returned to Mexico to wait for hearings through November, 10 months after the policy was introduced in San Diego.The immigrants were from more than three dozen countries, and nearly 2 out of 3 were Guatemalan or Honduran, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Mexicans are exempt.Critics say the policy is unfair and exposes asylum-seekers to extreme violence in Mexican border cities, where attorneys are difficult to find.The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups asked to put the policy on hold during a legal challenge. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Oct. 1 and has not indicated when it will decide.On Tuesday, critics scored a partial victory in a separate lawsuit when a federal judge in San Diego said asylum-seekers who are being returned to Mexico from California must have access to hired attorneys before and during key interviews to determine if they can stay in the U.S. while their cases proceed.Immigration judges hear cases in San Diego and El Paso, while other asylum-seekers report to tent camps in the Texas cities of Laredo and Brownsville, where they are connected to judges by video.In Yuma, asylum-seekers are held in short-term cells until space opens up to be returned to Mexicali through a neighboring California sector. Those interviewed by The Associated Press waited up to a week in Yuma, though Border Patrol policy says people generally shouldn’t be held more than 72 hours.Volunteers visit Mexicali shelters to offer bus tickets or a two-hour ride to Tijuana, along with hotel rooms for the night before court appearances in San Diego.Cardenas, who worked construction in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, said he feels unsafe in Mexico and that it was impossible to escape gangs in Honduras. “They are in every corner,” he said.Enma Florian of Guatemala, who crossed the border illegally with her 16- and 13-year-old sons near Yuma in August, doesn’t know if she would stay in Mexico or return to Guatemala if denied asylum in the U.S. The grant rate for Guatemalan asylum-seekers was 14% for the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, compared with 18% for Salvadorans, 13% for Hondurans and 11% for Mexicans.“The dream was to reach the United States,” she said, holding out hope that she will settle with relatives in Maryland.While illegal crossings have nosedived in Yuma, asylum-seekers still sign up on a waiting list to enter the U.S. at an official crossing in San Luis, Arizona. U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls the Mexican shelter that manages the list to say how many asylum claims it will process each day. The shelter estimates the wait at three to four months.Angel Rodriguez, one of 143 Cubans on the shelter’s waiting list of 1,484 people, has had bright moments in Mexico, including a beautiful Christmas meal. But the 51-year-old rarely goes outside and he dreads the possibility of being forced to wait for hearings in Mexico after his number is called to make an initial asylum claim in the US.“That’s sending me to hell again,” said Rodriguez, who hopes to settle with friends in Dallas or Miami. “If I’m going to seek asylum, I’m going to look to a country that is the safest and respects human rights. That country is the United States of America.”

Illegal crossings plunge as US extends policy across border

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. (AP) — Like all the best con artists, Randy Constant was a charmer, hard not to like.

Big hearted. Good listener. You’d never have guessed that the father of three, grandfather of five was a liar, cheat and serial philanderer who masterminded one of the biggest and longest-running frauds in the history of American agriculture.

“He was a wonderful person,” an old friend told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article239079858.html">The Kansas City Star</a>. “He just had that other side to him.”

“What he done shocked me to death,” said Stoutsville, Missouri, farmer John Heinecke, who did business with Constant for years. “I didn’t know he was that kind of corrupt.”

Church-going family man. School board president. Agribusiness entrepreneur. That’s the caring, accomplished Randy Constant people knew in Chillicothe, Missouri, which advertises itself on road signs as the “Home of Sliced Bread.”

Until the full story started to emerge last summer, Constant seemed like one of the best things to come out of Chillicothe since those first pre-cut loaves appeared on store shelves 90 years ago.

He made a good living buying and selling organic grain. He raised tilapia by the ton inside a former Walmart, shipping the farm-raised fish to Whole Foods and hundreds of other supermarkets nationwide.

His reputation earned him prominent mention in Successful Farming magazine’s June 2017 special issue as one of “10 Successful Farmers to Watch” in America.

What the magazine’s editors didn’t know was that Constant was already being closely watched. On a humid Tuesday morning later that same month, a line of black SUVs rolled down Oaklawn Drive and parked outside the four-bedroom, Cape Cod-style house that Constant shared with his wife, Pam.

“We have a search warrant,” agents from the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Agriculture said as they appeared at the couple’s front door around 9:30 a.m.

For five and a half hours, investigators sorted through records from Constant’s business and personal life. There was a lot of material to process because Constant had quite inexplicably become one of the biggest sellers of “certified organic” feed grain in the entire country.

Records showed that in 2016 he sold 7% of all the corn labeled organic and 8% of all the soybeans carrying that designation. More than $19 million worth that year, $24 million the year before and so on every year before that back to 2010 at least.

It was impossible for him to have done that legitimately. He didn’t have access to enough organic crop acres to supply so many bushels.

“Somebody who was competing with him in the organic market noticed that he was flooding the market with too much grain and at too low of a price for what organic grain should be sold for,” federal prosecutor Anthony Morfitt told The Star.

That’s what got the whole thing started. A tip rather than the government’s flawed oversight program for the organic food industry. For many years, that inspection system had failed to detect Constant’s fraudulent scheme. Now the feds were onto him.

There was plenty of temptation to cheat. Organic grain costs more to produce per bushel than conventionally grown crops and therefore demands a higher price. After processing, it is fed to cattle and chickens, whose meat is also sold at a premium in stores and restaurants because a growing number of consumers are willing to pay more for protein that comes from animals raised on a natural, organic diet.

There’s no proof that the meat is any better for you, but some people believe it is and others have philosophical or environmental reasons for preferring it.

To earn the National Organic Seal, the plants from which organic grain is harvested cannot have been genetically modified. And they must be grown without help from chemical fertilizers or synthetic weed or bug killers. But for decades the government’s system for ensuring that consumers get what they are paying for has been inadequate.

It largely depends on trusting that organic farmers are honest and that the private inspectors who monitor their operations are thorough in reviewing the paperwork because there is no test to determine whether an ear of field corn, say, is organic or not.

A clever and unethical seller can successfully pass off cheaper conventionally grown grain for the more expensive organic kind and make a huge profit, if they sell a lot of it.

The agents suspected Randy Constant of doing just that.

With the FBI’s assistance, the USDA would go on to prove that Constant was a swindler on a grand scale: More than $140 million in fraudulent sales between 2010 and 2017 for grain that was likely worth half that.

The Star’s subsequent reporting found that, in fact, his scheme stretched back further than that, to 2007 or 2006.

Constant scammed grain buyers, meat producers and millions of American consumers for a decade or more. The organic beef and poultry countless Americans were eating during those years wasn’t organic after all.

It was just like any other meat. All thanks to Randy Constant, who squandered the profits on a fish farm that failed, travel and a secret, double life that was shockingly at odds with his good-guy image in Chillicothe.

As his family members wept during his sentencing hearing for wire fraud in an Iowa courtroom last August, prosecutors disclosed the scandalous ways Constant had spent some of the ill-gotten profits.

Not only did he bankroll extravagant family vacations every summer — counting kids and grandkids, he’d treat a dozen to stays at luxury resorts like Hilton Head, South Carolina — Constant also admitted to using the grain sales money to pay for sex with prostitutes and wagering at casinos.

He took more than 20 trips to Las Vegas, often alone, during the seven-year period covered in his indictment. There he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal profits on gambling on the Vegas strip, hiring female escorts and providing financial support to three women with whom he had extramarital affairs.

He shared a bank account with one of them, and spent $110,000 on her car payments and other bills, a trip to Spain and surgery to enhance her breasts.

“During a roughly seven-month period in the course of the scheme,” Constant admitted in court records, “another account in my name and under my control incurred more than $250,000 in Las Vegas-related expenses.”

The revelations stunned those who had befriended the onetime high school football star and local Future Farmers of America president. They still find it hard to grasp that someone who once seemed to believe strongly in the value of growing food organically would betray that industry, not to mention business associates, friends and family.

“I knew a different Randy than what I read about in the papers,” said former Missouri organic farmer Maryann Kohl, now retired in Palm Springs, California. “Everything about him seemed good and legitimate.”

Who was Randy Constant? When did he go astray and how did he get away with his scam for so long? The Star spent more than a month finding answers to those questions by reviewing court, business and government records, as well as conducting interviews with regulators, industry officials and those who knew him.

The most intriguing question of all may never be answered. Only Randy Constant knows why he did what he did, but at age 60 he took his own life last August. Three days earlier he’d been sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was ordered to forfeit $128 million, a fine that he almost certainly never would have been able to pay off.

“I know Randy was deeply ashamed of his conduct,” his widow said soon after his passing.

She and other family members were unwilling to discuss with a reporter anything more about the man or his many mistakes.

Despite Constant’s faults, former business partner Glen Borgerding remains sympathetic and remembers him fondly.

“The reaction you get from people after hearing of his suicide is that he deserved what he got,” he said. “But I don’t feel that way. There was a lot of good in Randy and the real tragedy is that he went down this path.”

While many sellers have been hit with civil penalties for engaging in organic food fraud, only a few bad actors have ever been prosecuted criminally.

One of the first was a Texas farmer sentenced in 2010 to two years in prison for fraudulently mislabeling three kinds of beans and millions of pounds of milo as organic. The next year, two California fertilizer suppliers and an Oregon grain farmer got prison time for falsely claiming their products were organic.

And more recently, Bernard Saul of Bliss, Idaho, was sentenced in 2016 to three years in federal custody and three years probation for selling far more “organic” alfalfa seed than his organic farm could have produced.

But these cases were small potatoes compared to Constant’s scheme, the disclosure of which stunned the organic food industry both for its scale and how it exposed the shortcomings in the government’s organic certification program.

“We have been sitting on a ticking time bomb for years,” Margaret Scoles, the executive director of the International Organic Inspectors Association, said in prepared remarks at an industry conference in October.

“We just didn’t know the name of it — Randy Constant. This is a failure on all of our heads. Our system of managing organic integrity proved inadequate.”

Until Constant’s crime became public knowledge at the end of 2018, greater attention had been focused on illicit foreign shipments of grain from the Black Sea region. Almost nothing was being said about the potential for fraud domestically.

“Which is interesting, isn’t it?” Scoles told The Star. “That we were all looking at the Turkish grain fraud and we were all upset because that horrible imported grain was depressing organic grain prices in this country, and really what was happening was the largest fraud of all was being perpetrated right in the Midwest heartland where everybody’s honest.”

A 90-minute drive northeast of Kansas City, Chillicothe is about the same size today — population 9,500 — as it was when Jack and JoAnn Constant welcomed into the world the third of their four children. Randall Jay Constant was born two weeks before Christmas in 1958.

When he was growing up, Chillicothe was the kind of close-knit, rural community where the local newspaper would print kids’ letters to Santa Claus every Christmas season. Randy’s first appeared in print when he was 7 and then another made the paper two years later, in December 1967.

“Santa, I have tried to be a good boy this year,” the third-grader wrote. “I want a BB gun, a ball, a catcher’s mitt, a bat and a dart game. Please remember my family. Your friend, Randy Constant, Chillicothe, Mo.”

In the decade that followed, his name would appear dozens of times in the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune. Most often it was in the high school sports report. At 6 feet, 175 pounds, he was an all-conference defensive end/linebacker his senior year on the football squad, one of two Chillicothe Hornets players selected that spring to play in Missouri’s first-ever Lions All-State Football Game in 1977.

He was a good student and a leader off the field. After attending the Boys State leadership program the summer after his junior year, he finished high school, often wearing his blue jacket as president of the local Future Farmers of America chapter.

Constant went on to study agricultural economics at Mizzou, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi — motto: “men of principle” — the same fraternity where years earlier Kenneth Lay, founder of Enron Corp., was a member. Constant married his high school sweetheart ahead of graduation in 1981.

Over the next dozen years, they had three kids and Randy’s job assignments for his ag industry employers (Archer Daniels Midlands, then Scoular Grain Co. and Pfister Seeds) had the young family moving from town to town across the Midwest. They never stayed in one place for long, from Decatur, Illinois, to Salina, Kansas, with stops in Nebraska, Iowa and the Kansas City suburbs.

According to his obituary, “the family returned to Chillicothe in 1994 when Randy became an organic farmer…”

Growing food organically was a tiny, but fast-growing industry back then, and there was a lot of confusion over terminology. Definitions differed over what constituted “organic’’ when producing fruits, vegetables, meat, grains and the products made from them.

In 1990, Congress sought to establish clarity with the passage of the Organic Foods Production Act. It called for the USDA to define the term and lay out regulations. It took more than a decade to accomplish that, with the final rule published in the Federal Register on Dec, 21, 2000.

That was around the time Glen Borgerding met Constant. Borgerding was a crop consultant from Minnesota who specialized in organic farming methods. Constant was farming some on his own and was the farm manager for an organic soybean brokerage company that was selling soybeans to the Japanese.

“They had hired Randy to run their Missouri operations,’’ said Borgerding, who the company brought on as a consultant.

When Borgerding’s contract with the firm ended a year later, he suggested to Constant that they go into business together and Organic Land Management LLC was born in January of 2001.

“We clicked really well,” Borgerding said. “We both had skill sets that really complimented each other.”

Borgerding’s role was as the strategic thinker, focusing on soil fertility management and doing the paperwork necessary to maintain their croplands’ organic certification. Constant was out in the fields taking care of day-to-day management of the acres they owned or rented in Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, while Borgerding oversaw operations in Minnesota and North Dakota.

Things went well those first five years, but then trouble came out of nowhere.

“We doubled our net worth every year until 2006, when we suddenly had a flat year,” Borgerding said. “This led to our operating-loan lender pulling out on us at the last minute, which left us pretty financially desperate for the 2007 crop year.”

He couldn’t figure it out. The yield estimates had been good throughout the growing season. The weather cooperated for the most part.

But without access to adequate credit, the joint operation couldn’t survive, and so they split up.

It wasn’t until several months after they parted that Borgerding’s suspicions were raised when he got a phone call from a customer who he wasn’t aware of ever doing business with. The man wanted to finish up some paperwork business with Constant.

That’s when Borgerding began to think that the down year in 2006 had nothing to do with poor yields. Rather he suspected that Constant was diverting Organic Land Management grain through a different company that Constant had formed without his knowledge.

“My gut feeling was that through OLM we were only tracking about one third of what he was actually selling as organic in 2006,” Borgerding said.

Years later he was stunned when he read about Constant’s long-running con and sordid double life in Vegas.

“When I heard that, I thought to myself, ‘damn, Randy,’ ” Borgerding said. “That would have been a helluva ride.”

Maryann Kohl met Constant in the 1990s, when both were active in the Missouri Organic Association, which promoted the value of growing crops organically.

“He was a very outgoing and well-spoken person,” she said. “Anything he could do to help another person with what they were working on, he would do.”

Her family’s farm was near Vandalia, about 150 miles east of Chillicothe. They had become acquainted at association events, but a friendship grew when they, along with Constant’s youngest daughter and two other farmers, visited the United Kingdom in 2004 on a trade mission sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

“He was fun and very much a gentleman,” Kohl said. He seemed devoted to his family and appeared to believe in the value of growing food organically.

She had no reason to doubt back then that he was complying with all the rules that a farmer must follow to maintain organic certification for his crops.

Organic farmers must hire private companies approved by the government to cross-check their books and inspect their farms annually. A few years after that trip to England, Kohl worked for Constant’s certifier, industry-leader Quality Assurance International, and by chance was chosen to inspect his operation, she said.

“I was there to make sure he was doing everything right, and as far as I could tell, he certainly was,” she said. “If he was hiding something, he was hiding it very well.”

But there are ways to cheat, such as keeping a second set of books. Tests for chemical residues were not mandatory at the time and are even now sporadic.

Was Randy Constant cheating even back then, when they drove hundreds of miles to inspect the certified organic farm ground he owned and rented in Missouri, Iowa and Colorado?

Kohl can’t help but wonder, but if so she chalks it up to his cleverness, rather than anything she did wrong.

“I wasn’t lenient on Randy because I knew him.”

She can’t be sure, but believes the year was either 2007 or 2008.

But it was around that time, in Nevada, that questions first arose about Constant’s business ethics.

An article in the June 2007 issue of an obscure publication, The Organic and Non-GMO Report, focused on the mystery surrounding a railcar full of organic soybeans.

Constant had sold the beans to Nevada Soy Product, which turned them into soybean oil. One of Nevada Soy’s customers canceled the sale after their tests showed the soybeans had come from genetically modified plants. While there is no test to determine whether a plant was grown organically, it can be determined in a lab whether that plant’s genes have been tinkered with.

When Nevada Soy co-owner Bob Rewinkle double checked the grain samples, “sure enough it was positive,” he told The Star last month.

According to the 2007 article, one of the scientists who tested the beans said there were only two explanations. Either there was an unintentional mixup, “or someone is trying to make money quick” by mixing genetically modified soybeans with the organic variety.

Constant denied wrongdoing, but Rewinkle wanted answers. The spoiled shipment was a $100,000 hit to his bottom line.

“As soon as that happened, I went into our certifiers, which at the time happened to be the state of Nevada, and told them what had happened, and they started an investigation,” Rewinkle said.

But nothing came of it. He never heard a thing from the USDA, and a spokeswoman at the Nevada Department of Agriculture told The Star that the agency has no record of what happened. The USDA would not speak specifically to this case, but said it had more funding now to investigate complaints than it did back then.

Rewinkle is still disgusted with the lack of followup by the USDA.

“If you’re the big overseer of the organic program, why don’t you do your job?” he said of the USDA. He then told The Star’s reporter, “You’re the first person that ever contacted me about this.”

Rewinkle wasn’t the only one finding fault with the federal National Organic Program during that time for failing to uphold the integrity of the organic food certification system.

The USDA’s Office of Inspector General issued a searing 2010 audit faulting the organic program’s oversight efforts. Complaints were rarely followed up on, and when they were it sometimes took years to resolve them.

The inspection system was also inadequate, the report said. Twenty years after Congress had required that crops be tested periodically for traces of chemical residues, no strict regulations to that effect were on the books.

Out of four certifying agents the OIG reviewed, none was conducting tests on the 5,000 organic farms and other operations they were responsible for.

It was in this environment that Randy Constant thrived.

“I think he figured out that, there’s just no checks and balances to determine really whether or not a No. 2 corn was actually raised organically or not,” said Clarence Mock, a Nebraska defense attorney who represented one of Constant’s co-conspirators in the criminal case.

Former Kan. ag businessman ran one of the biggest frauds in history

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced Friday that Thong Cao and his wife, Mai Cao, will be obligated to pay $160,000 in damages and civil penalties to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that Thong Cao sexually harassed numerous female tenants since at least 2009 at residential properties he owned or operated in Wichita, Kansas, according to the United State's Attorney.

Mai Cao is named as a defendant in this lawsuit because she owned or co-owned certain rental properties at which harassment took place.

Under the consent order in&nbsp;United States of America v. Thong Cao, et al., which was entered Friday by the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, defendants are required to pay a total of $160,000, which includes $155,000 in monetary damages to eleven former tenants who were harmed as a result of the sexual harassment, and a $5,000 civil penalty. The consent order also bars the defendants from participating in the rental or management of residential properties in the future.&nbsp;

“Sexual harassment of women in their homes is indecent, destructive, and illegal,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The Fair Housing Act protects the right of women and their families to live in peace and security and without the fear that deviant people will intimidate and bully them for sexual favors. This department will continue tirelessly to pursue landlords and others who abuse their authority by preying upon vulnerable women.”&nbsp;

“Access to fair housing is every person’s right,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister for the District of Kansas.&nbsp;“Landlords, property managers and their employees are legally prohibited from making sexual favors a condition of obtaining or maintaining a place to&nbsp;live.”

The department’s lawsuit, filed in 2017, arose from two complaints that former tenants filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).&nbsp; The lawsuit alleged that Thong Cao sexually harassed multiple female residents at the rental properties from at least 2009 to 2014. According to the complaint, Thong Cao engaged in harassment that included, among other things, making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, and terminating the tenancies of women who refused to engage in sexual conduct with him.

In October 2017, the Justice Department launched a new&nbsp;initiative&nbsp;to combat sexual harassment in housing. In April 2018, the Department of Justice announced the nationwide rollout, including three major components: &nbsp;an outreach toolkit to leverage the department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices, a public awareness campaign, including the launch of a national&nbsp;Public Service Announcement, and a new joint Task Force with HUD to combat sexual harassment in housing.

Since launching the initiative, the Department of Justice has filed 13 new lawsuits alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department has filed or settled 18 sexual harassment cases since January 2017, and has recovered over $2.7 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced Friday that Thong Cao and his wife, Mai Cao, will be obligated to pay $160,000 in damages and civil penalties to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that Thong Cao sexually harassed numerous female tenants since at least 2009 at residential properties he owned or operated in Wichita, Kansas, according to the United State's Attorney.Mai Cao is named as a defendant in this lawsuit because she owned or co-owned certain rental properties at which harassment took place.Under the consent order in&nbsp;United States of America v. Thong Cao, et al., which was entered Friday by the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, defendants are required to pay a total of $160,000, which includes $155,000 in monetary damages to eleven former tenants who were harmed as a result of the sexual harassment, and a $5,000 civil penalty. The consent order also bars the defendants from participating in the rental or management of residential properties in the future.&nbsp;“Sexual harassment of women in their homes is indecent, destructive, and illegal,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The Fair Housing Act protects the right of women and their families to live in peace and security and without the fear that deviant people will intimidate and bully them for sexual favors. This department will continue tirelessly to pursue landlords and others who abuse their authority by preying upon vulnerable women.”&nbsp;“Access to fair housing is every person’s right,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister for the District of Kansas.&nbsp;“Landlords, property managers and their employees are legally prohibited from making sexual favors a condition of obtaining or maintaining a place to&nbsp;live.”The department’s lawsuit, filed in 2017, arose from two complaints that former tenants filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).&nbsp; The lawsuit alleged that Thong Cao sexually harassed multiple female residents at the rental properties from at least 2009 to 2014. According to the complaint, Thong Cao engaged in harassment that included, among other things, making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, and terminating the tenancies of women who refused to engage in sexual conduct with him.In October 2017, the Justice Department launched a new&nbsp;initiative&nbsp;to combat sexual harassment in housing. In April 2018, the Department of Justice announced the nationwide rollout, including three major components: &nbsp;an outreach toolkit to leverage the department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices, a public awareness campaign, including the launch of a national&nbsp;Public Service Announcement, and a new joint Task Force with HUD to combat sexual harassment in housing.Since launching the initiative, the Department of Justice has filed 13 new lawsuits alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department has filed or settled 18 sexual harassment cases since January 2017, and has recovered over $2.7 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing.

Feds settle suit that accused Kan. landlord of demanding sex for rent

Pinnacle Regional Hospital courtesy photo

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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Pinnacle Regional Hospital courtesy photoBOONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas hospital company abruptly closed a central Missouri hospital Wednesday, citing regulatory problems.Pinnacle Regional Hospital announced early Wednesday the full-service, community hospital in Boonville would close by the end of the day. Discussions with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services led officials to believe "that the economic hardship of bringing the facility into compliance is too great to make the appropriate repairs necessary,” hospital officials said in a statement.The hospital did not specify what compliance issues it was facing.Boonville, a town of about 8,400 people, also will lose a clinic and a rehab facility.Pinnacle, based in Overland Park, Kansas, also operates Pinnacle Regional Hospital and Blue Valley Surgical Associates. which were not affected by the closure of the Missouri hospital.Pinnacle spokeswoman Lori Davies said doctors will staff the emergency room in Boonville for 14 days but she would not comment on the future of about 160 hospital employees.Pinnacle purchased the Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville in October 2018.