By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/former-interim-emporia-state-president-condemns-mass-firing-of-tenured-faculty/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A former interim 
president of Emporia State University contends mass dismissal of more 
than 30 faculty brands the institution as a higher education outcast and
 undermines recruitment and retention of quality students and faculty.

Ed Flentje, who served as interim ESU president in 2011, expressed 
concern in a letter to Jon Rolph, chairman of the Kansas Board of 
Regents. His request the Board of Regents rescind removal of 33 faculty 
mirrored a plea by a representative of the American Association of 
University Professors, who denounced the firings as an intrusion into 
academic freedom.

“I believe the regents’ actions will lead to the decline and eventual
 closure of the university,” Flentje said. “The vision of the mass 
firing will lead to a prosperous future for Emporia State is complete 
fantasy.”

Flentje said students in English and other academic programs targeted
 for cuts by ESU president Ken Hush would look for new opportunities at 
other colleges and universities. As prospective students decided to seek
 an education elsewhere, Flentje said, ESU enrollment would further 
erode.

In addition, Flentje said, more classes at Emporia State would be 
taught by part-time adjunct professors “who have little stake in the 
future of the university and less interest in student success.”

He said ESU’s “pariah” status would send a message to existing and 
prospective faculty their future at Emporia State would be uncertain. 
ESU faculty and staff identified by administrators as a priority will 
continue to face competition for scarce dollars, he said.

“Budget-minded state lawmakers will increasingly question added 
spending at the university,” Flentje said. “Potential donors will raise 
the same questions. When the next inevitable budget crunch confronts 
state lawmakers, Emporia State’s future will be given heightened 
scrutiny.”

Flentje was a student and administrator at Emporia State, earned a 
doctorate at University of Kansas and served on the faculty for years at
 Wichita State University, where he was part of the Hugo Wall School of 
Public Affairs from 1986 to 2008. For a five-month period in 2011, he 
was interim president at ESU.

The state Board of Regents created a policy during height of the 
COVID-19 pandemic granting the six universities in the public university
 system the authority to initiate a streamlined method of slashing the 
campus workforce. The policy included dismissal of tenured faculty.

KU officials expressed interest, but said repeatedly they had no 
intention of deploying provisions of a policy scheduled to expire Dec. 
31. Neither Kansas State University, Fort Hays State University, 
Pittsburg State University nor WSU took steps to impose the policy 
embraced by ESU to deal with financial, enrollment and staffing 
challenges.

Hush said the policy would be used by Emporia State to better target 
expenditures in disciplines attractive to students. So far, ESU 
announced plans to hire personnel in art, music and cybersecurity.

The university president told the state Board of Regents 
approximately 7% of the university’s staff would be laid off “to move us
 toward an exciting, successful future.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665437679365.png" alt="A former interim president of Emporia State University asked the Kansas Board of Regents to rescind dismissal of 33 faculty under a new policy streamlining layoffs. ESU students responded to the firings with vigils and protests in September. (Mason Hart for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A former interim president of Emporia State University asked the Kansas Board of Regents to rescind dismissal of 33 faculty under a new policy streamlining layoffs. ESU students responded to the firings with vigils and protests in September. (Mason Hart for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/former-interim-emporia-state-president-condemns-mass-firing-of-tenured-faculty/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A former interim 
president of Emporia State University contends mass dismissal of more 
than 30 faculty brands the institution as a higher education outcast and
 undermines recruitment and retention of quality students and faculty.Ed Flentje, who served as interim ESU president in 2011, expressed 
concern in a letter to Jon Rolph, chairman of the Kansas Board of 
Regents. His request the Board of Regents rescind removal of 33 faculty 
mirrored a plea by a representative of the American Association of 
University Professors, who denounced the firings as an intrusion into 
academic freedom.“I believe the regents’ actions will lead to the decline and eventual
 closure of the university,” Flentje said. “The vision of the mass 
firing will lead to a prosperous future for Emporia State is complete 
fantasy.”Flentje said students in English and other academic programs targeted
 for cuts by ESU president Ken Hush would look for new opportunities at 
other colleges and universities. As prospective students decided to seek
 an education elsewhere, Flentje said, ESU enrollment would further 
erode.In addition, Flentje said, more classes at Emporia State would be 
taught by part-time adjunct professors “who have little stake in the 
future of the university and less interest in student success.”He said ESU’s “pariah” status would send a message to existing and 
prospective faculty their future at Emporia State would be uncertain. 
ESU faculty and staff identified by administrators as a priority will 
continue to face competition for scarce dollars, he said.“Budget-minded state lawmakers will increasingly question added 
spending at the university,” Flentje said. “Potential donors will raise 
the same questions. When the next inevitable budget crunch confronts 
state lawmakers, Emporia State’s future will be given heightened 
scrutiny.”Flentje was a student and administrator at Emporia State, earned a 
doctorate at University of Kansas and served on the faculty for years at
 Wichita State University, where he was part of the Hugo Wall School of 
Public Affairs from 1986 to 2008. For a five-month period in 2011, he 
was interim president at ESU.The state Board of Regents created a policy during height of the 
COVID-19 pandemic granting the six universities in the public university
 system the authority to initiate a streamlined method of slashing the 
campus workforce. The policy included dismissal of tenured faculty.KU officials expressed interest, but said repeatedly they had no 
intention of deploying provisions of a policy scheduled to expire Dec. 
31. Neither Kansas State University, Fort Hays State University, 
Pittsburg State University nor WSU took steps to impose the policy 
embraced by ESU to deal with financial, enrollment and staffing 
challenges.Hush said the policy would be used by Emporia State to better target 
expenditures in disciplines attractive to students. So far, ESU 
announced plans to hire personnel in art, music and cybersecurity.The university president told the state Board of Regents 
approximately 7% of the university’s staff would be laid off “to move us
 toward an exciting, successful future.”

Former Emporia State president condemns mass firing

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal motorcycle accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;62-year-old Clay Worley of Wichita.

Just before 11:30 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to an injury accident in the 5800 block of South Broadway in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp; 

As officers arrived, EMS was administering life-saving measures.&nbsp; Worley was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed a 2009 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Worley was southbound on Broadway when he had a medical emergency, according to Ditch. The motorcycle struck the curb and crashed.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal motorcycle accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;62-year-old Clay Worley of Wichita.Just before 11:30 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to an injury accident in the 5800 block of South Broadway in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp; As officers arrived, EMS was administering life-saving measures.&nbsp; Worley was pronounced deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed a 2009 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Worley was southbound on Broadway when he had a medical emergency, according to Ditch. The motorcycle struck the curb and crashed.

Police: Kan. man suffered medical emergency before fatal crash

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The third largest railroad union rejected its deal with freight railroads Monday — renewing the possibility of a strike that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">cripple the economy</a>&nbsp;— but before that could happen both sides will return to the bargaining table.

About 56% of the track maintenance workers represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union who voted opposed the five-year contract even though it included 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Union President Tony Cardwell said the railroads didn't do enough to address worker concerns about the lack of paid time off — particularly sick time — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">demanding working conditions</a>&nbsp;after the major railroads eliminated nearly one-third of their jobs over the past six years.

“Railroaders are discouraged and upset with working conditions and compensation and hold their employer in low regard. Railroaders do not feel valued,” Cardwell said in a statement. “They resent the fact that management holds no regard for their quality of life, illustrated by their stubborn reluctance to provide a higher quantity of paid time off, especially for sickness.”

The railroads didn't immediately comment on the rejected contract.

Four other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-norfolk-strikes-kansas-city-southern-c8dd899d2dabab8525d23b86d67b51e3">railroad unions</a>&nbsp;have approved their agreements with the freight railroads that include BNSF, Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern, CSX and Norfolk Southern, but all 12 unions that represent a total of 115,000 workers must ratify their contracts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">prevent a strike</a>. One other union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, initially rejected its deal but has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33f95ad925d1a00b204c95a70c18db3c">renegotiated</a>&nbsp;a new contract. The voting won't be completed until mid-November.

President Joe Biden put pressure on the railroads and unions to reach a deal last month ahead of a mid-September deadline to allow a strike or walkout. Many businesses also urged Congress to be ready to intervene in the dispute and block a strike if an agreement wasn't reached because so many companies rely on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products.

In general, the deals the unions agreed to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special panel of arbitrators that Biden appointed made this summer. That Presidential Emergency Board recommended what would be the biggest raises rail workers have seen in more than four decades, but it didn't resolve the unions' concerns about working conditions. Instead it said the unions should pursue additional negotiations or arbitration that can take years with each railroad individually.

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way union said it agreed to delay any strike until five days after Congress reconvenes in mid November to allow time for additional negotiations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663119327130.png" alt="A Union Pacific train travels across Kansas in Sept. 2022" />
 <figcaption>A Union Pacific train travels across Kansas in Sept. 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The third largest railroad union rejected its deal with freight railroads Monday — renewing the possibility of a strike that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">cripple the economy</a>&nbsp;— but before that could happen both sides will return to the bargaining table.About 56% of the track maintenance workers represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union who voted opposed the five-year contract even though it included 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Union President Tony Cardwell said the railroads didn't do enough to address worker concerns about the lack of paid time off — particularly sick time — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">demanding working conditions</a>&nbsp;after the major railroads eliminated nearly one-third of their jobs over the past six years.“Railroaders are discouraged and upset with working conditions and compensation and hold their employer in low regard. Railroaders do not feel valued,” Cardwell said in a statement. “They resent the fact that management holds no regard for their quality of life, illustrated by their stubborn reluctance to provide a higher quantity of paid time off, especially for sickness.”The railroads didn't immediately comment on the rejected contract.Four other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-norfolk-strikes-kansas-city-southern-c8dd899d2dabab8525d23b86d67b51e3">railroad unions</a>&nbsp;have approved their agreements with the freight railroads that include BNSF, Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern, CSX and Norfolk Southern, but all 12 unions that represent a total of 115,000 workers must ratify their contracts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">prevent a strike</a>. One other union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, initially rejected its deal but has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33f95ad925d1a00b204c95a70c18db3c">renegotiated</a>&nbsp;a new contract. The voting won't be completed until mid-November.President Joe Biden put pressure on the railroads and unions to reach a deal last month ahead of a mid-September deadline to allow a strike or walkout. Many businesses also urged Congress to be ready to intervene in the dispute and block a strike if an agreement wasn't reached because so many companies rely on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products.In general, the deals the unions agreed to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special panel of arbitrators that Biden appointed made this summer. That Presidential Emergency Board recommended what would be the biggest raises rail workers have seen in more than four decades, but it didn't resolve the unions' concerns about working conditions. Instead it said the unions should pursue additional negotiations or arbitration that can take years with each railroad individually.The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way union said it agreed to delay any strike until five days after Congress reconvenes in mid November to allow time for additional negotiations.

Large rail union rejects deal, renewing strike possibility

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Monday announced that in the single month that sports wagering has been legal, it has generated a total of $1.3 million in revenue, including nearly $130,000 for the State of Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“These revenues reinforce what we already knew: Legal sports betting is a common-sense solution that keeps Kansans’ money in Kansas and supports Kansas businesses,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“While legal wagering is just in its infancy, these revenues will continue to grow and benefit the state over time.”

On May 12, 2022, Governor Laura Kelly signed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMTAuNjQ5MDgwNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL3NiODQvIn0.lw-R2L0zYfbxBXGBw-jGvud8aYa1GWzwJO9nTJaQkVk/s/1303160919/br/145504356333-l" target="_blank">Senate Bill 84</a>, bipartisan legislation making it legal to wager on sports at casinos, on digital platforms, and other venues in Kansas. Sportsbooks opened in record time on September 1, with&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMTAuNjQ5MDgwNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktcGxhY2VzLWZpcnN0LWxlZ2FsLXNwb3J0cy1iZXQtaW4ta2Fuc2FzLyJ9.NWgNjSo1pQNPzO664Pd2fov5FyB4EIV4c3p7ep_y2nk/s/1303160919/br/145504356333-l" target="_blank">Governor Kelly placing the first legal bet</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Sports betting has successfully kicked off in Kansas, and players could not be more excited to get in on the action,”&nbsp;Stephen Durrell, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery, said.&nbsp;“The launch went smoothly thanks to the efforts of our casino partners, the sports wagering platforms, the KRGC, and our staff at the Kansas Lottery. We will continue to work to make sports betting in Kansas safe, secure, and fun for all players as we expand and grow.”&nbsp;

Revenues reported by the Kansas Lottery are from settled and completed bets and don't account for 'future wagers' placed like the Super Bowl, World Series, or MVP awards. Facilities or platforms presenting a zero-revenue are due to promotional play and player acquisition, in which those platform providers are responsible for payment until there is net positive revenue.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662056609748.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly placed Kansas’ first legal sports wager at the Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly placed Kansas’ first legal sports wager at the Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Monday announced that in the single month that sports wagering has been legal, it has generated a total of $1.3 million in revenue, including nearly $130,000 for the State of Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;“These revenues reinforce what we already knew: Legal sports betting is a common-sense solution that keeps Kansans’ money in Kansas and supports Kansas businesses,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“While legal wagering is just in its infancy, these revenues will continue to grow and benefit the state over time.”On May 12, 2022, Governor Laura Kelly signed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMTAuNjQ5MDgwNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIxXzIyL21lYXN1cmVzL3NiODQvIn0.lw-R2L0zYfbxBXGBw-jGvud8aYa1GWzwJO9nTJaQkVk/s/1303160919/br/145504356333-l" target="_blank">Senate Bill 84</a>, bipartisan legislation making it legal to wager on sports at casinos, on digital platforms, and other venues in Kansas. Sportsbooks opened in record time on September 1, with&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMTAuNjQ5MDgwNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3YvZ292ZXJub3ItbGF1cmEta2VsbHktcGxhY2VzLWZpcnN0LWxlZ2FsLXNwb3J0cy1iZXQtaW4ta2Fuc2FzLyJ9.NWgNjSo1pQNPzO664Pd2fov5FyB4EIV4c3p7ep_y2nk/s/1303160919/br/145504356333-l" target="_blank">Governor Kelly placing the first legal bet</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Sports betting has successfully kicked off in Kansas, and players could not be more excited to get in on the action,”&nbsp;Stephen Durrell, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery, said.&nbsp;“The launch went smoothly thanks to the efforts of our casino partners, the sports wagering platforms, the KRGC, and our staff at the Kansas Lottery. We will continue to work to make sports betting in Kansas safe, secure, and fun for all players as we expand and grow.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665420395950.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Revenues reported by the Kansas Lottery are from settled and completed bets and don't account for 'future wagers' placed like the Super Bowl, World Series, or MVP awards. Facilities or platforms presenting a zero-revenue are due to promotional play and player acquisition, in which those platform providers are responsible for payment until there is net positive revenue.&nbsp;

Legal sports wagering has big first month in Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash that occurred just after 7a.m. Monday in Sedgwick County.

According to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick, a 2012 Chevy Silverado driven by a 57-year-old man was westbound on 55th Street West at Kansas Highway 15.

A southbound 2013 Subaru SUV driven by a 30-year-old man struck the pickup First responders pronounced the driver of the Chevy dead at the scene.

EMS transported the driver of the Subaru to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries

Stop signs are posted for east and westbound traffic on 55th Street South at highway K-15, according to Blick. The circumstances of the collision remain under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665405732367.png" alt="WICHway camera view of the crash scene" />
 <figcaption>WICHway camera view of the crash scene</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash that occurred just after 7a.m. Monday in Sedgwick County.According to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick, a 2012 Chevy Silverado driven by a 57-year-old man was westbound on 55th Street West at Kansas Highway 15.A southbound 2013 Subaru SUV driven by a 30-year-old man struck the pickup First responders pronounced the driver of the Chevy dead at the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665426190467.png" alt="Stop signs are posted for east and westbound traffic on 55th Street South at highway K-15, according to&nbsp; Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick. photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Stop signs are posted for east and westbound traffic on 55th Street South at highway K-15, according to&nbsp; Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick. photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>EMS transported the driver of the Subaru to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuriesStop signs are posted for east and westbound traffic on 55th Street South at highway K-15, according to Blick. The circumstances of the collision remain under investigation.

Sheriff: Kansas man dead after SUV, pickup crash

KANSAS CITY (AP) — By pardoning Americans with federal convictions for marijuana possession, President Joe Biden said he aimed to partially redress decades of anti-drug laws that disproportionately harmed Black and Latino communities.

While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-marijuana-government-and-politics-2d5e3d9e2cfbbbe3ee114536738894a8">Biden’s executive action</a>&nbsp;will benefit thousands of people by making it easier for them to find housing, get a job or apply to college,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-8409d61e21ab4864a242d1d9650c246c">it does nothing to help</a>&nbsp;the hundreds of thousands of mostly Black and Hispanic Americans still burdened by state convictions for marijuana-related offenses, not to mention the millions more with other drug offenses on their records.

Advocates for overhauling the nation’s drug laws are hopeful that Biden’s pardons lead state lawmakers to pardon and expunge minor drug offenses from people’s records. After all, they say, dozens of states have already decriminalized cannabis and legalized it for a multibillion-dollar recreational and medicinal use industry that is predominantly white-owned.

“We know that this is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to people who are suffering the effects of (past) marijuana prohibition,” said Maritza Perez, director of federal affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit organization pushing for decriminalization and safe drug use policies.

The decades-long “war on drugs,” a sweeping federal legislative agenda that Biden championed as a U.S. senator and that was mirrored by state lawmakers, brought about mass-criminalization and an explosion of the prison population. An estimated tens of millions of people have had a marijuana-related arrest on their record since 1965, the vast majority of them stemming from enforcement by local police and state prosecutors.

But as many law enforcement officials like to point out, the majority of people who serve long sentences for marijuana-related offenses were convicted of more serious charges than possession, such as a weapons count or the intent to sell or traffic the drug on a larger scale. Such factors are typically how a case moves into federal territory versus state prosecution.

Still, reform advocates counter that many of them aren’t violent drug kingpins.

A 2021 Associated Press review of federal and state incarceration data showed that between 1975 and 2019, the U.S. prison population jumped from 240,593 to 1.43 million people. Of them, about 1 in 5 were incarcerated with a drug offense listed as their most serious crime.

The passage of stiffer penalties for crack cocaine, marijuana and other drugs in the 1990s helped to triple the Black and Hispanic incarceration rates by the year 2000. The white incarceration rate only doubled.

And despite state legalization or decriminalization of possession up to certain amounts, local law enforcement agencies continue to make more arrests for drug possession, including marijuana, than any other criminal offense, according to FBI crime data.

The president’s pardon of more than 6,500 Americans with federal marijuana possession convictions, as well as thousands more with convictions in the majority-Black city of Washington, captures only a sliver of those with records nationwide. That’s likely why he has called on state governors to take similar steps for people with state marijuana possession convictions.

“While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted at disproportionate rates,” Biden said Thursday. “Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.”

With the president’s unambiguous acknowledgement of racial inequity in marijuana enforcement, drug law reform advocates and those with convictions now see an opening to push for far more remedies to the harms of the war on drugs.

Weldon Angelos, whose 2003 federal case for selling $300 worth of marijuana to a confidential informant in Utah got him sentenced to 55 years in prison, said he knows many people who will benefit from the president’s pardon. But there are also many more who will not, he said.

“I feel like this is a first step of (Biden) doing something bigger,” said Angelos who, after serving 13 years in prison, received presidential clemency and a pardon during the Obama and Trump administrations. He is now a drug law reform activist.

Felony cannabis cases like his also deserve consideration, Weldon said. Biden’s pardon does not cover convictions for possessing marijuana with an intent to distribute, which could further widen the scope of people receiving relief by tens of thousands.

Enacting a law that clears a person’s federal drug record, similar to what has been offered in nearly two dozen states where marijuana has been decriminalized or legalized recreationally, would make the conviction invisible to companies and landlords doing criminal background checks, he said. Even with the federal pardon, Weldon’s record is still visible, he said.

“There’s a lot more that needs to be done here, if we really want to unwind the effects, and the racist effects, of the war on cannabis,” Weldon said.

Some advocates believe the country should consider clearing more than just marijuana records. In the 1990s, Marlon Chamberlain was a college student in Iowa when he learned that his then-girlfriend was pregnant with his eldest son. He began using cannabis to cope with the anxiety of becoming a young father and, soon after, started selling the drug.

“My thought was that I would try to make enough money and have the means to take care of my son,” said Chamberlain, a 46-year-old Chicago native. “But I got addicted to the lifestyle and I graduated from selling weed to selling cocaine.”

Chamberlain said he had a slew of state charges for marijuana possession between the ages of 19 and 25. But it was a federal case for crack cocaine, in which authorities used his prior marijuana arrests to enhance the seriousness of their case, that upended his life. Chamberlain was sentenced to 20 years in prison before the punishment was reduced to 14 years under the Fair Sentencing Act that narrowed the sentencing disparity between crack and powder forms of cocaine. He was freed after 10 years.

Even though he will not benefit from Biden’s marijuana pardon, Chamberlain sees it as an opportunity to advocate for the elimination of what he calls the “permanent punishments,” such as the difficulties in finding a job or housing that come with having a past drug offense.

“What Biden is initiating is a process of righting the wrongs” of the drug war, he said.

Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis in 2012, although medical use had already been legal in several states. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, 37 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories now permit the medical use of cannabis. Nineteen states, D.C. and two territories have legalized its recreational use.

And during next month’s midterm elections, voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota will decide whether to permit recreational adult use of cannabis. That is reason enough for every state to look into mass-pardons and expungements, civil rights leaders say.

“How fair is it that you will legalize marijuana now, tax it to use those state taxes to fund government, but forget all the people who are sitting in jails or were incarcerated when it was illegal?” NAACP President Derrick Johnson told the AP. “All those individuals who have been charged with marijuana crimes need to be pardoned, particularly those in states that have legalized marijuana.”

Richard Wallace, executive director of Equity and Transformation, a social and economic justice advocacy group in Chicago, said state pardons must also come with some form of restitution to those who suffered economically under the racially discriminatory drug war.

“We need to be thinking about building out durable reparations campaigns centered around cannabis legalization,” he said. “I think oftentimes we end up just fighting for the pardons and the expungements, and we leave out the economic component.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — By pardoning Americans with federal convictions for marijuana possession, President Joe Biden said he aimed to partially redress decades of anti-drug laws that disproportionately harmed Black and Latino communities.While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-marijuana-government-and-politics-2d5e3d9e2cfbbbe3ee114536738894a8">Biden’s executive action</a>&nbsp;will benefit thousands of people by making it easier for them to find housing, get a job or apply to college,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-8409d61e21ab4864a242d1d9650c246c">it does nothing to help</a>&nbsp;the hundreds of thousands of mostly Black and Hispanic Americans still burdened by state convictions for marijuana-related offenses, not to mention the millions more with other drug offenses on their records.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Hear from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the three steps he is taking to right these wrongs. <a href="https://t.co/IqOxHxjgue">pic.twitter.com/IqOxHxjgue</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1578108939174281218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Advocates for overhauling the nation’s drug laws are hopeful that Biden’s pardons lead state lawmakers to pardon and expunge minor drug offenses from people’s records. After all, they say, dozens of states have already decriminalized cannabis and legalized it for a multibillion-dollar recreational and medicinal use industry that is predominantly white-owned.“We know that this is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to people who are suffering the effects of (past) marijuana prohibition,” said Maritza Perez, director of federal affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit organization pushing for decriminalization and safe drug use policies.The decades-long “war on drugs,” a sweeping federal legislative agenda that Biden championed as a U.S. senator and that was mirrored by state lawmakers, brought about mass-criminalization and an explosion of the prison population. An estimated tens of millions of people have had a marijuana-related arrest on their record since 1965, the vast majority of them stemming from enforcement by local police and state prosecutors.But as many law enforcement officials like to point out, the majority of people who serve long sentences for marijuana-related offenses were convicted of more serious charges than possession, such as a weapons count or the intent to sell or traffic the drug on a larger scale. Such factors are typically how a case moves into federal territory versus state prosecution.Still, reform advocates counter that many of them aren’t violent drug kingpins.A 2021 Associated Press review of federal and state incarceration data showed that between 1975 and 2019, the U.S. prison population jumped from 240,593 to 1.43 million people. Of them, about 1 in 5 were incarcerated with a drug offense listed as their most serious crime.The passage of stiffer penalties for crack cocaine, marijuana and other drugs in the 1990s helped to triple the Black and Hispanic incarceration rates by the year 2000. The white incarceration rate only doubled.And despite state legalization or decriminalization of possession up to certain amounts, local law enforcement agencies continue to make more arrests for drug possession, including marijuana, than any other criminal offense, according to FBI crime data.The president’s pardon of more than 6,500 Americans with federal marijuana possession convictions, as well as thousands more with convictions in the majority-Black city of Washington, captures only a sliver of those with records nationwide. That’s likely why he has called on state governors to take similar steps for people with state marijuana possession convictions.“While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted at disproportionate rates,” Biden said Thursday. “Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.”With the president’s unambiguous acknowledgement of racial inequity in marijuana enforcement, drug law reform advocates and those with convictions now see an opening to push for far more remedies to the harms of the war on drugs.Weldon Angelos, whose 2003 federal case for selling $300 worth of marijuana to a confidential informant in Utah got him sentenced to 55 years in prison, said he knows many people who will benefit from the president’s pardon. But there are also many more who will not, he said.“I feel like this is a first step of (Biden) doing something bigger,” said Angelos who, after serving 13 years in prison, received presidential clemency and a pardon during the Obama and Trump administrations. He is now a drug law reform activist.Felony cannabis cases like his also deserve consideration, Weldon said. Biden’s pardon does not cover convictions for possessing marijuana with an intent to distribute, which could further widen the scope of people receiving relief by tens of thousands.Enacting a law that clears a person’s federal drug record, similar to what has been offered in nearly two dozen states where marijuana has been decriminalized or legalized recreationally, would make the conviction invisible to companies and landlords doing criminal background checks, he said. Even with the federal pardon, Weldon’s record is still visible, he said.“There’s a lot more that needs to be done here, if we really want to unwind the effects, and the racist effects, of the war on cannabis,” Weldon said.Some advocates believe the country should consider clearing more than just marijuana records. In the 1990s, Marlon Chamberlain was a college student in Iowa when he learned that his then-girlfriend was pregnant with his eldest son. He began using cannabis to cope with the anxiety of becoming a young father and, soon after, started selling the drug.“My thought was that I would try to make enough money and have the means to take care of my son,” said Chamberlain, a 46-year-old Chicago native. “But I got addicted to the lifestyle and I graduated from selling weed to selling cocaine.”Chamberlain said he had a slew of state charges for marijuana possession between the ages of 19 and 25. But it was a federal case for crack cocaine, in which authorities used his prior marijuana arrests to enhance the seriousness of their case, that upended his life. Chamberlain was sentenced to 20 years in prison before the punishment was reduced to 14 years under the Fair Sentencing Act that narrowed the sentencing disparity between crack and powder forms of cocaine. He was freed after 10 years.Even though he will not benefit from Biden’s marijuana pardon, Chamberlain sees it as an opportunity to advocate for the elimination of what he calls the “permanent punishments,” such as the difficulties in finding a job or housing that come with having a past drug offense.“What Biden is initiating is a process of righting the wrongs” of the drug war, he said.Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis in 2012, although medical use had already been legal in several states. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, 37 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories now permit the medical use of cannabis. Nineteen states, D.C. and two territories have legalized its recreational use.And during next month’s midterm elections, voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota will decide whether to permit recreational adult use of cannabis. That is reason enough for every state to look into mass-pardons and expungements, civil rights leaders say.“How fair is it that you will legalize marijuana now, tax it to use those state taxes to fund government, but forget all the people who are sitting in jails or were incarcerated when it was illegal?” NAACP President Derrick Johnson told the AP. “All those individuals who have been charged with marijuana crimes need to be pardoned, particularly those in states that have legalized marijuana.”Richard Wallace, executive director of Equity and Transformation, a social and economic justice advocacy group in Chicago, said state pardons must also come with some form of restitution to those who suffered economically under the racially discriminatory drug war.“We need to be thinking about building out durable reparations campaigns centered around cannabis legalization,” he said. “I think oftentimes we end up just fighting for the pardons and the expungements, and we leave out the economic component.”___

🎥Racial equity in marijuana pardons requires state's action

KANSAS CITY — FBI agents arrested two in an investigation involving a Tik Tok video, according to a media release from the United State's Department of Justice. Investigators say they threatened the government and people at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Bryan C. Perry, 37, of Clarksville, Tenn., and Jonathan S. O’Dell, 32, of Warsaw, Mo., each faces separate criminal complaints filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. 

Federal prosecutors charged Perry with one count of transmitting a threat across state lines to injure another person, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of forcibly assaulting an FBI agent with a deadly weapon. They charged O’Dell with one count of transmitting a threat across state lines to injure another person and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm.

On Friday, the FBI executed a search warrant on O’Dell’s residence in the 34000 block of U.S. 65 near Warsaw, southeast of Kansas City.

 Agents said when they arrived at the home, they came under gunfire. The agents say they did not return fire. They arrested O’Dell, Perry, and another inside the home shortly later. Investigators say Perry admitted to firing the shots.

Agents spent much of Friday removing boxes from the property. Agents say there is no threat to the public.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects after an incident at a rural home southeast of Kansas City.

Early Friday, members of the FBI had a lawful presence at a home in the 30,000 Block of U.S. 65 Highway in Warsaw, Missouri regarding an ongoing federal investigation, according to a statement from agency.

As agents announced their presence, law enforcement came under fire from someone inside the residence.

Law enforcement did not return fire and later took three suspects into custody without incident. The FBI reported no injuries and no additional information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665338846096.png" alt="FBI on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KYTV" />
 <figcaption>FBI on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KYTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — FBI agents arrested two in an investigation involving a Tik Tok video, according to a media release from the United State's Department of Justice. Investigators say they threatened the government and people at the U.S.-Mexico border.Bryan C. Perry, 37, of Clarksville, Tenn., and Jonathan S. O’Dell, 32, of Warsaw, Mo., each faces separate criminal complaints filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Federal prosecutors charged Perry with one count of transmitting a threat across state lines to injure another person, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of forcibly assaulting an FBI agent with a deadly weapon. They charged O’Dell with one count of transmitting a threat across state lines to injure another person and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm.On Friday, the FBI executed a search warrant on O’Dell’s residence in the 34000 block of U.S. 65 near Warsaw, southeast of Kansas City. Agents said when they arrived at the home, they came under gunfire. The agents say they did not return fire. They arrested O’Dell, Perry, and another inside the home shortly later. Investigators say Perry admitted to firing the shots.Agents spent much of Friday removing boxes from the property. Agents say there is no threat to the public.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.-------KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects after an incident at a rural home southeast of Kansas City.Early Friday, members of the FBI had a lawful presence at a home in the 30,000 Block of U.S. 65 Highway in Warsaw, Missouri regarding an ongoing federal investigation, according to a statement from agency.As agents announced their presence, law enforcement came under fire from someone inside the residence.Law enforcement did not return fire and later took three suspects into custody without incident. The FBI reported no injuries and no additional information.

FBI arrests 2 who allegedly made threatening Tik Tok video

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Authorities with USD 437 are providing crisis counselors for students, parents and staff on Monday as they work through the grief following the death of three elementary school students in a weekend on the Kansas Turnpike.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported just after 9a.m. Saturday, a 2022 Kenworth semi driven by Robert Hosey Russell, 70, Huntsville, Alabama, was southbound on Interstate 335, the Kansas Turnpike, just south of Topeka.

The semi struck a 2018 Dodge van driven by Amber Marie Peery, 32, Topeka, as the driver attempted to make a turn through the barrier wall, according to the KHP.

Three children including two 9-year-old girls and an 8-year-old girl all from Topeka died in the crash. 

EMS transported Peery, a 5-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl both of Topeka to Stormont Vail. Russell was not injured.

The girls who died were Auburn-Washburn elementary school students, according to a statement from USD 437 Superintendent&nbsp;Scott McWilliams. "These students include a Jay Shideler Elementary third grader along with two Farley Elementary fourth graders."

"We are keeping these students and their families in our thoughts. Such a loss raises emotions and questions for our entire school community, especially our students."

"Our schools have crisis teams made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this."

"On Monday morning, Farley Elementary and Jay Shideler Elementary students will be notified in an age-appropriate manner about what occurred. There will be designated areas of support offered to students who need time to process, discuss, or grieve. We will have counselors and social workers available to meet with students and staff members as needed.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665414813534.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the weekend accident -photo courtesy WIBW TV&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the weekend accident -photo courtesy WIBW TV&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY— Authorities with USD 437 are providing crisis counselors for students, parents and staff on Monday as they work through the grief following the death of three elementary school students in a weekend on the Kansas Turnpike.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported just after 9a.m. Saturday, a 2022 Kenworth semi driven by Robert Hosey Russell, 70, Huntsville, Alabama, was southbound on Interstate 335, the Kansas Turnpike, just south of Topeka.The semi struck a 2018 Dodge van driven by Amber Marie Peery, 32, Topeka, as the driver attempted to make a turn through the barrier wall, according to the KHP.Three children including two 9-year-old girls and an 8-year-old girl all from Topeka died in the crash. EMS transported Peery, a 5-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl both of Topeka to Stormont Vail. Russell was not injured.The girls who died were Auburn-Washburn elementary school students, according to a statement from USD 437 Superintendent&nbsp;Scott McWilliams. "These students include a Jay Shideler Elementary third grader along with two Farley Elementary fourth graders.""We are keeping these students and their families in our thoughts. Such a loss raises emotions and questions for our entire school community, especially our students.""Our schools have crisis teams made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this.""On Monday morning, Farley Elementary and Jay Shideler Elementary students will be notified in an age-appropriate manner about what occurred. There will be designated areas of support offered to students who need time to process, discuss, or grieve. We will have counselors and social workers available to meet with students and staff members as needed.”

Counselors helping students after 3 Kan. girls killed in turnpike crash

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Riley County man for alleged child sex ctimes.

Just after 11p.m. Saturday police arrested 67-year-old Floyd Davis Sr.,&nbsp; Ogden, on a warrant for aggravated indecent liberties with a child charges connected to separate incidents involving two juvenile female victims, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

Davis is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties connected to incidents involving one victim occurring between January 1 and December 31 of 2018.

He is also charged with an additional count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child connected to an incident involving the second victim occurring between July 1, 2016 and February 28, 2018.

Both victims were known to Davis. He remains confined in the Riley County Jail on a total bond of $250,000.

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Riley County man for alleged child sex ctimes.Just after 11p.m. Saturday police arrested 67-year-old Floyd Davis Sr.,&nbsp; Ogden, on a warrant for aggravated indecent liberties with a child charges connected to separate incidents involving two juvenile female victims, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.Davis is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties connected to incidents involving one victim occurring between January 1 and December 31 of 2018.He is also charged with an additional count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child connected to an incident involving the second victim occurring between July 1, 2016 and February 28, 2018.Both victims were known to Davis. He remains confined in the Riley County Jail on a total bond of $250,000.

67-year-old Kansas man accused of child sex crimes

MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.

On Saturday, sheriff's deputies were called to the Miami County Medical Center in Paola after report of a stabbing, according to a media release.&nbsp; Deputies learned two brothers had been involved in an altercation at a rural home in the 32000 Block of Lone Star Road.

Investigators learned the brothers got into an argument about one of them eating the other's sandwich, according to the sheriff's department. The dispute became physical and one brother stabbed the other in the leg causing non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; A personal vehicle transported the victim to the medical center. Deputies located and arrested the other brother and booked him into the Miami County Jail. The sheriff's office did not released the names of those involved.&nbsp;

MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.On Saturday, sheriff's deputies were called to the Miami County Medical Center in Paola after report of a stabbing, according to a media release.&nbsp; Deputies learned two brothers had been involved in an altercation at a rural home in the 32000 Block of Lone Star Road.Investigators learned the brothers got into an argument about one of them eating the other's sandwich, according to the sheriff's department. The dispute became physical and one brother stabbed the other in the leg causing non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; A personal vehicle transported the victim to the medical center. Deputies located and arrested the other brother and booked him into the Miami County Jail. The sheriff's office did not released the names of those involved.&nbsp;

Sheriff: Kan. man stabbed brother in fight over sandwich

KANSAS CITY (AP) — With early voting less than three weeks away, Nicole Mickley was staring down a daunting to-do list: voting machines to test, poll workers to recruit, an onslaught of public records requests to examine.

And then, over a weekend, came word that the long-time county sheriff had died. To Mickley, director of elections in a small Ohio county, that added one more complication to an election season filled with them. It meant a new contest was needed to fill the position, so she and her small staff would have to remake the ballots&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">for the fall election</a>&nbsp;for the second time in a week.

“I feel like ever since we took office in '19, it’s just been a constant rollercoaster,” said Mickley, whose 36 months on the job qualify her as the senior member of her four-person staff in the Carroll County elections office.

The office Mickley oversees is tucked in a corner of the 137-year-old county courthouse in Carrollton, a close-knit town of 3,200 that sits amid the farm fields and fracking wells of eastern Ohio. She and Deputy Director Cheri Whipkey's son graduated from high school together.

The director and her deputy seem an unlikely pair to be contending with the wrath of a nation.

Yet ever since former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">began falsely claiming</a>&nbsp;that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, Mickley, Whipkey and local election workers like them across the country have been inundated with conspiracy theories and election falsehoods, and hounded with harassment.

They've been targeted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-presidential-local-91fe788870e35dfe4763d78fe0ca6ef7">threats</a>, stressed by rising workloads and stretched budgets. The stress and vitriol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">have driven many workers away</a>, creating shortages of election office staff and poll workers.

During Ohio's second primary in August — an added burden for election officials stemming from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-ohio-voting-elections-ohio-supreme-court-5dfae5bc7fb3db46508afd8024521aeb">partisan feuding over redistricting</a>&nbsp;— Mickley's two clerks darted around the county all day filling in for absent poll workers. Two staff members' husbands were enlisted to help.

And then there's the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-social-media-voting-presidential-279477cae723dd520240f5e35676c880">stream of misinformation</a>&nbsp;falsely alleging that voting systems across the country are riddled with fraud. Unfounded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-presidential-biden-cabinet-b4a3422d188fdd921d8e6f38f53ea0d0">conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;about voting machines, manipulation of elections by artificial intelligence or ballot fixing have found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-capitol-siege-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-79599e3eef68732134c94375a26897f7">a wide audience among Republicans</a>. The claims sometimes lead voters — usually friends and neighbors of the Carroll County election staff — to question them about voting equipment and election procedures, no longer clear what to believe about a system they've trusted all their lives.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-claims-biden-won-explained-bd53b14ce871412b462cb3fe2c563f18">false claims</a>&nbsp;about the 2020 presidential election also have led believers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-georgia-presidential-florida-dfbe7f00418a35c70c9d53fa3a260111">inundate election offices</a>&nbsp;around the country with public records requests related to voting processes or equipment, demands to retain the 2020 ballots instead of destroying them, and attempts to remove certain voters from the rolls.

Carroll County hasn't been immune, even though it's heavily Republican and voted for Trump by nearly 53 percentage points over President Joe Biden in 2020. The county of nearly 27,000 people was flooded over the summer with form-letter emails from self-proclaimed “aggrieved citizens." They were protesting electronic voting machines, vowing to sue or demanding the county retain thousands of records from past elections.

Follow-up letters warned that election officials will “be met with the harshest possible criminal and civil repercussions available under the law” if they destroy any election records.

In response, a floor-to-ceiling locked cabinet in Mickley’s office is now jammed with boxes of ballots and other records from 2020, papers that normally would have been destroyed by now to make way for the records of the 2022 election.

“We’re already busting at the seams,” she said. “It’s a small office in the bottom basement of the courthouse that was built in the 1800s. Space is not our friend.”

Whipkey notes that none of the complaint letters are from local residents, so many of whom she knows personally after 16 years managing the local McDonald's. She and Mickley both feel lucky they are only receiving letters — not the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">death threats</a>&nbsp;experienced by some election officials around the country.

Still, the accusations sting. Whipkey said she hates being called a liar.

“If they wanted the answer, they would have come and asked us. We could give it to them," she said. "But they don’t want the answer; they just want to harass.”

Mickley said attending national conferences has persuaded her that election workers across the U.S. are just as honest, hard-working and passionate as her staff is: “I’m starting to get defensive and angry for them, too.”

Behind a Plexiglas window in the front of the office, the other two election staffers answer calls and process voter registration forms and change-of-address and absentee ballot requests. They're also preparing the precinct kits that will go to poll workers — positions the office is still trying to fill for the Nov. 8 election, when they expect heavy turnout partly because Ohio has one of the most closely watched U.S. Senate races in the country.

Clerks Sarah Dyck, a Democrat, and Deloris Kean, a Republican, keep their personal feelings about the movement spawned by Trump's election lies out of the office. They don't want to bring politics into their work helping run the county's elections.

When she's out in the community, Dyck said neighbors are mostly sympathetic about how stressful elections work has become in recent years.

“People all the time say, ‘I don’t know about this, but I know you guys are doing a good job,'" she said. "It's like with congressmen, right? ‘Well, I don’t like Congress, but my congressman's okay.' The closer you are to it, you know the people, and so it's about those relationships.”

That's not always been the experience of members of the Carroll County Board of Elections.

The four members of the bipartisan panel — a retired railroad worker, a farmer, a facilities operator and the owner of a local yoga studio — hold their meetings at a table wedged between Mickley's and Whipkey's desks in the cramped office. A collection of whiskey bottles shaped like elephants and donkeys sits atop a metal filing cabinet nearby.

Some members said they must work constantly to dispel false information that is rampant in the Republican-dominated county.

Roger Thomas, one of the board's two Republicans and the operator of a popular pumpkin stand, said he's frustrated that many of his friends "are unwilling to get past what they think they know with the facts.”

“It doesn't matter what you say to them, you can't convince them," he said. "I don't know how we combat that. They don't care if they gum up the works of these elections, and that's the problem. If these elections go haywire, go south — as the elections go, so goes the country.”

Mickley said she is a perfectionist who would never tolerate the slightest interference with carrying out secure and accurate elections.

She chokes up when talking about how seriously she takes her job and how she and her staff long to ease the worries of skeptical voters. The widespread belief in election conspiracy theories and hostility toward front-line election workers leaves Mickley questioning the country's future.

“I think about my kids," she said, "and I think about what I want to leave for them and what I want to build now to make sure that they still have it in 20, 30 years. And I'm not alone in that.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — With early voting less than three weeks away, Nicole Mickley was staring down a daunting to-do list: voting machines to test, poll workers to recruit, an onslaught of public records requests to examine.And then, over a weekend, came word that the long-time county sheriff had died. To Mickley, director of elections in a small Ohio county, that added one more complication to an election season filled with them. It meant a new contest was needed to fill the position, so she and her small staff would have to remake the ballots&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">for the fall election</a>&nbsp;for the second time in a week.“I feel like ever since we took office in '19, it’s just been a constant rollercoaster,” said Mickley, whose 36 months on the job qualify her as the senior member of her four-person staff in the Carroll County elections office.The office Mickley oversees is tucked in a corner of the 137-year-old county courthouse in Carrollton, a close-knit town of 3,200 that sits amid the farm fields and fracking wells of eastern Ohio. She and Deputy Director Cheri Whipkey's son graduated from high school together.The director and her deputy seem an unlikely pair to be contending with the wrath of a nation.Yet ever since former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">began falsely claiming</a>&nbsp;that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, Mickley, Whipkey and local election workers like them across the country have been inundated with conspiracy theories and election falsehoods, and hounded with harassment.They've been targeted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-presidential-local-91fe788870e35dfe4763d78fe0ca6ef7">threats</a>, stressed by rising workloads and stretched budgets. The stress and vitriol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">have driven many workers away</a>, creating shortages of election office staff and poll workers.During Ohio's second primary in August — an added burden for election officials stemming from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-ohio-voting-elections-ohio-supreme-court-5dfae5bc7fb3db46508afd8024521aeb">partisan feuding over redistricting</a>&nbsp;— Mickley's two clerks darted around the county all day filling in for absent poll workers. Two staff members' husbands were enlisted to help.And then there's the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-social-media-voting-presidential-279477cae723dd520240f5e35676c880">stream of misinformation</a>&nbsp;falsely alleging that voting systems across the country are riddled with fraud. Unfounded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-presidential-biden-cabinet-b4a3422d188fdd921d8e6f38f53ea0d0">conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;about voting machines, manipulation of elections by artificial intelligence or ballot fixing have found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-capitol-siege-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-79599e3eef68732134c94375a26897f7">a wide audience among Republicans</a>. The claims sometimes lead voters — usually friends and neighbors of the Carroll County election staff — to question them about voting equipment and election procedures, no longer clear what to believe about a system they've trusted all their lives.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-claims-biden-won-explained-bd53b14ce871412b462cb3fe2c563f18">false claims</a>&nbsp;about the 2020 presidential election also have led believers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-georgia-presidential-florida-dfbe7f00418a35c70c9d53fa3a260111">inundate election offices</a>&nbsp;around the country with public records requests related to voting processes or equipment, demands to retain the 2020 ballots instead of destroying them, and attempts to remove certain voters from the rolls.Carroll County hasn't been immune, even though it's heavily Republican and voted for Trump by nearly 53 percentage points over President Joe Biden in 2020. The county of nearly 27,000 people was flooded over the summer with form-letter emails from self-proclaimed “aggrieved citizens." They were protesting electronic voting machines, vowing to sue or demanding the county retain thousands of records from past elections.Follow-up letters warned that election officials will “be met with the harshest possible criminal and civil repercussions available under the law” if they destroy any election records.In response, a floor-to-ceiling locked cabinet in Mickley’s office is now jammed with boxes of ballots and other records from 2020, papers that normally would have been destroyed by now to make way for the records of the 2022 election.“We’re already busting at the seams,” she said. “It’s a small office in the bottom basement of the courthouse that was built in the 1800s. Space is not our friend.”Whipkey notes that none of the complaint letters are from local residents, so many of whom she knows personally after 16 years managing the local McDonald's. She and Mickley both feel lucky they are only receiving letters — not the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">death threats</a>&nbsp;experienced by some election officials around the country.Still, the accusations sting. Whipkey said she hates being called a liar.“If they wanted the answer, they would have come and asked us. We could give it to them," she said. "But they don’t want the answer; they just want to harass.”Mickley said attending national conferences has persuaded her that election workers across the U.S. are just as honest, hard-working and passionate as her staff is: “I’m starting to get defensive and angry for them, too.”Behind a Plexiglas window in the front of the office, the other two election staffers answer calls and process voter registration forms and change-of-address and absentee ballot requests. They're also preparing the precinct kits that will go to poll workers — positions the office is still trying to fill for the Nov. 8 election, when they expect heavy turnout partly because Ohio has one of the most closely watched U.S. Senate races in the country.Clerks Sarah Dyck, a Democrat, and Deloris Kean, a Republican, keep their personal feelings about the movement spawned by Trump's election lies out of the office. They don't want to bring politics into their work helping run the county's elections.When she's out in the community, Dyck said neighbors are mostly sympathetic about how stressful elections work has become in recent years.“People all the time say, ‘I don’t know about this, but I know you guys are doing a good job,'" she said. "It's like with congressmen, right? ‘Well, I don’t like Congress, but my congressman's okay.' The closer you are to it, you know the people, and so it's about those relationships.”That's not always been the experience of members of the Carroll County Board of Elections.The four members of the bipartisan panel — a retired railroad worker, a farmer, a facilities operator and the owner of a local yoga studio — hold their meetings at a table wedged between Mickley's and Whipkey's desks in the cramped office. A collection of whiskey bottles shaped like elephants and donkeys sits atop a metal filing cabinet nearby.Some members said they must work constantly to dispel false information that is rampant in the Republican-dominated county.Roger Thomas, one of the board's two Republicans and the operator of a popular pumpkin stand, said he's frustrated that many of his friends "are unwilling to get past what they think they know with the facts.”“It doesn't matter what you say to them, you can't convince them," he said. "I don't know how we combat that. They don't care if they gum up the works of these elections, and that's the problem. If these elections go haywire, go south — as the elections go, so goes the country.”Mickley said she is a perfectionist who would never tolerate the slightest interference with carrying out secure and accurate elections.She chokes up when talking about how seriously she takes her job and how she and her staff long to ease the worries of skeptical voters. The widespread belief in election conspiracy theories and hostility toward front-line election workers leaves Mickley questioning the country's future.“I think about my kids," she said, "and I think about what I want to leave for them and what I want to build now to make sure that they still have it in 20, 30 years. And I'm not alone in that.”

Falsehoods, harassment stress local election offices in US

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement across Kansas are mourning with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office after 22-year-old deputy&nbsp; Sidney Carter died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Friday.&nbsp;

A 2016 Dodge Charger driven by Deputy Carter of Bel Aire was southbound on 135th Street at 29th Street north one mile west of Northwest Wichita and Maize responding to a disturbance, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter. 

A westbound 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Kelvin W. Burgett, 28, Prescott Valley, Arizona, failed to stop at a stop sign and struck the drivers side of the Dodge Charger, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

 Deputy Carter was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported Burgett to a local hospital.

Deputy Carter had only worked in the field alone for a week, according to Sheriff Easter. She began field training this summer and completed that training Oct. 1.&nbsp;

Deputy Carter had served the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office for one and a half years in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility before transferring to the Law Enforcement Bureau in February 2022. She graduated the Law Enforcement Academy on July 21, 2022.&nbsp;

Deputy Carter is survived by her parents, sisters and brothers. The sheriff's office is working with the family on funeral arrangements, according to Sheriff Easter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665249753989.png" alt="Deputy Sidnee Carter-photo courtesy Sedgwick Co. Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Sidnee Carter-photo courtesy Sedgwick Co. Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement across Kansas are mourning with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office after 22-year-old deputy&nbsp; Sidney Carter died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Friday.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FBI Kansas City offers our condolences to <a href="https://twitter.com/SGCountySheriff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SGCountySheriff</a> on the tragic death of Deputy Sidnee Carter yesterday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EOW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EOW</a> <a href="https://t.co/Lwz4HdDhs8">pic.twitter.com/Lwz4HdDhs8</a>&mdash; FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIKansasCity/status/1578832760185028608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Kansas Highway Patrol extends our deepest heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and the men and women of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office after the tragic loss of one of their own.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeverForgotten?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NeverForgotten</a> <a href="https://t.co/TbPc80vNE6">pic.twitter.com/TbPc80vNE6</a>&mdash; KS Highway Patrol (@kshighwaypatrol) <a href="https://twitter.com/kshighwaypatrol/status/1578742469373865984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our hearts are heavy this morning as we learn that a deputy with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was killed in a traffic accident last night. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the sheriff’s office today and in the difficult days ahead. <a href="https://t.co/kIh6SE8jOU">pic.twitter.com/kIh6SE8jOU</a>&mdash; Pittsburg Police (@PittPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/PittPD/status/1578752665961795587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our hearts go out to <a href="https://twitter.com/SGCountySheriff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SGCountySheriff</a>, today. 💙🖤💙 <a href="https://t.co/VMvGzUKUNw">pic.twitter.com/VMvGzUKUNw</a>&mdash; RCPD (@RileyCountyPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RileyCountyPD/status/1578772415689416705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A 2016 Dodge Charger driven by Deputy Carter of Bel Aire was southbound on 135th Street at 29th Street north one mile west of Northwest Wichita and Maize responding to a disturbance, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter. A westbound 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Kelvin W. Burgett, 28, Prescott Valley, Arizona, failed to stop at a stop sign and struck the drivers side of the Dodge Charger, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Deputy Carter was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported Burgett to a local hospital.Deputy Carter had only worked in the field alone for a week, according to Sheriff Easter. She began field training this summer and completed that training Oct. 1.&nbsp;Deputy Carter had served the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office for one and a half years in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility before transferring to the Law Enforcement Bureau in February 2022. She graduated the Law Enforcement Academy on July 21, 2022.&nbsp;Deputy Carter is survived by her parents, sisters and brothers. The sheriff's office is working with the family on funeral arrangements, according to Sheriff Easter.

Law enforcement join in mourning after Kan. deputy dies in crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 11:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to the 200 BLK of NW Knox Avenue in Topeka for a medical emergency, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.

EMS transported one individual to a local area hospital with life threatening injures and was later pronounced deceased.

Detectives were notified in regards to a suspicious death. As a result of the investigation, police arrested 25-year-old Elisha Burton of Topeka on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665284512632.png" alt="Burton-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Burton-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a suspect in custody.Just after 11:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to the 200 BLK of NW Knox Avenue in Topeka for a medical emergency, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.EMS transported one individual to a local area hospital with life threatening injures and was later pronounced deceased.Detectives were notified in regards to a suspicious death. As a result of the investigation, police arrested 25-year-old Elisha Burton of Topeka on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated.

Police: Kansas man accused of intentional, premeditated murder

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court ordered a lower court review of Biden administration revisions to a program preventing the deportation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-91c885ea7c2b59dd327d0cdbe76b7cdb">hundreds of thousands of immigrants</a>&nbsp;brought into the United States as children.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a federal district judge in Texas should take another look at the program following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-government-and-politics-ba1233662ca743358c77ce5e0d037674">revisions adopted in August.</a>&nbsp;The ruling leaves the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals up in the air, with current DACA recipients protected — for now — but new applicants barred.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “disappointed” in the ruling, noting, “The court’s stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo.” People protected by DACA are commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act.

The president added, “And while we will use the tools we have to allow Dreamers to live and work in the only country they know as home, it is long past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship.”

The advocacy group Families Belong Together said in a statement, “It is beyond time for Congress and Biden to act on their promises.”

DACA was adopted by former President Barack Obama's administration and has had a complicated ride through federal court challenges.

Texas-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-f01fc0f485a8983b5f072e7af324c43f">declared DACA illegal</a>. He found that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. But he left the program temporarily intact for those already benefiting from it, pending the appeal.

“Current DACA recipients can renew their status and apply for advance parole, but the ruling continues to block new applicants from being granted DACA,” the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an advocacy organization, said in a statement. The organization was among advocates renewing calls Wednesday for the Biden administration and Congress to protect DACA recipients.

The ruling by three judges of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit upholds the judge’s initial finding. But it sends the case back to him for a look at a new version of the rule issued by the Biden administration in late August. The new rule takes effect Oct. 31.

“A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding,” said the opinion by Chief 5th Circuit Judge Priscilla Richman, nominated to the court by President George W. Bush. The other panel members were judges Kurt Engelhardt and James Ho, both appointees of President Donald Trump.

The new rule’s 453 pages are largely technical and represent little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-new-orleans-immigration-government-and-politics-13debee57c96eb87231d2cc7a856d876">July arguments</a>&nbsp;at the 5th Circuit, the U.S. Justice Department defended the program, allied with the state of New Jersey, immigrant advocacy organizations and a coalition of dozens of powerful corporations, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft. They argued that DACA recipients have grown up to become productive drivers of the U.S. economy, holding and creating jobs and spending money.

Texas, joined by eight other Republican-leaning states argued that they are harmed financially, incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs, when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. They also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.

DACA is widely expected to go to the Supreme Court for a third time. In 2016,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/743e61a580c14c90b1f16014d84c54b3">the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4</a>&nbsp;over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients, keeping in place a lower court decision for the benefits to be blocked.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-immigration-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-4d9ce48241c4a881adea4849b50b7f83">In 2020, the high court ruled</a>&nbsp;5-4 that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA by failing to follow federal procedures, allowing it to stay in place.

DACA recipients have become a powerful political force even though they can’t vote, but their efforts to achieve a path to citizenship through Congress have repeatedly fallen short. Any imminent threat to lose work authorization and to expose themselves to deportation could pressure Congress into protecting them, even as a stopgap measure.

The Biden administration disappointed some pro-DACA advocates with its conservative legal strategy of keeping age eligibility unchanged. DACA recipients had to have been in the United States in June 2007, an increasingly out-of-reach requirement. The average age of a DACA recipient was 28.2 years at the end of March, compared to 23.8 years in September 2017.

There were 611,270 people enrolled in DACA at the end of March, including 494,350, or 81%, from Mexico and large numbers from Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and South Korea.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592490581956.png" alt="The advocacy group Families Belong Together said in a statement, “It is beyond time for Congress and Biden to act on their promises.”-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The advocacy group Families Belong Together said in a statement, “It is beyond time for Congress and Biden to act on their promises.”-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court ordered a lower court review of Biden administration revisions to a program preventing the deportation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-91c885ea7c2b59dd327d0cdbe76b7cdb">hundreds of thousands of immigrants</a>&nbsp;brought into the United States as children.The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a federal district judge in Texas should take another look at the program following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-government-and-politics-ba1233662ca743358c77ce5e0d037674">revisions adopted in August.</a>&nbsp;The ruling leaves the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals up in the air, with current DACA recipients protected — for now — but new applicants barred.President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “disappointed” in the ruling, noting, “The court’s stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo.” People protected by DACA are commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act.The president added, “And while we will use the tools we have to allow Dreamers to live and work in the only country they know as home, it is long past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship.”The advocacy group Families Belong Together said in a statement, “It is beyond time for Congress and Biden to act on their promises.”DACA was adopted by former President Barack Obama's administration and has had a complicated ride through federal court challenges.Texas-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-f01fc0f485a8983b5f072e7af324c43f">declared DACA illegal</a>. He found that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. But he left the program temporarily intact for those already benefiting from it, pending the appeal.“Current DACA recipients can renew their status and apply for advance parole, but the ruling continues to block new applicants from being granted DACA,” the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an advocacy organization, said in a statement. The organization was among advocates renewing calls Wednesday for the Biden administration and Congress to protect DACA recipients.The ruling by three judges of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit upholds the judge’s initial finding. But it sends the case back to him for a look at a new version of the rule issued by the Biden administration in late August. The new rule takes effect Oct. 31.“A district court is in the best position to review the administrative record in the rulemaking proceeding,” said the opinion by Chief 5th Circuit Judge Priscilla Richman, nominated to the court by President George W. Bush. The other panel members were judges Kurt Engelhardt and James Ho, both appointees of President Donald Trump.The new rule’s 453 pages are largely technical and represent little substantive change from the 2012 memo that created DACA, but it was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process intended to improve its chances of surviving legal muster.In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-new-orleans-immigration-government-and-politics-13debee57c96eb87231d2cc7a856d876">July arguments</a>&nbsp;at the 5th Circuit, the U.S. Justice Department defended the program, allied with the state of New Jersey, immigrant advocacy organizations and a coalition of dozens of powerful corporations, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft. They argued that DACA recipients have grown up to become productive drivers of the U.S. economy, holding and creating jobs and spending money.Texas, joined by eight other Republican-leaning states argued that they are harmed financially, incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs, when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. They also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.DACA is widely expected to go to the Supreme Court for a third time. In 2016,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/743e61a580c14c90b1f16014d84c54b3">the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4</a>&nbsp;over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients, keeping in place a lower court decision for the benefits to be blocked.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-immigration-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-4d9ce48241c4a881adea4849b50b7f83">In 2020, the high court ruled</a>&nbsp;5-4 that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA by failing to follow federal procedures, allowing it to stay in place.DACA recipients have become a powerful political force even though they can’t vote, but their efforts to achieve a path to citizenship through Congress have repeatedly fallen short. Any imminent threat to lose work authorization and to expose themselves to deportation could pressure Congress into protecting them, even as a stopgap measure.The Biden administration disappointed some pro-DACA advocates with its conservative legal strategy of keeping age eligibility unchanged. DACA recipients had to have been in the United States in June 2007, an increasingly out-of-reach requirement. The average age of a DACA recipient was 28.2 years at the end of March, compared to 23.8 years in September 2017.There were 611,270 people enrolled in DACA at the end of March, including 494,350, or 81%, from Mexico and large numbers from Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and South Korea.

Biden: Disappointed in court ruling on revised ‘Dreamers’ program

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Authorities continued investigating a suspected kidnapping and sexual assault this weekend in a small Missouri town just northeast of Kansas City that was discovered when a malnourished woman escaped and screamed for help.

Clay County authorities charged a man identified according to online jail records as 39-year-old Timothy Haslett Jr. of Excelsior Springs with rape, kidnapping and assault after the woman ran from his house in Excelsior Springs Friday morning. She was hospitalized in stable condition Friday, and reunited with her family afterward.

“When we made contact with her, it was readily apparent that she had been held against her will for a significant period of time,” Excelsior Springs police Lt. Ryan Dowdy said.

The woman told police there may have been two other victims, but authorities haven’t said whether any additional victims have been found. Investigators have continued to search the home the woman escaped from, and Excelsior Springs Police Chief Greg Dull asked the public Saturday to be patient while officers sort through evidence.

Dull said additional charges could be filed depending on the evidence investigators uncover. Excelsior Springs is about 30 miles northeast of Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665352038142.png" alt="Haslett-photo Clay County" />
 <figcaption>Haslett-photo Clay County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Authorities continued investigating a suspected kidnapping and sexual assault this weekend in a small Missouri town just northeast of Kansas City that was discovered when a malnourished woman escaped and screamed for help.Clay County authorities charged a man identified according to online jail records as 39-year-old Timothy Haslett Jr. of Excelsior Springs with rape, kidnapping and assault after the woman ran from his house in Excelsior Springs Friday morning. She was hospitalized in stable condition Friday, and reunited with her family afterward.“When we made contact with her, it was readily apparent that she had been held against her will for a significant period of time,” Excelsior Springs police Lt. Ryan Dowdy said.The woman told police there may have been two other victims, but authorities haven’t said whether any additional victims have been found. Investigators have continued to search the home the woman escaped from, and Excelsior Springs Police Chief Greg Dull asked the public Saturday to be patient while officers sort through evidence.Dull said additional charges could be filed depending on the evidence investigators uncover. Excelsior Springs is about 30 miles northeast of Kansas City.

Police investigate kidnapping, rape in town near Kansas City

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment Thursday charging a Kansas man with drug trafficking related offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Grant Lubbers, 36, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession with intention to distribute a controlled substance -Fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. 

Lubbers is accused of possessing 40 grams or more of a substance containing a mixture of Fentanyl.

He has previous convictions for theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665081109223.png" alt="Lubbers has previous convictions for theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Lubbers has previous convictions for theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment Thursday charging a Kansas man with drug trafficking related offenses, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Grant Lubbers, 36, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession with intention to distribute a controlled substance -Fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Lubbers is accused of possessing 40 grams or more of a substance containing a mixture of Fentanyl.He has previous convictions for theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kansas felon accused of fentanyl distribution 

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/03/kansas-inmates-wait-months-for-treatment-due-to-shortage-of-mental-health-hospital-beds/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Local government officials urged Kansas lawmakers to fund more mental health services, saying the shortage of mental health beds is pushing understaffed hospitals and jails to the brink.&nbsp;

Larned State Hospital is the largest 
psychiatric facility in the state, used by the western two-thirds of 
Kansas. With a shortage of available beds there, workers at community 
hospitals and jails in western Kansas are picking up the slack, housing 
mentally unstable patients without state reimbursement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cases of people deemed a danger to 
themselves or others are reviewed by the district attorney’s office, and
 they are sent to the county jail until a hospital bed is ready. 
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said the cost of housing 
these defendants is about $89 per day.&nbsp;

Bennett said he knew of one case 
where a man accused of murder was deemed mentally incompetent. The judge
 ordered the man to go to Larned in July 2021, but he was kept in the Sedgwick County jail until his admittance on June 22, 2022.

“The issue is that there are insufficient beds at Larned State Hospital,” Bennett said in testimony submitted to the Sept. 29 Special Committee on Mental Health Beds, asking legislators to resolve the issue.&nbsp;

Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeffrey 
Easter also urged lawmakers to create more mental health beds, saying 
that the county had 36 inmates waiting for a mental health facility, 
with an average wait time of around five and half months for each inmate
 to be placed.&nbsp;

One inmate has been waiting for more 
than a year to be sent to the Larned Mental Health Facility. Easter said
 the inmate was paralyzed from the waist down and had a history of 
self-harm. The inmate has been sent to the hospital more than 10 times 
for self-inflicted wounds.&nbsp;

While he is restrained, Easter said 
the system didn’t have the resources to treat him properly, especially 
since a staffing shortage at the jail meant they had to take away the 
inmate’s 24-hour surveillance.&nbsp;

“We have taken all sharp objects from
 him, but he still finds an item to cause paper cuts that then become 
infected,” Easter said. “Recently, we had to take the one deputy away 
due to extremely low staffing. The inmate has started to cut himself 
again, mainly utilizing his fingernails or the medical bed we provide 
for him, while housed in our 24 hour staffed clinic.”&nbsp;

Around 30% to 33% of the inmate population have some sort of mental illness, Easter said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1664889124091.png" alt="With a shortage of available beds at Larned State Hospital, local governments have to make accommodations for mentally unstable patients. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from KDADS video)" />
 <figcaption>With a shortage of available beds at Larned State Hospital, local governments have to make accommodations for mentally unstable patients. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from KDADS video)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/03/kansas-inmates-wait-months-for-treatment-due-to-shortage-of-mental-health-hospital-beds/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Local government officials urged Kansas lawmakers to fund more mental health services, saying the shortage of mental health beds is pushing understaffed hospitals and jails to the brink.&nbsp;Larned State Hospital is the largest 
psychiatric facility in the state, used by the western two-thirds of 
Kansas. With a shortage of available beds there, workers at community 
hospitals and jails in western Kansas are picking up the slack, housing 
mentally unstable patients without state reimbursement.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cases of people deemed a danger to 
themselves or others are reviewed by the district attorney’s office, and
 they are sent to the county jail until a hospital bed is ready. 
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said the cost of housing 
these defendants is about $89 per day.&nbsp;Bennett said he knew of one case 
where a man accused of murder was deemed mentally incompetent. The judge
 ordered the man to go to Larned in July 2021, but he was kept in the Sedgwick County jail until his admittance on June 22, 2022.“The issue is that there are insufficient beds at Larned State Hospital,” Bennett said in testimony submitted to the Sept. 29 Special Committee on Mental Health Beds, asking legislators to resolve the issue.&nbsp;Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeffrey 
Easter also urged lawmakers to create more mental health beds, saying 
that the county had 36 inmates waiting for a mental health facility, 
with an average wait time of around five and half months for each inmate
 to be placed.&nbsp;One inmate has been waiting for more 
than a year to be sent to the Larned Mental Health Facility. Easter said
 the inmate was paralyzed from the waist down and had a history of 
self-harm. The inmate has been sent to the hospital more than 10 times 
for self-inflicted wounds.&nbsp;While he is restrained, Easter said 
the system didn’t have the resources to treat him properly, especially 
since a staffing shortage at the jail meant they had to take away the 
inmate’s 24-hour surveillance.&nbsp;“We have taken all sharp objects from
 him, but he still finds an item to cause paper cuts that then become 
infected,” Easter said. “Recently, we had to take the one deputy away 
due to extremely low staffing. The inmate has started to cut himself 
again, mainly utilizing his fingernails or the medical bed we provide 
for him, while housed in our 24 hour staffed clinic.”&nbsp;Around 30% to 33% of the inmate population have some sort of mental illness, Easter said.&nbsp;“Sedgwick County needs these 
additional beds to take pressure off the overwhelmed state hospitals but
 would also create a quicker avenue for mental health evaluations to 
take place and restoration of charged inmates,” Easter said.&nbsp;In Finney County, authorities are 
also struggling to address inmate’s mental health needs, working with 
limited resources and a shortage of 12 officers in the jail. Lon Pishny,
 chair of the Finney County Board of Commissioners, said inmates in the 
county have a wait time of three to nine months for mental health 
evaluations or transferral to state-operated mental facility.&nbsp;About 80% of inmates suffer from 
mental illness, drug addiction or both, Pishny estimated. One inmate has
 been waiting for a court-ordered mental health evaluation since August 
of 2021.&nbsp;Finney County has an annual budget 
allocation of about $190,000 for addressing mental health concerns, with
 $150,000 spent on services from the county’s contracted behavioral 
health agency. About $40,000 is allocated in the sheriff’s annual budget
 for mental health services, to be added to the county’s contract with 
the firm that provides health care for the inmates.&nbsp;Pishny said the county needed state assistance to help overburdened county jails.&nbsp;“There are ‘costs’ not directly 
reflected in a financial budget, such as human capital costs, due to 
emotional stress and physical abuse suffered particularly by our 
jailers, who have been spit upon, urinated upon and physically injured 
by inmates impaired by mental illness,” Pishny said. “These jailers are 
not trained, nor expected to be, mental health counselors.”To fix this budgetary drain, some 
want lawmakers to create a reimbursement program. Audrey Dunkel, vice 
president of government relations for the Kansas Hospital Association, 
asked the Legislature to allocate $5 million annually to pay hospitals, 
law enforcement and local governments for costs related to behavioral 
health patients.&nbsp;Dunkel said understaffed hospitals were being further drained by having to assign staff to mental health patients.“Medical staff, law enforcement 
officers and others must take time away from doing their jobs caring for
 other patients and protecting the community, resulting in overtime 
costs and an overstressed system in communities where hospitals and law 
enforcement are short-staffed,” Dunkel said.Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/26/aclu-sues-kansas-over-excessive-wait-times-at-understaffed-larned-state-hospital/"> filed a lawsuit against the state</a>
 over delays in mental health evaluations at Larned. The lawsuit said 
individuals who face criminal charges have had to wait behind bars for 
as long as 13 months before getting a pretrial competency evaluation.