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

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

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

Johna Marie Hornung

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wanda H. Limper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Johanna M. Biel

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

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

Dennis 'Joe' Pflaum

By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS and SHARON LURYE&nbsp;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No one,” he said, “is forthcoming.”

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

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

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

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

“That’s really scary,” Santelises said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When the school reopened, she never returned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Parents are bereft,” said Allison Hertog, who represents around three dozen families whose children missed significant learning when California’s physical classrooms&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">closed for more than a year</a>&nbsp;during the early pandemic.

Ezekiel West, 10, is in fourth grade but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-education-race-and-ethnicity-atlanta-ff46418c59af90132998817731fe166a">reads at a first grade level</a>. Before the pandemic shutdowns, he was shuffled from school to school when educators couldn’t address his impulsive behavior.

During online learning, his mother couldn’t get home internet and struggled with the WiFi hotspots provided by the school. She worked as a home health aide and couldn’t monitor Ezekiel online.

When he returned to school in fall 2021 as a third grader, he was frustrated that his classmates had made more progress as the years passed.

“I did not feel prepared,” he said in a recent phone interview. “I couldn’t really learn as fast as the other kids, and that kind of made me upset.”

An administrative judge ruled Los Angeles’ schools had violated Ezekiel’s rights and ordered the district to give him a spot at a new school, with a special plan to ease him back into learning and trusting teachers. The school didn’t follow the plan, so his mother stopped sending him in October.

“I can’t trust them,” Miesha Clarke said. Los Angeles school officials did not respond to requests for comment on Ezekiel’s case.

Last month, Ezekiel signed up for a public online school for California students. To enroll him, his mother agreed to give up his special education plan. His attorney, Hertog, worries the program won’t work for someone with Ezekiel’s needs and is looking for yet another option with more flexibility.

At least three of the students Hertog has represented, including Ezekiel, have disappeared from school for long periods since in-person instruction resumed. Their situations were avoidable, she said: “It’s pretty disgraceful that the school systems allowed this to go on for so long.”

When Kailani stopped logging into her virtual classes during the spring of her sophomore year, she received several emails from the school telling her she’d been truant. Between two to four weeks after she disappeared from Zoom school, her homeroom advisor and Spanish teacher each wrote to her, asking where she was. And the school’s dean of students called her great-grandmother, her legal guardian, to inform her about Kailani’s disappearance from school.

They didn’t communicate further, according to Kailani. She went to work at Chipotle, ringing up orders in Boston’s financial district.

In December, Kailani moved to North Carolina to make a new start. She teaches dance to elementary school kids now. Last month, she passed her high school equivalency exams. She wants to take choreography classes.

But she knows, looking back, that things could have been different. While she has no regrets about leaving high school, she says she might have changed her mind if someone at school had shown more interest and attention to her needs and support for her as a Black student.

“All they had to do was take action,” Kailani said. “There were so many times they could have done something. And they did nothing.”

This article is based on&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurl.stanford.edu%2Fsb152xr1685&amp;data=05%7C01%7CCEThompson%40ap.org%7C6c49dd050c364343fca308db056e81a3%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638109744508543557%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Q2qXinMTYpdx%2B2fXQuPpMwjpoiQ5WDHFw7aVfZptf1A%3D&amp;reserved=0">data collected</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press and Stanford University’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbiglocalnews.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CCEThompson%40ap.org%7C6c49dd050c364343fca308db056e81a3%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638109744508543557%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2BPfvjrhaPp6kGP52BKK78SkRm8%2BwxQOl%2B%2FObzgO9KNo%3D&amp;reserved=0">Big Local News</a>&nbsp;project. Data was compiled by Sharon Lurye of the AP, Thomas Dee of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, and Justin Mayo of Big Local News.

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

The pandemic missing: The kids who didn’t go back to school

By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-15/one-kansas-county-lets-people-donate-to-after-school-programs-to-reduce-their-criminal-penalties">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA — Diversion agreements keep criminal charges 
off someone’s record and even spare them jail time — assuming they can 
afford the cost of diversion.

A DUI diversion in Thomas County in 
northwest Kansas has a $750 fine and $158 of court costs tacked on, but 
the county adds an additional, mostly unheard of, clause: a donation to 
the Colby Public Schools’ after-school program.

That donation is 
spelled out in black and white in the diversion agreement. The USD 315 
After School Program netted $5,850 from 26 people in 2022. Most people 
were under court orders to pay about $200.

“I just don't think that was how diversion was intended,” said Rep. 
Stephen Owens in December. Owens is the Republican chair of the House 
Corrections and Juvenile Justice committee.

Donation clauses in diversion are technically allowed in state law, but Owens said he is taking a look at the program.

Christopher
 Rohr, the county attorney in Thomas County, sets the rules for his 
diversion program. He said he would review his policy to see if changes 
were needed.

Rohr didn’t respond to questions asking if anyone was ever sent to jail because they couldn’t afford the donation.

Even
 with lawmakers possibly stepping in, the language in Thomas County 
underscores a concern that diversion is too costly and keeps people from
 getting the help they need.

Jessica Glendening, the chief public 
defender in Shawnee County, said the clause in Thomas County is unusual.
 But Glendening has worked in legal defense for decades and said 
diversion regularly comes with clauses that can hurt low-income Kansans.

While
 Thomas County has donations to public school programs, other counties 
created fines specifically to fund violence prevention programs. She’s 
heard some counties require money seized from an arrest be forfeited to 
law enforcement, sometimes costing people thousands of dollars. Other 
times, diversion fees can run up to $10,000.

She wants diversion 
to be run by the courts so the state would have a consistent approach. 
Currently, each county can set the terms of its diversion agreements.

“Diversion
 is supposed to be a shot at redemption and atonement and reducing 
recidivism,” she said, “and the goal should be closely tied to those 
things.”

Diversion keeps criminal charges off someone’s record by 
agreeing to a list of alternative punishments. They can be fines for the
 offense, covering court fees created by the offense or going through 
treatment programs.

For a DUI, that could be teaching someone how 
to manage their alcohol consumption. Diversion could also require an 
apology note to the victim. Whatever the program, Glendening and others 
say it needs to focus less on monetary punishment and more on 
rehabilitation.

“The ability to pay money is not a true form of 
accountability or real ties to behavior shifts or learning 
opportunities,” said Priya Sarathy Jones, deputy executive director of 
the Fines and Fees Justice Center.

Sarathy Jones said fines and 
fees don’t dole out punishment fairly. Wealthier offenders might not 
even notice a fine. To others, it could mean missing meals.

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-17/court-alternatives-that-spare-a-criminal-record-cost-you-hundreds-and-put-a-price-on-justice" target="_blank">KCUR reported in October</a>
 that diversion can cost individuals hundreds of dollars, but make only a
 minor fraction of a city or county’s budget. That led to concerns that 
it created a two-tiered system of justice — one for people who can 
afford the cost without much pain, and a more onerous one for poor 
people..

Sarathy Jones said that punishing someone monetarily — 
like through a donation — doesn’t make them less likely to re-offend. 
She wants counties and cities to do away with fees because diversion and
 court systems are key functions of the government, and she said they 
should be funded by everyone.

“It is shockingly low what can derail a person’s day-to-day life from a financial standpoint,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676481216669.png" alt="Diversion in Thomas County requires a donation to the after school program. Blaise Mesa / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Diversion in Thomas County requires a donation to the after school program. Blaise Mesa / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-15/one-kansas-county-lets-people-donate-to-after-school-programs-to-reduce-their-criminal-penalties">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA — Diversion agreements keep criminal charges 
off someone’s record and even spare them jail time — assuming they can 
afford the cost of diversion.A DUI diversion in Thomas County in 
northwest Kansas has a $750 fine and $158 of court costs tacked on, but 
the county adds an additional, mostly unheard of, clause: a donation to 
the Colby Public Schools’ after-school program.That donation is 
spelled out in black and white in the diversion agreement. The USD 315 
After School Program netted $5,850 from 26 people in 2022. Most people 
were under court orders to pay about $200.“I just don't think that was how diversion was intended,” said Rep. 
Stephen Owens in December. Owens is the Republican chair of the House 
Corrections and Juvenile Justice committee.Donation clauses in diversion are technically allowed in state law, but Owens said he is taking a look at the program.Christopher
 Rohr, the county attorney in Thomas County, sets the rules for his 
diversion program. He said he would review his policy to see if changes 
were needed.Rohr didn’t respond to questions asking if anyone was ever sent to jail because they couldn’t afford the donation.Even
 with lawmakers possibly stepping in, the language in Thomas County 
underscores a concern that diversion is too costly and keeps people from
 getting the help they need.Jessica Glendening, the chief public 
defender in Shawnee County, said the clause in Thomas County is unusual.
 But Glendening has worked in legal defense for decades and said 
diversion regularly comes with clauses that can hurt low-income Kansans.While
 Thomas County has donations to public school programs, other counties 
created fines specifically to fund violence prevention programs. She’s 
heard some counties require money seized from an arrest be forfeited to 
law enforcement, sometimes costing people thousands of dollars. Other 
times, diversion fees can run up to $10,000.She wants diversion 
to be run by the courts so the state would have a consistent approach. 
Currently, each county can set the terms of its diversion agreements.“Diversion
 is supposed to be a shot at redemption and atonement and reducing 
recidivism,” she said, “and the goal should be closely tied to those 
things.”Diversion keeps criminal charges off someone’s record by 
agreeing to a list of alternative punishments. They can be fines for the
 offense, covering court fees created by the offense or going through 
treatment programs.For a DUI, that could be teaching someone how 
to manage their alcohol consumption. Diversion could also require an 
apology note to the victim. Whatever the program, Glendening and others 
say it needs to focus less on monetary punishment and more on 
rehabilitation.“The ability to pay money is not a true form of 
accountability or real ties to behavior shifts or learning 
opportunities,” said Priya Sarathy Jones, deputy executive director of 
the Fines and Fees Justice Center.Sarathy Jones said fines and 
fees don’t dole out punishment fairly. Wealthier offenders might not 
even notice a fine. To others, it could mean missing meals.<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-17/court-alternatives-that-spare-a-criminal-record-cost-you-hundreds-and-put-a-price-on-justice" target="_blank">KCUR reported in October</a>
 that diversion can cost individuals hundreds of dollars, but make only a
 minor fraction of a city or county’s budget. That led to concerns that 
it created a two-tiered system of justice — one for people who can 
afford the cost without much pain, and a more onerous one for poor 
people..Sarathy Jones said that punishing someone monetarily — 
like through a donation — doesn’t make them less likely to re-offend. 
She wants counties and cities to do away with fees because diversion and
 court systems are key functions of the government, and she said they 
should be funded by everyone.“It is shockingly low what can derail a person’s day-to-day life from a financial standpoint,” she said.

Thomas Co.: Donate to after-school programs to reduce criminal penalties

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter, who at 98 years old is the longest-lived American president, has entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia, a statement from The Carter Center confirmed Saturday.

After a series of short hospital stays, the statement said, Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”

The statement said the 39th president has the full support of his medical team and family, which “asks for privacy at this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.”

Carter was a little-known Georgia governor when he began his bid for the presidency ahead of the 1976 election. He went on to defeat then-President Gerald R. Ford, capitalizing as a Washington outsider in the wake of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal that drove Richard Nixon from office in 1974.

Carter served a single, tumultuous term and was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980, a landslide loss that ultimately paved the way for his decades of global advocacy for democracy, public health and human rights via The Carter Center.

The former president and his wife, Rosalynn, 95, opened the center in 1982. His work there garnered a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Jason Carter, the couple's grandson who now chairs The Carter Center governing board, said Saturday in a tweet that he “saw both of my grandparents yesterday. They are at peace and—as always—their home is full of love.”

Carter, who has lived most of his life in Plains, traveled extensively into his 80s and early 90s, including annual trips to build homes with Habitat for Humanity and frequent trips abroad as part of the Carter Center's election monitoring and its effort to eradicate the Guinea worm parasite in developing countries. But the former president's health has declined over his 10th decade of life, especially as the coronavirus pandemic limited his public appearances, including at his beloved Maranatha Baptist Church where he taught Sunday School lessons for decades before standing-room-only crowds of visitors.

In August 2015, Carter had a small cancerous mass removed from his liver. The following year, Carter announced that he needed no further treatment, as an experimental drug had eliminated any sign of cancer.

Carter celebrated his most recent birthday in October with family and friends in Plains, the tiny town where he and Rosalynn were born in the years between World War I and the Great Depression.

The Carter Center last year marked 40 years of promoting its human rights agenda.

The Center has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring at least 113 elections in Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989. In perhaps its most widely hailed public health effort, the organization recently announced that only 14 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in all of 2021, the result of years of public health campaigns to improve access to safe drinking water in Africa.

That's a staggering drop from when The Carter Center began leading the global eradication effort in 1986, when the parasitic disease infected 3.5 million people. Carter once said he hoped to live longer than the last Guinea worm parasite.

Carter was born Oct. 1, 1924, to a prominent family in rural south Georgia. He went on to the U.S. Naval Academy during World War II and pursued a career as a Cold War Naval officer before returning to Plains, Georgia, with Rosalynn and their young family to take over the family peanut business after Earl Carter's death in the 1950s.

A moderate Democrat, the younger Carter rapidly climbed from the local school board to the state Senate and then the Georgia governor's office. He began his White House bid as an underdog with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and policy plans reflecting his education as an engineer. He connected with many Americans because of his promise not to deceive the American people after Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia.

“If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said often as he campaigned.

Carter, who came of age politically during the civil rights movement, was the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South, before the region shifted quickly to Reagan and the Republicans in subsequent elections.

He governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role.

Carter's foreign policy wins included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. At home, Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres in Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and non-whites to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993.

Carter also built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy.

Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat.

For years after his loss, Carter largely receded from electoral politics. Democrats were hesitant to embrace him. Republicans made him a punchline, caricaturing him as a hapless liberal. In reality, Carter governed more as a technocrat, more progressive on race and gender equality than he had campaigned but a budget hawk who often angered more liberal Democrats, including Ted Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator who waged a damaging primary battle against the sitting president in 1980.

Carter said after leaving office that he had underestimated the importance of dealing with Washington power brokers, including the media and lobbying forces anchored in the nation's capital. But he insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term.

And years later, upon his cancer diagnosis as a nonagenarian, he expressed satisfaction with his long life.

“I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676756707229.png" alt="In this Nov. 3, 2019 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. The Carter Center says Carter has entered home hospice care, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The foundation created by the 98-year-old former president says that after a series of short hospital stays, Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention." (AP Photo/John Amis, File)" />
 <figcaption>In this Nov. 3, 2019 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. The Carter Center says Carter has entered home hospice care, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The foundation created by the 98-year-old former president says that after a series of short hospital stays, Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention." (AP Photo/John Amis, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter, who at 98 years old is the longest-lived American president, has entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia, a statement from The Carter Center confirmed Saturday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/1auzIG0yqy">https://t.co/1auzIG0yqy</a> <a href="https://t.co/JJQMWgg8DW">pic.twitter.com/JJQMWgg8DW</a>&mdash; The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarterCenter/status/1627039245025280003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After a series of short hospital stays, the statement said, Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”The statement said the 39th president has the full support of his medical team and family, which “asks for privacy at this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.”Carter was a little-known Georgia governor when he began his bid for the presidency ahead of the 1976 election. He went on to defeat then-President Gerald R. Ford, capitalizing as a Washington outsider in the wake of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal that drove Richard Nixon from office in 1974.Carter served a single, tumultuous term and was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980, a landslide loss that ultimately paved the way for his decades of global advocacy for democracy, public health and human rights via The Carter Center.The former president and his wife, Rosalynn, 95, opened the center in 1982. His work there garnered a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.Jason Carter, the couple's grandson who now chairs The Carter Center governing board, said Saturday in a tweet that he “saw both of my grandparents yesterday. They are at peace and—as always—their home is full of love.”Carter, who has lived most of his life in Plains, traveled extensively into his 80s and early 90s, including annual trips to build homes with Habitat for Humanity and frequent trips abroad as part of the Carter Center's election monitoring and its effort to eradicate the Guinea worm parasite in developing countries. But the former president's health has declined over his 10th decade of life, especially as the coronavirus pandemic limited his public appearances, including at his beloved Maranatha Baptist Church where he taught Sunday School lessons for decades before standing-room-only crowds of visitors.In August 2015, Carter had a small cancerous mass removed from his liver. The following year, Carter announced that he needed no further treatment, as an experimental drug had eliminated any sign of cancer.Carter celebrated his most recent birthday in October with family and friends in Plains, the tiny town where he and Rosalynn were born in the years between World War I and the Great Depression.The Carter Center last year marked 40 years of promoting its human rights agenda.The Center has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring at least 113 elections in Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989. In perhaps its most widely hailed public health effort, the organization recently announced that only 14 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in all of 2021, the result of years of public health campaigns to improve access to safe drinking water in Africa.That's a staggering drop from when The Carter Center began leading the global eradication effort in 1986, when the parasitic disease infected 3.5 million people. Carter once said he hoped to live longer than the last Guinea worm parasite.Carter was born Oct. 1, 1924, to a prominent family in rural south Georgia. He went on to the U.S. Naval Academy during World War II and pursued a career as a Cold War Naval officer before returning to Plains, Georgia, with Rosalynn and their young family to take over the family peanut business after Earl Carter's death in the 1950s.A moderate Democrat, the younger Carter rapidly climbed from the local school board to the state Senate and then the Georgia governor's office. He began his White House bid as an underdog with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and policy plans reflecting his education as an engineer. He connected with many Americans because of his promise not to deceive the American people after Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia.“If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said often as he campaigned.Carter, who came of age politically during the civil rights movement, was the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South, before the region shifted quickly to Reagan and the Republicans in subsequent elections.He governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role.Carter's foreign policy wins included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. At home, Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres in Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and non-whites to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993.Carter also built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy.Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat.For years after his loss, Carter largely receded from electoral politics. Democrats were hesitant to embrace him. Republicans made him a punchline, caricaturing him as a hapless liberal. In reality, Carter governed more as a technocrat, more progressive on race and gender equality than he had campaigned but a budget hawk who often angered more liberal Democrats, including Ted Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator who waged a damaging primary battle against the sitting president in 1980.Carter said after leaving office that he had underestimated the importance of dealing with Washington power brokers, including the media and lobbying forces anchored in the nation's capital. But he insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term.And years later, upon his cancer diagnosis as a nonagenarian, he expressed satisfaction with his long life.“I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”--------------------

Former President Jimmy Carter enters hospice care

Jim Sweat, 70, passed away Thursday, February 16, 2023, at Smith County Memorial Hospital, Smith Center, KS. 
 Jim was born on October 18, 1952, in Smith Center, KS, the son of 
Eugene Francis and J. L. (Stuckman) Sweat.&nbsp; On August 26, 1978, Jim 
married Barbara Shellito in Smith Center, KS, to this union they were 
blessed with two children, Laura and Lee. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Ron Sweat. 
 Jim is survived by his wife Barbara Sweat of Smith Center; a daughter 
Laura (Rhett) Kingsbury of Smith Center; a son Lee (Michelle) Sweat of 
Cedar; two brothers, Vince (Judi) Sweat of Austin, TX, Don ( Ronda) 
Sweat of Syracuse, NE; two sisters, Jean Sweat of Smith Center, June 
Ankenbrundt of Olathe; four grandchildren, Sierra, Kinser, Camber and 
Briggs Kingsbury all of Smith Center. Funeral services will 
be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, February 24, 2023, at All Faiths Funeral 
Chapel, 113 S. Madison St., Smith Center, KS, with Pastor Lance McDowell
 officiating. &nbsp;Visitation will be held 8:00 until service time, Friday, 
February 24th.&nbsp; Burial will take place in the Claudell Cemetery, 
Claudell, KS.&nbsp;

Memorials may be given to the Smith County 4-H Club and 
can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676738248797.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Jim Sweat, 70, passed away Thursday, February 16, 2023, at Smith County Memorial Hospital, Smith Center, KS. 
 Jim was born on October 18, 1952, in Smith Center, KS, the son of 
Eugene Francis and J. L. (Stuckman) Sweat.&nbsp; On August 26, 1978, Jim 
married Barbara Shellito in Smith Center, KS, to this union they were 
blessed with two children, Laura and Lee. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Ron Sweat. 
 Jim is survived by his wife Barbara Sweat of Smith Center; a daughter 
Laura (Rhett) Kingsbury of Smith Center; a son Lee (Michelle) Sweat of 
Cedar; two brothers, Vince (Judi) Sweat of Austin, TX, Don ( Ronda) 
Sweat of Syracuse, NE; two sisters, Jean Sweat of Smith Center, June 
Ankenbrundt of Olathe; four grandchildren, Sierra, Kinser, Camber and 
Briggs Kingsbury all of Smith Center. Funeral services will 
be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, February 24, 2023, at All Faiths Funeral 
Chapel, 113 S. Madison St., Smith Center, KS, with Pastor Lance McDowell
 officiating. &nbsp;Visitation will be held 8:00 until service time, Friday, 
February 24th.&nbsp; Burial will take place in the Claudell Cemetery, 
Claudell, KS.&nbsp; Memorials may be given to the Smith County 4-H Club and 
can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.

Jim Sweat

St. John’s Place gifted to Victoria Community
Coalition, 501(c)3 granted

VICTORIA — As efforts to find a use for the former rest home
in Victoria continue, plans have solidified and currently include apartments, a
child care center, a community center, a park and space for the Ellis County Historical
Society — all under the banner St. John’s Place.

But while excitement builds, Victoria Community Coalition
Chair Jeff Pfeifer shared the significant investment needed to see those plans
come to fruition with the Ellis County Commission during its regular meeting Tuesday.

He opened his comments by noting the facility had originally
served all of Ellis County. 

“Residents came from the entire area, and employees came
from the area,” Pfeifer said. “It was a huge asset to the county. It provided
jobs, provided activities for school kids. It was a great resource as a
community asset.”

Since 2012, it has been unoccupied after the rest home closed
and residents were moved to a facility in Hays.

The closing “had a huge impact on the community,” Pfeifer said.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/20265d70-4cca-400e-9a7e-69323db9d166">After
Pfeifer purchased the building in 2021, the coalition was formed and developed
plans for use.</a>

“We have had a huge community effort to get something going,”
he said. “I think everybody was tired of seeing the building sitting there and
have talked about what a waste it was.”

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2ac039a1-30b9-4f98-870a-c2724081446d">Following a
series of community meetings discussing the potential of the building,</a> the coalition
received its non-profit 501(c)3 designation in December, and Pfeifer
transferred ownership of the property to the community-focused group.

“The VCC is the owner of a 40,000-square-foot building, 6-and-a-half
acres and a lot of potential for Ellis County,” Pfeifer said.

Through the process of the meetings and an effort to find
the best use of the building, housing and childcare space were determined to be
potential options for the building, leading to the development of a phased plan
that will include those priority uses and more, he said.

“We have got to start somewhere,” Pfeifer said.

The current plans for At St. John’s Place include 20 apartments
for seniors, a child care center for up to 24 children, a community/senior
center, a park and space for the Ellis County Historical Museum.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/bcc44562-c5a5-4f88-b16b-9a25fe00c875">The
society had announced plans to utilize space in the facility for storage and a satellite
location that would focus on the area’s Volga German heritage in October.</a>

While the society had initially hoped to be moving items into
the space before the end of 2022, the plan was delayed.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b11df2d8-2d8b-4ad9-b90b-5a869678e54f">“We are
still working on that,” said Ellis County Historical Society Executive Director
Amanda Rupp during the annual meeting of their board of directors. “When it
goes silent, a little bit people assume or get a little nervous, but we are
still working on that with the (Victoria Community Coalition.)</a>

“That’s not going away, it’s just a timing issue. We’ve been
held up a little bit with insurance,” Pfeifer said. “It’s still in the works,
and we’re pretty excited about it. It’s a huge opportunity for the county.”

Rupp said they hope to be inside the location and open
within a year.

While the society continues in its efforts, the coalition looks
to begin work on the facility's north side during the first phase of building
rehabilitation.

Work during phase 1 will be located in the newest part of
the building and includes a studio apartment, six one-bedroom apartments, four
two-bedroom apartments, common areas, a new north entrance, parking and the
child care center.

Cost is anticipated at around $3 million for phase 1.

The coalition hopes to secure around $1.35 million from state
grants and other funds, $1 million from large foundation grants and the remaining
$650,000 from community donors.

“I think it’s ambitious, but a building this size, an opportunity
this size, warrants it,” Pfeifer said.

A community donor campaign is planned for March, and the coalition
plans to apply for a $650,000 Moderate Income Housing grant this week. The Victoria
City Council unanimously voted last month to approve the application, as MIH
grants go exclusively through local governments.

“This is a competitive grant,” Pfiefer told the Victoria
council. “Just submitting is not a done deal.”

But this year, extra money has been earmarked for those
grants.

“It's really exciting because they put in $20 million,” said
Justine Benoit,&nbsp;Northwest Kansas Planning and Development economic development
coordinator. “Usually, the pot was like $3-4 million. So there's a lot more
money in there.”

She also said that even if the application is not approved, it
can be submitted again, and the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation – the agency
that oversees the grants – would offer guidance to strengthen future
applications.

Pfeifer asked the county commission to pen a letter of
support that would accompany the application.

The commission approved the support unanimously. They also unanimously
approved waiving landfill fees for materials removed from the building during
ongoing demolition.

To stay up to date with the Victoria Community Coalition or to find links to donate to the project, visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.victoriakscommunity.com/">victoriakscommunity.com.</a>

<h2>St. John’s Place gifted to Victoria Community
Coalition, 501(c)3 granted</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660869675268.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostVICTORIA — As efforts to find a use for the former rest home
in Victoria continue, plans have solidified and currently include apartments, a
child care center, a community center, a park and space for the Ellis County Historical
Society — all under the banner St. John’s Place.But while excitement builds, Victoria Community Coalition
Chair Jeff Pfeifer shared the significant investment needed to see those plans
come to fruition with the Ellis County Commission during its regular meeting Tuesday.He opened his comments by noting the facility had originally
served all of Ellis County. <div><iframe width="350" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/us9SthTs-qE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“Residents came from the entire area, and employees came
from the area,” Pfeifer said. “It was a huge asset to the county. It provided
jobs, provided activities for school kids. It was a great resource as a
community asset.”Since 2012, it has been unoccupied after the rest home closed
and residents were moved to a facility in Hays.The closing “had a huge impact on the community,” Pfeifer said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632526823044.jpeg" alt="Jeff Pfeifer discusses ideas for the former Victoria rest home during the first community meeting following his purchase of the building in the fall of 2021." />
 <figcaption>Jeff Pfeifer discusses ideas for the former Victoria rest home during the first community meeting following his purchase of the building in the fall of 2021.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/20265d70-4cca-400e-9a7e-69323db9d166">After
Pfeifer purchased the building in 2021, the coalition was formed and developed
plans for use.</a>“We have had a huge community effort to get something going,”
he said. “I think everybody was tired of seeing the building sitting there and
have talked about what a waste it was.”<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2ac039a1-30b9-4f98-870a-c2724081446d">Following a
series of community meetings discussing the potential of the building,</a> the coalition
received its non-profit 501(c)3 designation in December, and Pfeifer
transferred ownership of the property to the community-focused group.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676401212203.jpeg" alt="Slide from the Victoria Community Coalition's presentation to the Ellis County Commission." />
 <figcaption>Slide from the Victoria Community Coalition's presentation to the Ellis County Commission.</figcaption>
 </figure>“The VCC is the owner of a 40,000-square-foot building, 6-and-a-half
acres and a lot of potential for Ellis County,” Pfeifer said.Through the process of the meetings and an effort to find
the best use of the building, housing and childcare space were determined to be
potential options for the building, leading to the development of a phased plan
that will include those priority uses and more, he said.<h2>At St. John’s Place-PHASE 1</h2>“We have got to start somewhere,” Pfeifer said.The current plans for At St. John’s Place include 20 apartments
for seniors, a child care center for up to 24 children, a community/senior
center, a park and space for the Ellis County Historical Museum.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676400870323.jpeg" alt="Slide from the Victoria Community Coalition's presentation to the Ellis County Commission." />
 <figcaption>Slide from the Victoria Community Coalition's presentation to the Ellis County Commission.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/bcc44562-c5a5-4f88-b16b-9a25fe00c875">The
society had announced plans to utilize space in the facility for storage and a satellite
location that would focus on the area’s Volga German heritage in October.</a>While the society had initially hoped to be moving items into
the space before the end of 2022, the plan was delayed.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b11df2d8-2d8b-4ad9-b90b-5a869678e54f">“We are
still working on that,” said Ellis County Historical Society Executive Director
Amanda Rupp during the annual meeting of their board of directors. “When it
goes silent, a little bit people assume or get a little nervous, but we are
still working on that with the (Victoria Community Coalition.)</a> “That’s not going away, it’s just a timing issue. We’ve been
held up a little bit with insurance,” Pfeifer said. “It’s still in the works,
and we’re pretty excited about it. It’s a huge opportunity for the county.”Rupp said they hope to be inside the location and open
within a year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675445911503.jpeg" alt="Ellis County Historical Society executive director Amanda Rupp updates the board on efforts to utilize storage and exhibition space in St. John's Place during their annual meeting." />
 <figcaption>Ellis County Historical Society executive director Amanda Rupp updates the board on efforts to utilize storage and exhibition space in St. John's Place during their annual meeting.</figcaption>
 </figure>While the society continues in its efforts, the coalition looks
to begin work on the facility's north side during the first phase of building
rehabilitation.Work during phase 1 will be located in the newest part of
the building and includes a studio apartment, six one-bedroom apartments, four
two-bedroom apartments, common areas, a new north entrance, parking and the
child care center.Cost is anticipated at around $3 million for phase 1.The coalition hopes to secure around $1.35 million from state
grants and other funds, $1 million from large foundation grants and the remaining
$650,000 from community donors.“I think it’s ambitious, but a building this size, an opportunity
this size, warrants it,” Pfeifer said.A community donor campaign is planned for March, and the coalition
plans to apply for a $650,000 Moderate Income Housing grant this week. The Victoria
City Council unanimously voted last month to approve the application, as MIH
grants go exclusively through local governments.“This is a competitive grant,” Pfiefer told the Victoria
council. “Just submitting is not a done deal.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676402167018.jpeg" alt="Jeff Pfeifer asks the Victoria City Council to support the submission of a Moderate Income Housing grant application during their regular January meeting.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Pfeifer asks the Victoria City Council to support the submission of a Moderate Income Housing grant application during their regular January meeting.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>But this year, extra money has been earmarked for those
grants.“It's really exciting because they put in $20 million,” said
Justine Benoit,&nbsp;Northwest Kansas Planning and Development economic development
coordinator. “Usually, the pot was like $3-4 million. So there's a lot more
money in there.”She also said that even if the application is not approved, it
can be submitted again, and the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation – the agency
that oversees the grants – would offer guidance to strengthen future
applications.Pfeifer asked the county commission to pen a letter of
support that would accompany the application.The commission approved the support unanimously. They also unanimously
approved waiving landfill fees for materials removed from the building during
ongoing demolition.To stay up to date with the Victoria Community Coalition or to find links to donate to the project, visit&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.victoriakscommunity.com/">victoriakscommunity.com.</a>

Work to bring life back into former Victoria rest home continues

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — A man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-arrests-kidnapping-missouri-fb3dd5739aaa2a2d037f858163adb322">keeping a woman hidden in his basement</a>&nbsp;while repeatedly sexually assaulting her was indicted by a grand jury on nine new charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Timothy M. Haslett, of Excelsior Springs, was indicted on one count of rape, four counts of sodomy, two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child, Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said.

Haslett, 40, is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on $3 million bond. If found guilty, he faces up to five life sentences and another 36 years in prison.

The charges supersede charges of rape, kidnapping and assault filed after Haslett was arrested in October when a woman told investigators she was raped repeatedly while being held captive in his basement for about a month.

“We would not be here today if not for the bravery of one woman and the tireless efforts of 16 different agencies,” Thompson said.

He said law enforcement officers have followed more than 100 leads and spent more than 1,200 hours on the case, but he said the investigation continues.

Court documents say the child endangerment charge stems from leaving unsecured weapons accessible to the child, KSHB-TV reported.

Thompson declined to comment on whether detectives are investigating the possibility of other possible victims.

Haslett's public defender, Tiffany Leuty, did not return a call seeking comment. Haslett's next court hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The woman, who has not been named, said she escaped when Haslett left the house to take his child to school and then ran to a neighbor's home for help.

At the time, the victim was wearing latex lingerie and a metal collar with what appeared to be a padlock on the front, according to court documents.

In January, the Excelsior Springs Police Department said it was looking for 36-year-old Jaynie M. Crosdale as a potential witness in case. Thompson said Tuesday that police continue to look for Crosdale.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665352038142.png" alt="Haslett-photo Clay Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Haslett-photo Clay Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — A man accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-arrests-kidnapping-missouri-fb3dd5739aaa2a2d037f858163adb322">keeping a woman hidden in his basement</a>&nbsp;while repeatedly sexually assaulting her was indicted by a grand jury on nine new charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday.Timothy M. Haslett, of Excelsior Springs, was indicted on one count of rape, four counts of sodomy, two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child, Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said.Haslett, 40, is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on $3 million bond. If found guilty, he faces up to five life sentences and another 36 years in prison.The charges supersede charges of rape, kidnapping and assault filed after Haslett was arrested in October when a woman told investigators she was raped repeatedly while being held captive in his basement for about a month.“We would not be here today if not for the bravery of one woman and the tireless efforts of 16 different agencies,” Thompson said.He said law enforcement officers have followed more than 100 leads and spent more than 1,200 hours on the case, but he said the investigation continues.Court documents say the child endangerment charge stems from leaving unsecured weapons accessible to the child, KSHB-TV reported.Thompson declined to comment on whether detectives are investigating the possibility of other possible victims.Haslett's public defender, Tiffany Leuty, did not return a call seeking comment. Haslett's next court hearing is scheduled for Friday.The woman, who has not been named, said she escaped when Haslett left the house to take his child to school and then ran to a neighbor's home for help.At the time, the victim was wearing latex lingerie and a metal collar with what appeared to be a padlock on the front, according to court documents.In January, the Excelsior Springs Police Department said it was looking for 36-year-old Jaynie M. Crosdale as a potential witness in case. Thompson said Tuesday that police continue to look for Crosdale.

KC-area man accused of confining woman faces new charge

Joyce Ann Calkins Sprecker was born on April 7, 1933, at Tescott, 
Kansas. Her parents were Melvin and Esther Calkins. She has a younger 
sister, Delores Gould, Salina, KS.

Joyce graduated from Salina High School May 1951. She 
graduated from Brown-Mackie School of Business, Salina, in 1952 and 
worked for the Salina School System as a secretary for the Director of 
Elementary Education and later for the Director of Secondary Education.

She also attended Central Bible Institute and Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, 1953-1954.

In October 1955, Joyce came to Goodland, Kansas, and was involved with 
radio and television for nine years working at KLOE, formerly KWGB and 
KBLR in Goodland, then at KSAL in Salina, Kansas. At both KBLR and KSAL,&nbsp; she was a host for a homemaker’s call-in program which she enjoyed.

Joyce was active in children’s and youth work in the First Assembly 
of God Church, Salina, Kansas, from the age of 13 on. After arriving in 
Goodland, she was active in the music an in outreach ministries of 
Calvary Gospel Church. After her marriage, she was in the music ministry
 at the Pilgrim Holiness Church until their move to Salina, Kansas in 
1962 for two years. After their move back to Sherman County and to the 
family farm, the Spreckers attended the Burlington Assembly of God 
Church. After retirement and the move to Goodland, they once again 
attended Calvary Gospel.

Joyce and David Sprecker were married on April 6, 1958. David and 
Joyce were involved with the family farm South of Ruleton and Kanorado 
until retirement March 1995 when they moved to 610 Arcade, Goodland, 
Kansas.

Joyce loved children’s work and as soon as their three boys were in 
school, became a volunteer classroom teacher’s aide in the USD 352 
Goodland. Before beginning her employment in the School Administration 
Office in 1984, she had accumulated over 9,000 hours of volunteer 
classroom work. She received state recognition of her work as a “Special
 Friend of Education."

Joyce retired from the School Administration Building in April&nbsp;1996. 
She enjoyed retirement pursuing her own personal hobbies that had been 
postponed for many years, reading, sewing, quilting, knitting and 
cooking.

Joyce was preceded in death by her father, mother, sister and infant 
daughter. Surviving family includes&nbsp;her husband David, three sons, David
 Jr. (Katherine), Americus, Kansas, Richard (Lori), San Marcos, Texas, 
James (Debbie) of Underwood, IA., nine grandchildren and eleven great 
grandchildren.

Click <a href="https://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituary/Joyce-Sprecker">HERE</a> for service details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676306530663.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Joyce Ann Calkins Sprecker was born on April 7, 1933, at Tescott, 
Kansas. Her parents were Melvin and Esther Calkins. She has a younger 
sister, Delores Gould, Salina, KS.Joyce graduated from Salina High School May 1951. She 
graduated from Brown-Mackie School of Business, Salina, in 1952 and 
worked for the Salina School System as a secretary for the Director of 
Elementary Education and later for the Director of Secondary Education.She also attended Central Bible Institute and Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, 1953-1954.In October 1955, Joyce came to Goodland, Kansas, and was involved with 
radio and television for nine years working at KLOE, formerly KWGB and 
KBLR in Goodland, then at KSAL in Salina, Kansas. At both KBLR and KSAL,&nbsp; she was a host for a homemaker’s call-in program which she enjoyed.Joyce was active in children’s and youth work in the First Assembly 
of God Church, Salina, Kansas, from the age of 13 on. After arriving in 
Goodland, she was active in the music an in outreach ministries of 
Calvary Gospel Church. After her marriage, she was in the music ministry
 at the Pilgrim Holiness Church until their move to Salina, Kansas in 
1962 for two years. After their move back to Sherman County and to the 
family farm, the Spreckers attended the Burlington Assembly of God 
Church. After retirement and the move to Goodland, they once again 
attended Calvary Gospel.Joyce and David Sprecker were married on April 6, 1958. David and 
Joyce were involved with the family farm South of Ruleton and Kanorado 
until retirement March 1995 when they moved to 610 Arcade, Goodland, 
Kansas.Joyce loved children’s work and as soon as their three boys were in 
school, became a volunteer classroom teacher’s aide in the USD 352 
Goodland. Before beginning her employment in the School Administration 
Office in 1984, she had accumulated over 9,000 hours of volunteer 
classroom work. She received state recognition of her work as a “Special
 Friend of Education."Joyce retired from the School Administration Building in April&nbsp;1996. 
She enjoyed retirement pursuing her own personal hobbies that had been 
postponed for many years, reading, sewing, quilting, knitting and 
cooking.Joyce was preceded in death by her father, mother, sister and infant 
daughter. Surviving family includes&nbsp;her husband David, three sons, David
 Jr. (Katherine), Americus, Kansas, Richard (Lori), San Marcos, Texas, 
James (Debbie) of Underwood, IA., nine grandchildren and eleven great 
grandchildren.Click <a href="https://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituary/Joyce-Sprecker">HERE</a> for service details.

Joyce Ann (Calkins) Sprecker

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A judge on Tuesday overturned the conviction of a man who has served nearly 28 years of a life sentence for a killing that he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">has always said</a>&nbsp;he didn't commit.

Lamar Johnson, 50, closed his eyes and shook his head slightly as a member of his legal team patted him on the back when Missouri Circuit Judge David Mason issued his ruling. In coming to his decision, Mason explained that there had to be “reliable evidence of actual innocence — evidence so reliable that it actually passes the standard of clear and convincing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670604699080.png" alt="Johnson-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A judge on Tuesday overturned the conviction of a man who has served nearly 28 years of a life sentence for a killing that he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">has always said</a>&nbsp;he didn't commit.Lamar Johnson, 50, closed his eyes and shook his head slightly as a member of his legal team patted him on the back when Missouri Circuit Judge David Mason issued his ruling. In coming to his decision, Mason explained that there had to be “reliable evidence of actual innocence — evidence so reliable that it actually passes the standard of clear and convincing.”Johnson walked free after he was processed out at the courthouse. Beaming, he walked up to reporters in the courthouse lobby about two hours after the ruling and thanked everyone who worked on his case, as well as the judge.“This is unbelievable,” said Johnson, who didn't take any questions.St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-c1ca44ca5c760e26cb6ccef5efdfa82a">filed a motion in August</a>&nbsp;seeking Johnson's release after an investigation her office conducted with help from the Innocence Project convinced her he was telling the truth, applauded the ruling.“Mr. Lamar Johnson. Thank you. You’re free,” she said before the gathered press.Gardner said this is a time for Johnson to spend with his attorneys and family.“This is Valentine’s Day and this is historical,” she said.The Republican-led state attorney general's office fought to keep Johnson locked up. A spokeswoman for the office, Madeline Sieren, said in an email that the office will take no further action in the case. She again defended the office's push to keep Johnson behind bars.“As he stated when he was sworn in, Attorney General (Andrew) Bailey is committed to enforcing the laws as written,” Sieren wrote. “Our office defended the rule of law and worked to uphold the original verdict that a jury of Johnson’s peers deemed to be appropriate based on the facts presented at trial.”Johnson's attorneys blasted the state attorney general's office after the hearing, saying it “never stopped claiming Lamar was guilty and was comfortable to have him languish and die in prison.”“Yet, when this State’s highest law enforcement office could hide from a courtroom no more, it presented nothing to challenge the overwhelming body of evidence that the circuit attorney and Lamar Johnson had amassed,” they said in a statement.Johnson plans to reconnect with his family and enjoy experiences he was denied for most of his adult life while locked up, his lawyers said.“While today brings joy, nothing can restore all that the state stole from him. Nothing will give him back the nearly three decades he lost while separated from his daughters and family,” they said. “The evidence that proved his innocence was available at his trial, but it was kept hidden or ignored by those who saw no value in the lives of two young Black men from the South Side.”Johnson was convicted of murder for the October 1994 killing of Marcus Boyd, who was shot to death on his front porch by two masked men. Police and prosecutors blamed the killing on a dispute over drug money. Johnson maintained his innocence from the outset, saying he was with his girlfriend miles (kilometers) away when the crime occurred.While Johnson was convicted and sentenced to life, a second suspect, Phil Campbell, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in exchange for a seven-year prison term.Johnson testified at a December hearing that he was with his girlfriend on the night of the crime, except for a few minutes when he stepped outside of the home of a friend to sell drugs on a corner several blocks from where the victim was killed.Johnson’s girlfriend at the time, Erika Barrow, testified that she was with Johnson that entire night, except for about a five-minute span when he left to make the drug sale. She said the distance between the friend's home and Boyd’s home would have made it impossible for Johnson to get there and back in five minutes.The case for Johnson's release was centered around a key witness who recanted his testimony and a prison inmate who says it was he — not Johnson — who joined Campbell in the killing.James Howard, 46, is serving a life sentence for murder and several other crimes that happened three years after Boyd was killed. He testified at the hearing that he and Campbell decided to rob Boyd, who owed one of their friends money from the sale of drugs. He also said Johnson wasn't there.Howard testified that he shot Boyd in the back of the head and neck, and that Campbell shot Boyd in the side.Howard and Campbell years ago signed affidavits admitting to the crime and claiming Johnson was not involved. Campbell has since died.James Gregory Elking testified in December that he was on the front porch with Boyd, trying to buy crack cocaine, when the two gunmen wearing black ski masks came around the house and began the attack. Elking, who later spent several years in prison for bank robbery, initially told police he couldn’t identify the gunmen.He agreed to view a lineup anyway. Elking testified that when he was unable to name anyone from the lineup as a shooter, Detective Joseph Nickerson told him, “I know you know who it is,” and urged him to “help get these guys off the street.”Saying he felt “bullied” and “pressured,” Elking named Johnson as one of the shooters. Gardner’s office said Elking was also paid at least $4,000 after agreeing to testify.“It’s been haunting me,” he said of his role in sending Johnson to prison.Nickerson denied coercing Elking. He testified in December that Elking’s identification of Johnson was based on all that he could see of the shooter’s face — his eyes. Johnson has one eye that looks different than the other, Nickerson said. “You can clearly see it.”Dwight Warren, who prosecuted Johnson in 1995, said that beyond Elking’s testimony, the main evidence against Johnson was an overheard jail cell conversation. A jailhouse informant, William Mock, told investigators at the time that he heard Campbell and Johnson talking when one of them said, “We should have shot that white boy,” apparently referring to Elking.Warren acknowledged that convicting Johnson would have been “iffy” without Mock’s testimony.In March 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-trials-michael-brown-courts-30687d06b29640ca94206d2917ede421">denied Johnson’s request for a new trial</a>&nbsp;after then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office argued successfully that Gardner lacked the authority to seek one so many years after the case was adjudicated.The case led to the passage of a state law that makes it easier for prosecutors to get new hearings in cases where there is fresh evidence of a wrongful conviction. That law freed another longtime inmate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>, last year. He had served more than 40 years for a Kansas City triple killing.