By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Imagine being locked in a cell 24 hours, seven days a week with nothing to do but look at four dingy walls and think about the mistakes you've made in your life.

Fort Hays State University Professor Sarah Broman Miller saw this pain in a former inmate who became a friend. The woman, who was incarcerated in the Ellis County Jail, said she longed to have a book to read while she was in jail, but none were available.&nbsp;

"She had no books to read. She had nothing to do. She really felt helpless," Broman Miller said. "She said she thought if she had a book, just something to keep her mind occupied and maybe some self-help books or something to get her out of this depression she was in, that would have really been a benefit to her."

Broman Miller and her husband, Pastor Troy Miller of Hays United Methodist Church, created the Liberate Books Project in 2019. The project distributes books to jails and prisons across the state of Kansas.

Broman Miller estimated in the few years that the program has been active, the project has delivered about 11,000 books.

The program recently partnered with the Micah 6:8 project through the Hays First United Methodist Church so it can enjoy non-profit status and expand its services.

"I feel a responsibility, almost a moral obligation, to take care of people who maybe don't get help and who maybe don't get that kind of attention or love from others," Broman Miller said.

She said she is motivated to keep taking books to show people they are cared about, thought about and they are loved.&nbsp;

"... I think one of the biggest things we can do for humanity is just care for other people and especially people in our own state and who are having these problems," she said.

&nbsp;The project came as an offshoot of another program Broman Miller, who teaches teacher education, was working on with fellow FHSU Associate Professor in criminal justice April Terry.

Broman Miller and Terry take both education and criminal justice students to the Topeka Correctional Facility where they work with female inmates on a literacy project.&nbsp;

The students help inmates record themselves reading a children's book for their children or grandchildren. The program sends the recordings, the books and stuffed animals to the children. This program is ongoing.

As an afterthought, Broman Miller suggested the students take books to the prison to replenish the prison's library. Broman Miller sponsored a book drive for the prison.

"The support that came from the community was incredible," Broman Miller said. "It was like someone turned on a fire hose."

Broman Miller received so many books they took up a whole classroom at Hays First United Methodist Church.

Out of that outpouring of love, as Broman Miller described it, came the Liberate Books Project, which sends books to county jails across the state.

"What I found out is that a lot of county jails do not have libraries," she said.

Although the program that sparked the Liberate Book Project was exclusively for women, the book project offers reading material to all inmates.

Jail staff members are often surprised the program is offering the books for free, Broman Miller said.

Broman Miller's brother-in-law used to be a jailer in Johnson County. He started helping the Millers deliver books to the two jail facilities there. After he started to deliver books, he could walk the cell blocks and hear inmates talking about their favorite authors.

The program promotes literacy, but Broman Miller said it is also a comfort for the inmates, many of whom may be dealing with trauma or addiction.

"They are at the lowest part of their lives," Broman Miller said. "To have something there that says you're not alone.&nbsp; This book when you read is going to take you somewhere else other than your current state."

The project offers self-help books, which she said many of the inmates appreciate.

"If you are in a cell by yourself with nothing else to do but spend time thinking about your life, what a better place to have a book," she said.&nbsp;"I think it really does encourage people to become readers."

Broman Miller has delivered books to the state correction facility in Stockton, where the inmates helped unload the books.

"Seeing their faces, it was like a kid in a candy store. They were so excited to get the books. It has really helped to build their library," she said.

The couple has been loading down their personal vehicle and paying out of their own pocket for gas to take these books to the county jails and prisons.

The Northwest Kansas Library System recently donated books they were releasing out of their book talk collection. The couple recently took two carloads of these books to Norton.

"One time, there were so many books, I could barely fit my purse in the car," she said.

Although many people have expressed interest in donating monetarily to the project, until the Liberate Books merged into the Micah 6:8 social justice charity under the Hays First United Methodist Church, it did not have non-profit status.

"[Micah 6:8] focuses on social issues and these can be illiteracy, incarceration, poverty, food scarcity. We plan to address those types of things that are happening right here in our own community," she said.&nbsp;

This new status will allow the project to take donations that will be used to help with the expenses of getting books to the jails as well as ordering books that are specifically requested by inmates, Broman Miller said.

Prior to the non-profit designation, the Millers were paying for ordering books out of their pocket.

In addition to book and monetary donations, the Liberate Books Project is also looking for volunteers to deliver books.

This could be individuals or groups. Broman Miller said you don't have to make a special trip. If you have plans to visit another community, you just have to be willing to take a load of books with you to that county's jail.

Broman Miller has the contacts and will make the arrangements for the delivery and make sure the books are loaded into the volunteer's vehicle in Hays.

"It would be genius. I already have the books. That person is already going," she said.

If you are interested in delivering books, you can email Broman Miller at sebmiller@fhsu.edu.

"It's a really fun and good service project," Broman Miller said. "I really hope the community would like to get involved. For them, it's really not a hard thing. All they have to do if they're going that direction anyway is reach out to me."

The project takes all types of books, including all genres of adult books, picture books, chapter books and books for young adults.

The average American reading level is between sixth and eighth grade. The average inmate's reading level is between fourth and fifth grade.

Books and monetary donations can be made through Hays First United Methodist Church, 305 W. Seventh St., Hays. If sending a check,&nbsp; make checks payable to the church and put Liberate Books Project in the memo line.&nbsp;

"This really helps. People may think 'I'm only giving books. This is not that hard for me," Broman Miller said. "In fact, it's good for me because I'm cleaning out grandma's closet. Grandma died and I need to take these books somewhere. It's actually a huge blessing for the people who are receiving them.&nbsp;

"... your small donation of books or finances makes such a huge impact on these people."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677703476045.jpeg" alt="Hays United Methodist Church Pastor Troy Miller (left) and his wife FHSU Assistant Professor Sarah Broman Miller (middle) with donated books for Kansas inmates as part of the Liberate Books Project. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Hays United Methodist Church Pastor Troy Miller (left) and his wife FHSU Assistant Professor Sarah Broman Miller (middle) with donated books for Kansas inmates as part of the Liberate Books Project. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostImagine being locked in a cell 24 hours, seven days a week with nothing to do but look at four dingy walls and think about the mistakes you've made in your life.Fort Hays State University Professor Sarah Broman Miller saw this pain in a former inmate who became a friend. The woman, who was incarcerated in the Ellis County Jail, said she longed to have a book to read while she was in jail, but none were available.&nbsp;"She had no books to read. She had nothing to do. She really felt helpless," Broman Miller said. "She said she thought if she had a book, just something to keep her mind occupied and maybe some self-help books or something to get her out of this depression she was in, that would have really been a benefit to her."Broman Miller and her husband, Pastor Troy Miller of Hays United Methodist Church, created the Liberate Books Project in 2019. The project distributes books to jails and prisons across the state of Kansas.Broman Miller estimated in the few years that the program has been active, the project has delivered about 11,000 books.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677703777942.jpeg" alt="Troy Miller and Sarah Broman Miller deliver books to a detention facility as part of the Liberate Books Project. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Troy Miller and Sarah Broman Miller deliver books to a detention facility as part of the Liberate Books Project. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The program recently partnered with the Micah 6:8 project through the Hays First United Methodist Church so it can enjoy non-profit status and expand its services."I feel a responsibility, almost a moral obligation, to take care of people who maybe don't get help and who maybe don't get that kind of attention or love from others," Broman Miller said.She said she is motivated to keep taking books to show people they are cared about, thought about and they are loved.&nbsp;"... I think one of the biggest things we can do for humanity is just care for other people and especially people in our own state and who are having these problems," she said.&nbsp;The project came as an offshoot of another program Broman Miller, who teaches teacher education, was working on with fellow FHSU Associate Professor in criminal justice April Terry.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677704109958.jpeg" alt="Sarah Broman Miller and her husband, Troy, load up their own vehicle, sometimes with hundreds of books to deliver to prisons and jails in the state. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Broman Miller and her husband, Troy, load up their own vehicle, sometimes with hundreds of books to deliver to prisons and jails in the state. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Broman Miller and Terry take both education and criminal justice students to the Topeka Correctional Facility where they work with female inmates on a literacy project.&nbsp;The students help inmates record themselves reading a children's book for their children or grandchildren. The program sends the recordings, the books and stuffed animals to the children. This program is ongoing.As an afterthought, Broman Miller suggested the students take books to the prison to replenish the prison's library. Broman Miller sponsored a book drive for the prison."The support that came from the community was incredible," Broman Miller said. "It was like someone turned on a fire hose."Broman Miller received so many books they took up a whole classroom at Hays First United Methodist Church.Out of that outpouring of love, as Broman Miller described it, came the Liberate Books Project, which sends books to county jails across the state."What I found out is that a lot of county jails do not have libraries," she said.Although the program that sparked the Liberate Book Project was exclusively for women, the book project offers reading material to all inmates.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677704151920.jpeg" alt="Sarah Broman Miller delivering books to a detention facility. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Broman Miller delivering books to a detention facility. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Jail staff members are often surprised the program is offering the books for free, Broman Miller said.Broman Miller's brother-in-law used to be a jailer in Johnson County. He started helping the Millers deliver books to the two jail facilities there. After he started to deliver books, he could walk the cell blocks and hear inmates talking about their favorite authors.The program promotes literacy, but Broman Miller said it is also a comfort for the inmates, many of whom may be dealing with trauma or addiction."They are at the lowest part of their lives," Broman Miller said. "To have something there that says you're not alone.&nbsp; This book when you read is going to take you somewhere else other than your current state."The project offers self-help books, which she said many of the inmates appreciate."If you are in a cell by yourself with nothing else to do but spend time thinking about your life, what a better place to have a book," she said.&nbsp;"I think it really does encourage people to become readers."Broman Miller has delivered books to the state correction facility in Stockton, where the inmates helped unload the books.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677704187658.jpeg" alt="The Liberate Books Project accepts donated books. The outpouring of gifts to the program has been so strong, the project had to take over a classroom at Hays First United Methodist Church to store all the books. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>The Liberate Books Project accepts donated books. The outpouring of gifts to the program has been so strong, the project had to take over a classroom at Hays First United Methodist Church to store all the books. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>"Seeing their faces, it was like a kid in a candy store. They were so excited to get the books. It has really helped to build their library," she said.The couple has been loading down their personal vehicle and paying out of their own pocket for gas to take these books to the county jails and prisons.The Northwest Kansas Library System recently donated books they were releasing out of their book talk collection. The couple recently took two carloads of these books to Norton."One time, there were so many books, I could barely fit my purse in the car," she said.Although many people have expressed interest in donating monetarily to the project, until the Liberate Books merged into the Micah 6:8 social justice charity under the Hays First United Methodist Church, it did not have non-profit status."[Micah 6:8] focuses on social issues and these can be illiteracy, incarceration, poverty, food scarcity. We plan to address those types of things that are happening right here in our own community," she said.&nbsp;This new status will allow the project to take donations that will be used to help with the expenses of getting books to the jails as well as ordering books that are specifically requested by inmates, Broman Miller said.Prior to the non-profit designation, the Millers were paying for ordering books out of their pocket.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677704323085.jpeg" alt="The Liberate Books Project is accepting books and monetary donations. All types of books are needed, including adult and young adult books. See more on how to donate below. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>The Liberate Books Project is accepting books and monetary donations. All types of books are needed, including adult and young adult books. See more on how to donate below. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>How you can help</h2>In addition to book and monetary donations, the Liberate Books Project is also looking for volunteers to deliver books.This could be individuals or groups. Broman Miller said you don't have to make a special trip. If you have plans to visit another community, you just have to be willing to take a load of books with you to that county's jail.Broman Miller has the contacts and will make the arrangements for the delivery and make sure the books are loaded into the volunteer's vehicle in Hays."It would be genius. I already have the books. That person is already going," she said.If you are interested in delivering books, you can email Broman Miller at sebmiller@fhsu.edu."It's a really fun and good service project," Broman Miller said. "I really hope the community would like to get involved. For them, it's really not a hard thing. All they have to do if they're going that direction anyway is reach out to me."The project takes all types of books, including all genres of adult books, picture books, chapter books and books for young adults.The average American reading level is between sixth and eighth grade. The average inmate's reading level is between fourth and fifth grade.Books and monetary donations can be made through Hays First United Methodist Church, 305 W. Seventh St., Hays. If sending a check,&nbsp; make checks payable to the church and put Liberate Books Project in the memo line.&nbsp;"This really helps. People may think 'I'm only giving books. This is not that hard for me," Broman Miller said. "In fact, it's good for me because I'm cleaning out grandma's closet. Grandma died and I need to take these books somewhere. It's actually a huge blessing for the people who are receiving them.&nbsp;"... your small donation of books or finances makes such a huge impact on these people."

Liberate Books Project provides books to inmates across Kansas

By TIM UNRUH For Saline County

Local talk radio chatter piqued Salina resident Jeff Stone’s interest one Saturday morning in late December.

The guest that morning was Mike Peterson, executive director of the Community Housing Development Corporation of Central Kansas. He explained CHDO’s goal to weatherize 50 homes of low to moderate income families.

Feeling some winter chill at his Salina home he’s owned for more than 30 years, Stone listened in.

“It was kind of drafty, but I wasn’t needing an igloo yet,” said the retired Salina banker, Disability Planning Organization of Kansas assessor, and U.S. Army veteran, originally from Boston.

“I qualified, and the work was stuff I didn’t have to pay for. It was like a no-brainer,” he said. “I figured anything they can do is better than what I had.”

Workers have so far insulated his attic and the crawl space below his house; provided and installed an air conditioner cover, fixed a trap door to his basement, and an access door to the attic.

The crew will return soon to close air leaks around Stone’s front door, replace a window in the laundry room, and perhaps add some sidewall insulation.

While he waits patiently, Stone, 77, has already noticed an improvement.

“My heater runs less frequently, and more efficiently, and it didn’t cost me a penny,” Stone said. “The contractor they hired was excellent, always prompt. He told me what he was doing, and did the work.”

His Salina home is among 50 in Saline County that will be weatherized with a $500,000 grant. The money is part of the county’s $10.532 million from the American Rescue Plant Act. A portion of $65.1 billion was sent to every county in America, to ease economic, governmental and personal effects of COVID-19.

“I want at least 50 houses done by the end of this year. Thirty are on the books and we have room for 20 more,” Peterson said. “We may go deeper than that once we find out our costs. I think we can go into 2024 with the county money”

The target in to spend no more than $7,500 at each home, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

CHDO’s overall focus is housing for low and moderate income families.

“We buy and renovate homes and resell to qualifying families,” Peterson said.

Crews look for air infiltration and use weather stripping on doors and windows, fix broken windows, fill holes, wrapping insulation blankets around poorly protected water heaters. It’s all aimed to reduce the amount of energy used in those homes.

“We go through the house using a thermal camera, trying to find cold spots, looking for something missing, like attic insulation,” he said. “Standard today are so much higher when most of these homes were built.”

Inspectors comb through homes looking for dangers, and install carbon monoxide detectors, which have become “a pretty routine safety device,” Peterson said. “The nice thing about it is it will help these people save money for years to come. We’re be helping them reduce their energy usage. I’m sure it will help improve their comfort level as well.”

“It was a real blessing to work with Jeff,” Peterson said.

Salina CHDO is still accepting applications at&nbsp;<a href="https://link.zixcentral.com/u/f8138d05/CgXidSK57RG23Nkmh3soMg?u=http%3A%2F%2Fkschdo.com" target="_blank">kschdo.com</a>. Find the weatherization application link and fill it out. To inquire, visit the office at 748B Duvall, call (785) 833-6868, email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mpeterson@kschdo.com" target="_blank">mpeterson@kschdo.com</a>, or visit the Salina CHDO Facebook page, where there are photos available of work being done.

“I really appreciate what Saline County’s doing for its taxpayers,” he said. “It’s a great program.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677797001413.png" alt="Salina resident Jeff Stone stands in the front doorway of his home that is due for weatherization work. Photo by Tim Unruh" />
 <figcaption>Salina resident Jeff Stone stands in the front doorway of his home that is due for weatherization work. Photo by Tim Unruh</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM UNRUH For Saline CountyLocal talk radio chatter piqued Salina resident Jeff Stone’s interest one Saturday morning in late December.The guest that morning was Mike Peterson, executive director of the Community Housing Development Corporation of Central Kansas. He explained CHDO’s goal to weatherize 50 homes of low to moderate income families.Feeling some winter chill at his Salina home he’s owned for more than 30 years, Stone listened in.“It was kind of drafty, but I wasn’t needing an igloo yet,” said the retired Salina banker, Disability Planning Organization of Kansas assessor, and U.S. Army veteran, originally from Boston.“I qualified, and the work was stuff I didn’t have to pay for. It was like a no-brainer,” he said. “I figured anything they can do is better than what I had.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677797106229.png" alt="Workers provided and installed a cover for Stone’s air conditioner. Photo by Tim Unruh" />
 <figcaption>Workers provided and installed a cover for Stone’s air conditioner. Photo by Tim Unruh</figcaption>
 </figure>Workers have so far insulated his attic and the crawl space below his house; provided and installed an air conditioner cover, fixed a trap door to his basement, and an access door to the attic.The crew will return soon to close air leaks around Stone’s front door, replace a window in the laundry room, and perhaps add some sidewall insulation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677797174617.png" alt="Added insulation in Stone’s attic is expected to lower utility bills and make his home more comfortable. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Added insulation in Stone’s attic is expected to lower utility bills and make his home more comfortable. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>While he waits patiently, Stone, 77, has already noticed an improvement.“My heater runs less frequently, and more efficiently, and it didn’t cost me a penny,” Stone said. “The contractor they hired was excellent, always prompt. He told me what he was doing, and did the work.”His Salina home is among 50 in Saline County that will be weatherized with a $500,000 grant. The money is part of the county’s $10.532 million from the American Rescue Plant Act. A portion of $65.1 billion was sent to every county in America, to ease economic, governmental and personal effects of COVID-19.“I want at least 50 houses done by the end of this year. Thirty are on the books and we have room for 20 more,” Peterson said. “We may go deeper than that once we find out our costs. I think we can go into 2024 with the county money”The target in to spend no more than $7,500 at each home, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;CHDO’s overall focus is housing for low and moderate income families.“We buy and renovate homes and resell to qualifying families,” Peterson said.Crews look for air infiltration and use weather stripping on doors and windows, fix broken windows, fill holes, wrapping insulation blankets around poorly protected water heaters. It’s all aimed to reduce the amount of energy used in those homes.“We go through the house using a thermal camera, trying to find cold spots, looking for something missing, like attic insulation,” he said. “Standard today are so much higher when most of these homes were built.”Inspectors comb through homes looking for dangers, and install carbon monoxide detectors, which have become “a pretty routine safety device,” Peterson said. “The nice thing about it is it will help these people save money for years to come. We’re be helping them reduce their energy usage. I’m sure it will help improve their comfort level as well.”He praised Stone for his cooperation.“It was a real blessing to work with Jeff,” Peterson said.Salina CHDO is still accepting applications at&nbsp;<a href="https://link.zixcentral.com/u/f8138d05/CgXidSK57RG23Nkmh3soMg?u=http%3A%2F%2Fkschdo.com" target="_blank">kschdo.com</a>. Find the weatherization application link and fill it out. To inquire, visit the office at 748B Duvall, call (785) 833-6868, email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mpeterson@kschdo.com" target="_blank">mpeterson@kschdo.com</a>, or visit the Salina CHDO Facebook page, where there are photos available of work being done.“I really appreciate what Saline County’s doing for its taxpayers,” he said. “It’s a great program.”

With county grant, CHDO aims to make 50 homes toasty this winter

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor

With the 2A semifinals fast approaching we have an all-area matchup on Thursday that will see the Bennington and Ell-Saline boys' basketball teams collide for a third meeting this season.

The 6th-ranked Bulldogs will enter this contest at 17-4 after dispatching Northern Heights 71-21 on Monday, while the Cardinals come in at 13-8 fresh off a 65-36 victory over Herington.

These rivals have two games on the books already this year, and both went Bennington's way with the Bulldogs claiming victories of 57-28 back in December, and 54-45 in February.

While the Bulldogs will enter this game as the undoubted favorites, that dynamic actually removes some of the pressure from the Cardinals locker room, and Ell-Saline hopes that will help them play loose in this pivotal game.

"We took care of business and beat a Herington team that we should have beat, now we can have fun and enjoy the ride. Bennington is the favorite to win our sub-state. This is a great time for us to go execute our game plan, play free, battle for 32 minutes, and see what happens."

On the other side of the bracket, the 1-seed in Chase County (18-3) will take on the 4-seed in Sacred Heart (12-9) with the winners meeting in the championship game at 5:30 on Saturday.

Tip-off between the Cardinals and Bulldogs is scheduled for 6:00 on Thursday at Hillsboro High School.

For continuing coverage of both Bennington and Ell-Saline throughout the tournament, stay tuned to the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of Lady Trojan hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Lady Trojan hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>With the 2A semifinals fast approaching we have an all-area matchup on Thursday that will see the Bennington and Ell-Saline boys' basketball teams collide for a third meeting this season.The 6th-ranked Bulldogs will enter this contest at 17-4 after dispatching Northern Heights 71-21 on Monday, while the Cardinals come in at 13-8 fresh off a 65-36 victory over Herington.These rivals have two games on the books already this year, and both went Bennington's way with the Bulldogs claiming victories of 57-28 back in December, and 54-45 in February.While the Bulldogs will enter this game as the undoubted favorites, that dynamic actually removes some of the pressure from the Cardinals locker room, and Ell-Saline hopes that will help them play loose in this pivotal game."We took care of business and beat a Herington team that we should have beat, now we can have fun and enjoy the ride. Bennington is the favorite to win our sub-state. This is a great time for us to go execute our game plan, play free, battle for 32 minutes, and see what happens."On the other side of the bracket, the 1-seed in Chase County (18-3) will take on the 4-seed in Sacred Heart (12-9) with the winners meeting in the championship game at 5:30 on Saturday.Tip-off between the Cardinals and Bulldogs is scheduled for 6:00 on Thursday at Hillsboro High School.For continuing coverage of both Bennington and Ell-Saline throughout the tournament, stay tuned to the Salina Post.

Sub-State Snapshot Preview: Bennington boys vs. Ell-Saline

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an arrest.

Just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, police went to an address in the 2100 block of SW Huntoon Street in Topeka to try and locate a wanted person stemming from an aggravated battery investigation,&nbsp;according to Lt. Edward Stanley.

 Officers observed the subject identified as 19-year-old Michael O. Bennett II enter into a residence but he refused to come out of the home. 

The Topeka Police Department Response Team and Crisis Negotiations Team were summoned to the scene, and the subject was subsequently arrested without incident.

&nbsp;Bennett was booked in to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Robbery and Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677758608956.png" alt="Bennett-photo Shawnee o." />
 <figcaption>Bennett-photo Shawnee o.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an arrest.Just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, police went to an address in the 2100 block of SW Huntoon Street in Topeka to try and locate a wanted person stemming from an aggravated battery investigation,&nbsp;according to Lt. Edward Stanley. Officers observed the subject identified as 19-year-old Michael O. Bennett II enter into a residence but he refused to come out of the home. The Topeka Police Department Response Team and Crisis Negotiations Team were summoned to the scene, and the subject was subsequently arrested without incident.&nbsp;Bennett was booked in to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Robbery and Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.

Police: Robbery suspect arrested after standoff at Kansas home

In its 39th year, the 2023 Salina Spring Poetry Series features a lineup of socially minded poets who will read in downtown Salina. 

In-person readings are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in April at Ad Astra Books &amp; Coffee House, 135 N. Santa Fe Avenue.

The series is sponsored by Salina Arts &amp; Humanities and was curated by Huascar Medina, Kansas Poet Laureate Emeritus. Medina selected poets with a broad range of perspectives featuring the perspectives of a migrant farm worker, an award-winning spoken word poet, a poet whose work is centered on comics and graphic novels, and the current Kansas Poet Laureate. Admission to each reading will be $5 at the door and free for students with ID.

"Thank you, Salina Arts &amp; Humanities, for spotlighting poetry. What a gift it is to see poets shine,” said Medina. “The Salina Spring Poetry Series continues to be a poetic lighthouse across Kansas, and this year will be one of the most radiant to date.”

The lineup of poets for the 2023 Salina Poetry Series is as follows.

Traci Brimhall is the author of four poetry collections: Come the Slumberless from the Land of Nod (Copper Canyon); Saudade (Copper Canyon); Our Lady of the Ruins (W.W. Norton), winner of the Barnard Women Poets Prize; and Rookery (Southern Illinois University Press), winner of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award. Her poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, The Believer, The New Republic, Orion, New York Times Magazine, and Best American Poetry. She’s received fellowships from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing and the National Endowment for the Arts. She currently serves as Poet Laureate of Kansas. Brimhall is scheduled to perform April 4.

Born and raised in Topeka, Gary Jackson is the author of the poetry collections origin story (University of New Mexico Press, 2021) and Missing You, Metropolis (Graywolf Press, 2010), which received the 2009 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. He’s also the co-editor of The Future of Black: Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry (Blair Publishing, 2021). His poems have appeared in numerous journals including Callaloo, The Sun, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Copper Nickel. He’s received fellowships and residencies from Cave Canem, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and Art Omi. He’s published work in Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology and was featured in the 2013 New American Poetry Series by the Poetry Society of America. He’s an associate professor in English and creative writing at the College of Charleston where he’s currently the Director of Undergraduate Creative Writing and teaches in the MFA program and serves as the Poetry editor of swamp pink. Jackson is scheduled to perform April 11.

Miguel M. Morales grew up in Texas working as a migrant and seasonal farmworker. He is a Lambda Literary Fellow and an alum of VONA/Voices and of the Macondo Writers Workshop. Morales’ work appears in Imaniman: Poets Writing in the Anzaldúan Borderlands, Primera Página: Poetry from the Latino Heartland, Cuentos del Centro: Stories from the Latino Heartland, From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction, The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat &amp; Fierce, in Duende Journal, Acentos Review, Green Mountains Review, Texas Poetry Review, Hawai’i Review, and World Literature Today among others. Morales is the co-editor of Pulse/Pulso: In Remembrance of Orlando and of Fat &amp; Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives, which was named the 2021 Book of the Year by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). Morales has earned several awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists First Amendment Award. He is currently co-editing a portfolio of farmworker writing for The Common Magazine’s Fall 2023 print edition. Morales is schedule to perform April 18.

Sheri Purpose Hall is an award-winning spoken word artist, author, radio personality, actress, educator, and minister who uses her work to provide perspective and engage conversational empathy. She has four books: a book of poetry, epistles, and essays titled Black Girl Shattered (2017); two poetry chapbooks Mélange du Femme Noir (2019) and Chosen for Both (2015); and a workbook/workshop Writing Wrongs: Writing to Heal (2016) which won an award from Bike for the Brain, a non-profit organization that works to reduce mental health stigma. She is the founder of Arsyn Spit Fire, East of Red ArtHouse, and PenFire Publishing; executive director of poetry for Personal Power. Hall is scheduled to perform April 25.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677721455901.jpeg" alt="Image courtesy Salina Arts &amp; Humanities" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Salina Arts &amp; Humanities</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Arts &amp; HumanitiesIn its 39th year, the 2023 Salina Spring Poetry Series features a lineup of socially minded poets who will read in downtown Salina. In-person readings are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in April at Ad Astra Books &amp; Coffee House, 135 N. Santa Fe Avenue.The series is sponsored by Salina Arts &amp; Humanities and was curated by Huascar Medina, Kansas Poet Laureate Emeritus. Medina selected poets with a broad range of perspectives featuring the perspectives of a migrant farm worker, an award-winning spoken word poet, a poet whose work is centered on comics and graphic novels, and the current Kansas Poet Laureate. Admission to each reading will be $5 at the door and free for students with ID."Thank you, Salina Arts &amp; Humanities, for spotlighting poetry. What a gift it is to see poets shine,” said Medina. “The Salina Spring Poetry Series continues to be a poetic lighthouse across Kansas, and this year will be one of the most radiant to date.”The lineup of poets for the 2023 Salina Poetry Series is as follows.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677721960267.png" alt="Traci Brimhall. Photos courtesy Salina Arts &amp; Humanities unless otherwise noted" />
 <figcaption>Traci Brimhall. Photos courtesy Salina Arts &amp; Humanities unless otherwise noted</figcaption>
 </figure>Traci Brimhall is the author of four poetry collections: Come the Slumberless from the Land of Nod (Copper Canyon); Saudade (Copper Canyon); Our Lady of the Ruins (W.W. Norton), winner of the Barnard Women Poets Prize; and Rookery (Southern Illinois University Press), winner of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award. Her poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, The Believer, The New Republic, Orion, New York Times Magazine, and Best American Poetry. She’s received fellowships from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing and the National Endowment for the Arts. She currently serves as Poet Laureate of Kansas. Brimhall is scheduled to perform April 4.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677722019088.png" alt="Gary Jackson. Photo by Sebastian Stuertz" />
 <figcaption>Gary Jackson. Photo by Sebastian Stuertz</figcaption>
 </figure>Born and raised in Topeka, Gary Jackson is the author of the poetry collections origin story (University of New Mexico Press, 2021) and Missing You, Metropolis (Graywolf Press, 2010), which received the 2009 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. He’s also the co-editor of The Future of Black: Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry (Blair Publishing, 2021). His poems have appeared in numerous journals including Callaloo, The Sun, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Copper Nickel. He’s received fellowships and residencies from Cave Canem, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and Art Omi. He’s published work in Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology and was featured in the 2013 New American Poetry Series by the Poetry Society of America. He’s an associate professor in English and creative writing at the College of Charleston where he’s currently the Director of Undergraduate Creative Writing and teaches in the MFA program and serves as the Poetry editor of swamp pink. Jackson is scheduled to perform April 11.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677722060645.png" alt="Miguel M. Morales" />
 <figcaption>Miguel M. Morales</figcaption>
 </figure>Miguel M. Morales grew up in Texas working as a migrant and seasonal farmworker. He is a Lambda Literary Fellow and an alum of VONA/Voices and of the Macondo Writers Workshop. Morales’ work appears in Imaniman: Poets Writing in the Anzaldúan Borderlands, Primera Página: Poetry from the Latino Heartland, Cuentos del Centro: Stories from the Latino Heartland, From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction, The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat &amp; Fierce, in Duende Journal, Acentos Review, Green Mountains Review, Texas Poetry Review, Hawai’i Review, and World Literature Today among others. Morales is the co-editor of Pulse/Pulso: In Remembrance of Orlando and of Fat &amp; Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives, which was named the 2021 Book of the Year by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). Morales has earned several awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists First Amendment Award. He is currently co-editing a portfolio of farmworker writing for The Common Magazine’s Fall 2023 print edition. Morales is schedule to perform April 18.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677722096852.png" alt="Sheri Purpose Hall" />
 <figcaption>Sheri Purpose Hall</figcaption>
 </figure>Sheri Purpose Hall is an award-winning spoken word artist, author, radio personality, actress, educator, and minister who uses her work to provide perspective and engage conversational empathy. She has four books: a book of poetry, epistles, and essays titled Black Girl Shattered (2017); two poetry chapbooks Mélange du Femme Noir (2019) and Chosen for Both (2015); and a workbook/workshop Writing Wrongs: Writing to Heal (2016) which won an award from Bike for the Brain, a non-profit organization that works to reduce mental health stigma. She is the founder of Arsyn Spit Fire, East of Red ArtHouse, and PenFire Publishing; executive director of poetry for Personal Power. Hall is scheduled to perform April 25.

Salina Arts & Humanities announces Spring Poetry Series lineup

Today is Thursday, March 2, the 61st day of 2023. There are 304 days left in the year.

On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks, an NBA record that still stands. Philadelphia won the game, 169-147.

In 1861, the state of Texas, having seceded from the Union, was admitted to the Confederacy.

In 1877, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden had won the popular vote.

In 1917, actor, producer, director and bandleader Desi Arnaz was born in Santiago de Cuba.

In 1932, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which moved the date of the presidential inauguration from March 4 to Jan. 20, was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.

In 1939, John Ford's classic Western "Stagecoach," starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne, opened in New York.

In 1943, the three-day Battle of the Bismarck Sea began in the southwest Pacific during World War II; U.S. and Australian warplanes were able to inflict heavy damage on an Imperial Japanese convoy.

In 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks' famous act of defiance, Claudette Colvin, a Black high school student in Montgomery, Alabama, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white passenger.

In 1985, the government approved a screening test for AIDS that detected antibodies to the virus, allowing possibly contaminated blood to be excluded from the blood supply.

In 1989, representatives from the 12 European Community nations agreed to ban all production of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), the synthetic compounds blamed for destroying the Earth's ozone layer, by the end of the 20th century.

In 1990, more than 6,000 drivers went on strike against Greyhound Lines Inc. (The company, later declaring an impasse in negotiations, fired the strikers.)

In 1995, the Internet search engine website Yahoo! was incorporated by founders Jerry Yang and David Filo.

In 2011, the Supreme Court ruled, 8-1, that a grieving father's pain over mocking protests at his Marine son's funeral had to yield to First Amendment protections for free speech in a decision favoring the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.

In 2012, Some 40 people were killed by tornadoes that struck Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

Ten years ago: The day after $85 billion in across-the-board federal spending cuts went into effect, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans refused to concede any culpability for failing to stave off the sequester. Alaska's 41st Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off with a festive ceremonial start in Anchorage.

Five years ago: At a funeral before an invitation-only crowd of approximately 2,000 in Charlotte, North Carolina, the children of the Rev. Billy Graham remembered "America's Pastor" as a man devoted to spreading the Gospel, and one who lived his life at home as he preached it in stadiums. A nor'easter pounded the Atlantic coast with hurricane-force winds and sideways rain and snow, grounding flights and leaving more than 2 million homes and businesses without power from North Carolina to Maine.

One year ago: Russian forces laid siege to two strategic Ukrainian seaports and pressed their bombardment of the country's second-biggest city, while the huge armored column threatening Kyiv appeared to be stalled outside the capital. Moscow's isolation deepened as most of the world lines up against it at the United Nations. Autherine Lucy Foster, the first Black student to enroll at the University of Alabama, died at age 92.

Today's birthdays: Actor John Cullum is 93. Actor Barbara Luna is 84. Author John Irving is 81. Actor Cassie Yates is 72. Actor and comedian Laraine Newman (Saturday Night Live) is 71. Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., is 70. Former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is 68. Singer Jay Osmond is 68. Pop musician John Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 67. Former tennis player Kevin Curren is 65. Country singer Larry Stewart (Restless Heart) is 64. Rock singer Jon Bon Jovi is 61. Blues singer-musician Alvin Youngblood Hart is 60. Actor Daniel Craig is 55. Actor Richard Ruccolo is 51. Rock singer Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 46. Actor Heather McComb is 46. Actor Rebel Wilson is 43. Actor Bryce Dallas Howard is 42. Former NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 41. Actor Robert Iler is 38. Actor Nathalie Emmanuel is 34. Country singer Luke Combs is 33. Singer-rapper-actor Becky G is 26.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Thursday, March 2, the 61st day of 2023. There are 304 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks, an NBA record that still stands. Philadelphia won the game, 169-147.On this date:In 1861, the state of Texas, having seceded from the Union, was admitted to the Confederacy.In 1877, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden had won the popular vote.In 1917, actor, producer, director and bandleader Desi Arnaz was born in Santiago de Cuba.In 1932, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which moved the date of the presidential inauguration from March 4 to Jan. 20, was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.In 1939, John Ford's classic Western "Stagecoach," starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne, opened in New York.In 1943, the three-day Battle of the Bismarck Sea began in the southwest Pacific during World War II; U.S. and Australian warplanes were able to inflict heavy damage on an Imperial Japanese convoy.In 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks' famous act of defiance, Claudette Colvin, a Black high school student in Montgomery, Alabama, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white passenger.In 1985, the government approved a screening test for AIDS that detected antibodies to the virus, allowing possibly contaminated blood to be excluded from the blood supply.In 1989, representatives from the 12 European Community nations agreed to ban all production of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), the synthetic compounds blamed for destroying the Earth's ozone layer, by the end of the 20th century.In 1990, more than 6,000 drivers went on strike against Greyhound Lines Inc. (The company, later declaring an impasse in negotiations, fired the strikers.)In 1995, the Internet search engine website Yahoo! was incorporated by founders Jerry Yang and David Filo.In 2011, the Supreme Court ruled, 8-1, that a grieving father's pain over mocking protests at his Marine son's funeral had to yield to First Amendment protections for free speech in a decision favoring the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.In 2012, Some 40 people were killed by tornadoes that struck Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.Ten years ago: The day after $85 billion in across-the-board federal spending cuts went into effect, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans refused to concede any culpability for failing to stave off the sequester. Alaska's 41st Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off with a festive ceremonial start in Anchorage.Five years ago: At a funeral before an invitation-only crowd of approximately 2,000 in Charlotte, North Carolina, the children of the Rev. Billy Graham remembered "America's Pastor" as a man devoted to spreading the Gospel, and one who lived his life at home as he preached it in stadiums. A nor'easter pounded the Atlantic coast with hurricane-force winds and sideways rain and snow, grounding flights and leaving more than 2 million homes and businesses without power from North Carolina to Maine.One year ago: Russian forces laid siege to two strategic Ukrainian seaports and pressed their bombardment of the country's second-biggest city, while the huge armored column threatening Kyiv appeared to be stalled outside the capital. Moscow's isolation deepened as most of the world lines up against it at the United Nations. Autherine Lucy Foster, the first Black student to enroll at the University of Alabama, died at age 92.Today's birthdays: Actor John Cullum is 93. Actor Barbara Luna is 84. Author John Irving is 81. Actor Cassie Yates is 72. Actor and comedian Laraine Newman (Saturday Night Live) is 71. Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., is 70. Former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is 68. Singer Jay Osmond is 68. Pop musician John Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 67. Former tennis player Kevin Curren is 65. Country singer Larry Stewart (Restless Heart) is 64. Rock singer Jon Bon Jovi is 61. Blues singer-musician Alvin Youngblood Hart is 60. Actor Daniel Craig is 55. Actor Richard Ruccolo is 51. Rock singer Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 46. Actor Heather McComb is 46. Actor Rebel Wilson is 43. Actor Bryce Dallas Howard is 42. Former NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 41. Actor Robert Iler is 38. Actor Nathalie Emmanuel is 34. Country singer Luke Combs is 33. Singer-rapper-actor Becky G is 26.

Today in History - March 2

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers argued Wednesday over a bill that would ban most LGBTQ education subjects for all grades in the state's public schools.

The proposal is modeled after a Florida education law passed last year, touted by supporters as protecting “parent's rights” and dubbed by opponents as a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-education-florida-ron-desantis-322e0a40da909f48954b8b1bd9190750">Don't Say Gay</a>&nbsp;” law.

The Missouri bill debated in a state House committee hearing would ban K-12 public school staff from teaching about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-missouri-state-government-sex-education-florida-mike-moon-5f0a24af8e7428e63e59f19560a74d50">gender identity and sexual orientation</a>.

The Florida law only prohibits teaching those subjects from kindergarten through third grade, although any lessons on those topics for students of any grade are also banned if they are not age-appropriate.

“Exposure to such topics is inappropriate for children, creating confusion which may then cause doubt in their identities,” said Rep. Ann Kelley, a former teacher and the Republican sponsor of the Missouri bill. "It is not the place of the school to indoctrinate our children by exposing them to gender and sexual identity curriculums and courses.”

Kelley said her bill will need to be amended so it does not limit teaching for Advanced Placement courses.

In response to a question from a committee member, Kelley said she assumes that under her bill, educators would be banned from explaining the 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage.

“It seems like the things that you want to prohibit are targeted to one particular group that you find disfavorable," Republican Rep. Phil Christofanelli told Kelley.

Democratic Rep. Ian Mackey, a former teacher who is openly gay, asked Kelley if him “being gay in the classroom” and not hiding that from students would be limited under her bill.

“Did you ever inform your students on your beliefs?” Kelley asked Mackey.

“They did know I was gay,” Mackey said. “They would see my wedding ring and they would ask about it, and I would say I have a husband.”

A committee vote on the bill was not scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon.

The White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-politics-florida-state-government-36ec16b56ac6e72b9efcce26defdd0d8">Disney</a>, and LGBTQ advocates criticized the passage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-dont-say-gay-law-signed-56aee61f075a12663f25990c7b31624d">the Florida bill</a>&nbsp;last year. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the bill was a victory for parents and would prevent “indoctrination."

Some Florida schools have since moved library books and debated changing textbooks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-ron-desantis-gender-identity-49dfb9a4f63b2497846df8e96fd652cc">in response</a>&nbsp;to the new law. Some teachers have worried that family pictures on their desks could get them in trouble.

A federal judge in February again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-tallahassee-education-lawsuits-c568376af04807379346b23e0e2d7769">dismissed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;challenging the Florida law's constitutionality. The judge ruled that the students, parents and teachers who filed the lawsuit didn’t have legal standing.

The Missouri Senate is considering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-sex-education-missouri-jefferson-city-c265ee7758ea0a718174d1ad625617ca">similar bill</a>&nbsp;requiring public school teachers and staff to tell parents if their children “express discomfort or confusion."

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers argued Wednesday over a bill that would ban most LGBTQ education subjects for all grades in the state's public schools.The proposal is modeled after a Florida education law passed last year, touted by supporters as protecting “parent's rights” and dubbed by opponents as a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-education-florida-ron-desantis-322e0a40da909f48954b8b1bd9190750">Don't Say Gay</a>&nbsp;” law.The Missouri bill debated in a state House committee hearing would ban K-12 public school staff from teaching about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-missouri-state-government-sex-education-florida-mike-moon-5f0a24af8e7428e63e59f19560a74d50">gender identity and sexual orientation</a>.The Florida law only prohibits teaching those subjects from kindergarten through third grade, although any lessons on those topics for students of any grade are also banned if they are not age-appropriate.“Exposure to such topics is inappropriate for children, creating confusion which may then cause doubt in their identities,” said Rep. Ann Kelley, a former teacher and the Republican sponsor of the Missouri bill. "It is not the place of the school to indoctrinate our children by exposing them to gender and sexual identity curriculums and courses.”Kelley said her bill will need to be amended so it does not limit teaching for Advanced Placement courses.In response to a question from a committee member, Kelley said she assumes that under her bill, educators would be banned from explaining the 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage.“It seems like the things that you want to prohibit are targeted to one particular group that you find disfavorable," Republican Rep. Phil Christofanelli told Kelley.Democratic Rep. Ian Mackey, a former teacher who is openly gay, asked Kelley if him “being gay in the classroom” and not hiding that from students would be limited under her bill.“Did you ever inform your students on your beliefs?” Kelley asked Mackey.“They did know I was gay,” Mackey said. “They would see my wedding ring and they would ask about it, and I would say I have a husband.”A committee vote on the bill was not scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon.The White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-politics-florida-state-government-36ec16b56ac6e72b9efcce26defdd0d8">Disney</a>, and LGBTQ advocates criticized the passage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-dont-say-gay-law-signed-56aee61f075a12663f25990c7b31624d">the Florida bill</a>&nbsp;last year. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the bill was a victory for parents and would prevent “indoctrination."Some Florida schools have since moved library books and debated changing textbooks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-ron-desantis-gender-identity-49dfb9a4f63b2497846df8e96fd652cc">in response</a>&nbsp;to the new law. Some teachers have worried that family pictures on their desks could get them in trouble.A federal judge in February again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-tallahassee-education-lawsuits-c568376af04807379346b23e0e2d7769">dismissed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;challenging the Florida law's constitutionality. The judge ruled that the students, parents and teachers who filed the lawsuit didn’t have legal standing.The Missouri Senate is considering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-sex-education-missouri-jefferson-city-c265ee7758ea0a718174d1ad625617ca">similar bill</a>&nbsp;requiring public school teachers and staff to tell parents if their children “express discomfort or confusion."

Missouri debates ban on LGBTQ education for all grades

Today is Wednesday, March 1, the 60th day of 2023. There are 305 days left in the year.

On March 1, 1974, seven people, including former Nixon White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, former Attorney General John Mitchell and former assistant Attorney General Robert Mardian, were indicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice in connection with the Watergate break-in. (These four defendants were convicted in January 1975, though Mardian's conviction was later reversed.)

In 1815, Napoleon, having escaped exile in Elba, arrived in Cannes, France, and headed for Paris to begin his "Hundred Days" rule.

In 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state as President Andrew Johnson signed a proclamation.

In 1893, inventor Nikola Tesla first publicly demonstrated radio during a meeting of the National Electric Light Association in St. Louis by transmitting electromagnetic energy without wires.

In 1932, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home near Hopewell, New Jersey. (Remains identified as those of the child were found the following May.)

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, back from the Yalta Conference, proclaimed the meeting a success as he addressed a joint session of Congress.

In 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the spectators' gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five members of Congress.

In 1966, the Soviet space probe Venera 3 impacted the surface of Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another planet; however, Venera was unable to transmit any data, its communications system having failed.

In 1971, a bomb went off inside a men's room at the U.S. Capitol; the radical group Weather Underground claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn blast.

In 2005, Dennis Rader, the churchgoing family man accused of leading a double life as the BTK serial killer, was charged in Wichita, Kansas, with 10 counts of first-degree murder. (Rader later pleaded guilty and received multiple life sentences.) A closely divided Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for juvenile criminals.

In 2010, Jay Leno returned as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show."

In 2015, tens of thousands marched through Moscow in honor of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who had been shot to death on Feb. 27.

In 2020, state officials said New York City had its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a woman in her late 30s who had contracted the virus while traveling in Iran. Health officials in Washington state, announcing what was believed at the time to be the second U.S. death from the coronavirus, said the virus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in the Seattle area.

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama, still deadlocked with Republican congressional leaders, formally enacted $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts a few hours before the midnight deadline required by law. In Bangladesh, protesters clashed with police for a second day and the death toll rose to at least 44 from violence triggered by a death sentence given to an Islamic party leader for crimes linked to Bangladesh's 1971 independence war.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, escalating tensions with China and other trading partners and raising the prospect of higher prices for Americans. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which selects winners of the peace prize, announced that someone using a stolen identity nominated Trump for the award. The committee leader said it appeared the same person was responsible for forging nominations in 2017, as well.

One year ago: Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas, bombarding the central square in Ukraine's second-biggest city and Kyiv's main TV tower in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a blatant campaign of terror. In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden aimed to rally the American public to bear the costs of supporting Ukraine's fight to stave off the massive Russian invasion. He also outlined his plans to combat soaring inflation.

Today's birthdays: Singer/actor Harry Belafonte is 96. Rock singer Mike D'Abo (Manfred Mann) is 79. Former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., is 79. Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 79. Actor Dirk Benedict is 78. Actor-director Ron Howard is 69. Country singer Janis Oliver (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 69. Actor Catherine Bach is 68. Actor Tim Daly is 67. Singer-musician Jon Carroll is 66. Rock musician Bill Leen is 61. Actor Bryan Batt is 60. Actor Maurice Benard is 60. Actor Russell Wong is 60. Actor Chris Eigeman is 58. Actor George Eads is 56. Actor Javier Bardem is 54. Actor Jack Davenport is 50. Rock musician Ryan Peake (Nickelback) is 50. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 49. Singer Tate Stevens is 48. Actor Jensen Ackles is 45. TV host Donovan Patton is 45. Actor Joe Tippett is 41. Actor Lupita Nyong'o is 40. Pop singer Kesha (formerly Ke$ha) is 36. R&amp;B singer Sammie is 36. Pop singer Justin Bieber is 29.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Wednesday, March 1, the 60th day of 2023. There are 305 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On March 1, 1974, seven people, including former Nixon White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, former Attorney General John Mitchell and former assistant Attorney General Robert Mardian, were indicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice in connection with the Watergate break-in. (These four defendants were convicted in January 1975, though Mardian's conviction was later reversed.)On this date:In 1815, Napoleon, having escaped exile in Elba, arrived in Cannes, France, and headed for Paris to begin his "Hundred Days" rule.In 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state as President Andrew Johnson signed a proclamation.In 1893, inventor Nikola Tesla first publicly demonstrated radio during a meeting of the National Electric Light Association in St. Louis by transmitting electromagnetic energy without wires.In 1932, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home near Hopewell, New Jersey. (Remains identified as those of the child were found the following May.)In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, back from the Yalta Conference, proclaimed the meeting a success as he addressed a joint session of Congress.In 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the spectators' gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five members of Congress.In 1966, the Soviet space probe Venera 3 impacted the surface of Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another planet; however, Venera was unable to transmit any data, its communications system having failed.In 1971, a bomb went off inside a men's room at the U.S. Capitol; the radical group Weather Underground claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn blast.In 2005, Dennis Rader, the churchgoing family man accused of leading a double life as the BTK serial killer, was charged in Wichita, Kansas, with 10 counts of first-degree murder. (Rader later pleaded guilty and received multiple life sentences.) A closely divided Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for juvenile criminals.In 2010, Jay Leno returned as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show."In 2015, tens of thousands marched through Moscow in honor of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who had been shot to death on Feb. 27.In 2020, state officials said New York City had its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a woman in her late 30s who had contracted the virus while traveling in Iran. Health officials in Washington state, announcing what was believed at the time to be the second U.S. death from the coronavirus, said the virus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in the Seattle area.Ten years ago: President Barack Obama, still deadlocked with Republican congressional leaders, formally enacted $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts a few hours before the midnight deadline required by law. In Bangladesh, protesters clashed with police for a second day and the death toll rose to at least 44 from violence triggered by a death sentence given to an Islamic party leader for crimes linked to Bangladesh's 1971 independence war.Five years ago: President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, escalating tensions with China and other trading partners and raising the prospect of higher prices for Americans. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which selects winners of the peace prize, announced that someone using a stolen identity nominated Trump for the award. The committee leader said it appeared the same person was responsible for forging nominations in 2017, as well.One year ago: Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas, bombarding the central square in Ukraine's second-biggest city and Kyiv's main TV tower in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a blatant campaign of terror. In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden aimed to rally the American public to bear the costs of supporting Ukraine's fight to stave off the massive Russian invasion. He also outlined his plans to combat soaring inflation.Today's birthdays: Singer/actor Harry Belafonte is 96. Rock singer Mike D'Abo (Manfred Mann) is 79. Former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., is 79. Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 79. Actor Dirk Benedict is 78. Actor-director Ron Howard is 69. Country singer Janis Oliver (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 69. Actor Catherine Bach is 68. Actor Tim Daly is 67. Singer-musician Jon Carroll is 66. Rock musician Bill Leen is 61. Actor Bryan Batt is 60. Actor Maurice Benard is 60. Actor Russell Wong is 60. Actor Chris Eigeman is 58. Actor George Eads is 56. Actor Javier Bardem is 54. Actor Jack Davenport is 50. Rock musician Ryan Peake (Nickelback) is 50. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 49. Singer Tate Stevens is 48. Actor Jensen Ackles is 45. TV host Donovan Patton is 45. Actor Joe Tippett is 41. Actor Lupita Nyong'o is 40. Pop singer Kesha (formerly Ke$ha) is 36. R&amp;B singer Sammie is 36. Pop singer Justin Bieber is 29.

Today in History - March 1

MONTGOMERY COUNTY – Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents, along with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Independence Police Department, arrested nine subjects following an investigation, and the execution of a search warrant, according to a media release from the KBI.

Just after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, law enforcement officers executed the search warrant at 413 S. 11th Street in Independence, Kansas. Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found at the residence. Multiple individuals were present at the time the search warrant was conducted. Authorities arrested 9 on pending requested charges.

&nbsp;Dustin Vaughn, 35, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia. Vaughn also had an outstanding arrest warrant for failure to appear.

Brian Noble, 31, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia and possession of use paraphernalia. Noble had three outstanding arrest warrants for aggravated failure to appear.

Stephen Mills, 44, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.

Jonathan Wyatt, 31, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.

Stacie Fine, 51, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.

Tammy Kinney, 56, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia and possession of use paraphernalia.

Marsha Bolin, 41, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.

Tyler Slaton, 27, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.

Stephen Landsaw, 50, of Independence was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.

The subjects were booked into the Montgomery County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677627020812.png" alt="Vaughn-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Vaughn-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY – Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents, along with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Independence Police Department, arrested nine subjects following an investigation, and the execution of a search warrant, according to a media release from the KBI.Just after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, law enforcement officers executed the search warrant at 413 S. 11th Street in Independence, Kansas. Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found at the residence. Multiple individuals were present at the time the search warrant was conducted. Authorities arrested 9 on pending requested charges.&nbsp;Dustin Vaughn, 35, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia. Vaughn also had an outstanding arrest warrant for failure to appear.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677626982227.png" alt="Noble&nbsp;photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Noble&nbsp;photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Brian Noble, 31, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia and possession of use paraphernalia. Noble had three outstanding arrest warrants for aggravated failure to appear.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677627062495.png" alt="Mills-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Mills-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Stephen Mills, 44, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677627096729.png" alt="Wyatt-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Wyatt-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jonathan Wyatt, 31, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677626934077.png" alt="Fine" />
 <figcaption>Fine</figcaption>
 </figure>Stacie Fine, 51, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677626878677.png" alt="Kinney-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Kinney-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Tammy Kinney, 56, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia and possession of use paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677626821964.png" alt="Bolin-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Bolin-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Marsha Bolin, 41, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677627137444.png" alt="Slaton-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Slaton-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Tyler Slaton, 27, of Independence, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677627178859.png" alt="Landsaw&nbsp;photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Landsaw&nbsp;photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Stephen Landsaw, 50, of Independence was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, and possession of use paraphernalia.The subjects were booked into the Montgomery County Jail.

KBI makes 9 arrests after large meth bust at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab?

(Click below to watch: John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, downplays COVID lab leak report)

Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has assessed with “low confidence” in that it began with a lab leak, according to a person familiar with the report who wasn’t authorized to discuss it. The report has not been made public.

But others in the U.S. intelligence community disagree.

“There is not a consensus right now in the U.S. government about exactly how COVID started,” John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said Monday. “There is just not an intelligence community consensus.”

The DOE's conclusion was first reported over the weekend in the Wall Street Journal, which said the classified report was based on new intelligence and noted in an update to a 2021 document. The DOE oversees a national network of labs.

White House officials on Monday declined to confirm press reports about the assessment.

In 2021, officials released an intelligence report summary that said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2570b89545d4332b8a3bd7289982aa22">four members of the U.S. intelligence community believed</a>&nbsp;with low confidence that the virus was first transmitted from an animal to a human, and a fifth believed with moderate confidence that the first human infection was linked to a lab.

While some scientists are open to the lab-leak theory, others continue to believe the virus came from animals, mutated, and jumped into people — as has happened in the past with viruses. Experts say the true origin of the pandemic may not be known for many years — if ever.

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the report. All 18 offices of the U.S. intelligence community had access to the information the DOE used in reaching its assessment.

Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, said she isn’t sure what new intelligence the agencies had, but “it’s reasonable to infer” it relates to activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. She said a 2018 research proposal co-authored by scientists there and their U.S. collaborators “essentially described a blueprint for COVID-like viruses.”

“Less than two years later, such a virus was causing an outbreak in the city,” she said.

The Wuhan institute had been studying coronaviruses for years, in part because of widespread concerns — tracing back to SARS — that coronaviruses could be the source of the next pandemic.

No intelligence agency has said they believe the coronavirus that caused COVID-19 was released intentionally. The unclassified 2021 summary was clear on this point, saying: “We judge the virus was not developed as a biological weapon.”

“Lab accidents happen at a surprising frequency. A lot of people don’t really hear about lab accidents because they're not talked about publicly,” said Chan, who co-authored a book about the search for COVID-19 origins. Such accidents "underscore a need to make work with highly dangerous pathogens more transparent and more accountable.”

Last year, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-world-organization-government-and-politics-8662c2bc1784d3dea33f61caa6089ac2">World Health Organization recommended</a>&nbsp;a deeper probe into a possible lab accident. Chan said she hopes the latest report sparks more investigation in the United States.

China has called the suggestion that COVID-19 came from a Chinese laboratory “ baseless.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-covid-19-083bd75a801f9824e0b9ad7316062a5c">Many scientists believe</a>&nbsp;the animal-to-human theory of the coronavirus remains much more plausible. They theorize it emerged in the wild and jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another animal.

In a 2021 research paper in the journal Cell, scientists said the COVID-19 virus is the ninth documented coronavirus to infect humans — and all the previous ones originated in animals.

Two studies, published last year by the journal Science, bolstered the animal origin theory. That research found that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was likely the early epicenter. Scientists concluded that the virus likely spilled from animals into people two separate times.

“The scientific literature contains essentially nothing but original research articles that support a natural origin of this virus pandemic," said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona who has extensively studied COVID-19's origins.

He said the fact that others in the intelligence community looked at the same information as the DOE and “it apparently didn't move the needle speaks volumes.” He said he takes such intelligence assessments with a grain of salt because he doesn't think the people making them “have the scientific expertise ... to really understand the most important evidence that they need to understand.”

The U.S. should be more transparent and release the new intelligence that apparently swayed the DOE, Worobey said.

The DOE conclusion comes to light as House Republicans have been using their new majority power to investigate all aspects of the pandemic, including the origin, as well as what they contend were officials’ efforts to conceal the fact that it leaked from a lab in Wuhan. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-us-republican-party-brad-wenstrup-james-comer-anthony-fauci-5fdee072d1d60ae097e7044c73a5d3ca">Republicans sent letters</a>&nbsp;to Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, Health Secretary Xavier Beccera and others as part of their investigative efforts.

The now retired Fauci, who served as the country’s top infectious disease expert under both Republican and Democratic presidents, has called the GOP criticism nonsense.

Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has asked the Biden administration to provide Congress with “a full and thorough” briefing on the report and the evidence behind it.

Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, emphasized that President Joe Biden believes it's important to know what happened "so we can better prevent future pandemics” but that such research “must be done in a safe and secure manner and as transparent as possible to the rest of the world.”

ASSOCIATED PRESSWASHINGTON (AP) — A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab?(Click below to watch: John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, downplays COVID lab leak report)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F161756043333991%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=576" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has assessed with “low confidence” in that it began with a lab leak, according to a person familiar with the report who wasn’t authorized to discuss it. The report has not been made public.But others in the U.S. intelligence community disagree.“There is not a consensus right now in the U.S. government about exactly how COVID started,” John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said Monday. “There is just not an intelligence community consensus.”The DOE's conclusion was first reported over the weekend in the Wall Street Journal, which said the classified report was based on new intelligence and noted in an update to a 2021 document. The DOE oversees a national network of labs.White House officials on Monday declined to confirm press reports about the assessment.In 2021, officials released an intelligence report summary that said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2570b89545d4332b8a3bd7289982aa22">four members of the U.S. intelligence community believed</a>&nbsp;with low confidence that the virus was first transmitted from an animal to a human, and a fifth believed with moderate confidence that the first human infection was linked to a lab.While some scientists are open to the lab-leak theory, others continue to believe the virus came from animals, mutated, and jumped into people — as has happened in the past with viruses. Experts say the true origin of the pandemic may not be known for many years — if ever.CALLS FOR MORE INVESTIGATIONThe U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the report. All 18 offices of the U.S. intelligence community had access to the information the DOE used in reaching its assessment.Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, said she isn’t sure what new intelligence the agencies had, but “it’s reasonable to infer” it relates to activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. She said a 2018 research proposal co-authored by scientists there and their U.S. collaborators “essentially described a blueprint for COVID-like viruses.”“Less than two years later, such a virus was causing an outbreak in the city,” she said.The Wuhan institute had been studying coronaviruses for years, in part because of widespread concerns — tracing back to SARS — that coronaviruses could be the source of the next pandemic.No intelligence agency has said they believe the coronavirus that caused COVID-19 was released intentionally. The unclassified 2021 summary was clear on this point, saying: “We judge the virus was not developed as a biological weapon.”“Lab accidents happen at a surprising frequency. A lot of people don’t really hear about lab accidents because they're not talked about publicly,” said Chan, who co-authored a book about the search for COVID-19 origins. Such accidents "underscore a need to make work with highly dangerous pathogens more transparent and more accountable.”Last year, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-world-organization-government-and-politics-8662c2bc1784d3dea33f61caa6089ac2">World Health Organization recommended</a>&nbsp;a deeper probe into a possible lab accident. Chan said she hopes the latest report sparks more investigation in the United States.China has called the suggestion that COVID-19 came from a Chinese laboratory “ baseless.”SUPPORT FOR ANIMAL THEORY<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-covid-19-083bd75a801f9824e0b9ad7316062a5c">Many scientists believe</a>&nbsp;the animal-to-human theory of the coronavirus remains much more plausible. They theorize it emerged in the wild and jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another animal.In a 2021 research paper in the journal Cell, scientists said the COVID-19 virus is the ninth documented coronavirus to infect humans — and all the previous ones originated in animals.Two studies, published last year by the journal Science, bolstered the animal origin theory. That research found that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was likely the early epicenter. Scientists concluded that the virus likely spilled from animals into people two separate times.“The scientific literature contains essentially nothing but original research articles that support a natural origin of this virus pandemic," said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona who has extensively studied COVID-19's origins.He said the fact that others in the intelligence community looked at the same information as the DOE and “it apparently didn't move the needle speaks volumes.” He said he takes such intelligence assessments with a grain of salt because he doesn't think the people making them “have the scientific expertise ... to really understand the most important evidence that they need to understand.”The U.S. should be more transparent and release the new intelligence that apparently swayed the DOE, Worobey said.REACTION TO THE REPORTThe DOE conclusion comes to light as House Republicans have been using their new majority power to investigate all aspects of the pandemic, including the origin, as well as what they contend were officials’ efforts to conceal the fact that it leaked from a lab in Wuhan. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-us-republican-party-brad-wenstrup-james-comer-anthony-fauci-5fdee072d1d60ae097e7044c73a5d3ca">Republicans sent letters</a>&nbsp;to Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, Health Secretary Xavier Beccera and others as part of their investigative efforts.The now retired Fauci, who served as the country’s top infectious disease expert under both Republican and Democratic presidents, has called the GOP criticism nonsense.Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has asked the Biden administration to provide Congress with “a full and thorough” briefing on the report and the evidence behind it.Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, emphasized that President Joe Biden believes it's important to know what happened "so we can better prevent future pandemics” but that such research “must be done in a safe and secure manner and as transparent as possible to the rest of the world.”___