<a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/Larry-Homolka">Obituary for Larry D. Homolka | Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home</a>

Larry Dean Homolka, of Belleville, KS, formerly of Ellsworth, KS,&nbsp;the son of Lud Homolka and Helen (Nesvarba) Homolka, was born August 23, 1945 in Belleville, Kansas and passed away on May 13, 2022 in Belleville, Kansas at the age of 76 years, 6 months, and 20 days.

Larry grew up in Belleville, graduating from Belleville High School in 1967. In 1974, he moved to Ellsworth, Kansas where he managed the cafeteria at Ell-Kan Mfg. until the plant closed. Larry then began working as the janitor for Smoky Hill/Rolling Hills Electric until he retired.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

On June 11, 1977, he was united in marriage to Linda Kirchgassner and to this union was born one daughter, Lora. The couple made their home in Ellsworth, moving to Belleville in 2018.

Larry enjoyed nature and wildlife, along with fishing. He also loved attending his grandchildren’s activities for the past 20 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents Lud and Helen Homolka; infant brother Louis Homolka; brothers-in-laws Tom Boyer, Darrell Keck, and Allen Kirchgassner; sister-in-law Karen Longenecker; and niece Kristen Keck.

Larry is survived by his wife Linda Homolka, of Belleville, Kansas;&nbsp; daughter, Lora (Chad) Gieber, of Belleville, Kansas;&nbsp; three grandchildren, Cody, Lindsay and Zane Gieber; two sisters, Lois Boyer of Borger, Texas and Shirley Keck of Tucson, Arizona; other relatives and friends.

Cremation was selected and graveside memorial services will be held at&nbsp;10:30 AM, Saturday, May 21, 2022 at the Belleville Cemetery, Belleville, Kansas with Pastor Mark McGregor, officiating.

Inurnment will follow the services at Belleville Cemetery.

Friends may call to sign the register book from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, May 20, 2022 at the Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Belleville, KS.

Memorials may be directed to the family with a memorial to be designated at a later time.

Online condolences at www.bachelor-surber.com.

Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Belleville, KS is in charge of the arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Larry D. Homolka, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/Larry-Homolka/sympathy">floral store.</a>

<h2>Larry D. Homolka, Belleville</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652653522082.jpeg" alt="Larry D. Homolka" />
 <figcaption>Larry D. Homolka</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/Larry-Homolka">Obituary for Larry D. Homolka | Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home</a>August 23, 1945 ~ May 13, 2022 (age 76)Larry Dean Homolka, of Belleville, KS, formerly of Ellsworth, KS,&nbsp;the son of Lud Homolka and Helen (Nesvarba) Homolka, was born August 23, 1945 in Belleville, Kansas and passed away on May 13, 2022 in Belleville, Kansas at the age of 76 years, 6 months, and 20 days.Larry grew up in Belleville, graduating from Belleville High School in 1967. In 1974, he moved to Ellsworth, Kansas where he managed the cafeteria at Ell-Kan Mfg. until the plant closed. Larry then began working as the janitor for Smoky Hill/Rolling Hills Electric until he retired.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On June 11, 1977, he was united in marriage to Linda Kirchgassner and to this union was born one daughter, Lora. The couple made their home in Ellsworth, moving to Belleville in 2018.Larry enjoyed nature and wildlife, along with fishing. He also loved attending his grandchildren’s activities for the past 20 years.He was preceded in death by his parents Lud and Helen Homolka; infant brother Louis Homolka; brothers-in-laws Tom Boyer, Darrell Keck, and Allen Kirchgassner; sister-in-law Karen Longenecker; and niece Kristen Keck.Larry is survived by his wife Linda Homolka, of Belleville, Kansas;&nbsp; daughter, Lora (Chad) Gieber, of Belleville, Kansas;&nbsp; three grandchildren, Cody, Lindsay and Zane Gieber; two sisters, Lois Boyer of Borger, Texas and Shirley Keck of Tucson, Arizona; other relatives and friends.Cremation was selected and graveside memorial services will be held at&nbsp;10:30 AM, Saturday, May 21, 2022 at the Belleville Cemetery, Belleville, Kansas with Pastor Mark McGregor, officiating.Inurnment will follow the services at Belleville Cemetery.Friends may call to sign the register book from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, May 20, 2022 at the Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Belleville, KS.Memorials may be directed to the family with a memorial to be designated at a later time.Online condolences at www.bachelor-surber.com.Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Belleville, KS is in charge of the arrangements.To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Larry D. Homolka, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/Larry-Homolka/sympathy">floral store.</a>

Larry D. Homolka

<a href="https://memorials.martinbeckercarlson.com/edna-dyck/4927327/obituary.php?_ga=2.175038826.954418431.1652452820-1202697284.1612194326">Edna Dyck Obituary - Abilene, KS | Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home (martinbeckercarlson.com)</a>

Edna Mae Dyck was born October 28, 1920, at the family farm in rural Tampa, KS, the daughter of Daniel C. and Mollie (Jantz) Wedel. 

She attended Bell Top School for her elementary education. During high school years, she attended Tampa High School for one year and the rest of her high school years at Hillsboro High School, staying with several other ladies in a boarding house. She only came home for weekends. At a young age, Edna realized that she was a sinner in need of a savior and accepted the Lord Jesus as her Lord and Savior. While going to school in Hillsboro, she met a young man by the name of Menno Dyck and they dated a few times. He then went to California to work in his uncle's body and fender shop. Edna and Menno corresponded for two years and when he returned they resumed their relationship. On April 2, 1941, they were married at the Elm Spring Bible Hall. They were blessed with 61 years of marriage together before Menno's passing. Edna had many talents that she was able to devote to after the children were raised and gone from home. She took art classes and writing courses. Both of these things were something she had wanted to do from childhood on. She wrote devotionals for a daily calendar for many years. She was able to write these devotionals through 2020. She also had a book of poems published , "Where the Wheat Waves." She would write a poem nearly every year for most of the holidays and for the season of the year. We could always count on a poem to be coming from her for Christmas, Easter, etc. Fall was her very favorite time of the year and she took great delight in writing about the beauty of that season. She entered a lot of her paintings at the local Dickinson County Fair and often received great ratings. She also enjoyed baking whole wheat bread to take to the fair and we discovered that she was really quite competitive! Another hobby of hers was making heart-shaped crocheted rugs and embroidering tea towels. She had made over 100 rugs. Her joy was to give them away to family and friends. Another joy of her life was the custom harvesting business. She drove the pickup pulling the camper and then did the cooking and whatever else needed to be done. She was able to do this for 29 years. She often mentioned how she missed going on harvest, after Dad was no longer able to go. Moms relationship with the Lord was most important to her. She was involved in bible studies and also couples bible studies when Dad was living. She also thoroughly enjoyed Christian Women's Club and was a faithful attender as long as her health allowed. Her greatest desire was for all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The prayer of her life was Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Also a verse that was very special to her during difficult times was Matthew 12:20: "A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench." Preceding her in death were her husband, parents, sister and infant daughter, Constance Rita.

She is survived by her children Stuart and wife Jeanne, Feryl Jantz and husband Allen, Lane and wife Linda, Toni Potterf and husband Dan, grandchildren Christy Krentz, Jennifer Dyck, Scott Dyck, Tara Goering, Brooke Russell, Justin Dyck, Stacy Baker, Kristin Potterf, great-grandchildren Andrew Krentz, Caleb Krentz, Courtney Krentz, Grace Krentz, Emma Krentz, Luke Krentz, Valerie Klassen, Vance Klassen, Jared Dyck, Kelli Dyck, step-great-granddaughter Sophia Jantz, great-great-grandchildren Daisy Krentz, Ava Krentz and another on the way. The family expresses their heartfelt thanks for the loving support offered them at this time. They accept this as an expression of God's loving care for them. Memorial are suggested to Gideons International and may be sent in care of the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 NW 3rd, Abilene, Kansas 67410.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Edna M. Dyck (Wedel)</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652652101023.jpeg" alt="Edna M. Dyck (Wedel)" />
 <figcaption>Edna M. Dyck (Wedel)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://memorials.martinbeckercarlson.com/edna-dyck/4927327/obituary.php?_ga=2.175038826.954418431.1652452820-1202697284.1612194326">Edna Dyck Obituary - Abilene, KS | Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home (martinbeckercarlson.com)</a>October 28th, 1920 - May 12th, 2022Edna Mae Dyck was born October 28, 1920, at the family farm in rural Tampa, KS, the daughter of Daniel C. and Mollie (Jantz) Wedel. She attended Bell Top School for her elementary education. During high school years, she attended Tampa High School for one year and the rest of her high school years at Hillsboro High School, staying with several other ladies in a boarding house. She only came home for weekends. At a young age, Edna realized that she was a sinner in need of a savior and accepted the Lord Jesus as her Lord and Savior. While going to school in Hillsboro, she met a young man by the name of Menno Dyck and they dated a few times. He then went to California to work in his uncle's body and fender shop. Edna and Menno corresponded for two years and when he returned they resumed their relationship. On April 2, 1941, they were married at the Elm Spring Bible Hall. They were blessed with 61 years of marriage together before Menno's passing. Edna had many talents that she was able to devote to after the children were raised and gone from home. She took art classes and writing courses. Both of these things were something she had wanted to do from childhood on. She wrote devotionals for a daily calendar for many years. She was able to write these devotionals through 2020. She also had a book of poems published , "Where the Wheat Waves." She would write a poem nearly every year for most of the holidays and for the season of the year. We could always count on a poem to be coming from her for Christmas, Easter, etc. Fall was her very favorite time of the year and she took great delight in writing about the beauty of that season. She entered a lot of her paintings at the local Dickinson County Fair and often received great ratings. She also enjoyed baking whole wheat bread to take to the fair and we discovered that she was really quite competitive! Another hobby of hers was making heart-shaped crocheted rugs and embroidering tea towels. She had made over 100 rugs. Her joy was to give them away to family and friends. Another joy of her life was the custom harvesting business. She drove the pickup pulling the camper and then did the cooking and whatever else needed to be done. She was able to do this for 29 years. She often mentioned how she missed going on harvest, after Dad was no longer able to go. Moms relationship with the Lord was most important to her. She was involved in bible studies and also couples bible studies when Dad was living. She also thoroughly enjoyed Christian Women's Club and was a faithful attender as long as her health allowed. Her greatest desire was for all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The prayer of her life was Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Also a verse that was very special to her during difficult times was Matthew 12:20: "A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench." Preceding her in death were her husband, parents, sister and infant daughter, Constance Rita.She is survived by her children Stuart and wife Jeanne, Feryl Jantz and husband Allen, Lane and wife Linda, Toni Potterf and husband Dan, grandchildren Christy Krentz, Jennifer Dyck, Scott Dyck, Tara Goering, Brooke Russell, Justin Dyck, Stacy Baker, Kristin Potterf, great-grandchildren Andrew Krentz, Caleb Krentz, Courtney Krentz, Grace Krentz, Emma Krentz, Luke Krentz, Valerie Klassen, Vance Klassen, Jared Dyck, Kelli Dyck, step-great-granddaughter Sophia Jantz, great-great-grandchildren Daisy Krentz, Ava Krentz and another on the way. The family expresses their heartfelt thanks for the loving support offered them at this time. They accept this as an expression of God's loving care for them. Memorial are suggested to Gideons International and may be sent in care of the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 NW 3rd, Abilene, Kansas 67410.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Edna M. Dyck (Wedel)

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after an incident in northeast Kansas.

Just before 10a.m. Friday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center broadcasted information regarding a woman attempting to jump out of a vehicle near SE 22nd Street and SE California Avenue, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

A deputy that was patrolling in the southeast part of Shawnee County responded to the area. She observed a red 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt drive towards oncoming traffic while passing multiple vehicles in an intersection.

The deputy immediately conducted a traffic stop near SE 38th Street and SE Adams Street. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located.

The driver, Brent A. Haverkamp, 32, of Goff, Kan., was placed into custody and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The passenger, Amber K. Bloomquist, 30, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for two warrants for her arrest, one felony warrant and one misdemeanor warrant. Bloomquist was also booked on a requested charge of felony interference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652628706174.png" alt="Haverkamp" />
 <figcaption>Haverkamp</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after an incident in northeast Kansas.Just before 10a.m. Friday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center broadcasted information regarding a woman attempting to jump out of a vehicle near SE 22nd Street and SE California Avenue, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.A deputy that was patrolling in the southeast part of Shawnee County responded to the area. She observed a red 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt drive towards oncoming traffic while passing multiple vehicles in an intersection.The deputy immediately conducted a traffic stop near SE 38th Street and SE Adams Street. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located.The driver, Brent A. Haverkamp, 32, of Goff, Kan., was placed into custody and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.The passenger, Amber K. Bloomquist, 30, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for two warrants for her arrest, one felony warrant and one misdemeanor warrant. Bloomquist was also booked on a requested charge of felony interference with law enforcement.

Sheriff: Wanted Kan. woman tried to jump from moving car

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — “Y’all here to protect me,” the youth asked the officers, beseechingly. “Right?”

The 17-year-old’s foster father, unable to deal with a teen who seemed to be in the throes of schizophrenia, had called Wichita police. When they arrived, Cedric “C.J.” Lofton refused to leave the porch and go with them; he was obstinate but afraid, meek but frantic.

After an hourlong stalemate, the police lost patience. It was time to take him away -- by force, if necessary.

And so began the last two days of a life plagued by family dysfunction, brushes with the law, years in foster care and, finally, mental illness. The events leading to C.J.’s death, just a day short of his 18th birthday, would be captured on video; the result would be litigation, pleas for reform, cries that the system had failed yet another Black youth.

Authorities would decide against any prosecutions in connection with his death. But there were crucial errors, and vital holes in the safety net that had fatal consequences.

Owing to the hour, a team that included a mental health worker was unavailable to respond on that night last September; police alone responded. And C.J. was taken not to a mental hospital but to the county Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, where for about 40 minutes he was held face down, resulting in his death.

C.J. “went from crisis to death because we got involved,” said Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell.

“We all need to own what we did right and what we did wrong,” he added. “And the reality is there’s things that happened that were wrong.”

Friends who met C.J. in foster care described him as a goofball, fun loving, with a dark childhood that he hinted at but never talked about much.

“He would dance everywhere, just wiggly, just you know, no coordination at all. Just dancing just to dance,” said Skylar Mannie, 16, of Wichita.

But under the surface, she sensed anxieties. “He worried about making sure that he was safe, making sure everybody around him was safe and that they were good at all times.”

He was raised with the help of his grandmother. His father, Chadrick Lofton, racked up multiple convictions for domestic assault; one case sent him to prison for a year and a half when C.J. was 2, and after that, C.J. told friends, his father wasn’t around. His mother, Sarah Harrison, also had a criminal record, including a theft conviction in Texas that carried a 400-day sentence.

As he entered his teen years, C.J. was living with his mother in Junction City, a Kansas town of about 22,000 near the Fort Riley military base. In the summer of 2018, at age 14, he began to get in trouble.

He was accused first of using a stolen debit card, then with stealing a car and tools, court records show. At a football game that fall, he was caught with a BB gun and suspended from school; he was truant often, the court filings show.

Then, in November, he was accused of battery and stealing a video game from a Walmart and was sent to a juvenile detention facility. Court records noted that his “behavior is escalating and there is no parental control,” but he was released to his mother that December.

He broke curfew again and again. Ultimately, a judge signed an order removing Lofton from his home, noting there was “no parent/guardian present.” By August 2019, a court filing found that he was doing “very well” in foster care.

C.J. moved around at first, friends said. But in December 2020, he was placed in Wichita with a foster father that his friend, Marquez Patton, described as “one of the good ones.”

By all accounts, they got along. C.J.’s foster father told investigators that he had been doing fine in school and that there were no major issues until their final weeks together, according to a report by Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.

The foster father, whose name hasn’t been released, declined an interview request through DCCCA Inc., a private foster care agency that contracts with the state’s Department of Children and Families.

During the pandemic-disrupted 2020-21 school year, C.J. became a favorite of Traci Kallhoff, a zoology teacher at Wichita Southeast High School. He was always asking questions, sometimes tossing a blanket over his head to liven up virtual instruction.

“Some of those kids, like when they’re kind of like that, you know, like a little ornery, but really just so full of life, they just kind of grab your heart,” she said, adding that they grew so close that he emailed over summer break and hugged her when classes resumed in the fall.

Patton, 22, met C.J. when they worked at the same McDonald’s. He said among other things, the pair bonded over music -- C.J. posted his own classic gangster rap on YouTube, full of references to shootings and bloodshed.

Indeed, C.J. had been part of a Junction City gang, friends said. “Gangs are like a family,” Patton said, but C.J. had vowed to leave that behind and “do better.” The lyrics were merely what sold, he told friends.

He started dating Kyanya Hardyway in June 2021. Her family “loved him,” she said, because he was so respectful. They went to the mall, the YMCA and church together.

Eventually, though, he started telling her and other friends that he was hearing things, that the world was going to end soon. It worried her. But she added: “I was just glad that he was just telling me stuff.”

Friends said C.J. planned to remain in foster care until he finished high school. But he was growing restless as he prepared to age out of the system. Two friends had already been forced from the foster placement after getting in trouble, Patton said.

Then, last August, his grandmother died in Texas. Cassandra Harrison’s death was a blow.

His foster father said when Cedric returned from the funeral in September, “it got progressively worse,” according to the prosecutor’s report. He described him as “paranoid.”

“He was really sad. He felt like he didn’t really have anybody,” said Angelee Phillips, an 18-year-old who also had spent time in foster care.

She said she knew he was smoking weed. His foster brothers also suspected he was doing drugs, possibly the synthetic marijuana known as K2, although none had witnessed it firsthand. Partly, their suspicions stemmed from his strange behavior; one foster brother heard C.J. saying that his classmates were robots intent on hurting him.

Tests conducted as part of the autopsy report came up positive for marijuana, nothing else.

By Sept. 22, the situation was escalating. C.J. walked away from school that day and his foster father called police to report him as a runaway.

“He has been telling people not to look in the mirror because it takes your soul,” he told a dispatcher, adding that C.J. thought security guards were secret agents that were spying on him and that he doesn’t want anyone to come into his room because he says the house is bugged.

Hardyway said he called her around 2 the next morning. She could tell he was outside, but he refused to tell her where.

“He was just telling me like he loved me and stuff and then he just hung up because his phone was about to die,” she recalled. They never spoke again.

When C.J. returned home around 11:30 a.m. that Friday morning, the foster father immediately took him to the county’s mental health provider for an evaluation. But they never made it inside.

“He started freaking out and then ran off on me again,” the foster father told police.

He said C.J. had mentioned “he can get access to a gun.” He suspected the teen had schizophrenia. Although C.J. hadn’t been diagnosed, a cousin had told the foster father that the condition ran in the family.

It was all too much. The foster father told a caseworker he couldn’t handle C.J. anymore.

C.J. didn’t realize that when he returned around 1 a.m. on Sept. 24. His foster father told C.J. to stay on the porch, that he was worried about him. He called police.

The community operates a program in which a mental health professional, a law enforcement officer and a paramedic respond to emergent mental health crisis. But it only operates from noon to 10 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays.

That meant the unit was not available when the foster father called, and police had to go instead -- one of the first big missteps, said Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse: “We’re expecting law enforcement to do way too much.”

Officers approached the house. What followed plays out on body camera video:

While the foster father attempts to reach the after-hours foster care contacts, officers try to persuade C.J. -- who was also sick with COVID-19 -- to let them take him to a mental hospital.

Over and over, for nearly an hour, they beg him to submit. C.J. offers to sleep outside. He points at things he alone sees, things that do not exist.

C.J., who had told his foster father that he feared police would shoot him, empties his pockets at one point -- apparently, to show the officers he is unarmed. Change clatters to the ground.

“We don’t want your stuff,” an officer tells him.

An officer asks him again about the hospital.

“The hospital,” C.J. says. “I thought you was talking about jail.”

The officer responds: “Not jail, just the hospital. ... I promise you we would go there.”

But C.J. will have none of it. At 2:15 a.m., officers call for assistance. The 5-foot-10, 135-pound teenager is still refusing to budge.

The sergeant who responded to the scene would later explain that he wasn’t willing to just leave C.J. alone outside, according to the prosecutor’s report: “We can’t walk away.”

This was another mistake, said Cruse and fellow commissioner Howell. “Where is this impatience coming from?” Howell asked.

In the video, C.J. screams and yells “help” over and over again as officers grab for his arms.

“This is illegal,” C.J. says. “Isn’t it?”

Breathing heavily, the officers order C.J. not to bite, they are there to help.

Eventually the officers restrain him in something called the WRAP, a device comprised of a locking shoulder harness, leg restraints and ankle straps. The sheriff’s office describes it as a way to restrain a person who is out of control so that they don’t hurt themselves or others.

C.J. is frantic. “They are going to kill me,” he screams, biting at the straps.

As the teen is carried to the police cruiser, he can be heard muttering, repeatedly, “Kill yourself.”

The destination was no longer the mental hospital. The sergeant later explained that he believed C.J. was too combative to take there, according to the prosecutor’s report.

Instead, the vehicle headed for the juvenile intake center. C.J. was accused of multiple counts of battering law enforcement officers.

“It shocks me how this child is telling you they are seeing things that don’t exist and an alternate decision, aside from taking him to the hospital, was made,” said Brittany Brest, a community psychologist who is overseeing a grant from the National Alliance on Mental Illness to better support Kansas inmates.

Even one of the officers can be heard questioning the change of destination during the drive, arguing that C.J. would fare better at the mental hospital.

“It fixes whatever is wrong with him,” the officer says. The officers C.J. bit, he said, were “putting themselves in positions of being battered” because they were putting their hands in front of his mouth.

A second officer responds, simply, “It is not our call.”

They pull into the juvenile center at 2:44 a.m. and multiple officers carry him inside. C.J. continues repeating “kill yourself” when he was removed from the WRAP restraint around 3:40 a.m. Officers cautiously back out of the holding cell, leaving C.J. alone inside.

A juvenile worker later opened the door to the cell and told C.J. he “won’t be here that long” if he cooperated with being weighed and fingerprinted.

C.J., though, was still agitated. He walked out of his holding cell and tried to grab a computer monitor from the intake counter, the prosecutor’s report said.

Surveillance video from inside the facility shows him resisting attempts to place him back in the cell. At one point, he can be seen punching one of the juvenile detention employees in the head, knocking his glasses to the ground.

The video, which contains no audio, shows detention workers wrestling him into the cell. The camera angle doesn’t offer a clear view of what happened next.

But the prosecutor’s office said staff shackled Lofton’s ankles around 4:29 a.m. and put him on his stomach on the floor a few minutes later. One worker held C.J.’s ankles, another his thighs and two others held down his arms.

C.J. struggled, saying he would “hex” staff and that he was Jesus, according to the report.

A worker can be heard calling dispatch: The teen needed to be taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.

Around 5:08 a.m., the workers managed to put C.J. in handcuffs so he would be ready to be transported when police arrived, according to the prosecutor’s report. He remained face down. The workers then heard what sounded like snoring; they assumed he had had tired himself out and fallen asleep.

But C.J. was far from fine. The snoring was likely agonal breathing, a common sign of cardiac arrest, explained Dr. Michael Freeman, a forensic epidemiologist who testified in the George Floyd case.

“I think the biggest problem here is that the people who do the restraint don’t understand how dangerous what they’re doing is,” he said.

C.J.’s COVID-19 infection also would “contribute and make it even more dangerous,” said Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic science professor at George Washington University. Weedn said the problem is that people can’t breathe fast enough or deep enough when they are restrained face down to get rid of carbon dioxide, especially if they are under stress.

But the workers knew none of this, insisting later that they were using restraints that they had been taught. It took them about 5 minutes longer to notice something was wrong, roll C.J. on his back and start chest compressions, according to the prosecutor’s report.

They called for help. When the emergency crew arrived, he had no pulse. “I have one 17-year-old male post code red coming to you,” a paramedic called in, after the crew managed to restart his heart.

But his condition was grave, his blood pressure just 62 over 24. And two days later, he was dead. He never regained consciousness.

The final autopsy, released in December, listed C.J.’s cause of death as “complications of cardiopulmonary arrest sustained after physical struggle while restrained in the prone position.” The death was declared a homicide.

Andrew M. Stroth, the family’s attorney, said he is preparing a “robust legal filing,” describing what happened as “tragic on so many levels.”

Sedgwick County Corrections Director Glenda Martens also described what happened as “tragic” in a news conference but said that the corrections workers “acted well within the policy and the requirements of that policy” in restraining the teen.

Meanwhile, interim Wichita Police Chief Lem Moore said his department is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-wichita-4a5aacdb2d18f75894034eef86ebd90a">looking into the actions officers took</a>&nbsp;when booking the teen. The FBI also is investigating, and Kansas’ governor ordered a review of how the foster care system handled the case.

A task force assembled jointly by the city and county reviewed C.J.’s death. Its members, who include a local NAACP official and a 20-year-old youth organizer, recommended a series of changes, including improving training and mental health services.

Bennett, the district attorney, said he struggled with whether an involuntary manslaughter charge was justified, but concluded in January that the state’s “stand-your-ground” law prevented him from pursuing it because staff members were protecting themselves.

Robert Spitzer, author of “Guns Across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights,” said Bennett’s interpretation is a “perfectly logical application” of a law that he described as “deeply problematic.”

Bennett agrees, calling on the Legislature to change the law and raising questions about nearly everyone involved in C.J.’s care, from the juvenile workers to the foster care system.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642856231058.png" alt="Image from the security camera video released by Sedgwick County." />
 <figcaption>Image from the security camera video released by Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTHMISSION, Kan. (AP) — “Y’all here to protect me,” the youth asked the officers, beseechingly. “Right?”The 17-year-old’s foster father, unable to deal with a teen who seemed to be in the throes of schizophrenia, had called Wichita police. When they arrived, Cedric “C.J.” Lofton refused to leave the porch and go with them; he was obstinate but afraid, meek but frantic.After an hourlong stalemate, the police lost patience. It was time to take him away -- by force, if necessary.And so began the last two days of a life plagued by family dysfunction, brushes with the law, years in foster care and, finally, mental illness. The events leading to C.J.’s death, just a day short of his 18th birthday, would be captured on video; the result would be litigation, pleas for reform, cries that the system had failed yet another Black youth.Authorities would decide against any prosecutions in connection with his death. But there were crucial errors, and vital holes in the safety net that had fatal consequences.Owing to the hour, a team that included a mental health worker was unavailable to respond on that night last September; police alone responded. And C.J. was taken not to a mental hospital but to the county Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, where for about 40 minutes he was held face down, resulting in his death.C.J. “went from crisis to death because we got involved,” said Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell.“We all need to own what we did right and what we did wrong,” he added. “And the reality is there’s things that happened that were wrong.”___Friends who met C.J. in foster care described him as a goofball, fun loving, with a dark childhood that he hinted at but never talked about much.“He would dance everywhere, just wiggly, just you know, no coordination at all. Just dancing just to dance,” said Skylar Mannie, 16, of Wichita.But under the surface, she sensed anxieties. “He worried about making sure that he was safe, making sure everybody around him was safe and that they were good at all times.”He was raised with the help of his grandmother. His father, Chadrick Lofton, racked up multiple convictions for domestic assault; one case sent him to prison for a year and a half when C.J. was 2, and after that, C.J. told friends, his father wasn’t around. His mother, Sarah Harrison, also had a criminal record, including a theft conviction in Texas that carried a 400-day sentence.As he entered his teen years, C.J. was living with his mother in Junction City, a Kansas town of about 22,000 near the Fort Riley military base. In the summer of 2018, at age 14, he began to get in trouble.He was accused first of using a stolen debit card, then with stealing a car and tools, court records show. At a football game that fall, he was caught with a BB gun and suspended from school; he was truant often, the court filings show.Then, in November, he was accused of battery and stealing a video game from a Walmart and was sent to a juvenile detention facility. Court records noted that his “behavior is escalating and there is no parental control,” but he was released to his mother that December.He broke curfew again and again. Ultimately, a judge signed an order removing Lofton from his home, noting there was “no parent/guardian present.” By August 2019, a court filing found that he was doing “very well” in foster care.C.J. moved around at first, friends said. But in December 2020, he was placed in Wichita with a foster father that his friend, Marquez Patton, described as “one of the good ones.”By all accounts, they got along. C.J.’s foster father told investigators that he had been doing fine in school and that there were no major issues until their final weeks together, according to a report by Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.The foster father, whose name hasn’t been released, declined an interview request through DCCCA Inc., a private foster care agency that contracts with the state’s Department of Children and Families.During the pandemic-disrupted 2020-21 school year, C.J. became a favorite of Traci Kallhoff, a zoology teacher at Wichita Southeast High School. He was always asking questions, sometimes tossing a blanket over his head to liven up virtual instruction.“Some of those kids, like when they’re kind of like that, you know, like a little ornery, but really just so full of life, they just kind of grab your heart,” she said, adding that they grew so close that he emailed over summer break and hugged her when classes resumed in the fall.Patton, 22, met C.J. when they worked at the same McDonald’s. He said among other things, the pair bonded over music -- C.J. posted his own classic gangster rap on YouTube, full of references to shootings and bloodshed.Indeed, C.J. had been part of a Junction City gang, friends said. “Gangs are like a family,” Patton said, but C.J. had vowed to leave that behind and “do better.” The lyrics were merely what sold, he told friends.He started dating Kyanya Hardyway in June 2021. Her family “loved him,” she said, because he was so respectful. They went to the mall, the YMCA and church together.Eventually, though, he started telling her and other friends that he was hearing things, that the world was going to end soon. It worried her. But she added: “I was just glad that he was just telling me stuff.”Friends said C.J. planned to remain in foster care until he finished high school. But he was growing restless as he prepared to age out of the system. Two friends had already been forced from the foster placement after getting in trouble, Patton said.Then, last August, his grandmother died in Texas. Cassandra Harrison’s death was a blow.His foster father said when Cedric returned from the funeral in September, “it got progressively worse,” according to the prosecutor’s report. He described him as “paranoid.”Friends saw the difference, too.“He was really sad. He felt like he didn’t really have anybody,” said Angelee Phillips, an 18-year-old who also had spent time in foster care.She said she knew he was smoking weed. His foster brothers also suspected he was doing drugs, possibly the synthetic marijuana known as K2, although none had witnessed it firsthand. Partly, their suspicions stemmed from his strange behavior; one foster brother heard C.J. saying that his classmates were robots intent on hurting him.Tests conducted as part of the autopsy report came up positive for marijuana, nothing else.By Sept. 22, the situation was escalating. C.J. walked away from school that day and his foster father called police to report him as a runaway.“He has been telling people not to look in the mirror because it takes your soul,” he told a dispatcher, adding that C.J. thought security guards were secret agents that were spying on him and that he doesn’t want anyone to come into his room because he says the house is bugged.Hardyway said he called her around 2 the next morning. She could tell he was outside, but he refused to tell her where.“He was just telling me like he loved me and stuff and then he just hung up because his phone was about to die,” she recalled. They never spoke again.___When C.J. returned home around 11:30 a.m. that Friday morning, the foster father immediately took him to the county’s mental health provider for an evaluation. But they never made it inside.“He started freaking out and then ran off on me again,” the foster father told police.He said C.J. had mentioned “he can get access to a gun.” He suspected the teen had schizophrenia. Although C.J. hadn’t been diagnosed, a cousin had told the foster father that the condition ran in the family.It was all too much. The foster father told a caseworker he couldn’t handle C.J. anymore.C.J. didn’t realize that when he returned around 1 a.m. on Sept. 24. His foster father told C.J. to stay on the porch, that he was worried about him. He called police.The community operates a program in which a mental health professional, a law enforcement officer and a paramedic respond to emergent mental health crisis. But it only operates from noon to 10 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays.That meant the unit was not available when the foster father called, and police had to go instead -- one of the first big missteps, said Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse: “We’re expecting law enforcement to do way too much.”Officers approached the house. What followed plays out on body camera video:While the foster father attempts to reach the after-hours foster care contacts, officers try to persuade C.J. -- who was also sick with COVID-19 -- to let them take him to a mental hospital.“Hell no,” C.J. says.Over and over, for nearly an hour, they beg him to submit. C.J. offers to sleep outside. He points at things he alone sees, things that do not exist.C.J., who had told his foster father that he feared police would shoot him, empties his pockets at one point -- apparently, to show the officers he is unarmed. Change clatters to the ground.“We don’t want your stuff,” an officer tells him.An officer asks him again about the hospital.“The hospital,” C.J. says. “I thought you was talking about jail.”The officer responds: “Not jail, just the hospital. ... I promise you we would go there.”But C.J. will have none of it. At 2:15 a.m., officers call for assistance. The 5-foot-10, 135-pound teenager is still refusing to budge.The sergeant who responded to the scene would later explain that he wasn’t willing to just leave C.J. alone outside, according to the prosecutor’s report: “We can’t walk away.”They decide to take C.J. forcibly.This was another mistake, said Cruse and fellow commissioner Howell. “Where is this impatience coming from?” Howell asked.In the video, C.J. screams and yells “help” over and over again as officers grab for his arms.“This is illegal,” C.J. says. “Isn’t it?”Breathing heavily, the officers order C.J. not to bite, they are there to help.Eventually the officers restrain him in something called the WRAP, a device comprised of a locking shoulder harness, leg restraints and ankle straps. The sheriff’s office describes it as a way to restrain a person who is out of control so that they don’t hurt themselves or others.C.J. is frantic. “They are going to kill me,” he screams, biting at the straps.As the teen is carried to the police cruiser, he can be heard muttering, repeatedly, “Kill yourself.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633046927211.png" alt="CJ Lofton courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>CJ Lofton courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>___The destination was no longer the mental hospital. The sergeant later explained that he believed C.J. was too combative to take there, according to the prosecutor’s report.Instead, the vehicle headed for the juvenile intake center. C.J. was accused of multiple counts of battering law enforcement officers.“It shocks me how this child is telling you they are seeing things that don’t exist and an alternate decision, aside from taking him to the hospital, was made,” said Brittany Brest, a community psychologist who is overseeing a grant from the National Alliance on Mental Illness to better support Kansas inmates.Even one of the officers can be heard questioning the change of destination during the drive, arguing that C.J. would fare better at the mental hospital.“It fixes whatever is wrong with him,” the officer says. The officers C.J. bit, he said, were “putting themselves in positions of being battered” because they were putting their hands in front of his mouth.A second officer responds, simply, “It is not our call.”They pull into the juvenile center at 2:44 a.m. and multiple officers carry him inside. C.J. continues repeating “kill yourself” when he was removed from the WRAP restraint around 3:40 a.m. Officers cautiously back out of the holding cell, leaving C.J. alone inside.A juvenile worker later opened the door to the cell and told C.J. he “won’t be here that long” if he cooperated with being weighed and fingerprinted.C.J., though, was still agitated. He walked out of his holding cell and tried to grab a computer monitor from the intake counter, the prosecutor’s report said.Surveillance video from inside the facility shows him resisting attempts to place him back in the cell. At one point, he can be seen punching one of the juvenile detention employees in the head, knocking his glasses to the ground.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642880340757.png" alt="Image from the security camera video released by Sedgwick County." />
 <figcaption>Image from the security camera video released by Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
 </figure>The video, which contains no audio, shows detention workers wrestling him into the cell. The camera angle doesn’t offer a clear view of what happened next.But the prosecutor’s office said staff shackled Lofton’s ankles around 4:29 a.m. and put him on his stomach on the floor a few minutes later. One worker held C.J.’s ankles, another his thighs and two others held down his arms.C.J. struggled, saying he would “hex” staff and that he was Jesus, according to the report.A worker can be heard calling dispatch: The teen needed to be taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.Around 5:08 a.m., the workers managed to put C.J. in handcuffs so he would be ready to be transported when police arrived, according to the prosecutor’s report. He remained face down. The workers then heard what sounded like snoring; they assumed he had had tired himself out and fallen asleep.But C.J. was far from fine. The snoring was likely agonal breathing, a common sign of cardiac arrest, explained Dr. Michael Freeman, a forensic epidemiologist who testified in the George Floyd case.“I think the biggest problem here is that the people who do the restraint don’t understand how dangerous what they’re doing is,” he said.C.J.’s COVID-19 infection also would “contribute and make it even more dangerous,” said Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic science professor at George Washington University. Weedn said the problem is that people can’t breathe fast enough or deep enough when they are restrained face down to get rid of carbon dioxide, especially if they are under stress.But the workers knew none of this, insisting later that they were using restraints that they had been taught. It took them about 5 minutes longer to notice something was wrong, roll C.J. on his back and start chest compressions, according to the prosecutor’s report.They called for help. When the emergency crew arrived, he had no pulse. “I have one 17-year-old male post code red coming to you,” a paramedic called in, after the crew managed to restart his heart.But his condition was grave, his blood pressure just 62 over 24. And two days later, he was dead. He never regained consciousness.___The final autopsy, released in December, listed C.J.’s cause of death as “complications of cardiopulmonary arrest sustained after physical struggle while restrained in the prone position.” The death was declared a homicide.Andrew M. Stroth, the family’s attorney, said he is preparing a “robust legal filing,” describing what happened as “tragic on so many levels.”Sedgwick County Corrections Director Glenda Martens also described what happened as “tragic” in a news conference but said that the corrections workers “acted well within the policy and the requirements of that policy” in restraining the teen.Meanwhile, interim Wichita Police Chief Lem Moore said his department is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-wichita-4a5aacdb2d18f75894034eef86ebd90a">looking into the actions officers took</a>&nbsp;when booking the teen. The FBI also is investigating, and Kansas’ governor ordered a review of how the foster care system handled the case.ADVERTISEMENTA task force assembled jointly by the city and county reviewed C.J.’s death. Its members, who include a local NAACP official and a 20-year-old youth organizer, recommended a series of changes, including improving training and mental health services.Bennett, the district attorney, said he struggled with whether an involuntary manslaughter charge was justified, but concluded in January that the state’s “stand-your-ground” law prevented him from pursuing it because staff members were protecting themselves.Robert Spitzer, author of “Guns Across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights,” said Bennett’s interpretation is a “perfectly logical application” of a law that he described as “deeply problematic.”Bennett agrees, calling on the Legislature to change the law and raising questions about nearly everyone involved in C.J.’s care, from the juvenile workers to the foster care system.“This,” he said, “should never have happened.”

'From crisis to death': Probing Kan. teen's last, desperate hours

Today is Sunday, May 15, the 135th day of 2022. There are 230 days left in the year.

On May 15, 1948, hours after declaring its independence, the new state of Israel was attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act establishing the Department of Agriculture.

In 1928, the Walt Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse made his debut in the silent animated short "Plane Crazy."

In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its unanimous In re Gault decision, ruled that juveniles accused of crimes were entitled to the same due process afforded adults.

In 1970, just after midnight, Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green, two Black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi, were killed as police opened fire during student protests.

In 1972, Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot and left paralyzed while campaigning for president in Laurel, Maryland, by Arthur H. Bremer, who served 35 years for attempted murder.

In 1975, U.S. forces invaded the Cambodian island of Koh Tang and captured the American merchant ship Mayaguez, which had been seized by the Khmer Rouge. (All 39 crew members had already been released safely by Cambodia; some 40 U.S. servicemen were killed in connection with the operation.)

In 1988, the Soviet Union began the process of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, more than eight years after Soviet forces entered the country.

In 2000, by a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a key provision of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, saying that rape victims could not sue their attackers in federal court.

In 2007, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who built the Christian right into a political force, died in Lynchburg, Virginia, at age 73.

In 2009, General Motors told about 1,100 dealers their franchises would be terminated.

In 2015, a jury sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three and left more than 250 wounded.

In 2020, President Donald Trump formally unveiled a coronavirus vaccine program he called "Operation Warp Speed," to speed development of COVID-19 vaccines and quickly distribute them around the country. Comedic actor Fred Willard, whose films included "Best In Show" and "Anchorman," died at 86.

Ten years ago: Francois Hollande became president of France after a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris; he was the country's first Socialist leader since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year.

Five years ago: The United States accused Syria of executing thousands of imprisoned political opponents and burning their bodies in a crematorium to hide the evidence. The Supreme Court shut the door on North Carolina Republicans' effort to revive a state law that mandated voter identification and scaled back early voting, provisions that a lower court said improperly targeted minority voters.

One year ago: Israel escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip, bombing the home of a senior Hamas leader, killing a family of 10 in a refugee camp and destroying a high-rise that housed The Associated Press and other media; the Hamas militant group continued a stream of rocket volleys into Israel, and one man was killed when a rocket hit his home outside Tel Aviv. China landed a spacecraft on Mars for the first time, in the latest step forward for its ambitious goals in space. Rombauer won the Preakness in Baltimore at odds of 11-1, defeating Medina Spirit, who would later be disqualified from his Kentucky Derby win because of a failed drug test.

Today's Birthdays: Actor-singer Anna Maria Alberghetti is 86. Counterculture icon Wavy Gravy is 86. Singer Lenny Welch is 84. Actor-singer Lainie Kazan is 80. Actor Gunilla Hutton is 80. Actor Chazz Palminteri is 76. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is 74. Singer-songwriter Brian Eno is 74. Actor Nicholas Hammond (Film: "The Sound of Music") is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett is 69. Musician-composer Mike Oldfield is 69. Actor Lee Horsley is 67. TV personality Giselle Fernández is 61. Rapper Grandmaster Melle Mel is 61. Actor Brenda Bakke is 59. Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith is 53. Actor Brad Rowe is 52. Actor David Charvet is 50. Actor Russell Hornsby is 48. Rock musician Ahmet Zappa is 48. Olympic gold medal gymnast Amy Chow is 44. Actor David Krumholtz is 44. Rock musician David Hartley (The War on Drugs) is 42. Actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler is 41. Actor Alexandra Breckenridge is 40. Rock musician Brad Shultz (Cage the Elephant) is 40. Rock musician Nick Perri is 38. Tennis player Andy Murray is 35.

<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 Sunday, May 15, the 135th day of 2022. There are 230 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On May 15, 1948, hours after declaring its independence, the new state of Israel was attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.On this date:In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act establishing the Department of Agriculture.In 1928, the Walt Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse made his debut in the silent animated short "Plane Crazy."In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its unanimous In re Gault decision, ruled that juveniles accused of crimes were entitled to the same due process afforded adults.In 1970, just after midnight, Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green, two Black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi, were killed as police opened fire during student protests.In 1972, Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot and left paralyzed while campaigning for president in Laurel, Maryland, by Arthur H. Bremer, who served 35 years for attempted murder.In 1975, U.S. forces invaded the Cambodian island of Koh Tang and captured the American merchant ship Mayaguez, which had been seized by the Khmer Rouge. (All 39 crew members had already been released safely by Cambodia; some 40 U.S. servicemen were killed in connection with the operation.)In 1988, the Soviet Union began the process of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, more than eight years after Soviet forces entered the country.In 2000, by a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a key provision of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, saying that rape victims could not sue their attackers in federal court.In 2007, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who built the Christian right into a political force, died in Lynchburg, Virginia, at age 73.In 2009, General Motors told about 1,100 dealers their franchises would be terminated.In 2015, a jury sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three and left more than 250 wounded.In 2020, President Donald Trump formally unveiled a coronavirus vaccine program he called "Operation Warp Speed," to speed development of COVID-19 vaccines and quickly distribute them around the country. Comedic actor Fred Willard, whose films included "Best In Show" and "Anchorman," died at 86.Ten years ago: Francois Hollande became president of France after a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris; he was the country's first Socialist leader since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year.Five years ago: The United States accused Syria of executing thousands of imprisoned political opponents and burning their bodies in a crematorium to hide the evidence. The Supreme Court shut the door on North Carolina Republicans' effort to revive a state law that mandated voter identification and scaled back early voting, provisions that a lower court said improperly targeted minority voters.One year ago: Israel escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip, bombing the home of a senior Hamas leader, killing a family of 10 in a refugee camp and destroying a high-rise that housed The Associated Press and other media; the Hamas militant group continued a stream of rocket volleys into Israel, and one man was killed when a rocket hit his home outside Tel Aviv. China landed a spacecraft on Mars for the first time, in the latest step forward for its ambitious goals in space. Rombauer won the Preakness in Baltimore at odds of 11-1, defeating Medina Spirit, who would later be disqualified from his Kentucky Derby win because of a failed drug test.Today's Birthdays: Actor-singer Anna Maria Alberghetti is 86. Counterculture icon Wavy Gravy is 86. Singer Lenny Welch is 84. Actor-singer Lainie Kazan is 80. Actor Gunilla Hutton is 80. Actor Chazz Palminteri is 76. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is 74. Singer-songwriter Brian Eno is 74. Actor Nicholas Hammond (Film: "The Sound of Music") is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett is 69. Musician-composer Mike Oldfield is 69. Actor Lee Horsley is 67. TV personality Giselle Fernández is 61. Rapper Grandmaster Melle Mel is 61. Actor Brenda Bakke is 59. Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith is 53. Actor Brad Rowe is 52. Actor David Charvet is 50. Actor Russell Hornsby is 48. Rock musician Ahmet Zappa is 48. Olympic gold medal gymnast Amy Chow is 44. Actor David Krumholtz is 44. Rock musician David Hartley (The War on Drugs) is 42. Actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler is 41. Actor Alexandra Breckenridge is 40. Rock musician Brad Shultz (Cage the Elephant) is 40. Rock musician Nick Perri is 38. Tennis player Andy Murray is 35.

Today in History - May 15

The Friends of the Salina Public Library has scheduled a drive-up collection for next week.

The organization will be collecting the following items from 1-4 p.m. May 21 at the library, 301 W. Elm Street.

●Gently used fiction and non-fiction books for adults and children

●Textbooks and travel books less than three years old

●Audiobooks, music CDs, movie DVDs, and video games

No encyclopedias, magazines, VHS tapes, or homemade recordings can be accepted, according to information from the organization.

Persons wishing to donate items to the Friends of the Salina Public Library for future used book sales can drive up to the front of the library and volunteers will unload the items being donated.

All proceeds from the Friends of the Salina Public Library's used book sales go directly to support programs and activities of the Salina Public Library.

By SALINA POSTThe Friends of the Salina Public Library has scheduled a drive-up collection for next week.The organization will be collecting the following items from 1-4 p.m. May 21 at the library, 301 W. Elm Street.●Gently used fiction and non-fiction books for adults and children●Textbooks and travel books less than three years old●Audiobooks, music CDs, movie DVDs, and video gamesNo encyclopedias, magazines, VHS tapes, or homemade recordings can be accepted, according to information from the organization.Persons wishing to donate items to the Friends of the Salina Public Library for future used book sales can drive up to the front of the library and volunteers will unload the items being donated.All proceeds from the Friends of the Salina Public Library's used book sales go directly to support programs and activities of the Salina Public Library.

Friends of the Salina Public Library to collect used books, other items

By TONY MAURO Freedom Forum

The U.S. Supreme Court told the nation 40 years ago that under the First Amendment, “Local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.”

You might think that such a proclamation from the highest court in the land would put an end to the current trend among legislators and school officials of banning books that are deemed to be unsettling or inappropriate for students.

But a recent PEN America alert reported that in the past nine months, there have been 1,586 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,145 unique book titles.

More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2021/11/03/how-brad-meltzer-best-selling-author-fought-a-book-ban/" target="_blank">How best-selling author Brad Meltzer fought a book ban</a>

Strangely enough, even though Supreme Court precedents usually last for a long time, the court’s forceful 1982 pronouncement opposing the removal of books from school libraries has mostly been ignored. The case that made that assertion was Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico.

The Pico decision “may well be the most overlooked Supreme Court decision involving students’ rights in the nation’s history,” said Yale Law School professor&nbsp;Justin Driver&nbsp;in an interview. Driver is the author of “The Schoolhouse Gate,” a book about students’ First Amendment rights.

“It is deeply regrettable that Pico is not better known among the public, because greater awareness of the decision could plausibly help to diminish the recent revival of book banning,” Driver said.

The Supreme Court ruling has gained attention lately, but why has it taken so long for the Pico case to come to life? It’s complicated.

Here is a brief history: Officials from a Long Island, New York, school board decided in 1975 that a list of books that they deemed as “objectionable” and “improper fare” should be removed from the school library. Among the books were&nbsp;Kurt Vonnegut’s&nbsp;“Slaughterhouse-Five,”&nbsp;Richard Wright’s&nbsp;“Black Boy” and&nbsp;Eldridge Cleaver’s&nbsp;“Soul on Ice.” Two board members said another book in the library was “anti-American” because it portrayed&nbsp;George Washington&nbsp;as a slaveholder.

Steven Pico&nbsp;and other students sued the board in federal court, claiming that the removal of the books would violate their First Amendment rights. “I told them that I knew of the book banning, that I was upset by it, and that I wanted to challenge the constitutionality of it,” Pico said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/first-supreme-court-case-banned-school-books-on-the-media" target="_blank">in a recent interview with WNYC radio show “On the Media.”</a>&nbsp;A district court sided with the school board, but an appeals court agreed with the students, leading the school board to take the case to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court took up the case, and Justice&nbsp;William Brennan Jr.&nbsp;affirmed the appeals court decision, siding with the students. Brennan wrote that while school boards have “broad discretion” in managing school affairs, “such discretion must be exercised in a manner that comports with the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment.” Quoting from the famous&nbsp;Tinker v. Des Moines School District&nbsp;case, Brennan added that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

●With a nine-justice Supreme Court, five justices are needed to win the majority in a case.

●In the Pico case, four justices sided with the students in full or in part: Brennan, who delivered the main opinion, and justices&nbsp;Thurgood Marshall, John Paul Stevens&nbsp;and&nbsp;Harry Blackmun.

●Four justices — Chief Justice&nbsp;Warren Burger&nbsp;and justices&nbsp;Lewis Powell, William Rehnquist&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sandra Day O’Connor&nbsp;— dissented, asserting that elected school officials and teachers, not judges, should determine standards appropriate for students.

●So, who would be the winning fifth justice? It was Justice&nbsp;Byron White, who was ambivalent, accepting the judgment in the appeals court’s case, but wanting the case to be sent back for further review.

Despite the scrambled opinions of the justices, some – but not all — regard the Pico decision as a flat-out win for the students.

At a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on civil liberties on April 7, Rep.&nbsp;Jamie Raskin&nbsp;cited the Pico decision, asserting that “when the case got to the Supreme Court, the majority sided with students claiming that the removal of books from the school library effected a form of thought control totally antithetical to the First Amendment.” Before joining Congress in 2017, Raskin was a law professor at American University Washington College of Law, and author of “We the Students,” a book about the constitutional rights of students.

PEN’s report on book bans also invoked the Pico decision, noting that with the case’s powerful statements, “The National Coalition Against Censorship and American Library Association have developed guidelines for handling formal complaints to school library collections.” PEN added that, “School boards must exercise their discretion with respect to matters of education ‘in a manner that comports with the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment.’”

More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2021/08/18/perspective-can-the-first-amendment-protect-educators-from-being-fired-for-teaching-about-race/" target="_blank">Can the First Amendment protect educators from being fired for teaching about race?</a>

Driver also views the Pico case as a win for students. “Pico divided the Supreme Court 5-4,” Driver wrote in his book “The Schoolhouse Gate.” The upshot of the varying opinions in Pico, he wrote, is that “public school libraries cannot banish volumes for overtly ideological reasons.”

Driver feels strongly enough about the Pico decision that he thinks it could be useful in possible litigation aimed at preventing book banning.

As for legislators who are passing book banning laws, Driver said that the Pico decision may have an uncertain impact, because lawmakers are “typically balancing an unusually diverse assortment of interests.” But “lawsuits that are designed to apply Pico to the current censorship craze could succeed in dampening educators’ enthusiasm for book banning,” he said. “School boards typically seek to avoid expensive, time-consuming litigation.”

Tony Mauro is a Freedom Forum fellow for the First Amendment.

By TONY MAURO Freedom ForumThe U.S. Supreme Court told the nation 40 years ago that under the First Amendment, “Local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.”You might think that such a proclamation from the highest court in the land would put an end to the current trend among legislators and school officials of banning books that are deemed to be unsettling or inappropriate for students.But a recent PEN America alert reported that in the past nine months, there have been 1,586 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,145 unique book titles.More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2021/11/03/how-brad-meltzer-best-selling-author-fought-a-book-ban/" target="_blank">How best-selling author Brad Meltzer fought a book ban</a>Strangely enough, even though Supreme Court precedents usually last for a long time, the court’s forceful 1982 pronouncement opposing the removal of books from school libraries has mostly been ignored. The case that made that assertion was Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico.The Pico decision “may well be the most overlooked Supreme Court decision involving students’ rights in the nation’s history,” said Yale Law School professor&nbsp;Justin Driver&nbsp;in an interview. Driver is the author of “The Schoolhouse Gate,” a book about students’ First Amendment rights.“It is deeply regrettable that Pico is not better known among the public, because greater awareness of the decision could plausibly help to diminish the recent revival of book banning,” Driver said.The Supreme Court ruling has gained attention lately, but why has it taken so long for the Pico case to come to life? It’s complicated.Here is a brief history: Officials from a Long Island, New York, school board decided in 1975 that a list of books that they deemed as “objectionable” and “improper fare” should be removed from the school library. Among the books were&nbsp;Kurt Vonnegut’s&nbsp;“Slaughterhouse-Five,”&nbsp;Richard Wright’s&nbsp;“Black Boy” and&nbsp;Eldridge Cleaver’s&nbsp;“Soul on Ice.” Two board members said another book in the library was “anti-American” because it portrayed&nbsp;George Washington&nbsp;as a slaveholder.Steven Pico&nbsp;and other students sued the board in federal court, claiming that the removal of the books would violate their First Amendment rights. “I told them that I knew of the book banning, that I was upset by it, and that I wanted to challenge the constitutionality of it,” Pico said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/first-supreme-court-case-banned-school-books-on-the-media" target="_blank">in a recent interview with WNYC radio show “On the Media.”</a>&nbsp;A district court sided with the school board, but an appeals court agreed with the students, leading the school board to take the case to the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court took up the case, and Justice&nbsp;William Brennan Jr.&nbsp;affirmed the appeals court decision, siding with the students. Brennan wrote that while school boards have “broad discretion” in managing school affairs, “such discretion must be exercised in a manner that comports with the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment.” Quoting from the famous&nbsp;Tinker v. Des Moines School District&nbsp;case, Brennan added that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”Here’s where it gets tricky.●With a nine-justice Supreme Court, five justices are needed to win the majority in a case.●In the Pico case, four justices sided with the students in full or in part: Brennan, who delivered the main opinion, and justices&nbsp;Thurgood Marshall, John Paul Stevens&nbsp;and&nbsp;Harry Blackmun.●Four justices — Chief Justice&nbsp;Warren Burger&nbsp;and justices&nbsp;Lewis Powell, William Rehnquist&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sandra Day O’Connor&nbsp;— dissented, asserting that elected school officials and teachers, not judges, should determine standards appropriate for students.●So, who would be the winning fifth justice? It was Justice&nbsp;Byron White, who was ambivalent, accepting the judgment in the appeals court’s case, but wanting the case to be sent back for further review.Despite the scrambled opinions of the justices, some – but not all — regard the Pico decision as a flat-out win for the students.At a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on civil liberties on April 7, Rep.&nbsp;Jamie Raskin&nbsp;cited the Pico decision, asserting that “when the case got to the Supreme Court, the majority sided with students claiming that the removal of books from the school library effected a form of thought control totally antithetical to the First Amendment.” Before joining Congress in 2017, Raskin was a law professor at American University Washington College of Law, and author of “We the Students,” a book about the constitutional rights of students.PEN’s report on book bans also invoked the Pico decision, noting that with the case’s powerful statements, “The National Coalition Against Censorship and American Library Association have developed guidelines for handling formal complaints to school library collections.” PEN added that, “School boards must exercise their discretion with respect to matters of education ‘in a manner that comports with the transcendent imperatives of the First Amendment.’”More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freedomforum.org/2021/08/18/perspective-can-the-first-amendment-protect-educators-from-being-fired-for-teaching-about-race/" target="_blank">Can the First Amendment protect educators from being fired for teaching about race?</a>Driver also views the Pico case as a win for students. “Pico divided the Supreme Court 5-4,” Driver wrote in his book “The Schoolhouse Gate.” The upshot of the varying opinions in Pico, he wrote, is that “public school libraries cannot banish volumes for overtly ideological reasons.”Driver feels strongly enough about the Pico decision that he thinks it could be useful in possible litigation aimed at preventing book banning.As for legislators who are passing book banning laws, Driver said that the Pico decision may have an uncertain impact, because lawmakers are “typically balancing an unusually diverse assortment of interests.” But “lawsuits that are designed to apply Pico to the current censorship craze could succeed in dampening educators’ enthusiasm for book banning,” he said. “School boards typically seek to avoid expensive, time-consuming litigation.”Tony Mauro is a Freedom Forum fellow for the First Amendment.

FIRST 5: How 40-year-old Supreme Court ruling may quash book ban wave

Today is Saturday, May 14, the 134th day of 2022. There are 231 days left in the year.

On May 14, 1940, the Netherlands surrendered to invading German forces during World War II.

In 1643, Louis XIV became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.

In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.

In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest left camp near present-day Hartford, Illinois.

In 1948, according to the current-era calendar, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv by David Ben-Gurion, who became its first prime minister; U.S. President Harry S. Truman immediately recognized the new nation.

In 1955, representatives from eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland. (The Pact was dissolved in 1991.)

In 1961, Freedom Riders were attacked by violent mobs in Anniston and Birmingham, Alabama.

In 1988, 27 people, mostly teens, were killed when their church bus collided with a pickup truck going the wrong direction on a highway near Carrollton, Kentucky. (Truck driver Larry Mahoney served 9 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter.)

In 1998, singer-actor Frank Sinatra died at a Los Angeles hospital at age 82. The hit sitcom "Seinfeld" aired its final episode after nine years on NBC.

In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 that there is no exception in federal law for people to use marijuana for medical purposes.

In 2003, more than 100 immigrants were abandoned in a locked trailer at a Texas truck stop; 19 of them died. (Truck driver Tyrone Williams was later sentenced to nearly 34 years in prison for his role in the deaths.)

In 2008, the Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species because of the loss of Arctic sea ice.

In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned doctors about a serious rare inflammatory condition in children linked with the coronavirus.

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama sought to tarnish Republican Mitt Romney as a corporate titan who got rich by cutting rather than creating jobs; Romney's campaign responded that the former Massachusetts governor alone helped spur more public and private jobs than Obama had.

Five years ago: Emmanuel Macron swept into office as France's new president, pledging to fortify the European Union, redesign French politics and glue together his divided nation. Five days after South Korea elected a president who expressed a desire to reach out to North Korea, Pyongyang sent a challenge to its rival's new leader by test-firing a ballistic missile.

One year ago: Turmoil from the battle between Israel and Hamas spilled over into the West Bank, sparking the most widespread Palestinian protests in years; hundreds of young demonstrators in multiple towns clashed with Israeli troops, who shot and killed at least 11 people, including one who had tried to stab an Israeli soldier. Israel barraged the northern Gaza Strip with tank fire and airstrikes; a Gaza family of six was killed when an airstrike crushed their home in what Israel said was an effort to clear militant tunnels. Demonstrating allegiance to Donald Trump, Republicans elected Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a Trump stalwart, to a House leadership post that had been held by Trump critic Liz Cheney until she was tossed from that post days earlier.

Today's Birthdays: Photo-realist artist Richard Estes is 90. Actor Dame Sian Phillips is 89. Former Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is 80. Movie producer George Lucas is 78. Guitarist Gene Cornish is 78. Actor Meg Foster is 74. Movie director Robert Zemeckis is 71. Rock singer David Byrne is 70. Actor Tim Roth is 61. Rock singer Ian Astbury (The Cult) is 60. Rock musician C.C. (aka Cecil) DeVille is 60. Actor Danny Huston is 60. Rock musician Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) is 56. Fabrice Morvan (ex-Milli Vanilli) is 56. R&amp;B singer Raphael Saadiq is 56. Actor Cate Blanchett is 53. Singer Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) is 53. Movie writer-director Sofia Coppola is 51. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is 50. Actor Gabriel Mann is 50. Singer Natalie Appleton (All Saints) is 49. Singer Shanice is 49. Actor Carla Jimenez is 48. Rock musician Henry Garza (Los Lonely Boys) is 44. Alt-country musician-singer Ketch Secor is 44. Rock singer-musician Dan Auerbach is 43. Rock musician Mike Retondo (Plain White T's) is 41. Actor Amber Tamblyn is 39. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is 38. Actor Lina Esco is 37. NFL player Rob Gronkowski is 33. Actor Miranda Cosgrove 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 Saturday, May 14, the 134th day of 2022. There are 231 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On May 14, 1940, the Netherlands surrendered to invading German forces during World War II.On this date:In 1643, Louis XIV became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis XIII.In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest left camp near present-day Hartford, Illinois.In 1948, according to the current-era calendar, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv by David Ben-Gurion, who became its first prime minister; U.S. President Harry S. Truman immediately recognized the new nation.In 1955, representatives from eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland. (The Pact was dissolved in 1991.)In 1961, Freedom Riders were attacked by violent mobs in Anniston and Birmingham, Alabama.In 1988, 27 people, mostly teens, were killed when their church bus collided with a pickup truck going the wrong direction on a highway near Carrollton, Kentucky. (Truck driver Larry Mahoney served 9 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter.)In 1998, singer-actor Frank Sinatra died at a Los Angeles hospital at age 82. The hit sitcom "Seinfeld" aired its final episode after nine years on NBC.In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 that there is no exception in federal law for people to use marijuana for medical purposes.In 2003, more than 100 immigrants were abandoned in a locked trailer at a Texas truck stop; 19 of them died. (Truck driver Tyrone Williams was later sentenced to nearly 34 years in prison for his role in the deaths.)In 2008, the Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species because of the loss of Arctic sea ice.In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned doctors about a serious rare inflammatory condition in children linked with the coronavirus.Ten years ago: President Barack Obama sought to tarnish Republican Mitt Romney as a corporate titan who got rich by cutting rather than creating jobs; Romney's campaign responded that the former Massachusetts governor alone helped spur more public and private jobs than Obama had.Five years ago: Emmanuel Macron swept into office as France's new president, pledging to fortify the European Union, redesign French politics and glue together his divided nation. Five days after South Korea elected a president who expressed a desire to reach out to North Korea, Pyongyang sent a challenge to its rival's new leader by test-firing a ballistic missile.One year ago: Turmoil from the battle between Israel and Hamas spilled over into the West Bank, sparking the most widespread Palestinian protests in years; hundreds of young demonstrators in multiple towns clashed with Israeli troops, who shot and killed at least 11 people, including one who had tried to stab an Israeli soldier. Israel barraged the northern Gaza Strip with tank fire and airstrikes; a Gaza family of six was killed when an airstrike crushed their home in what Israel said was an effort to clear militant tunnels. Demonstrating allegiance to Donald Trump, Republicans elected Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a Trump stalwart, to a House leadership post that had been held by Trump critic Liz Cheney until she was tossed from that post days earlier.Today's Birthdays: Photo-realist artist Richard Estes is 90. Actor Dame Sian Phillips is 89. Former Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is 80. Movie producer George Lucas is 78. Guitarist Gene Cornish is 78. Actor Meg Foster is 74. Movie director Robert Zemeckis is 71. Rock singer David Byrne is 70. Actor Tim Roth is 61. Rock singer Ian Astbury (The Cult) is 60. Rock musician C.C. (aka Cecil) DeVille is 60. Actor Danny Huston is 60. Rock musician Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) is 56. Fabrice Morvan (ex-Milli Vanilli) is 56. R&amp;B singer Raphael Saadiq is 56. Actor Cate Blanchett is 53. Singer Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) is 53. Movie writer-director Sofia Coppola is 51. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is 50. Actor Gabriel Mann is 50. Singer Natalie Appleton (All Saints) is 49. Singer Shanice is 49. Actor Carla Jimenez is 48. Rock musician Henry Garza (Los Lonely Boys) is 44. Alt-country musician-singer Ketch Secor is 44. Rock singer-musician Dan Auerbach is 43. Rock musician Mike Retondo (Plain White T's) is 41. Actor Amber Tamblyn is 39. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is 38. Actor Lina Esco is 37. NFL player Rob Gronkowski is 33. Actor Miranda Cosgrove is 29.

Today in History - May 14

By DYAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-12/legal-sports-betting-is-coming-to-kansas-heres-what-gamblers-need-to-know">Kansas News Service</a>

Legal sports gambling is officially coming to Kansas.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday signed <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb84/" target="_blank">a sports wagering bill</a> into law, setting the stage for fans to place bets on teams like the Chiefs, Royals and Jayhawks as soon as this summer.

It
 will also bring in some money to the state government. The Kansas 
Lottery estimates taxes on legal sports betting would bring in up to $10
 million a year by 2025.

“Legalizing sports betting will bring 
more revenue to our state and grow our economy,” Kelly said in a news 
release. “This is another mechanism that casinos, restaurants and other 
entertainment venues can now utilize to attract Kansans to their 
establishments.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652458916459.png" alt="The law will allow for sports venues, like Sporting Kansas City's Children's Mercy Park, to offer gambling. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The law will allow for sports venues, like Sporting Kansas City's Children's Mercy Park, to offer gambling. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DYAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-12/legal-sports-betting-is-coming-to-kansas-heres-what-gamblers-need-to-know">Kansas News Service</a>Legal sports gambling is officially coming to Kansas.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday signed <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb84/" target="_blank">a sports wagering bill</a> into law, setting the stage for fans to place bets on teams like the Chiefs, Royals and Jayhawks as soon as this summer.It
 will also bring in some money to the state government. The Kansas 
Lottery estimates taxes on legal sports betting would bring in up to $10
 million a year by 2025.“Legalizing sports betting will bring 
more revenue to our state and grow our economy,” Kelly said in a news 
release. “This is another mechanism that casinos, restaurants and other 
entertainment venues can now utilize to attract Kansans to their 
establishments.”The law comes as dozens of other states had 
previously made betting on sports legal ever since the U.S. Supreme 
Court in 2018 struck down a federal law banning sports gambling in most 
states.Kansas lawmakers just narrowly approved the bill this year
 after close, late-night votes in both the House and Senate last month.Republican Sen. Rob Olson said he was excited to finally legalize it because many Kansans wanted it.“It’s
 something that Kansans are already doing, and it will bring additional 
tax revenue to our state to help with our needs,” Olson said. “My 
constituents have pushed for this legislation for years, and now, the 
next time we have a significant sporting event in our state, Kansans 
will be able to bet on their hometown team."However, Kansans 
won’t be able to place bets for some time. Here are some things you may 
may want to know about legal sports gambling:When can Kansans start placing bets?The law goes into effect on July 1. However, whether casinos will have their sports books up and running by then is unclear.The
 law states that the Kansas Lottery will need to create a specific 
process for casinos to apply to offer sports gambling in certain ways, 
such as through a smartphone app. One of the deadlines for creating 
those rules is Sept. 1, 2022.But it appears the processes all 
need to be in place by the fall — possibly just in time for bettors to 
put some money on the Kansas Chiefs to win their home opener.Is there an age restriction to place a bet?Yes, you must be 21 or older to gamble.How will Kansans be able to place bets?The
 Kansas Lottery will outsource the sports gambling operations to the 
casinos in Kansas. Those casinos will be allowed to launch online and 
in-person betting operations.Bettors will need to be within the 
state of Kansas to place a wager. Republican Rep. John Barker, who 
carried the bill in the Kansas House this spring, said at one point that
 the apps will use geo-monitoring, which prohibits bets being placed 
when users cross state lines.Sports teams and events may also 
allow for gambling at stadiums if they enter a marketing agreement with 
the casinos. Lawmakers specifically noted Sporting Kansas City’s 
Children's Mercy Park and the Kansas Speedway — which are both located 
near Hollywood Casino, one of the four state-approved casinos — as 
candidates.In her news release, Kelly noted even restaurants would be able to offer sports gambling.Dylan Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can 
follow him on Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.