SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man found guilty of murdering his twin brother and his sister-in-law has been sentenced for the crime.

District Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced Luis Alvarado-Meraz, 33 of Wichita, to life without parole, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On January 14, 2015, Alvarado-Meraz shot his brother 24-year-old Manuel and Manuel’s wife 22-year-old Lucero Rodriquez.

 Alvarado-Meraz was found guilty of capital murder on October 5, 2018.

The delay in sentencing was the result of the filing of multiple post-trial motions which required days of evidentiary hearings over the course of several years. Ultimately, the defendant’s motion for a new trial was denied over four years after he was convicted at trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688071148693.png" alt="Alvarado-Meraz-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Alvarado-Meraz-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man found guilty of murdering his twin brother and his sister-in-law has been sentenced for the crime.District Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced Luis Alvarado-Meraz, 33 of Wichita, to life without parole, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On January 14, 2015, Alvarado-Meraz shot his brother 24-year-old Manuel and Manuel’s wife 22-year-old Lucero Rodriquez. Alvarado-Meraz was found guilty of capital murder on October 5, 2018.The delay in sentencing was the result of the filing of multiple post-trial motions which required days of evidentiary hearings over the course of several years. Ultimately, the defendant’s motion for a new trial was denied over four years after he was convicted at trial.

Kan. man found guilty of murder in 2018 finally sentenced 

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Makia Green believes she benefited from a program that gave preference to students of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds when she was admitted over a decade ago to the University of Rochester.

As a borrower who still owes just over $20,000 on her undergraduate student loans, she had been counting on President Joe Biden's promised debt relief to wipe nearly all of that away.

Now, the student loan cancellation plan has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court</a>, which on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">struck down affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions. Both policies disproportionately help Black students. To Green and many other people of color, the efforts to roll them back reflect a larger backlash to racial progress in higher education.

“I feel like working people have been through enough — I have been through enough,” said Green, a community organizer. “From a pandemic, an uprising, a recession, the cost of living price going up. I deserved some relief.”

The rulings could also have political consequences among a generation of young voters of color who took Biden at his word when he campaigned on canceling debt.

“Despite today’s upsetting ruling, we demand that the Biden Administration delivers on the promise of student loan debt relief,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson, in a statement. “Education has long been regarded as a path toward generational wealth, economic liberation, and securing the American dream. Let’s be clear — student debt is killing that dream.”

The president's plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">forgave up to $10,000</a>&nbsp;in federal student debt for borrowers, and doubled the debt relief to $20,000 for borrowers who also received Pell Grants. About half of the average debt held by Black and Hispanic borrowers would have been wiped out, according to the White House.

Six Republican-led states filed a legal challenge questioning whether the president, a Democrat, had authority to forgive the debt. On Friday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">Supreme Court held</a>&nbsp;the administration needed Congress’ endorsement before undertaking so costly a program.

In the affirmative action cases, the court was considering the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-college-admissions-affirmative-action-196ab930c799bcdc8b2a4a220641dd48">race-conscious admissions policies</a>&nbsp;that many selective colleges have used for decades to help build diversity on their campuses. The cases were brought by a conservative activist who argues the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions.

Together, the cases are crushing to Black Americans, the Rev. Al Sharpton said.

“The reality is race plays a factor in admissions, from pre-K to post-doctorate, and institutions just saw their best tool for fairness outlawed,” Sharpton said.

On student loans, Sharpton said: “Generations of Black youth were sold a bill of goods that higher education was a pathway out of poverty – only to be saddled with crushing debt that never lets them see their dreams fully realized.”

Both cases focused on policies that address historic racial disparities in access to higher education, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-education-07bf5c4ff1928793f01e907a63cafa36">Black borrowers</a>&nbsp;tend to take on disproportionately more debt to afford college, said Dominique Baker, an education policy professor at Southern Methodist University.

Backlash to racial progress tends to follow periods of social change and advancement, Baker said. In a study published in 2019, Baker found states were more likely to adopt bans on affirmative action when white enrollment at public flagship universities dropped.

“These are policy tools that have an explicit aim around reducing the power of white supremacy,” Baker said. The two court challenges, she said, can be seen “as linked backlash to two attempts towards racial justice.”

Green, who grew up in a low-income household in Harlem, New York, graduated from Rochester with about $40,000 in federal loan debt. Some of that was erased under a public service forgiveness program when she completed two terms with Americorps, and she whittled it down further with monthly installments until the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-default-0eb5a2bdb0ed4cfbd9663f822dfd457c">paused repayment</a>&nbsp;due to the pandemic. Payments will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-payment-pause-end-642276f724b30890669a60ea2c0bbfd5">restart in September</a>.

Green said she sees both court cases as connected to conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-race-ban-schools-4c4df1728f5265eee3684268035570c2">attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>. Critics say opposition to such programs is rooted in questions of fairness and in white grievances over the advancement of nonwhite people.

“This is white supremacy at work,” Green said. “This is a long tactic of conservative, white supremacist-leaning groups to use education and limit Black people’s access to education, as a way to further control and oppress us.”

In the 1960s and 1970s, many colleges developed affirmative action plans to address the fact that many predominantly white schools struggled to attract people from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. Policies were also created to promote greater inclusion of women.

Since the late 1970s, the Supreme Court had three times&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-education-higher-8bd85791095f617f6fa66c1552670f3d">upheld affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions on grounds that institutions have a compelling interest to address past discrimination that shut nonwhite students out of higher learning. Justices had also agreed with arguments that more diverse student bodies promoted cross-racial understanding.

Some students and advocates worried about how the ruling would affect diversity on campuses.

Tarina Ahuja, a rising senior at Harvard College, said being part of a diverse student body has been a crucial part of her undergraduate experience. She recalled classes where students discussed their lived experiences on topics such as police violence, colonialism and labor movements — discussions that would have fallen flat without a diverse range of student perspectives.

In anticipation of a ruling against race-conscious admissions, some colleges have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">considering adding more essays</a>&nbsp;to get a better picture of an applicant’s background — an approach seemingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-affirmative-action-race-0ec3f355ea77828d9a7aa07fa1b2ebde">endorsed by Thursday's Supreme Court ruling</a>. Others have been planning to boost recruiting in racially diverse areas. But in states that have already banned affirmative action, similar efforts at selective colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-diversity-5551cdb2b7206cd9112433e858be4d59">largely failed to maintain diversity gains</a>.

Jonathan Loc, a graduate student at Harvard who helped organize teach-ins in support of affirmative action, said that for students of color, it's impossible to speak about their lives without mentioning race, whether through hardships faced or simply their pride in their cultural heritage.

“I grew up as the son of refugees in a low-income community and a single-parent family burdened with the model minority myth,” he said. “But I think that that kind of narrative also helps me to be an Asian American focused on racial justice, focused on making sure that everyone who has a unique story related to their racial background or any background has that story heard.”

It will be important for colleges to find ways to show they see the students as more than a number on paper, said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

“We need the schools to say, 'Look, the court says we can’t consider race, but we still see you,'” said Hewitt, whose organization defended affirmative action before the Supreme Court in October.

The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1566222092492.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Makia Green believes she benefited from a program that gave preference to students of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds when she was admitted over a decade ago to the University of Rochester.As a borrower who still owes just over $20,000 on her undergraduate student loans, she had been counting on President Joe Biden's promised debt relief to wipe nearly all of that away.Now, the student loan cancellation plan has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court</a>, which on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">struck down affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions. Both policies disproportionately help Black students. To Green and many other people of color, the efforts to roll them back reflect a larger backlash to racial progress in higher education.“I feel like working people have been through enough — I have been through enough,” said Green, a community organizer. “From a pandemic, an uprising, a recession, the cost of living price going up. I deserved some relief.”The rulings could also have political consequences among a generation of young voters of color who took Biden at his word when he campaigned on canceling debt.“Despite today’s upsetting ruling, we demand that the Biden Administration delivers on the promise of student loan debt relief,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson, in a statement. “Education has long been regarded as a path toward generational wealth, economic liberation, and securing the American dream. Let’s be clear — student debt is killing that dream.”The president's plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">forgave up to $10,000</a>&nbsp;in federal student debt for borrowers, and doubled the debt relief to $20,000 for borrowers who also received Pell Grants. About half of the average debt held by Black and Hispanic borrowers would have been wiped out, according to the White House.Six Republican-led states filed a legal challenge questioning whether the president, a Democrat, had authority to forgive the debt. On Friday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">Supreme Court held</a>&nbsp;the administration needed Congress’ endorsement before undertaking so costly a program.In the affirmative action cases, the court was considering the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-college-admissions-affirmative-action-196ab930c799bcdc8b2a4a220641dd48">race-conscious admissions policies</a>&nbsp;that many selective colleges have used for decades to help build diversity on their campuses. The cases were brought by a conservative activist who argues the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions.Together, the cases are crushing to Black Americans, the Rev. Al Sharpton said.“The reality is race plays a factor in admissions, from pre-K to post-doctorate, and institutions just saw their best tool for fairness outlawed,” Sharpton said.On student loans, Sharpton said: “Generations of Black youth were sold a bill of goods that higher education was a pathway out of poverty – only to be saddled with crushing debt that never lets them see their dreams fully realized.”Both cases focused on policies that address historic racial disparities in access to higher education, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-education-07bf5c4ff1928793f01e907a63cafa36">Black borrowers</a>&nbsp;tend to take on disproportionately more debt to afford college, said Dominique Baker, an education policy professor at Southern Methodist University.Backlash to racial progress tends to follow periods of social change and advancement, Baker said. In a study published in 2019, Baker found states were more likely to adopt bans on affirmative action when white enrollment at public flagship universities dropped.“These are policy tools that have an explicit aim around reducing the power of white supremacy,” Baker said. The two court challenges, she said, can be seen “as linked backlash to two attempts towards racial justice.”Green, who grew up in a low-income household in Harlem, New York, graduated from Rochester with about $40,000 in federal loan debt. Some of that was erased under a public service forgiveness program when she completed two terms with Americorps, and she whittled it down further with monthly installments until the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-default-0eb5a2bdb0ed4cfbd9663f822dfd457c">paused repayment</a>&nbsp;due to the pandemic. Payments will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-payment-pause-end-642276f724b30890669a60ea2c0bbfd5">restart in September</a>.Green said she sees both court cases as connected to conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-race-ban-schools-4c4df1728f5265eee3684268035570c2">attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>. Critics say opposition to such programs is rooted in questions of fairness and in white grievances over the advancement of nonwhite people.“This is white supremacy at work,” Green said. “This is a long tactic of conservative, white supremacist-leaning groups to use education and limit Black people’s access to education, as a way to further control and oppress us.”In the 1960s and 1970s, many colleges developed affirmative action plans to address the fact that many predominantly white schools struggled to attract people from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. Policies were also created to promote greater inclusion of women.Since the late 1970s, the Supreme Court had three times&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-education-higher-8bd85791095f617f6fa66c1552670f3d">upheld affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions on grounds that institutions have a compelling interest to address past discrimination that shut nonwhite students out of higher learning. Justices had also agreed with arguments that more diverse student bodies promoted cross-racial understanding.Some students and advocates worried about how the ruling would affect diversity on campuses.Tarina Ahuja, a rising senior at Harvard College, said being part of a diverse student body has been a crucial part of her undergraduate experience. She recalled classes where students discussed their lived experiences on topics such as police violence, colonialism and labor movements — discussions that would have fallen flat without a diverse range of student perspectives.In anticipation of a ruling against race-conscious admissions, some colleges have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">considering adding more essays</a>&nbsp;to get a better picture of an applicant’s background — an approach seemingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-affirmative-action-race-0ec3f355ea77828d9a7aa07fa1b2ebde">endorsed by Thursday's Supreme Court ruling</a>. Others have been planning to boost recruiting in racially diverse areas. But in states that have already banned affirmative action, similar efforts at selective colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-diversity-5551cdb2b7206cd9112433e858be4d59">largely failed to maintain diversity gains</a>.Jonathan Loc, a graduate student at Harvard who helped organize teach-ins in support of affirmative action, said that for students of color, it's impossible to speak about their lives without mentioning race, whether through hardships faced or simply their pride in their cultural heritage.“I grew up as the son of refugees in a low-income community and a single-parent family burdened with the model minority myth,” he said. “But I think that that kind of narrative also helps me to be an Asian American focused on racial justice, focused on making sure that everyone who has a unique story related to their racial background or any background has that story heard.”It will be important for colleges to find ways to show they see the students as more than a number on paper, said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.“We need the schools to say, 'Look, the court says we can’t consider race, but we still see you,'” said Hewitt, whose organization defended affirmative action before the Supreme Court in October.___The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.___

In student loan, affirmative action rulings, advocates fear losses for racial equality

By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>

At the center of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/u-s-supreme-court-rules-against-biden-administration-student-loan-debt-relief-plan/">U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;program on Friday was a little-known Missouri nonprofit that goes by MOHELA.

Based in St. Louis, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is a quasi-governmental entity created by state lawmakers in 1981 to service student loans.

And when former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt went looking for legal standing in order to bring a lawsuit challenging the president’s program, he relied on the relationship between the state and MOHELA — even though the company wanted nothing to do with the lawsuit.

On Friday, the six conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Schmitt that, despite the company’s reluctance, MOHELA gave Missouri standing to sue. The court then struck down the program, with Chief Justice John Roberts accusing the executive branch of a power grab over the legislature.

“Today, we have concluded that an instrumentality created by Missouri, governed by Missouri, and answerable to Missouri is indeed part of Missouri; that the words ‘waive or modify’ do not mean ‘completely rewrite;’ and that our precedent — old and new — requires that Congress speak clearly before a Department Secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-506_nmip.pdf">Roberts wrote</a>.

The ruling affects more than 777,000 Missourians with federal student loans who would have received $10,000-$20,000 of relief under the proposal.

In addition to Schmitt, five other attorneys general from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, seeking to bar the Secretary of Education from providing student loan relief.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">The attorneys general argued&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;the secretary didn’t have authority and the forgiveness program would hurt state tax revenue.

The Supreme Court had to decide whether Missouri’s attorney general could sue on behalf of MOHELA before determining the validity of the loan relief.

The district-court judge dismissed the case, saying MOHELA can represent itself in litigation. But the Supreme Court reversed that decision, finding that MOHELA is an “instrumentality of Missouri.”

“The secretary’s plan will cut MOHELA’s revenues, impairing its efforts to aid Missouri college students. This acknowledged harm to MOHELA in the performance of its public function is necessarily a direct injury to Missouri itself,” Roberts wrote.

Some predict that debt cancellation would increase MOHELA’s revenue.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rooseveltinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/RI_Flawed-Claims-of-Legal-Standing-in-Biden-v-Nebraska_brief_202305.pdf">Projections from the Roosevelt Institute</a>&nbsp;show a steep increase as MOHELA takes over federal loans dropped by other servicers and is paid for each cancellation.

The dissenting opinion, written by Justice Elena Kagan, said MOHELA qualifies as a third party, not an arm of the government. Thus, Missouri had no standing to bring the lawsuit, she argued.&nbsp;

“If MOHELA had brought this suit, we would have had to resolve it, however hot or divisive. But Missouri? In adjudicating Missouri’s claim, the majority reaches out to decide a matter it has no business deciding. It blows through a constitutional guardrail intended to keep courts acting like courts,” Kagan wrote.

Although MOHELA is named 85 times in the court’s opinion, the nonprofit’s employees were opposed to the loan servicer’s inclusion, as recently revealed by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/internal-mohela-emails-press-release/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>.

This month, the SBPC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SBPC-SLR-10-19-2022-Internal-E-Mails-z_Redacted.pdf">released internal MOHELA emails</a>&nbsp;it obtained through Missouri’s Sunshine Law showing employees discussing the case, with some confused at the organization’s inclusion in the lawsuit.

“The MO state AG needed to claim that our borrowers were harmed for standing, so they’re making us look bad by filing it not only with MO on it, but especially bad because they filed it in MO,” another employee wrote.

In October, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush sent a letter to MOHELA’s executive director Scott Giles and asked for the company’s stance on the attorney general’s lawsuit and accused MOHELA of being involved.&nbsp;

MOHELA had been largely silent up to that point.

“​​In Missouri alone, your efforts to halt cancellation could rob Missouri families — particularly Black and brown families who are disproportionately impacted by the student debt crisis — of more than $12.7 billion in life-changing economic relief,” Bush wrote.

MOHELA responded to Bush’s letter by distancing itself from the litigation. It informed the congresswoman that it was not involved in the decision to file the federal case.

“MOHELA has not had, and does not have, a contractual relationship or agreement with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office on any topic including as to student debt relief. The only communications between MOHELA and that office as it relates to student debt relief, is that the office recently filed a series of sunshine law requests on MOHELA seeking copies of documents relative to MOHELA’s federal loan servicing contract,” the company wrote in a letter to Bush.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.moed.198213/gov.uscourts.moed.198213.1.0_1.pdf">Attorneys argued</a>&nbsp;that loan cancellations would deprive MOHELA from the interest it would otherwise receive. Bush asked the organization about its capacity to serve as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program servicer.

MOHELA took over the PSLF program July 1, 2022,&nbsp; after the former servicer resigned. These loans are not the Federal Student Aid contested by the attorneys general and are actively being forgiven.

MOHELA said it had “available funds in excess of operating expenses” with its reserves dedicated to student financial aid.

“We are committed to meeting the expectations and requirements as directed and administered by Federal Student Aid,” it said.

Federal student loan relief isn’t new. The secretary of education has paused student loan payments during national emergencies historically through the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, or HEROES Act.

In March 2020, then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos chose to use this precedent to stop payments and the accrual of interest during the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As federal employees in the Biden Administration looked toward the resumption of loan payments, they learned that Americans were at a higher risk of delinquency and faced economic pressures,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">the secretary of education said in litigation.</a>.

The Department of Education decided that $10,000 in relief, and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, would keep delinquency rates at or below pre-pandemic levels.

The secretary of education was planning to use the HEROES Act to forgive the payments, but Friday’s Supreme Court decision found that would be beyond the scope of the act. The secretary said he is allowed to “modify” the HEROES Act, but Roberts wrote that the widespread student-loan forgiveness was beyond a simple edit.

Schmitt, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1674791643000754179">wrote on Twitter</a>&nbsp;he was “proud to have brought this case.”

“Working folks who paid off their loans or took another path shouldn’t have to pay for the unpaid loans of the tenured college professor,” he said.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said on Twitter that the ruling showed a commitment to inequality.

“On eliminating student loan relief, the Supreme Court again shows its activist stripes,” he wrote,&nbsp;“working overtime to protect the wealthy, erase opportunity for the poor, and to build permanent inequality, harming the chance for millions to build their lives free of burdensome debt.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673377040107.png" alt="White House image" />
 <figcaption>White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>At the center of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/u-s-supreme-court-rules-against-biden-administration-student-loan-debt-relief-plan/">U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;program on Friday was a little-known Missouri nonprofit that goes by MOHELA.Based in St. Louis, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is a quasi-governmental entity created by state lawmakers in 1981 to service student loans.And when former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt went looking for legal standing in order to bring a lawsuit challenging the president’s program, he relied on the relationship between the state and MOHELA — even though the company wanted nothing to do with the lawsuit.On Friday, the six conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Schmitt that, despite the company’s reluctance, MOHELA gave Missouri standing to sue. The court then struck down the program, with Chief Justice John Roberts accusing the executive branch of a power grab over the legislature.“Today, we have concluded that an instrumentality created by Missouri, governed by Missouri, and answerable to Missouri is indeed part of Missouri; that the words ‘waive or modify’ do not mean ‘completely rewrite;’ and that our precedent — old and new — requires that Congress speak clearly before a Department Secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-506_nmip.pdf">Roberts wrote</a>.The ruling affects more than 777,000 Missourians with federal student loans who would have received $10,000-$20,000 of relief under the proposal.In addition to Schmitt, five other attorneys general from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, seeking to bar the Secretary of Education from providing student loan relief.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">The attorneys general argued&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;the secretary didn’t have authority and the forgiveness program would hurt state tax revenue.The Supreme Court had to decide whether Missouri’s attorney general could sue on behalf of MOHELA before determining the validity of the loan relief.The district-court judge dismissed the case, saying MOHELA can represent itself in litigation. But the Supreme Court reversed that decision, finding that MOHELA is an “instrumentality of Missouri.”“The secretary’s plan will cut MOHELA’s revenues, impairing its efforts to aid Missouri college students. This acknowledged harm to MOHELA in the performance of its public function is necessarily a direct injury to Missouri itself,” Roberts wrote.Some predict that debt cancellation would increase MOHELA’s revenue.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rooseveltinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/RI_Flawed-Claims-of-Legal-Standing-in-Biden-v-Nebraska_brief_202305.pdf">Projections from the Roosevelt Institute</a>&nbsp;show a steep increase as MOHELA takes over federal loans dropped by other servicers and is paid for each cancellation.The dissenting opinion, written by Justice Elena Kagan, said MOHELA qualifies as a third party, not an arm of the government. Thus, Missouri had no standing to bring the lawsuit, she argued.&nbsp;“If MOHELA had brought this suit, we would have had to resolve it, however hot or divisive. But Missouri? In adjudicating Missouri’s claim, the majority reaches out to decide a matter it has no business deciding. It blows through a constitutional guardrail intended to keep courts acting like courts,” Kagan wrote.Although MOHELA is named 85 times in the court’s opinion, the nonprofit’s employees were opposed to the loan servicer’s inclusion, as recently revealed by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/internal-mohela-emails-press-release/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>.This month, the SBPC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SBPC-SLR-10-19-2022-Internal-E-Mails-z_Redacted.pdf">released internal MOHELA emails</a>&nbsp;it obtained through Missouri’s Sunshine Law showing employees discussing the case, with some confused at the organization’s inclusion in the lawsuit.“Are we the bad guys?” one asked.“The MO state AG needed to claim that our borrowers were harmed for standing, so they’re making us look bad by filing it not only with MO on it, but especially bad because they filed it in MO,” another employee wrote.In October, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush sent a letter to MOHELA’s executive director Scott Giles and asked for the company’s stance on the attorney general’s lawsuit and accused MOHELA of being involved.&nbsp;MOHELA had been largely silent up to that point.“​​In Missouri alone, your efforts to halt cancellation could rob Missouri families — particularly Black and brown families who are disproportionately impacted by the student debt crisis — of more than $12.7 billion in life-changing economic relief,” Bush wrote.MOHELA responded to Bush’s letter by distancing itself from the litigation. It informed the congresswoman that it was not involved in the decision to file the federal case.“MOHELA has not had, and does not have, a contractual relationship or agreement with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office on any topic including as to student debt relief. The only communications between MOHELA and that office as it relates to student debt relief, is that the office recently filed a series of sunshine law requests on MOHELA seeking copies of documents relative to MOHELA’s federal loan servicing contract,” the company wrote in a letter to Bush.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.moed.198213/gov.uscourts.moed.198213.1.0_1.pdf">Attorneys argued</a>&nbsp;that loan cancellations would deprive MOHELA from the interest it would otherwise receive. Bush asked the organization about its capacity to serve as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program servicer.MOHELA took over the PSLF program July 1, 2022,&nbsp; after the former servicer resigned. These loans are not the Federal Student Aid contested by the attorneys general and are actively being forgiven.MOHELA said it had “available funds in excess of operating expenses” with its reserves dedicated to student financial aid.“We are committed to meeting the expectations and requirements as directed and administered by Federal Student Aid,” it said.Federal student loan relief isn’t new. The secretary of education has paused student loan payments during national emergencies historically through the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, or HEROES Act.In March 2020, then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos chose to use this precedent to stop payments and the accrual of interest during the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.As federal employees in the Biden Administration looked toward the resumption of loan payments, they learned that Americans were at a higher risk of delinquency and faced economic pressures,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">the secretary of education said in litigation.</a>.The Department of Education decided that $10,000 in relief, and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, would keep delinquency rates at or below pre-pandemic levels.The secretary of education was planning to use the HEROES Act to forgive the payments, but Friday’s Supreme Court decision found that would be beyond the scope of the act. The secretary said he is allowed to “modify” the HEROES Act, but Roberts wrote that the widespread student-loan forgiveness was beyond a simple edit.Schmitt, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1674791643000754179">wrote on Twitter</a>&nbsp;he was “proud to have brought this case.”“Working folks who paid off their loans or took another path shouldn’t have to pay for the unpaid loans of the tenured college professor,” he said.Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said on Twitter that the ruling showed a commitment to inequality.“On eliminating student loan relief, the Supreme Court again shows its activist stripes,” he wrote,&nbsp;“working overtime to protect the wealthy, erase opportunity for the poor, and to build permanent inequality, harming the chance for millions to build their lives free of burdensome debt.”

Company played central role in downfall of Biden loan forgiveness program

PAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man accused of child sex crimes appeared in Pawnee County District court Wednesday.

Shelby Lee Starr, 48 of Great Bend, appeared for an evidentiary Preliminary Hearing on a single count of Aggravated Indecent Liberties; lewd fondling, of a child under the age of 14, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

The alleged incident was reported by a mandatory reporter to the Kansas Department of Children and Families on February 17, 2023, and was additionally investigated by the Larned Police Department.&nbsp;The alleged acts occurred at separate private residences in Larned sometime between 2016 and the Summer of 2017.

&nbsp;Magistrate Judge Julie Cowell found the State presented sufficient evidence to support two separate sexual offenses and bound the Starr over to the higher court on two counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberties. Arraignment has been scheduled for October 26, 2023.&nbsp;

Starr was arrested in Barton County on April 1, 2023, without incident. He has been in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff since his arrest. Bond is currently set at $100,000 cash or surety.

He has been registered as a sex offender since 2001 for child sex crime convictions in Georgia in 1998, according to the Sex Offender Registry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688048000741.png" alt="Starr-photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Starr-photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man accused of child sex crimes appeared in Pawnee County District court Wednesday.Shelby Lee Starr, 48 of Great Bend, appeared for an evidentiary Preliminary Hearing on a single count of Aggravated Indecent Liberties; lewd fondling, of a child under the age of 14, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.The alleged incident was reported by a mandatory reporter to the Kansas Department of Children and Families on February 17, 2023, and was additionally investigated by the Larned Police Department.&nbsp;The alleged acts occurred at separate private residences in Larned sometime between 2016 and the Summer of 2017.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688048306418.png" alt="Starr has been registered as a sex offender since 2001 for child sex crime convictions in Georgia, according to the Kansas Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Starr has been registered as a sex offender since 2001 for child sex crime convictions in Georgia, according to the Kansas Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Magistrate Judge Julie Cowell found the State presented sufficient evidence to support two separate sexual offenses and bound the Starr over to the higher court on two counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberties. Arraignment has been scheduled for October 26, 2023.&nbsp;Starr was arrested in Barton County on April 1, 2023, without incident. He has been in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff since his arrest. Bond is currently set at $100,000 cash or surety.He has been registered as a sex offender since 2001 for child sex crime convictions in Georgia in 1998, according to the Sex Offender Registry.

Sex offender from Georgia accused of sex crimes in Kansas

<a href="https://www.priceandsons.com/obituaries/verle-huff">https://www.priceandsons.com/obituaries/verle-huff</a>

Verle L. Huff, age 82, passed away on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at Parklane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas. He was born on December 16, 1940, in Agra, Kansas, the son of Archie Huff and Alice Stockham Huff. 

He was a resident of Scott City, Kansas since 1980 moving from Oakley, Kansas. He was a truck driver for most of his life, and he was a Marine Lance Corporal

On October 3, 1960, he married Rose I. Yehle at the United Methodist Church in Oakley, Kansas. She passed away on November 4, 2022, in Scott City, Kansas.

Survivors include one brother,- Richard Huff of Laguna Hills, California, and one brother-in-law,&nbsp; Merle Dean Yehle of North Attleborough, Massachusetts.&nbsp;

He was proceeded in death by his parents, his wife, and his brother Donald.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Kansas, 67871 with Pastor Steve Payne presiding.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Parklane Nursing Home in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, P.O. Box 553, Scott City, Kansas, 67871.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Kansas, 67871.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. MT, Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Wallace Cemetery in Wallace, Kansas.

To order&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/o/v2/trees/de5602e7-05af-4070-90da-9d5830803031" target="_blank">memorial trees</a>&nbsp;or send flowers to the family in memory of Verle Huff, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/orders/v2/flowers/de5602e7-05af-4070-90da-9d5830803031" target="_blank">flower store</a>.

<h2>Verle Huff, Scott City</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688158788775.jpeg" alt="Verle Huff" />
 <figcaption>Verle Huff</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.priceandsons.com/obituaries/verle-huff">https://www.priceandsons.com/obituaries/verle-huff</a>Verle L. Huff, age 82, passed away on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at Parklane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas. He was born on December 16, 1940, in Agra, Kansas, the son of Archie Huff and Alice Stockham Huff. He was a resident of Scott City, Kansas since 1980 moving from Oakley, Kansas. He was a truck driver for most of his life, and he was a Marine Lance CorporalOn October 3, 1960, he married Rose I. Yehle at the United Methodist Church in Oakley, Kansas. She passed away on November 4, 2022, in Scott City, Kansas.Survivors include one brother,- Richard Huff of Laguna Hills, California, and one brother-in-law,&nbsp; Merle Dean Yehle of North Attleborough, Massachusetts.&nbsp;He was proceeded in death by his parents, his wife, and his brother Donald.Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Kansas, 67871 with Pastor Steve Payne presiding.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Parklane Nursing Home in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, P.O. Box 553, Scott City, Kansas, 67871.Visitation will be on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Kansas, 67871.Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. MT, Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Wallace Cemetery in Wallace, Kansas.To order&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/o/v2/trees/de5602e7-05af-4070-90da-9d5830803031" target="_blank">memorial trees</a>&nbsp;or send flowers to the family in memory of Verle Huff, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/orders/v2/flowers/de5602e7-05af-4070-90da-9d5830803031" target="_blank">flower store</a>.

Verle Huff

<a href="https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/Kompus-Frances/5222725/">https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/Kompus-Frances/5222725/</a>

Frances Josephine (Holub) Kompus, third daughter of Florian William and Frances Rose (Chleborad) Holub, was born in rural Beardsley, KS, on November 11, 1921. She died on June 28, 2023, at the age of 101, at the Rawlins County Health Center, in Atwood, KS. Frances was baptized and confirmed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Atwood, where she was a life-long member. She was also a life-long resident of Rawlins County, KS, except for a period during World War II, where she worked at Gate’s Rubber Company, in Denver, CO. On May 22, 1946, Frances was united in marriage to Albert Louis Kompus, Sr, at Sacred Heart Church, Atwood. They spent their lives farming in Rawlins County. To this union, two children were born, a daughter, Frances “Fran”, and a son, Albert, Jr.

Her husband Albert preceded her in death on October 10, 1982. Over the years, Frances worked at the high school cafeteria, café, Crest Motel and in the laundry department at the Good Samaritan.

In her free time, she enjoyed playing cards, dominoes and bingo. Frances was preceded in death by her husband, Albert; daughter-in-law, Deborah (Horinek) Kompus; parents, Florian and Frances; infant brother Florian; brothers-in-law, Paul Kopriva and Victor Pochop; parents-in-law, John and Teresa (Toth) Kompus and brothers and sisters-in-law, Louella (Herman) Solko, John (Viola) (Vivian), George, Francis (Margie Howland), Emery (Verna), Elizabeth (Ralph Wolfram) (Lloyd Harden) and Wilma (Denis) Tongish. Those who are left to mourn her are daughter, Frances “Fran” (Dennis) Allacher, McCook, NE; son, Albert Kompus, Jr.; grandchildren, Denise Allacher, Danelle (Tim) Heier, Danica (Gregg) Hauxwell, Nathan Kompus, great-grandchildren, Joseph, Joshua, Alayna, Abigail, Izabella, William, Clara, Charlie (Bailey) and William; great-great-grandchildren, Hadley, Jasper and Salem; sisters, Julia Kopriva and Lucy Pochop; cousins, Louis Sabatha and Phyllis Wilkinson and a host of other relatives. A graveside service will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 30, 2023, at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Atwood, KS. Memorials may be made to the Rawlins County Health Center, Atwood Good Samaritan, or Sacred Heart Church and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, P.O. Box 391, Colby, KS 67701.

 For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Frances J. Kompus</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688158405287.jpeg" alt="Frances J. Kompus" />
 <figcaption>Frances J. Kompus</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/Kompus-Frances/5222725/">https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/Kompus-Frances/5222725/</a>November 11th, 1921-June 28th, 2023 Frances Josephine (Holub) Kompus, third daughter of Florian William and Frances Rose (Chleborad) Holub, was born in rural Beardsley, KS, on November 11, 1921. She died on June 28, 2023, at the age of 101, at the Rawlins County Health Center, in Atwood, KS. Frances was baptized and confirmed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Atwood, where she was a life-long member. She was also a life-long resident of Rawlins County, KS, except for a period during World War II, where she worked at Gate’s Rubber Company, in Denver, CO. On May 22, 1946, Frances was united in marriage to Albert Louis Kompus, Sr, at Sacred Heart Church, Atwood. They spent their lives farming in Rawlins County. To this union, two children were born, a daughter, Frances “Fran”, and a son, Albert, Jr. Her husband Albert preceded her in death on October 10, 1982. Over the years, Frances worked at the high school cafeteria, café, Crest Motel and in the laundry department at the Good Samaritan. In her free time, she enjoyed playing cards, dominoes and bingo. Frances was preceded in death by her husband, Albert; daughter-in-law, Deborah (Horinek) Kompus; parents, Florian and Frances; infant brother Florian; brothers-in-law, Paul Kopriva and Victor Pochop; parents-in-law, John and Teresa (Toth) Kompus and brothers and sisters-in-law, Louella (Herman) Solko, John (Viola) (Vivian), George, Francis (Margie Howland), Emery (Verna), Elizabeth (Ralph Wolfram) (Lloyd Harden) and Wilma (Denis) Tongish. Those who are left to mourn her are daughter, Frances “Fran” (Dennis) Allacher, McCook, NE; son, Albert Kompus, Jr.; grandchildren, Denise Allacher, Danelle (Tim) Heier, Danica (Gregg) Hauxwell, Nathan Kompus, great-grandchildren, Joseph, Joshua, Alayna, Abigail, Izabella, William, Clara, Charlie (Bailey) and William; great-great-grandchildren, Hadley, Jasper and Salem; sisters, Julia Kopriva and Lucy Pochop; cousins, Louis Sabatha and Phyllis Wilkinson and a host of other relatives. A graveside service will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 30, 2023, at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Atwood, KS. Memorials may be made to the Rawlins County Health Center, Atwood Good Samaritan, or Sacred Heart Church and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, P.O. Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com&nbsp;&nbsp;

Frances J. Kompus

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.

(Click below to watch the President's statement)

The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the opinion&nbsp;

Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

Justice Clarence Thomas — the nation's second Black justice, who had long called for an end to affirmative action — wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”

Echoing her dissent, President Joe Biden said he “strongly, strongly” disagrees with the court's ruling. He urged colleges not to let the ruling “be the last word.”

"They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America,” Biden said from the White House. He said colleges should evaluate “adversity overcome” by candidates.

Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.

In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”

Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”

The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.

Two former presidents offered starkly different takes on the high-court ruling.

Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential frontrunner, wrote on his social media network that the decision marked “a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded.”

Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that affirmative action “allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.”

The Supreme Court had twice upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-harvard-university-95be5363a3245fbf185babe8423426a4">race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.

But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.

Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.

The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.

The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favor of Black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.

The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.

The group argued that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.

Roberts' opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.

The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.

Blum’s group had contended that colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.

The schools said that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.

At the eight Ivy League universities, the number of nonwhite students increased by 55% from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data. That group, which includes, Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and biracial students, accounted for 35% of students on those campuses in 2021, up from 27% in 2010.

The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities</a>.

They are among nine states that already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities. The others are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.

In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.

A poll last month by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;showed 63% of U.S. adults say the court should allow colleges to consider race as part of the admissions process, yet few believe students’ race should ultimately play a major role in decisions. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that half of Americans disapprove of considerations of applicants’ race, while a third approve.

The chief justice and Jackson received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch, went to law school there, and Kagan was the first woman to serve as the law school’s dean.

Every U.S. college and university the justices attended, save one, urged the court to preserve race-conscious admissions.

Those schools — Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame and Holy Cross — joined briefs in defense of Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions plans.

Only Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s undergraduate alma mater, Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee, was not involved in the cases.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.(Click below to watch the President's statement)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2yQseH__Khw?start=2040" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the opinion&nbsp;Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”Justice Clarence Thomas — the nation's second Black justice, who had long called for an end to affirmative action — wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For decades, the Supreme Court recognized a college’s freedom to decide how to build a diverse student body and provide opportunity. Today, the Court walked away from precedent, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education. I strongly disagree with this decision.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1674460493803577344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our colleges are stronger when they are racially diverse. And America is stronger because we are tapping into our full range of talent. Today&#39;s Supreme Court decision is not the last word.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1674461363488411648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Echoing her dissent, President Joe Biden said he “strongly, strongly” disagrees with the court's ruling. He urged colleges not to let the ruling “be the last word.”"They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America,” Biden said from the White House. He said colleges should evaluate “adversity overcome” by candidates.Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688060191536.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Two former presidents offered starkly different takes on the high-court ruling.Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential frontrunner, wrote on his social media network that the decision marked “a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded.”Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that affirmative action “allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.”The Supreme Court had twice upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-harvard-university-95be5363a3245fbf185babe8423426a4">race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favor of Black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.The group argued that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.Roberts' opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.Blum’s group had contended that colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.The schools said that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.At the eight Ivy League universities, the number of nonwhite students increased by 55% from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data. That group, which includes, Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and biracial students, accounted for 35% of students on those campuses in 2021, up from 27% in 2010.The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities</a>.They are among nine states that already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities. The others are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.A poll last month by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;showed 63% of U.S. adults say the court should allow colleges to consider race as part of the admissions process, yet few believe students’ race should ultimately play a major role in decisions. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that half of Americans disapprove of considerations of applicants’ race, while a third approve.The chief justice and Jackson received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch, went to law school there, and Kagan was the first woman to serve as the law school’s dean.Every U.S. college and university the justices attended, save one, urged the court to preserve race-conscious admissions.Those schools — Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame and Holy Cross — joined briefs in defense of Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions plans.Only Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s undergraduate alma mater, Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee, was not involved in the cases.

🎥Biden: Court's affirmative action decision not the last word

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a> the opinion&nbsp;

Justice Clarence Thomas, the nation's second Black justice who had long called for an end to affirmative action, wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667264915999.jpeg" alt="Activists demonstrate as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a pair of cases on affirmative action in college admissions, in Washington, Oct. 31, 2022. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday, June 29, 2023, that colleges and universities must stop considering race in admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. In a 6-3 decision, the court struck down admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)" />
 <figcaption>Activists demonstrate as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a pair of cases on affirmative action in college admissions, in Washington, Oct. 31, 2022. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday, June 29, 2023, that colleges and universities must stop considering race in admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. In a 6-3 decision, the court struck down admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a> the opinion&nbsp;The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”Justice Clarence Thomas, the nation's second Black justice who had long called for an end to affirmative action, wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.The Supreme Court had twice upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-harvard-university-95be5363a3245fbf185babe8423426a4">race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favor of Black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.The group argued that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.Roberts' opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.Blum’s group had contended that colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.The schools said that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.At the eight Ivy League universities, the number of nonwhite students increased by 55% from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data. That group, which includes, Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and biracial students, accounted for 35% of students on those campuses in 2021, up from 27% in 2010.The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities</a>.They are among nine states that already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities. The others are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.A poll last month by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;showed 63% of U.S. adults say the court should allow colleges to consider race as part of the admissions process, yet few believe students’ race should ultimately play a major role in decisions. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that half of Americans disapprove of considerations of applicants’ race, while a third approve.The chief justice and Jackson received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch, went to law school there, and Kagan was the first woman to serve as the law school’s dean.Every U.S. college and university the justices attended, save one, urged the court to preserve race-conscious admissions.Those schools — Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame and Holy Cross — joined briefs in defense of Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions plans.Only Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s undergraduate alma mater, Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee, was not involved in the cases.

Read the decision: Supreme Court rejects use of race for college admissions

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects&nbsp;&nbsp;in connection to three suspected fentanyl-related overdose cases&nbsp; in Riley County, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

&nbsp;Ronald Ince, 59, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Ince remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. He has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

Nathan Reeves, 37, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Reeves remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. Reeves’s and Ince’s arrests stem from an investigation into the death of a 36-year-old woman in August 2021.

Caziah Self, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into the overdose of a 31-year-old man in August of 2022. Self was issued a total bond of $250,000 for this charge. He was also arrested on two Manhattan Municipal Court warrants for failure to appear and theft. Self was also found to be in possession of two guns and a large number of pills suspected to contain fentanyl at the time of his arrest adding additional charges of drug possession with the intent to distribute, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. These additional charges hold a bond of $500,000. Self remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $751,750.

Daron Jones, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges that include two counts each of distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into two separate overdoses of the same 21-year-old man in August and October of 2022. Jones remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $250,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687987134211.png" alt="Ince has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Ince has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects&nbsp;&nbsp;in connection to three suspected fentanyl-related overdose cases&nbsp; in Riley County, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.&nbsp;Ronald Ince, 59, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Ince remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. He has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of CorrectionsNathan Reeves, 37, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Reeves remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. Reeves’s and Ince’s arrests stem from an investigation into the death of a 36-year-old woman in August 2021.Caziah Self, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into the overdose of a 31-year-old man in August of 2022. Self was issued a total bond of $250,000 for this charge. He was also arrested on two Manhattan Municipal Court warrants for failure to appear and theft. Self was also found to be in possession of two guns and a large number of pills suspected to contain fentanyl at the time of his arrest adding additional charges of drug possession with the intent to distribute, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. These additional charges hold a bond of $500,000. Self remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $751,750.Daron Jones, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges that include two counts each of distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into two separate overdoses of the same 21-year-old man in August and October of 2022. Jones remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $250,000.

4 Kansas men arrested in 3 fentanyl-related overdose cases

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2023&nbsp;To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards. The popular annual awards program recognizes companies and individuals around the state for the positive impact they make to their communities and to the Kansas economy.

This year’s banquet and award ceremony will be held October 12th at the B-29 Doc Hangar, Education and Visitors Center in Wichita.

“It is important to celebrate the successes of Kansas companies and businesspeople who not only are driving the state economy but uplifting their local communities,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“To The Stars&nbsp;recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit and achievement that are on display daily throughout our great state. I would encourage everyone to nominate a company or individual for this notable honor.”

Companies, organizations and individuals can be nominated in the following categories:

The Department of Commerce also will announce both the prestigious Governor’s Award of Excellence winner and the 2023 Exporter of the Year during the banquet and awards ceremony.

“There is no shortage of success stories in Kansas communities large and small,”&nbsp;Commerce Assistant Secretary of Business Development Nadira Hazim-Patrick said.&nbsp;“Spotlighting the best of the best is what&nbsp;To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards&nbsp;is all about.”

To learn more about&nbsp;To The Stars: Kansas Businesses Awards&nbsp;award categories, view past winners and to nominate a business or businessperson, including your own, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmthbnNhc2NvbW1lcmNlLmdvdi90b3RoZXN0YXJzLyIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA2MjIuNzg2MjE5NDEifQ.Ajp7k6xlPJvXpJjku4ONAj4n869870Lg-7PNoLtKvbk/s/1303161001/br/207219961394-l" target="_blank">here</a>. The nominations portal will accept nominations through July 20.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577789937052.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KDCTOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2023&nbsp;To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards. The popular annual awards program recognizes companies and individuals around the state for the positive impact they make to their communities and to the Kansas economy.This year’s banquet and award ceremony will be held October 12th at the B-29 Doc Hangar, Education and Visitors Center in Wichita.“It is important to celebrate the successes of Kansas companies and businesspeople who not only are driving the state economy but uplifting their local communities,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“To The Stars&nbsp;recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit and achievement that are on display daily throughout our great state. I would encourage everyone to nominate a company or individual for this notable honor.”Companies, organizations and individuals can be nominated in the following categories:<ul>
 <li>AgriBusiness&nbsp;– companies that stand out in the agribusiness industry – including agricultural production, products and services, and agri-tourism</li><li>Apprenticeship Champions and Partners&nbsp;– companies and other entities that excel providing registered apprenticeship programs in Kansas</li><li>Business Innovation&nbsp;– companies from any sector incorporating innovative technologies in their business</li><li>Healthcare/Nonprofit&nbsp;– noteworthy services provided by either healthcare facilities or nonprofit organizations</li><li>Manufacturing/Distribution&nbsp;– outstanding achievement for companies large and small involved in manufacturing and distribution</li><li>Non-Traditional Talent Pools&nbsp;– companies that have gone above and beyond to hire those with prior involvement in the justice system, youth, seniors or individuals with disabilities</li><li>Retail/Service&nbsp;– exceptional performance by businesses selling goods, products and/or services</li><li>Under 30 Entrepreneurs&nbsp;– young entrepreneurs achieving business success under the age of 30</li><li>Welcome Back&nbsp;– entrepreneurs and businesspeople who once left Kansas but have returned to make their mark in the Sunflower State</li>
 </ul>The Department of Commerce also will announce both the prestigious Governor’s Award of Excellence winner and the 2023 Exporter of the Year during the banquet and awards ceremony.“There is no shortage of success stories in Kansas communities large and small,”&nbsp;Commerce Assistant Secretary of Business Development Nadira Hazim-Patrick said.&nbsp;“Spotlighting the best of the best is what&nbsp;To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards&nbsp;is all about.”To learn more about&nbsp;To The Stars: Kansas Businesses Awards&nbsp;award categories, view past winners and to nominate a business or businessperson, including your own, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmthbnNhc2NvbW1lcmNlLmdvdi90b3RoZXN0YXJzLyIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA2MjIuNzg2MjE5NDEifQ.Ajp7k6xlPJvXpJjku4ONAj4n869870Lg-7PNoLtKvbk/s/1303161001/br/207219961394-l" target="_blank">here</a>. The nominations portal will accept nominations through July 20.

Nominations open for companies, people making positive community impact in Kansas

<a href="https://www.schmittfuneral.com/obituary/deloris-wasinger?fh_id=12066">https://www.schmittfuneral.com/obituary/deloris-wasinger?fh_id=12066</a>

Deloris Jean Ziegler Wasinger, 86 of Garden Grove, CA, passed away on February 08, 2023, at home. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Deloris was born to Henry and Edith (Hetzel) Ziegler in Trego Co., KS, on November 15, 1935. At the age of three the family moved from Collyer, KS to Grainfield, KS. &nbsp; &nbsp;Deloris attended Grainfield Grade School and graduated from Grainfield High School in 1954. &nbsp;She then attended St. Anthony’s School of nursing in Hays, KS, where she received her R.N. degree. 

Deloris practiced nursing for 47 years and retired in 2004.

On October 12, 1957 Deloris married Harry Wasinger at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Grainfield, KS. They shared 57 years of marriage; they lived in Hays and Manhattan KS, until 1960 when they moved to California. Harry passed away on December 8, 2014. They were blessed with three daughters, Brenda, Cindy and Pam. &nbsp;

Deloris’ hobbies included painting pictures, working outside in her yard, taking care of her many orchid plants and attending her grandchildren events. &nbsp;

Deloris is survived by her three daughters: Brenda and Ken Hammerton of Germantown, TN, Cindy and Gary Peck of Seal Beach, CA, and Pam and Tracy Taylor of Orange, CA; eight grandchildren: Jessica (David) Sawyers, Andrea (Jim) Rusiewski, Jackie (Nacho) Balbontin, David (Samantha) Hammerton, Lindsay (Adam) Gage, Melissa (Eric) Dow, Allison (Ryan) Carroll, Justin (Dana) Taylor; and 11 great-grandchildren; sisters&nbsp; Norma (Alex) Zerr of Grainfield, KS and Louise (Harvey) Wildeman of Quinter, KS.

She was preceded in death by her husband Harry, parents Henry and Edith Ziegler, two brothers, Douglas and Delbert Ziegler and sister-in-law Olinda Ziegler

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Grainfield, KS. The burial of both Deloris and Harry’s ashes at Grainfield Cemetery will immediately following the service.

To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;Deloris Jean Wasinger, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.schmittfuneral.com/obituary/deloris-wasinger/gifts?campaign=obituaryThemed-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>Deloris Jean Wasinger,Garden Grove, CA</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687943669038.jpeg" alt="Deloris Jean Wasinger" />
 <figcaption>Deloris Jean Wasinger</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.schmittfuneral.com/obituary/deloris-wasinger?fh_id=12066">https://www.schmittfuneral.com/obituary/deloris-wasinger?fh_id=12066</a>November 15, 1935 - February 8, 2023Deloris Jean Ziegler Wasinger, 86 of Garden Grove, CA, passed away on February 08, 2023, at home. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Deloris was born to Henry and Edith (Hetzel) Ziegler in Trego Co., KS, on November 15, 1935. At the age of three the family moved from Collyer, KS to Grainfield, KS. &nbsp; &nbsp;Deloris attended Grainfield Grade School and graduated from Grainfield High School in 1954. &nbsp;She then attended St. Anthony’s School of nursing in Hays, KS, where she received her R.N. degree. Deloris practiced nursing for 47 years and retired in 2004.On October 12, 1957 Deloris married Harry Wasinger at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Grainfield, KS. They shared 57 years of marriage; they lived in Hays and Manhattan KS, until 1960 when they moved to California. Harry passed away on December 8, 2014. They were blessed with three daughters, Brenda, Cindy and Pam. &nbsp;Deloris’ hobbies included painting pictures, working outside in her yard, taking care of her many orchid plants and attending her grandchildren events. &nbsp;Deloris is survived by her three daughters: Brenda and Ken Hammerton of Germantown, TN, Cindy and Gary Peck of Seal Beach, CA, and Pam and Tracy Taylor of Orange, CA; eight grandchildren: Jessica (David) Sawyers, Andrea (Jim) Rusiewski, Jackie (Nacho) Balbontin, David (Samantha) Hammerton, Lindsay (Adam) Gage, Melissa (Eric) Dow, Allison (Ryan) Carroll, Justin (Dana) Taylor; and 11 great-grandchildren; sisters&nbsp; Norma (Alex) Zerr of Grainfield, KS and Louise (Harvey) Wildeman of Quinter, KS.She was preceded in death by her husband Harry, parents Henry and Edith Ziegler, two brothers, Douglas and Delbert Ziegler and sister-in-law Olinda ZieglerFuneral services will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Grainfield, KS. The burial of both Deloris and Harry’s ashes at Grainfield Cemetery will immediately following the service.To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;Deloris Jean Wasinger, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.schmittfuneral.com/obituary/deloris-wasinger/gifts?campaign=obituaryThemed-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

Deloris Jean Wasinger

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped a misdemeanor assault charge filed last October against Las Vegas Raiders' wide receiver&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/davante-adams">Davante Adams</a>&nbsp;after he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-nfl-sports-davante-adams-9db797d4dd4fab59f16cea83324f918e">shoved a photographer to the ground</a>&nbsp;as he left the field following a loss at Kansas City.

The case filed in Kansas City municipal court was dismissed June 5, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article2767">reported</a>.

Adams' attorney, J.R. Hobbs, declined to comment.

Police in Kansas City, Missouri, have said Adams pushed Ryan Zebley to the ground while running off the field after the Raiders lost 30-29 to the Chiefs on Oct. 10. Police at the time called it an “intentional, overt act” that caused whiplash, a headache and a possible minor concussion.

Adams apologized in his postgame comments to the media and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/tae15adams/status/1579687398686228480?s=20&amp;t=jZwbBGXeaBWRP2YcD4TL5A">later on Twitter</a>.

“He jumped in front of me coming off the field. I kind of pushed him. He ended up on the ground,” Adams said after the game. “I want to apologize to him for that. That was just frustration mixed with him really just running in front of me."

Zebley was carrying video equipment for a local production company contracted with ESPN to cover the game. He sued Adams, the Raiders and the Chiefs in May, saying he was targeted online and feared for his safety in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

The lawsuit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court is ongoing, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article275795346.html">reported</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665590421736.png" alt="Original citation from Kansas City Municipal Court" />
 <figcaption>Original citation from Kansas City Municipal Court</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped a misdemeanor assault charge filed last October against Las Vegas Raiders' wide receiver&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/davante-adams">Davante Adams</a>&nbsp;after he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-nfl-sports-davante-adams-9db797d4dd4fab59f16cea83324f918e">shoved a photographer to the ground</a>&nbsp;as he left the field following a loss at Kansas City.The case filed in Kansas City municipal court was dismissed June 5, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article2767">reported</a>.Adams' attorney, J.R. Hobbs, declined to comment.Police in Kansas City, Missouri, have said Adams pushed Ryan Zebley to the ground while running off the field after the Raiders lost 30-29 to the Chiefs on Oct. 10. Police at the time called it an “intentional, overt act” that caused whiplash, a headache and a possible minor concussion.Adams apologized in his postgame comments to the media and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/tae15adams/status/1579687398686228480?s=20&amp;t=jZwbBGXeaBWRP2YcD4TL5A">later on Twitter</a>.“He jumped in front of me coming off the field. I kind of pushed him. He ended up on the ground,” Adams said after the game. “I want to apologize to him for that. That was just frustration mixed with him really just running in front of me."Zebley was carrying video equipment for a local production company contracted with ESPN to cover the game. He sued Adams, the Raiders and the Chiefs in May, saying he was targeted online and feared for his safety in the immediate aftermath of the incident.The lawsuit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court is ongoing, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article275795346.html">reported</a>.

Charge dropped against Raiders' Adams for shoving  photographer in KC

<a href="https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/York-Dwight/5218784/">https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/York-Dwight/5218784/</a>

Dwight A. York, 93, of Oakley, passed away on June 20, 2023, at the Logan County Hospital in Oakley. He was born on August 30, 1929 in rural Gove County to Henry and Alberta (Brown) York, the youngest of three siblings. 

Dwight attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in Gove County and later graduated with the Healy High School class of 1947. Dwight then earned a degree from Fort Hays State University in agriculture and business in 1952. 

The following December, he was drafted into the United States Army. He was stationed in San Francisco, working at the Presidio as a file clerk until his honorable discharge on October 8, 1954. He married Dorothy Arensman on June 15, 1952 at Bushton, and together they had four children: Denise Lynn, Dana Sue, Devon Kay and Daren Dwight. They made their home in Healy, where Dwight was a lifelong farmer and rancher, partnering with his brother Forrest in the farming venture York Brothers. Dorothy preceded him in death in 2002. On September 8, 2002, Dwight married Mary Helen Munk at her ranch in Gove County. Dwight gained a stepson, Jason. Dwight and Mary made their home both at the ranch and in Healy for the next several years, later moving to Oakley. She survives. Farming and ranching were a big part of Dwight’s life for all of his years. After “retiring” he enjoyed staying involved in farming and ranching through Mary’s ranch in Gove County. He had a remarkable memory when it came to every piece of ground and its legal description, which crop was currently on it and how much he thought it would make. His other hobbies included golf, playing bridge, family genealogy, geological exploration, watching sports (especially the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals) and being with his family. Dwight was a past member of the KLA, the IOOF Hall in Healy, a member of the Healy Methodist Church and a founding member of Lane County Feeders. Dwight is survived by his wife Mary York of Oakley; daughters Denise York (Paula Bailey) of Oklahoma City and Dana (Vance) Shay of Healy; son Daren (Jennifer) York of Scott City; stepson Jason Munk of Colby; sister-in-law Pamela Jennison of Healy; grandchildren Jordan (Logan) Dreiling of Scott City, Josh (Shannon) York of Healy, Camron (Jennifer) Shay of Healy, Darrick York (Meghan Oliver) of Kansas City, MO, Jaylee York (David Nuss) of Seattle, WA, Trinity Munk of Colby, Jaya Munk of Colby, Griff (Courtney) Burdette of Manhattan; seven great-grandchildren, and many special nephews, nieces, friends and family. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister Maxine Wilson and brother-in-law Shelby Wilson; brother Forrest York and sister-in-law Gladys York; and infant daughter Devon Kay. Funeral services will take place at the Oakley United Methodist Church at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 24 with Pastor Bob Kelly and Pastor Bud Tuxhorn presiding. Burial will follow at the Healy Cemetery and a lunch will be served at the Healy Methodist Church.

Memorials may be made to Logan County Senior Living, United Methodist Church of Oakley or the Healy Methodist Church and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, P.O. Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. 

For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Dwight Albert York</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687443926375.jpeg" alt="Dwight Albert York" />
 <figcaption>Dwight Albert York</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/York-Dwight/5218784/">https://memorials.baalmannmortuary.com/York-Dwight/5218784/</a>August 30th, 1929 - June 20th, 2023Dwight A. York, 93, of Oakley, passed away on June 20, 2023, at the Logan County Hospital in Oakley. He was born on August 30, 1929 in rural Gove County to Henry and Alberta (Brown) York, the youngest of three siblings. Dwight attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in Gove County and later graduated with the Healy High School class of 1947. Dwight then earned a degree from Fort Hays State University in agriculture and business in 1952. The following December, he was drafted into the United States Army. He was stationed in San Francisco, working at the Presidio as a file clerk until his honorable discharge on October 8, 1954. He married Dorothy Arensman on June 15, 1952 at Bushton, and together they had four children: Denise Lynn, Dana Sue, Devon Kay and Daren Dwight. They made their home in Healy, where Dwight was a lifelong farmer and rancher, partnering with his brother Forrest in the farming venture York Brothers. Dorothy preceded him in death in 2002. On September 8, 2002, Dwight married Mary Helen Munk at her ranch in Gove County. Dwight gained a stepson, Jason. Dwight and Mary made their home both at the ranch and in Healy for the next several years, later moving to Oakley. She survives. Farming and ranching were a big part of Dwight’s life for all of his years. After “retiring” he enjoyed staying involved in farming and ranching through Mary’s ranch in Gove County. He had a remarkable memory when it came to every piece of ground and its legal description, which crop was currently on it and how much he thought it would make. His other hobbies included golf, playing bridge, family genealogy, geological exploration, watching sports (especially the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals) and being with his family. Dwight was a past member of the KLA, the IOOF Hall in Healy, a member of the Healy Methodist Church and a founding member of Lane County Feeders. Dwight is survived by his wife Mary York of Oakley; daughters Denise York (Paula Bailey) of Oklahoma City and Dana (Vance) Shay of Healy; son Daren (Jennifer) York of Scott City; stepson Jason Munk of Colby; sister-in-law Pamela Jennison of Healy; grandchildren Jordan (Logan) Dreiling of Scott City, Josh (Shannon) York of Healy, Camron (Jennifer) Shay of Healy, Darrick York (Meghan Oliver) of Kansas City, MO, Jaylee York (David Nuss) of Seattle, WA, Trinity Munk of Colby, Jaya Munk of Colby, Griff (Courtney) Burdette of Manhattan; seven great-grandchildren, and many special nephews, nieces, friends and family. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister Maxine Wilson and brother-in-law Shelby Wilson; brother Forrest York and sister-in-law Gladys York; and infant daughter Devon Kay. Funeral services will take place at the Oakley United Methodist Church at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 24 with Pastor Bob Kelly and Pastor Bud Tuxhorn presiding. Burial will follow at the Healy Cemetery and a lunch will be served at the Healy Methodist Church. Memorials may be made to Logan County Senior Living, United Methodist Church of Oakley or the Healy Methodist Church and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, P.O. Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dwight Albert York

Elizabeth Marie 'Betty' Schwartzkopf, Bison

Elizabeth Marie 'Betty' Schwartzkopf, 96, Bison, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Locust Grove Village, La Crosse, Kansas.

Betty was born February 3, 1927, at the Krug farm, Rush Center, Kansas, the daughter of Fred B. and Mary (Schenkel) Krug. She was a lifelong resident of Rush County, Kansas. 

A 1944 graduate of La Crosse High School, La Crosse, Kansas, she attended Fort Hays Kansas State College, Hays, Kansas, the summers of 1944 and 1945, during World War II, obtaining an emergency teacher’s certificate to teach school in Nekoma, Kansas, for two years. She was the deputy county clerk for Rush County, Kansas, before she became treasurer for USD #395, La Crosse, Kansas, a position she held for 25 years before her retirement.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church, and United Methodist Women, both of La Crosse, Kansas, where she was the chairperson for church funeral dinners for years. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Rush Center, Kansas, where she was a former Grand Matron, and a former member and officer of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary, La Crosse, Kansas. She was a member of the Bison Community Museum Board, Bison, Kansas, and a trustee for the Lone Star Township Board. She was the church organist for Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas, gave piano lessons, taught music in the Rush Center school, and played with the Schroeder Band.

On October 21, 1966, she married Clayton G. Schwartzkopf at the United Methodist Church, La Crosse, Kansas. He preceded her in death June 6, 1990.

Survivors include two sons, Leonard D. Eilts (Rose), Kansas City, Kansas, and Roger L. Eilts (Deidre), Prairie Village, Kansas; one daughter, Rayleen B. Hufford (Dennis), Elmendorf, Texas; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; an infant brother, Leonard Frederick Krug; and two sisters, Corrine Poxon, and Lavergne Rife.

Per Betty’s wishes, the family has chosen cremation. No services are planned at this time.

<h2>Elizabeth Marie 'Betty' Schwartzkopf, Bison</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687726623476.jpeg" alt="Elizabeth Marie&nbsp;Schwartzkopf" />
 <figcaption>Elizabeth Marie&nbsp;Schwartzkopf</figcaption>
 </figure>Elizabeth Marie 'Betty' Schwartzkopf, 96, Bison, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Locust Grove Village, La Crosse, Kansas.Betty was born February 3, 1927, at the Krug farm, Rush Center, Kansas, the daughter of Fred B. and Mary (Schenkel) Krug. She was a lifelong resident of Rush County, Kansas. A 1944 graduate of La Crosse High School, La Crosse, Kansas, she attended Fort Hays Kansas State College, Hays, Kansas, the summers of 1944 and 1945, during World War II, obtaining an emergency teacher’s certificate to teach school in Nekoma, Kansas, for two years. She was the deputy county clerk for Rush County, Kansas, before she became treasurer for USD #395, La Crosse, Kansas, a position she held for 25 years before her retirement.She was a member of the United Methodist Church, and United Methodist Women, both of La Crosse, Kansas, where she was the chairperson for church funeral dinners for years. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Rush Center, Kansas, where she was a former Grand Matron, and a former member and officer of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary, La Crosse, Kansas. She was a member of the Bison Community Museum Board, Bison, Kansas, and a trustee for the Lone Star Township Board. She was the church organist for Hope Lutheran Church, Rush Center, Kansas, gave piano lessons, taught music in the Rush Center school, and played with the Schroeder Band.On October 21, 1966, she married Clayton G. Schwartzkopf at the United Methodist Church, La Crosse, Kansas. He preceded her in death June 6, 1990.Survivors include two sons, Leonard D. Eilts (Rose), Kansas City, Kansas, and Roger L. Eilts (Deidre), Prairie Village, Kansas; one daughter, Rayleen B. Hufford (Dennis), Elmendorf, Texas; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; an infant brother, Leonard Frederick Krug; and two sisters, Corrine Poxon, and Lavergne Rife.Per Betty’s wishes, the family has chosen cremation. No services are planned at this time.In lieu of flowers or plants, the family requests memorials to Locust Grove Village, La Crosse, Kansas, or Midwest Music Foundation of the greater Kansas City area (<a href="https://midwestmusicfoundation.org/donate/">https://midwestmusicfoundation.org/donate/</a>).Condolences or remembrances may be left for the family at www.janousekfuneralhome.com.Arrangements were by Janousek Funeral Home, 719 Pine Street, P.O.Box 550, La Crosse, Kansas 67548, 785-22-2517.