KANSAS CITY—A&nbsp; Kansas City man has been charged in the shooting of a frisbee golfer participating in a frisbee golf tournament at Kessler Park on Saturday, according to&nbsp; Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Osman Igal,21,&nbsp; faces charges of Assault 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action.

According to court records, Kansas City police officers were dispatched Saturday afternoon to the area of 2200 Cliff Drive regarding a shooting. They found a victim who had been shot in the back. He was transported to a hospital. Witnesses described a skinny man had approached them while on the frisbee golf course and fired shots. He took off running. Police found the suspect nearby with a gun. Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond for Igal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653993175234.png" alt="Igal-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Igal-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A&nbsp; Kansas City man has been charged in the shooting of a frisbee golfer participating in a frisbee golf tournament at Kessler Park on Saturday, according to&nbsp; Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Osman Igal,21,&nbsp; faces charges of Assault 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action.According to court records, Kansas City police officers were dispatched Saturday afternoon to the area of 2200 Cliff Drive regarding a shooting. They found a victim who had been shot in the back. He was transported to a hospital. Witnesses described a skinny man had approached them while on the frisbee golf course and fired shots. He took off running. Police found the suspect nearby with a gun. Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond for Igal.

Man charged with shooting at Kansas City frisbee golf tournament

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Texas woman on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 4a.m. Sunday,&nbsp; a sheriff’s deputy stopped a Honda passenger car near 142nd and U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver, Megan Michelle Brown, 26, of Dallas, Texas was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of cocaine and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653993738376.png" alt="Brown-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Brown-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Texas woman on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just before 4a.m. Sunday,&nbsp; a sheriff’s deputy stopped a Honda passenger car near 142nd and U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver, Megan Michelle Brown, 26, of Dallas, Texas was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of cocaine and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.

Sheriff: Texas woman jailed in Kansas for transporting cocaine

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a violent crime in Manhattan and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 2:30 p.m. Saturday, officers filed a report for aggravated battery in the 1300 block of Flint Hills Pl. in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 27-year-old man reported a 32-year-old male suspect identified&nbsp; as Mark Rickenbacker stabbed him in the neck with a pocket knife.

The victim was treated at Via Christi and later released.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, police asked the public for help to locate Rickenbacker in connection with the case. Just after 2p.m. the RCPD reported they had him in custody.&nbsp; Police have not released any requested charges.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent crime in Manhattan and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

Police would like to speak to Rickenbacker in connection with the case. He is 5-foot-9, weighs 170 pounds, has&nbsp; brown eyes and brown hair. 

If you have any information on Rickenbacker's whereabouts, please contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654022436875.png" alt="Rickenbaker-photo Riley Co. Police" />
 <figcaption>Rickenbaker-photo Riley Co. Police</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a violent crime in Manhattan and have a suspect in custody.Just before 2:30 p.m. Saturday, officers filed a report for aggravated battery in the 1300 block of Flint Hills Pl. in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.A 27-year-old man reported a 32-year-old male suspect identified&nbsp; as Mark Rickenbacker stabbed him in the neck with a pocket knife.The victim was treated at Via Christi and later released.&nbsp;On Tuesday, police asked the public for help to locate Rickenbacker in connection with the case. Just after 2p.m. the RCPD reported they had him in custody.&nbsp; Police have not released any requested charges.----------RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent crime in Manhattan and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.Just before 2:30 p.m. Saturday, officers filed a report for aggravated battery in the 1300 block of Flint Hills Pl. in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.A 27-year-old man reported a 32-year-old male suspect identified&nbsp; as Mark Rickenbacker stabbed him in the neck with a pocket knife.Police would like to speak to Rickenbacker in connection with the case. He is 5-foot-9, weighs 170 pounds, has&nbsp; brown eyes and brown hair. The victim was treated at Via Christi and later released.&nbsp;If you have any information on Rickenbacker's whereabouts, please contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police: Kan. man stabbed victim in neck with pocket knife

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities are investigating numerous shooting incidents over the Memorial Day weekend in the Wichita area.&nbsp; Two incidents left victims dead including a shooting where a man who had been walking his dog shot and killed a 30-year-old man&nbsp;at an apartment complex in the 4900 block of East Harry, according to Office Paul Cruz.

Another fatal shooting occurred at a large graduation party late Saturday at the&nbsp; Banquet Hall in the 3100 block of East 25th Street in Wichita. A 17-year-old man died and a 15-year-old girl running from the violence was struck by a car and died.

The violence started just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday. Police reported hearing a volley of gunfire in the area of Planeview Park, 2800 block of South Dunkin in Wichita. Officers checked the area and located a crime scene. No victims or suspects were located.&nbsp;

At approximately 8:00 p.m., on Sunday police were dispatched to Wesley Hospital after officers contacted a 23-year-old male victim who arrived at the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds that were serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation revealed the victim was in the area of 9th&nbsp;Street North and Grove in Wichita when he was shot several times by an unknown suspect.&nbsp;

At 8:30 p.m., Sunday, police were dispatched to a disturbance with a weapon at the QuikTrip in the 1600 block of South Olive in Wichita. A 43-year-old woman reports whiling pumping gas she observed an unknown female suspect point and fire one-time causing damage to her car windshield. The suspect fled the business in a dark-colored SUV.&nbsp; The suspect is described as an unknown heavy build black female. The victim was not injured in this incident, according to Cruz.

At 9:30 p.m., on Sunday, police were dispatched to a report of gunshots at a residence in the 2300 block of West Pawnee in Wichita. Upon the officer’s arrival, they located the scene of the shooting. A home in the area was struck, inside the home was a 41-year-old woman, a 22-year-old woman, a 17-year-old boy, a 50-year-old man,and an infant. No injuries were reported and it is unknown who the suspect is at this time.&nbsp;

At approximately the same time on Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 900 block of North Volutsia in Wichita. Upon the officer’s arrival, they located a 27-year-old man with several gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation revealed the victim was inside his residence along with a 20-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man when an unknown suspect fired multiple gunshots, striking the home and the 27-year-old victim. The suspect fled the scene in a dark-colored SUV.&nbsp;

Just before 11 p.m. on Sunday, police were dispatched to a drive-by shooting call in the 500 block of North Dellrose. Upon the officer’s arrival, they contacted several witnesses who reported hearing several gunshots in the area. Officers located a scene in the 500 block of North Dellrose. No injuries were reported, and the suspect is unknown at this time.&nbsp;

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities are investigating numerous shooting incidents over the Memorial Day weekend in the Wichita area.&nbsp; Two incidents left victims dead including a shooting where a man who had been walking his dog shot and killed a 30-year-old man&nbsp;at an apartment complex in the 4900 block of East Harry, according to Office Paul Cruz.Another fatal shooting occurred at a large graduation party late Saturday at the&nbsp; Banquet Hall in the 3100 block of East 25th Street in Wichita. A 17-year-old man died and a 15-year-old girl running from the violence was struck by a car and died.The violence started just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday. Police reported hearing a volley of gunfire in the area of Planeview Park, 2800 block of South Dunkin in Wichita. Officers checked the area and located a crime scene. No victims or suspects were located.&nbsp;At approximately 8:00 p.m., on Sunday police were dispatched to Wesley Hospital after officers contacted a 23-year-old male victim who arrived at the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds that were serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation revealed the victim was in the area of 9th&nbsp;Street North and Grove in Wichita when he was shot several times by an unknown suspect.&nbsp;At 8:30 p.m., Sunday, police were dispatched to a disturbance with a weapon at the QuikTrip in the 1600 block of South Olive in Wichita. A 43-year-old woman reports whiling pumping gas she observed an unknown female suspect point and fire one-time causing damage to her car windshield. The suspect fled the business in a dark-colored SUV.&nbsp; The suspect is described as an unknown heavy build black female. The victim was not injured in this incident, according to Cruz.At 9:30 p.m., on Sunday, police were dispatched to a report of gunshots at a residence in the 2300 block of West Pawnee in Wichita. Upon the officer’s arrival, they located the scene of the shooting. A home in the area was struck, inside the home was a 41-year-old woman, a 22-year-old woman, a 17-year-old boy, a 50-year-old man,and an infant. No injuries were reported and it is unknown who the suspect is at this time.&nbsp;At approximately the same time on Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 900 block of North Volutsia in Wichita. Upon the officer’s arrival, they located a 27-year-old man with several gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation revealed the victim was inside his residence along with a 20-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man when an unknown suspect fired multiple gunshots, striking the home and the 27-year-old victim. The suspect fled the scene in a dark-colored SUV.&nbsp;Just before 11 p.m. on Sunday, police were dispatched to a drive-by shooting call in the 500 block of North Dellrose. Upon the officer’s arrival, they contacted several witnesses who reported hearing several gunshots in the area. Officers located a scene in the 500 block of North Dellrose. No injuries were reported, and the suspect is unknown at this time.&nbsp;

Deadly weekend of gun violence across Wichita

By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-31/in-some-rural-parts-of-kansas-the-loss-of-even-one-foster-parent-leaves-a-huge-hole">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA, Kansas — More than half the counties in the state rely on 10 or fewer families to take in foster children.

Roughly one-tenth of the counties in Kansas rely on one licensed foster home each.

And
 those relatively few families looking after foster kids in its most 
remote corners struggle to get from court appointments to doctors’ 
visits to soccer practice where drives between appointments get measured
 not in minutes, but hours.

Consider what Rebecca Applebee’s move 
from Liberal, Kansas, means to her community. Already, about half of the
 foster children in Seward County are living elsewhere. When Applebee 
leaves, there will be one fewer foster homes in the county. And it can 
take more than a year for state agencies to find and license a foster 
home.

Recruiting foster families is hard in general, as is being a
 foster parent. The more rural you get, the harder the job can be — both
 to find foster families and to open your home to foster children.

“It's
 exhausting,” Applebee said. “And being in a rural location, sometimes 
we don't get the answers that we want. It's not just for lack of trying.
 It's because of a lack of resources, (a) lack of something local.”

Applebee is used to life in rural Kansas, but the requirements for foster parents add additional stressors to her life.

Foster
 children need to establish care with doctors within 30 days of 
placement. The children have Medicaid and Applebee needed to find an eye
 doctor who took that insurance, but she didn’t have time to call around
 to offices to see who accepted it. The only place that accepted the 
children’s insurance wouldn’t let her establish care until an 
outstanding bill was paid. The bill was from the biological family and 
it took additional time to settle that dispute.

“I could have just
 paid it myself,” Applebee said. “(But) I already do so much more than 
what I’m obligated to do, and I just couldn't let one more thing pile 
on.”

Fun activities for her children can also prove hard to come 
by. Rural counties have their amenities, but Applebee said escape rooms,
 a wider selection in restaurants and foster-care-specific events are 
more common in larger cities.

Foster children were once invited to
 a trampoline park to play for free, but that event was in Wichita over 
three hours away. Applebee is moving to Shawnee County, which has 145 
licensed homes. She looks forward to being closer to everyday needs.

“I want to so badly live in town because we have been driving an hour
 (for school and other necessities),” she said, adding that long hours 
mean less downtime, and shorter commutes will allow her family “to feel 
like we can relax because right now we don’t get to relax.”

Access
 to primary care and mental health services is an issue for rural Kansas
 families, as is access to transportation, part-time jobs for foster 
youth and child care, said Bradford Wiles, an associate professor and 
extension specialist in early childhood development at Kansas State 
University. Child care has become so hard to find in Kansas that some 
families are <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-12/finding-child-care-in-kansas-was-a-challenge-before-the-pandemic-now-its-even-harder" target="_blank">planning pregnancies around openings.</a>

Wiles
 said rural communities sometimes lack basic services, like reliable 
internet. That creates more barriers to low-income Kansans and can make 
them even less likely to consider foster care.

Fostering in rural Kansas “it isn't as appealing as it could be,” Wiles said.

“If
 there were more formal supports,” he said, “it would be much more 
appealing for those who would consider fostering to go ahead and take 
action.”

Julie Dinkel knows the struggles of rural foster parents 
all too well. Dinkel works at the foster care agency St. Francis as the 
foster homes recruiter for southwest Kansas. She has been supporting 
rural families for 15 years.

Her agency is making it easier for 
foster parents to connect with services, but not every change helps 
everyone. Licensed homes must go in for foster training. Some homes are 
hours away from the in-person classes. With the pandemic limiting 
in-person contact, the agency developed online courses. But families 
without reliable internet couldn’t attend virtually, so Dinkel went out 
and did the training with them.

To address parents’ needs, St. 
Francis works with churches and other community groups to provide 
respite care on the weekends, home-cooked meals, closets with extra 
clothes or activity days where children are invited to play.

“You 
have to be very creative and you have to know what resources to reach 
out to,” Dinkel said. “Luckily. in Southwest Kansas community partners …
 will bend over backwards to help each agency.”

She said foster 
parent recruitment is a non-stop process and agencies need to check in 
with parents even after that person becomes licensed.

Wiles said 
more people would move to rural Kansas if those areas are invested in 
properly. He said there is the misconception that western Kansas is 
mostly cows and farmers, but the area has nice people and beautiful 
views that appeal to anyone.

“The thing I love the most about 
(rural Kansas) is they do a very good job with limited resources and 
(they) build their sense of community,” he said.

Blaise Mesa 
reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News 
Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email 
him at blaise@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654006277218.png" alt="Finding medical care, making it to mandated family visits and other requirements of foster parents can make rural fostering more difficult. David Condos / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Finding medical care, making it to mandated family visits and other requirements of foster parents can make rural fostering more difficult. David Condos / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-31/in-some-rural-parts-of-kansas-the-loss-of-even-one-foster-parent-leaves-a-huge-hole">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA, Kansas — More than half the counties in the state rely on 10 or fewer families to take in foster children.Roughly one-tenth of the counties in Kansas rely on one licensed foster home each.And
 those relatively few families looking after foster kids in its most 
remote corners struggle to get from court appointments to doctors’ 
visits to soccer practice where drives between appointments get measured
 not in minutes, but hours.Consider what Rebecca Applebee’s move 
from Liberal, Kansas, means to her community. Already, about half of the
 foster children in Seward County are living elsewhere. When Applebee 
leaves, there will be one fewer foster homes in the county. And it can 
take more than a year for state agencies to find and license a foster 
home.Recruiting foster families is hard in general, as is being a
 foster parent. The more rural you get, the harder the job can be — both
 to find foster families and to open your home to foster children.“It's
 exhausting,” Applebee said. “And being in a rural location, sometimes 
we don't get the answers that we want. It's not just for lack of trying.
 It's because of a lack of resources, (a) lack of something local.”Applebee is used to life in rural Kansas, but the requirements for foster parents add additional stressors to her life.Foster
 children need to establish care with doctors within 30 days of 
placement. The children have Medicaid and Applebee needed to find an eye
 doctor who took that insurance, but she didn’t have time to call around
 to offices to see who accepted it. The only place that accepted the 
children’s insurance wouldn’t let her establish care until an 
outstanding bill was paid. The bill was from the biological family and 
it took additional time to settle that dispute.“I could have just
 paid it myself,” Applebee said. “(But) I already do so much more than 
what I’m obligated to do, and I just couldn't let one more thing pile 
on.”Fun activities for her children can also prove hard to come 
by. Rural counties have their amenities, but Applebee said escape rooms,
 a wider selection in restaurants and foster-care-specific events are 
more common in larger cities.Foster children were once invited to
 a trampoline park to play for free, but that event was in Wichita over 
three hours away. Applebee is moving to Shawnee County, which has 145 
licensed homes. She looks forward to being closer to everyday needs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654006338093.png" alt="Rebecca Applebee is moving for work and found a home in Rossville, Kansas. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Rebecca Applebee is moving for work and found a home in Rossville, Kansas. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“I want to so badly live in town because we have been driving an hour
 (for school and other necessities),” she said, adding that long hours 
mean less downtime, and shorter commutes will allow her family “to feel 
like we can relax because right now we don’t get to relax.”Access
 to primary care and mental health services is an issue for rural Kansas
 families, as is access to transportation, part-time jobs for foster 
youth and child care, said Bradford Wiles, an associate professor and 
extension specialist in early childhood development at Kansas State 
University. Child care has become so hard to find in Kansas that some 
families are <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-12/finding-child-care-in-kansas-was-a-challenge-before-the-pandemic-now-its-even-harder" target="_blank">planning pregnancies around openings.</a>Wiles
 said rural communities sometimes lack basic services, like reliable 
internet. That creates more barriers to low-income Kansans and can make 
them even less likely to consider foster care.Fostering in rural Kansas “it isn't as appealing as it could be,” Wiles said.“If
 there were more formal supports,” he said, “it would be much more 
appealing for those who would consider fostering to go ahead and take 
action.”Julie Dinkel knows the struggles of rural foster parents 
all too well. Dinkel works at the foster care agency St. Francis as the 
foster homes recruiter for southwest Kansas. She has been supporting 
rural families for 15 years.Her agency is making it easier for 
foster parents to connect with services, but not every change helps 
everyone. Licensed homes must go in for foster training. Some homes are 
hours away from the in-person classes. With the pandemic limiting 
in-person contact, the agency developed online courses. But families 
without reliable internet couldn’t attend virtually, so Dinkel went out 
and did the training with them.To address parents’ needs, St. 
Francis works with churches and other community groups to provide 
respite care on the weekends, home-cooked meals, closets with extra 
clothes or activity days where children are invited to play.“You 
have to be very creative and you have to know what resources to reach 
out to,” Dinkel said. “Luckily. in Southwest Kansas community partners …
 will bend over backwards to help each agency.”She said foster 
parent recruitment is a non-stop process and agencies need to check in 
with parents even after that person becomes licensed.Wiles said 
more people would move to rural Kansas if those areas are invested in 
properly. He said there is the misconception that western Kansas is 
mostly cows and farmers, but the area has nice people and beautiful 
views that appeal to anyone.“The thing I love the most about 
(rural Kansas) is they do a very good job with limited resources and 
(they) build their sense of community,” he said.Blaise Mesa 
reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News 
Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email 
him at blaise@kcur.org.

In rural Kansas, the loss of even one foster parent leaves huge hole

BROOKS COUNTY, Texas— On a recent trip to the southern border, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. was on an evening tour with Brooks County, Texas Sheriffs when he had to&nbsp;provide medical assistance&nbsp;to a migrant suffering from heat exhaustion, according to a statement from Marshall's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;FOX News covered the story saying in part, “Marshall, a physician, was on a trip to the border in Texas, along with sheriffs from Kansas and was riding along an area between where smugglers drop off illegal migrants, and where they are picked up by others. It’s a hazardous area with treacherous conditions for migrants who have often traveled thousands of miles."

"Agents spotted a human smuggler pull up to an area, bring four or five people into the car – as well as one in the trunk. Agents gave chase until the car pulled over and the inhabitants fled."

"Agents caught many of those fleeing, including one woman who Marshall said was showing severe symptoms of heat exhaustion that had the potential to turn deadly. It was then that he stepped into action."

"Marshall put the blame squarely on the policies of President Biden and said the agents had told him that what they need is to get back to the policies of the Trump era, including finishing construction of the border wall.”

BROOKS COUNTY, Texas— On a recent trip to the southern border, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. was on an evening tour with Brooks County, Texas Sheriffs when he had to&nbsp;provide medical assistance&nbsp;to a migrant suffering from heat exhaustion, according to a statement from Marshall's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cDMXyEog54Y" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>&nbsp;FOX News covered the story saying in part, “Marshall, a physician, was on a trip to the border in Texas, along with sheriffs from Kansas and was riding along an area between where smugglers drop off illegal migrants, and where they are picked up by others. It’s a hazardous area with treacherous conditions for migrants who have often traveled thousands of miles.""Agents spotted a human smuggler pull up to an area, bring four or five people into the car – as well as one in the trunk. Agents gave chase until the car pulled over and the inhabitants fled.""Agents caught many of those fleeing, including one woman who Marshall said was showing severe symptoms of heat exhaustion that had the potential to turn deadly. It was then that he stepped into action.""Marshall put the blame squarely on the policies of President Biden and said the agents had told him that what they need is to get back to the policies of the Trump era, including finishing construction of the border wall.”

🎥 Sen. Marshall aids migrant suffering from heat exhaustion during border trip

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — First she saw the graphic cellphone video showing Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting death in Georgia, then news that Breonna Taylor had been shot in her Kentucky home during a botched drug raid. But when Teresa Parks watched videos of the white Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee onto a Black man’s neck, and heard George Floyd cry out for his mother as his life drained away, she was spurred not just to tears, but also to action.

After Floyd’s May 2020 death, Parks and a friend formed a Black Lives Matter group in their hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, a largely white city that had elected no Black leaders since 1969. Parks’ activism led to her appointment to a task force that city leaders said was designed to make the community more welcoming to people from diverse backgrounds.

That task force issued a report in December 2021 with more than 60 recommendations, but so far the city commission hasn’t discussed them. And that’s not unusual. All over Kansas, elected leaders convened task forces or held town hall meetings to gather community input on racial justice and diversity issues after demonstrators in more than a dozen communities protested Floyd’s death. But almost two years later, the passion and energy evident in those protests hasn’t translated into widespread change.

One of the most common results has been formalizing changes that had already been made. Topeka and Lawrence police banned “no-knock” search warrants, for example, but police in both cities had already discontinued the practice. In several Kansas cities including Wichita and Kansas City, police have put into writing the practices they said they had already adopted.

Lauren Bonds, the legal director for a New Orleans-based group of lawyers, legal workers and law students called the National Police Accountability Project, said local leaders sometimes form working groups when they want to appear to be on the right side of an issue but lack the political will to make real change.

“You’ll put some people of color on it, and then you’ll be able to point to that when someone says you didn’t respond to this egregious situation, but then you don’t actually have to change anything,” said Bonds, who is based in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Hispanic population in Kansas has more than quadrupled over the last 30 years, largely because of immigrants attracted to jobs in the meatpacking industry in the southwest of the state, and the Black population grew 15% between 1990 and 2020. But Kansas remains largely white and non-Hispanic; 72% of residents self-identified as such in the 2020 census and the Kansas Legislature was 92% white that year according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Proposals pushed by advocacy groups on behalf of racial justice in Kansas typically stall. After the Floyd protests, for example, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly appointed a committee on racial equity and justice, saying “communities of color do not have the luxury of time for leaders to address these issues.” But neither the panel nor the governor pushed the Legislature to adopt the group’s recommendations.

And this year, the momentum in the Republican-controlled Legislature swung away from racial justice toward limiting what public schools teach about racism and tightening voting laws.

Kevin Willmott, a University of Kansas film professor who in 2019 won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for “BlacKkKlansman,” said that when elected officials create task force groups, they often face little opposition, giving people hope that they can bring change.

“But then the task force doesn’t change anything,” Willmott said. “So it appears on the surface like you’re being brought to water, but you’re not allowed to drink.”

“They know that you just allow the focus to drift away and then you get to go back to normal. Until the next George Floyd, which might be in Kansas. You never know,” he said.

Post-Floyd racial justice efforts in other Kansas cities have seen mixed results.

In Wyandotte County, which includes Kansas City, then-Mayor David Alvey created a task force in 2020 to discuss policing practices, but he told task force members not to advocate for specific changes during meetings.

“It was such a politically charged atmosphere,” Alvey said. “I wanted to keep the politics out of it as much as possible.”

About a quarter of Wyandotte County’s population is Black and voters have elected a similar percentage of Black commissioners since 2005. Alvey narrowly lost reelection last year to Tyrone Garner, who became the community’s first Black mayor. Garner, who previously served as deputy police chief, ran for office on a police reform platform. He also announced a new committee to look into policing practices, which he said would — unlike his predecessor’s group — craft proposals for the city to vote on. The committee held introductory meetings last month.

Garner’s views of the community and policing have been shaped by his years as a police officer. Early in his career, a Black police major told him about how minority officers previously weren’t allowed to arrest or interact with white residents. Stories like that prompted Garner to pay attention to how colleagues talked about minority police leaders and officers.

Among other things, Garner hopes his new task force will consider requiring an outside law enforcement agency to conduct police misconduct investigations.

Discussions are in progress in other Kansas communities. In Topeka, a task force set up by a former mayor is reviewing police policies in response to proposals to ban chokeholds, prohibit officers from firing at fleeing suspects and create an independent citizen panel to investigate allegations of police misconduct. The group has met for almost two years and hasn’t made any recommendations to the City Council.

City commissioners in Salina approved a 2020 proposal to create a new citizens review board, but advocates were disappointed that it didn’t give the board authority to investigate complaints.

In the affluent Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, where Black residents make up about 1% of the population, the city’s budget this year included $10,000 for a diversity committee that is using some of the funds to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

After rallies in the southwestern Kansas community of Liberal following Floyd’s death, the city held a town hall where attendees discussed their experiences with racism. Latinos make up almost two-thirds of Liberal’s population.

About a month after the meeting, Liberal city commissioners passed an ordinance calling for similar public forums as needed, but so far no other meetings have occurred.

Racial justice advocate Kathleen Alonso pushed for the ordinance, but told the AP that she had shifted focus to increasing voter turnout. In November, Liberal elected two Hispanic members to the city commission, including its first Latina city commissioner.

In Manhattan, Parks, the local Black Lives Matter founder, is hopeful instead of frustrated that the city hasn’t yet taken up the task force’s more than 60 recommendations. Many of them are outside the city government’s control, but some are in its purview, including the hiring of a diversity, equity and inclusion officer to work across city-sponsored organizations.

Through her involvement, Parks has gained a line of communication with police that enables her to share information with other residents when they’re worried about something they’re hearing or seeing on social media. That’s leading to a better relationship between police and Black residents, who make up about 6% of the community, and that was one of Parks’ main goals.

Shortly before her Black Lives Matter group’s 2020 demonstration, Parks met an officer to contact with concerns. That new line of communication was tested that year when a witness made a video recording of a man who appeared to be having a seizure while he was detained in handcuffs. Parks contacted the officer and learned from police that they had kept him in handcuffs to prevent him from injuring himself.

“They answered every single question that we had and we were able to bring that back and kind of give people a little bit of clarity about the situation,” Parks said.

It’s all aimed at meeting Parks’ goal of avoiding a high-profile police killing like George Floyd’s in Manhattan.

“To hear that grown man call out for his mother — I just couldn’t — I can’t even talk about it,” Parks said, her voice shaking. “That is just something I would never want to see for my kids.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653754980517.png" alt="Marchers in the Little Apple Pride Parade-from the organization's Facebook page." />
 <figcaption>Marchers in the Little Apple Pride Parade-from the organization's Facebook page.</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANDY TSUBASA FIELDTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — First she saw the graphic cellphone video showing Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting death in Georgia, then news that Breonna Taylor had been shot in her Kentucky home during a botched drug raid. But when Teresa Parks watched videos of the white Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee onto a Black man’s neck, and heard George Floyd cry out for his mother as his life drained away, she was spurred not just to tears, but also to action.After Floyd’s May 2020 death, Parks and a friend formed a Black Lives Matter group in their hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, a largely white city that had elected no Black leaders since 1969. Parks’ activism led to her appointment to a task force that city leaders said was designed to make the community more welcoming to people from diverse backgrounds.That task force issued a report in December 2021 with more than 60 recommendations, but so far the city commission hasn’t discussed them. And that’s not unusual. All over Kansas, elected leaders convened task forces or held town hall meetings to gather community input on racial justice and diversity issues after demonstrators in more than a dozen communities protested Floyd’s death. But almost two years later, the passion and energy evident in those protests hasn’t translated into widespread change.One of the most common results has been formalizing changes that had already been made. Topeka and Lawrence police banned “no-knock” search warrants, for example, but police in both cities had already discontinued the practice. In several Kansas cities including Wichita and Kansas City, police have put into writing the practices they said they had already adopted.Lauren Bonds, the legal director for a New Orleans-based group of lawyers, legal workers and law students called the National Police Accountability Project, said local leaders sometimes form working groups when they want to appear to be on the right side of an issue but lack the political will to make real change.“You’ll put some people of color on it, and then you’ll be able to point to that when someone says you didn’t respond to this egregious situation, but then you don’t actually have to change anything,” said Bonds, who is based in Kansas City, Kansas.The Hispanic population in Kansas has more than quadrupled over the last 30 years, largely because of immigrants attracted to jobs in the meatpacking industry in the southwest of the state, and the Black population grew 15% between 1990 and 2020. But Kansas remains largely white and non-Hispanic; 72% of residents self-identified as such in the 2020 census and the Kansas Legislature was 92% white that year according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Proposals pushed by advocacy groups on behalf of racial justice in Kansas typically stall. After the Floyd protests, for example, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly appointed a committee on racial equity and justice, saying “communities of color do not have the luxury of time for leaders to address these issues.” But neither the panel nor the governor pushed the Legislature to adopt the group’s recommendations.And this year, the momentum in the Republican-controlled Legislature swung away from racial justice toward limiting what public schools teach about racism and tightening voting laws.Kevin Willmott, a University of Kansas film professor who in 2019 won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for “BlacKkKlansman,” said that when elected officials create task force groups, they often face little opposition, giving people hope that they can bring change.“But then the task force doesn’t change anything,” Willmott said. “So it appears on the surface like you’re being brought to water, but you’re not allowed to drink.”“They know that you just allow the focus to drift away and then you get to go back to normal. Until the next George Floyd, which might be in Kansas. You never know,” he said.Post-Floyd racial justice efforts in other Kansas cities have seen mixed results.In Wyandotte County, which includes Kansas City, then-Mayor David Alvey created a task force in 2020 to discuss policing practices, but he told task force members not to advocate for specific changes during meetings.“It was such a politically charged atmosphere,” Alvey said. “I wanted to keep the politics out of it as much as possible.”About a quarter of Wyandotte County’s population is Black and voters have elected a similar percentage of Black commissioners since 2005. Alvey narrowly lost reelection last year to Tyrone Garner, who became the community’s first Black mayor. Garner, who previously served as deputy police chief, ran for office on a police reform platform. He also announced a new committee to look into policing practices, which he said would — unlike his predecessor’s group — craft proposals for the city to vote on. The committee held introductory meetings last month.Garner’s views of the community and policing have been shaped by his years as a police officer. Early in his career, a Black police major told him about how minority officers previously weren’t allowed to arrest or interact with white residents. Stories like that prompted Garner to pay attention to how colleagues talked about minority police leaders and officers.Among other things, Garner hopes his new task force will consider requiring an outside law enforcement agency to conduct police misconduct investigations.Discussions are in progress in other Kansas communities. In Topeka, a task force set up by a former mayor is reviewing police policies in response to proposals to ban chokeholds, prohibit officers from firing at fleeing suspects and create an independent citizen panel to investigate allegations of police misconduct. The group has met for almost two years and hasn’t made any recommendations to the City Council.City commissioners in Salina approved a 2020 proposal to create a new citizens review board, but advocates were disappointed that it didn’t give the board authority to investigate complaints.In the affluent Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, where Black residents make up about 1% of the population, the city’s budget this year included $10,000 for a diversity committee that is using some of the funds to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.After rallies in the southwestern Kansas community of Liberal following Floyd’s death, the city held a town hall where attendees discussed their experiences with racism. Latinos make up almost two-thirds of Liberal’s population.About a month after the meeting, Liberal city commissioners passed an ordinance calling for similar public forums as needed, but so far no other meetings have occurred.Racial justice advocate Kathleen Alonso pushed for the ordinance, but told the AP that she had shifted focus to increasing voter turnout. In November, Liberal elected two Hispanic members to the city commission, including its first Latina city commissioner.In Manhattan, Parks, the local Black Lives Matter founder, is hopeful instead of frustrated that the city hasn’t yet taken up the task force’s more than 60 recommendations. Many of them are outside the city government’s control, but some are in its purview, including the hiring of a diversity, equity and inclusion officer to work across city-sponsored organizations.Through her involvement, Parks has gained a line of communication with police that enables her to share information with other residents when they’re worried about something they’re hearing or seeing on social media. That’s leading to a better relationship between police and Black residents, who make up about 6% of the community, and that was one of Parks’ main goals.Shortly before her Black Lives Matter group’s 2020 demonstration, Parks met an officer to contact with concerns. That new line of communication was tested that year when a witness made a video recording of a man who appeared to be having a seizure while he was detained in handcuffs. Parks contacted the officer and learned from police that they had kept him in handcuffs to prevent him from injuring himself.“They answered every single question that we had and we were able to bring that back and kind of give people a little bit of clarity about the situation,” Parks said.It’s all aimed at meeting Parks’ goal of avoiding a high-profile police killing like George Floyd’s in Manhattan.“To hear that grown man call out for his mother — I just couldn’t — I can’t even talk about it,” Parks said, her voice shaking. “That is just something I would never want to see for my kids.”___

Kansas equity efforts bring little change after George Floyd

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A Salina man suffered a gunshot wound while practicing firearm safety with a teen east of Salina Sunday afternoon.

Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, a 45-year-old Salina man and a 15-year-old Salina girl were target shooting with a 9mm handgun on a relative's property in the 900 block of N. Simpson Road when the shooting occurred, according to Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander.

The man told deputies that the two were practicing firearm safety when all of a sudden, it felt like someone had tackled him.

Melander said that the girl was handing the gun to the man when it began to slip. The girl grabbed for the gun and squeezed the trigger, shooting the man in the abdomen. The bullet exited through the man's back, Melander said.

The man was able to get ahold of another family member who took him to Salina Regional Health Center. Melander said the man's wound was serious but not life threatening.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA Salina man suffered a gunshot wound while practicing firearm safety with a teen east of Salina Sunday afternoon.Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, a 45-year-old Salina man and a 15-year-old Salina girl were target shooting with a 9mm handgun on a relative's property in the 900 block of N. Simpson Road when the shooting occurred, according to Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander.The man told deputies that the two were practicing firearm safety when all of a sudden, it felt like someone had tackled him.Melander said that the girl was handing the gun to the man when it began to slip. The girl grabbed for the gun and squeezed the trigger, shooting the man in the abdomen. The bullet exited through the man's back, Melander said.The man was able to get ahold of another family member who took him to Salina Regional Health Center. Melander said the man's wound was serious but not life threatening.

Kansas man shot while practicing firearm safety with teen

WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a school teacher for alleged child sex crimes.

Allen Sylvester, 51, who is listed as a <a href="https://www.usd320.com/vnews/display.v/StaffDirectory">science teacher </a>in Wamego, according to the USD 320 web site, is in custody on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child and electronic solicitation, "Offender believes child &gt;14&lt;16." according to online jail records.

Sylvester is being held on a $100,000 bond. USD 320 had not issued a statement on the arrest early Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654007129515.png" alt="Sylvester-photo Wabaunsee Co." />
 <figcaption>Sylvester-photo Wabaunsee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WABAUNSEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a school teacher for alleged child sex crimes.Allen Sylvester, 51, who is listed as a <a href="https://www.usd320.com/vnews/display.v/StaffDirectory">science teacher </a>in Wamego, according to the USD 320 web site, is in custody on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child and electronic solicitation, "Offender believes child &gt;14&lt;16." according to online jail records.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654008255967.png" alt="Image USD 320" />
 <figcaption>Image USD 320</figcaption>
 </figure>Sylvester is being held on a $100,000 bond. USD 320 had not issued a statement on the arrest early Tuesday.

Kansas teacher jailed for alleged child sex crimes

WASHINGTON (AP).—U.S. and Canadian regulators are investigating a hepatitis outbreak that may be linked to fresh organic strawberries.

In a joint weekend statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Public Health Agency of Canada said illnesses in Minnesota, California and Canada occurred after people consumed FreshKampo and H-E-B brand strawberries.

The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-hepatitis-virus-strawberries-may-2022">agencies said the </a>strawberries were purchased between March 5 and April 25. They were sold at various U.S. retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, Safeway and Trader Joe’s.&nbsp;

The potentially affected strawberries are past their shelf life, but health officials say consumers who purchased them and froze them to eat later should throw them away.

There have been 17 illnesses and 12 hospitalizations reported in the U.S., the FDA said. Ten cases and four hospitalizations have been reported in Canada.

Mexico-based FreshKampo, which grew the strawberries, said in a statement Sunday that it is working with regulators to determine how the problem occurred. FreshKampo said the label on the containers of potentially affected strawberries would have said “Product of Mexico” or “Distributed by Meridien Foods.”

In a statement on its website, Texas grocer H-E-B said it has not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier in question since April 16. H-E-B said anyone who still has the strawberries should throw them away or return them to the store where they were purchased.

Hepatitis A is a virus that can cause liver disease and, in rare cases, liver failure and death. Illness usually occurs within 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and jaundice.

Consumers who ate the potentially affected berries in the last two weeks and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A should immediately consult with a physician, the FDA said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654005740950.png" alt="Hepatitis A-image FDA" />
 <figcaption>Hepatitis A-image FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP).—U.S. and Canadian regulators are investigating a hepatitis outbreak that may be linked to fresh organic strawberries.In a joint weekend statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Public Health Agency of Canada said illnesses in Minnesota, California and Canada occurred after people consumed FreshKampo and H-E-B brand strawberries.The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-hepatitis-virus-strawberries-may-2022">agencies said the </a>strawberries were purchased between March 5 and April 25. They were sold at various U.S. retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, Safeway and Trader Joe’s.&nbsp;The potentially affected strawberries are past their shelf life, but health officials say consumers who purchased them and froze them to eat later should throw them away.There have been 17 illnesses and 12 hospitalizations reported in the U.S., the FDA said. Ten cases and four hospitalizations have been reported in Canada.Mexico-based FreshKampo, which grew the strawberries, said in a statement Sunday that it is working with regulators to determine how the problem occurred. FreshKampo said the label on the containers of potentially affected strawberries would have said “Product of Mexico” or “Distributed by Meridien Foods.”In a statement on its website, Texas grocer H-E-B said it has not received or sold organic strawberries from the supplier in question since April 16. H-E-B said anyone who still has the strawberries should throw them away or return them to the store where they were purchased.Hepatitis A is a virus that can cause liver disease and, in rare cases, liver failure and death. Illness usually occurs within 15 to 50 days after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and jaundice.Consumers who ate the potentially affected berries in the last two weeks and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A should immediately consult with a physician, the FDA said.

US regulators tie hepatitis cases to strawberries

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Saturday shooting have made an arrest.

Just before 10p.m., Saturday officers responded to a shooting at an apartment complex&nbsp;in the 4900 block of East Harry. Upon their arrival, they located 30-year-old Emmanuel Hardy of Wichita outside of the residence with gunshot wounds, according to Office Paul Cruz. EMS transported Hardy&nbsp;to an area hospital where he died.

The investigation revealed 27-year-old Roger Gale and Hardy were in a verbal disturbance that&nbsp;stemmed from a prior verbal argument while Gale was walking his dog, according to Cruz.&nbsp; 

During the disturbance Gale fired several shots at a 39-year-old woman and Hardy. Hardy was shot several times which caused his fatal injuries.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20064899">Gale remains jailed </a>on requested charges of first degree murder and aggravated assault on a $250,000 bond, according to online jail records.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653857468279.png" alt="Gale-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Gale-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Saturday shooting have made an arrest.Just before 10p.m., Saturday officers responded to a shooting at an apartment complex&nbsp;in the 4900 block of East Harry. Upon their arrival, they located 30-year-old Emmanuel Hardy of Wichita outside of the residence with gunshot wounds, according to Office Paul Cruz. EMS transported Hardy&nbsp;to an area hospital where he died.The investigation revealed 27-year-old Roger Gale and Hardy were in a verbal disturbance that&nbsp;stemmed from a prior verbal argument while Gale was walking his dog, according to Cruz.&nbsp; During the disturbance Gale fired several shots at a 39-year-old woman and Hardy. Hardy was shot several times which caused his fatal injuries.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20064899">Gale remains jailed </a>on requested charges of first degree murder and aggravated assault on a $250,000 bond, according to online jail records.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office.

Dispute while Kansas man walked his dog led to murder

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Local officials expressed frustration with issues of lack of communication, lack of transportation and lack of beds that have led to long waiting periods for adults and juveniles needing inpatient psychiatric care in western Kansas.

High Plains Mental Health sponsored a meeting with the Scott Brunner, deputy director of the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services; Andy Brown, commissioner for Behavioral Health Services at KDADS; Bobby Eklofe, president KVC Hospitals; and K.C. Johnson, president of HealthSource, Thursday in Hays.

About 70 audience members joined in the discussion, including members of law enforcement, mental health providers, emergency care and hospital staff, and educators. 

Citing the need for infection control and difficulty with staffing, Larned State Hospital has not operated at full capacity since 2020. They have 74 beds available at this time. 

Walt Hill, director of High Plains Mental Health Center, said in February the waitlist for the state hospital was up to 35 people and the average wait was 67 hours.

Brunner said the waitlist was down to 19 people for the month of May. 

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d3de94af-2857-447a-955b-b0cacf3adeda">KVC closed its acute care beds in Hays in 2019 but has plans to reopen 14 acute care beds in a new location in January. The facility will also have residential psychiatric care for juveniles.</a>

In addition to taking children from Kansas, KVC is also taking calls from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado and Oklahoma.

Nationwide crisis for child psychiatric care

Brown said the nation is in crisis in terms of children's psychiatric care. There is more demand for care and children presenting with more severe needs, he said.

The latest state budget included more funding for youth residential treatment facilities to help with staffing issues, Brown said.

Eklofe said KVC may have a licensed capacity, but the actual capacity may vary depending on staffing. Eklofe said KVC lost staff during the pandemic and is trying to recruit them to come back.

He said KVC has seen about a 20 percent turnover rate in the last couple of years and has struggled to fill all of the positions.

It is not just the number of staff needed, it's also the specialty staff that is needed, he said.

Beyond staffing, Eklofe said KVC also looks at the safety of children when deciding how to prioritize admissions. A child who is sitting in an office may take priority over a child that is waiting in a hospital room or emergency department for safety reasons.

Area hospital staff expressed frustration about waits and the screening process for juveniles. One worker said a youth was at her facility for 10 days and had to be screened multiple times because of the long wait.

Brunner said the state hospital draws as many employees it can from Larned and the surrounding area but struggled to find enough qualified employees even before the pandemic.

The hospital is working with contract agencies to bring nurses to the facility.

Brunner said he did not have specific numbers on the number of staffing vacancies at the Larned currently.

"Our primary focus is to keep our staff and our patients safe," he said.

The hospital keeps workers over for extra hours or extra shifts or calls workers back to work to meet the needs of the hospitals.

"It's a constant, dynamic, moving thing every single day," he said.

The severity of the patients' illnesses and their need for one-on-one or two-on-one staffing can also alter the number of staff members needed.

Patients wait in ERs, local hospitals without medication

HealthSource works with most of the state's community mental health centers to do screenings to determine if people need to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals.

Those screenings are done through telemedicine. The average response time for these telemedicine screenings is an hour and 41 minutes. However, people have had to wait as long as seven hours.

It also works with the state to manage the state's mental hospital waiting lists. Twenty-one percent of more than 400 screenings in the High Plains Mental Health catchment area met the criteria for involuntary commitment to a state hospital.

Over the last six months, HealthSource has handled 1,200 calls to its crisis line. The average wait is 17 minutes, but Johnson admitted often waits are longer. Johnson said the agency is constantly working with staffing to cut those wait times.

Fifty-nine percent of their calls were from people who were suicidal. Nineteen percent of the calls were from people experiencing violent thoughts. 

Johnson said the agency works with community providers like High Plains Mental Health to try to keep people out of the hospital when possible. 

HealthSource also administers the State Institue Alternative plan, which pays private hospitals to care for people with acute mental illnesses.

Johnson said HealthSource is looking at investing in a system that would allow law enforcement or hospital officials to see the progress HealthSource is making to place someone.

Audience members, including Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun said there is confusion as to whether all patients admitted to a state hospital needed to be medically cleared.

Braun said he was being told they did, so they were all being taken to HaysMed for that clearance. This is taking time away from ER and hospital staff.

Johnson said not all patients need to be medically cleared.

Some ER physicians are reluctant to prescribe any psychiatric medication to patients who have come in off the street. This results in patients waiting days in a local hospital for admittance to a psychiatric hospital without any treatment.

"It's like having a broken leg and not getting it set," one ER staff member said.

Change in statute considered for out-of-state patients

Thomas County Undersheriff Eric Smith said as a result of Interstate 70 going through his county, law enforcement deals with many individuals who Have mental health issues who are not from the local area and have no plan to stay in Kansas after they are released from the hospital.

He said there is confusion on who should be responsible for those patients.

Brunner said the statute doesn't give officials a clear path for those patients. He said state officials are aware of the problem and hope to propose legislation to deal with the issue.

Officials express concerns about potentially suicidal, violent individuals being released into community

Lt. Tim Greenwood of the Hays Police Department, as well as other members of the audience, said they were concerned about the screening process. He said he felt the screeners were only talking to patients and not to law enforcement officers who may have spent hours with a patient.

He was concerned some patients are being released into the community with safety plans who have been violent or suicidal.

"We don't ever want to do things that would ever put people in danger," Johnson said. "We might have criteria that this person doesn't meet certain expectations, but this is still really scary. What are the things we can do? You can get a second opinion."

Hill said High Plains Mental Health is the only community mental health center in the state that has an automatic secondary review of screenings for inpatient psychiatric admissions. 

Johnson said he will work with his team to ensure law enforcement officers and medical professionals have opportunities to report their observations to screeners.

"It's not about us, it's about patient safety," he said.

Finding secure transportation to get patients from rural hospitals to state psychiatric hospitals has also been a challenge.

Sometimes law enforcement will transport patients. However, that may depend on the willingness of the agency to do so and their available staffing.

Transporting someone with a mental illness handcuffed in the back of a police car may be traumatic for the person with the illness, Hill said.

HaysMed has trained staff to complete these transports. Some suggested expanding such a service to other areas of the state.

Hill said high liability insurance may be a barrier for agencies to provide this type of service.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostLocal officials expressed frustration with issues of lack of communication, lack of transportation and lack of beds that have led to long waiting periods for adults and juveniles needing inpatient psychiatric care in western Kansas.High Plains Mental Health sponsored a meeting with the Scott Brunner, deputy director of the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services; Andy Brown, commissioner for Behavioral Health Services at KDADS; Bobby Eklofe, president KVC Hospitals; and K.C. Johnson, president of HealthSource, Thursday in Hays.About 70 audience members joined in the discussion, including members of law enforcement, mental health providers, emergency care and hospital staff, and educators. Citing the need for infection control and difficulty with staffing, Larned State Hospital has not operated at full capacity since 2020. They have 74 beds available at this time. Walt Hill, director of High Plains Mental Health Center, said in February the waitlist for the state hospital was up to 35 people and the average wait was 67 hours.Brunner said the waitlist was down to 19 people for the month of May. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647894493283.jpeg" alt="The future home of KVC Hospital in Hays. File photo " />
 <figcaption>The future home of KVC Hospital in Hays. File photo </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d3de94af-2857-447a-955b-b0cacf3adeda">KVC closed its acute care beds in Hays in 2019 but has plans to reopen 14 acute care beds in a new location in January. The facility will also have residential psychiatric care for juveniles.</a>In addition to taking children from Kansas, KVC is also taking calls from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado and Oklahoma.<h2>Nationwide crisis for child psychiatric care</h2>Brown said the nation is in crisis in terms of children's psychiatric care. There is more demand for care and children presenting with more severe needs, he said.The latest state budget included more funding for youth residential treatment facilities to help with staffing issues, Brown said.Eklofe said KVC may have a licensed capacity, but the actual capacity may vary depending on staffing. Eklofe said KVC lost staff during the pandemic and is trying to recruit them to come back.<h2>Hospitals struggle to find staff</h2>He said KVC has seen about a 20 percent turnover rate in the last couple of years and has struggled to fill all of the positions.It is not just the number of staff needed, it's also the specialty staff that is needed, he said.Beyond staffing, Eklofe said KVC also looks at the safety of children when deciding how to prioritize admissions. A child who is sitting in an office may take priority over a child that is waiting in a hospital room or emergency department for safety reasons. Area hospital staff expressed frustration about waits and the screening process for juveniles. One worker said a youth was at her facility for 10 days and had to be screened multiple times because of the long wait. Brunner said the state hospital draws as many employees it can from Larned and the surrounding area but struggled to find enough qualified employees even before the pandemic.The hospital is working with contract agencies to bring nurses to the facility.Brunner said he did not have specific numbers on the number of staffing vacancies at the Larned currently."Our primary focus is to keep our staff and our patients safe," he said.The hospital keeps workers over for extra hours or extra shifts or calls workers back to work to meet the needs of the hospitals. "It's a constant, dynamic, moving thing every single day," he said. The severity of the patients' illnesses and their need for one-on-one or two-on-one staffing can also alter the number of staff members needed.<h2>Patients wait in ERs, local hospitals without medication </h2>HealthSource works with most of the state's community mental health centers to do screenings to determine if people need to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Those screenings are done through telemedicine. The average response time for these telemedicine screenings is an hour and 41 minutes. However, people have had to wait as long as seven hours.It also works with the state to manage the state's mental hospital waiting lists. Twenty-one percent of more than 400 screenings in the High Plains Mental Health catchment area met the criteria for involuntary commitment to a state hospital. Over the last six months, HealthSource has handled 1,200 calls to its crisis line. The average wait is 17 minutes, but Johnson admitted often waits are longer. Johnson said the agency is constantly working with staffing to cut those wait times. Fifty-nine percent of their calls were from people who were suicidal. Nineteen percent of the calls were from people experiencing violent thoughts. Johnson said the agency works with community providers like High Plains Mental Health to try to keep people out of the hospital when possible. HealthSource also administers the State Institue Alternative plan, which pays private hospitals to care for people with acute mental illnesses.Johnson said HealthSource is looking at investing in a system that would allow law enforcement or hospital officials to see the progress HealthSource is making to place someone.Audience members, including Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun said there is confusion as to whether all patients admitted to a state hospital needed to be medically cleared.Braun said he was being told they did, so they were all being taken to HaysMed for that clearance. This is taking time away from ER and hospital staff.Johnson said not all patients need to be medically cleared.Some ER physicians are reluctant to prescribe any psychiatric medication to patients who have come in off the street. This results in patients waiting days in a local hospital for admittance to a psychiatric hospital without any treatment."It's like having a broken leg and not getting it set," one ER staff member said.<h2>Change in statute considered for out-of-state patients</h2>Thomas County Undersheriff Eric Smith said as a result of Interstate 70 going through his county, law enforcement deals with many individuals who Have mental health issues who are not from the local area and have no plan to stay in Kansas after they are released from the hospital.He said there is confusion on who should be responsible for those patients.Brunner said the statute doesn't give officials a clear path for those patients. He said state officials are aware of the problem and hope to propose legislation to deal with the issue.<h2>Officials express concerns about potentially suicidal, violent individuals being released into community</h2>Lt. Tim Greenwood of the Hays Police Department, as well as other members of the audience, said they were concerned about the screening process. He said he felt the screeners were only talking to patients and not to law enforcement officers who may have spent hours with a patient.He was concerned some patients are being released into the community with safety plans who have been violent or suicidal."We don't ever want to do things that would ever put people in danger," Johnson said. "We might have criteria that this person doesn't meet certain expectations, but this is still really scary. What are the things we can do? You can get a second opinion."Hill said High Plains Mental Health is the only community mental health center in the state that has an automatic secondary review of screenings for inpatient psychiatric admissions. Johnson said he will work with his team to ensure law enforcement officers and medical professionals have opportunities to report their observations to screeners."It's not about us, it's about patient safety," he said.<h2>Secure transportation</h2>Finding secure transportation to get patients from rural hospitals to state psychiatric hospitals has also been a challenge.Sometimes law enforcement will transport patients. However, that may depend on the willingness of the agency to do so and their available staffing.Transporting someone with a mental illness handcuffed in the back of a police car may be traumatic for the person with the illness, Hill said. HaysMed has trained staff to complete these transports. Some suggested expanding such a service to other areas of the state.Hill said high liability insurance may be a barrier for agencies to provide this type of service.

Mental patients stuck in ERs without treatment; screeners not getting full picture group says

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting at a weekend graduation party that fatally injured 17-year-old Boisy D. Barefield of Wichita followed by a fatal hit and run crash have identified the victim the girl who died as 15-year-old&nbsp; Jaxson Hunt of Wichita, according to Office Paul Cruz.

Just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at The Banquet Hall located in the 3100 block of East 25th&nbsp;Street in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz.

 Upon arriving at the scene, they located Boisy inside with a gunshot wound. EMS transported Boisy to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.

The initial investigation revealed there was a graduation party with several people in attendance. During the party, a disturbance ensued between two groups that led to shots being fired striking Boisy.

Hunt was fleeing the gunfire at the party and was struck at the intersection of 25th&nbsp;Street North and Estelle, by 18-year-old Samara Rockmore, who fled the pedestrian accident in her vehicle. 

EMS transported the 15-year-old girl to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries, according to Cruz.

Rockmore was later located and arrested and booked for felony hit and run.&nbsp;

Investigators are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting. Lack of cooperation has made the investigation difficult to determine all the details of the case, according to Cruz.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured 17-year-old Boisy D. Barefield of Wichita, and a hit and run that fatally injured 15-year-old female of Wichita.

At approximately 11:20 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at The Banquet Hall located in the 3100 block of East 25th&nbsp;Street in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz.

The initial investigation revealed there was a graduation party with several people in attendance. During the party, a disturbance ensued between two groups that led to shots being fired striking Boisy. 

A 15-year-old girl who was fleeing the gunfire at the party was struck at the intersection of 25th&nbsp;Street North and Estelle, by 18-year-old Samara Rockmore, who fled the pedestrian accident in her vehicle. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653961867307.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting at a weekend graduation party that fatally injured 17-year-old Boisy D. Barefield of Wichita followed by a fatal hit and run crash have identified the victim the girl who died as 15-year-old&nbsp; Jaxson Hunt of Wichita, according to Office Paul Cruz.Just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at The Banquet Hall located in the 3100 block of East 25th&nbsp;Street in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz. Upon arriving at the scene, they located Boisy inside with a gunshot wound. EMS transported Boisy to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.The initial investigation revealed there was a graduation party with several people in attendance. During the party, a disturbance ensued between two groups that led to shots being fired striking Boisy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653858499131.png" alt="Rockmore-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Rockmore-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Hunt was fleeing the gunfire at the party and was struck at the intersection of 25th&nbsp;Street North and Estelle, by 18-year-old Samara Rockmore, who fled the pedestrian accident in her vehicle. EMS transported the 15-year-old girl to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries, according to Cruz.Rockmore was later located and arrested and booked for felony hit and run.&nbsp;Investigators are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting. Lack of cooperation has made the investigation difficult to determine all the details of the case, according to Cruz.-----SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured 17-year-old Boisy D. Barefield of Wichita, and a hit and run that fatally injured 15-year-old female of Wichita.At approximately 11:20 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at The Banquet Hall located in the 3100 block of East 25th&nbsp;Street in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz. Upon arriving at the scene, they located Boisy inside with a gunshot wound. EMS transported Boisy to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.The initial investigation revealed there was a graduation party with several people in attendance. During the party, a disturbance ensued between two groups that led to shots being fired striking Boisy. A 15-year-old girl who was fleeing the gunfire at the party was struck at the intersection of 25th&nbsp;Street North and Estelle, by 18-year-old Samara Rockmore, who fled the pedestrian accident in her vehicle. EMS transported the 15-year-old girl to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries, according to Cruz.Rockmore was later located and arrested and booked for felony hit and run.&nbsp;Investigators are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting. Lack of cooperation has made the investigation difficult to determine all the details of the case, according to Cruz.

Police ID Kan. girl who died running from fatal shooting at grad party

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court is being asked to reconsider its decision allowing the Biden administration to require that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19.

A panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-donald-trump-new-orleans-5dfec69e95363b4bc4e94228c2de5729">vacated</a>&nbsp;a lower court ruling blocking the mandate and ordered dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the policy, which was ordered by President Joe Biden in September.

However, that 2-1 ruling by the appellate panel doesn’t take effect until May 31. Opponents of the mandate, led by a group called Feds for Medical Freedom, filed a petition asking that the April ruling be vacated and that the full 17-member court hear new arguments in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648688148561.png" alt="Biden issued an order Sept. 9 that more than 3.5 million federal executive branch workers undergo vaccination, with no option to get regularly tested instead, unless they secured approved medical or religious exemptions-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden issued an order Sept. 9 that more than 3.5 million federal executive branch workers undergo vaccination, with no option to get regularly tested instead, unless they secured approved medical or religious exemptions-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court is being asked to reconsider its decision allowing the Biden administration to require that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19.A panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-donald-trump-new-orleans-5dfec69e95363b4bc4e94228c2de5729">vacated</a>&nbsp;a lower court ruling blocking the mandate and ordered dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the policy, which was ordered by President Joe Biden in September.However, that 2-1 ruling by the appellate panel doesn’t take effect until May 31. Opponents of the mandate, led by a group called Feds for Medical Freedom, filed a petition asking that the April ruling be vacated and that the full 17-member court hear new arguments in the case.The 5th Circuit asked the government to respond by June 2; it was unclear if the court would take any action before then.Biden issued an order Sept. 9 that more than 3.5 million federal executive branch workers undergo vaccination, with no option to get regularly tested instead, unless they secured approved medical or religious exemptions.U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, who was appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas by then-President Donald Trump, issued a nationwide injunction against the requirement in January. At the time, the White House said 98% of federal workers were already vaccinated.In February, one 5th Circuit panel refused to block Brown’s ruling pending appeal. After hearing arguments in March, a different panel ruled 2-1 that Brown didn’t have jurisdiction in the case and those challenging the requirement could have pursued administrative remedies under Civil Service law.Judges Carl Stewart and James Dennis, both nominated to the court by Democratic President Bill Clinton, were in the majority. Judge Rhesa Barksdale, a senior judge nominated by Republican President George H.W. Bush, dissented, saying the relief the challengers sought does not fall under the Civil Service Reform Act cited by the administration.