BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, sherif's deputies and detectives executed a search warrant at Finer Mobile Home Park located at 5501 9th Street, lot 96 in Great Bend, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

The search warrant was part of an ongoing investigation related to illegal drugs and outstanding arrest warrants.

Deputies gained entry to the residence without resistance and located Chet Whetham, 35 of Great Bend who had outstanding warrants from Harvey County for distribution of fentanyl. 

During the course of the investigation, Sheriff’s Officers discovered methamphetamine, fentanyl tablets, marijuana and suspected fentanyl powder. 

Whetham was transported to the Barton County Jail and booked on the Harvey County warrant as well as requested charges of distribution of fentanyl and various other drug-related charges for Barton County. 

Whetham is being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond for Harvey County and an additional bond for Barton County.

The Sheriff’s Office had requested assistance from the Kansas Bureau of investigation for this operation. The KBI has recently added several K9s and handlers who are specifically trained in the detection of fentanyl.

Further arrests from the search warrant are anticipated in the near future.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692199240545.jpeg" alt="Wetham -photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Wetham -photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.Just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, sherif's deputies and detectives executed a search warrant at Finer Mobile Home Park located at 5501 9th Street, lot 96 in Great Bend, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.The search warrant was part of an ongoing investigation related to illegal drugs and outstanding arrest warrants.Deputies gained entry to the residence without resistance and located Chet Whetham, 35 of Great Bend who had outstanding warrants from Harvey County for distribution of fentanyl. During the course of the investigation, Sheriff’s Officers discovered methamphetamine, fentanyl tablets, marijuana and suspected fentanyl powder. Whetham was transported to the Barton County Jail and booked on the Harvey County warrant as well as requested charges of distribution of fentanyl and various other drug-related charges for Barton County. Whetham is being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond for Harvey County and an additional bond for Barton County.The Sheriff’s Office had requested assistance from the Kansas Bureau of investigation for this operation. The KBI has recently added several K9s and handlers who are specifically trained in the detection of fentanyl.Further arrests from the search warrant are anticipated in the near future.

Kansas man accused of selling fentanyl

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

NAME: Cox,Zane Alexander REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Assault, Disorderly conduct; Disturbing a meeting, assembly or procession, Stalking; Reckless conduct causing fear to person or family, Criminal trespass; Unknown circumstance

NAME:&nbsp;Fletcher,Jermai Montez REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation

NAME: Franks,Loretta Lynn REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Outside warrant/NCIC hit

NAME:&nbsp;Goheen,Christina Renee REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear

NAME: Harper,John Wayne REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear

NAME:&nbsp;Howell,Johnna Matias REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation

NAME: Leidig,Ashlynn Nadine REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Theft of prop/serv;&lt;$1500 3 business in 72 hrs

NAME:&nbsp; REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Use/poss drug paraphernalia/human body, Poss of marijuana, Failure to appear

NAME: McBride,Brooklynn Sarah Christine REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Disorderly conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct to cause resentment, Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner

NAME:&nbsp;Schimmel,Tevin Lawrence REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Theft of prop/serv;&lt;$1500 3 business in 72 hrs

NAME: Schuster,Cheyenne Martice REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear

NAME:&nbsp;Sepmoree,Marcus REQUESTED CHARGE(S): In transit

NAME: Shanley,Jason Kyle Terrance REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Theft of prop/services;Value $1,500 to $25,000

NAME:&nbsp;Williams,Edward Lamont REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Outside warrant/NCIC hit

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County JailAll persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692186876152.jpeg" alt=" Arellano,Natalia Caridad" />
 <figcaption> Arellano,Natalia Caridad</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Arellano,Natalia CaridadREQUESTED CHARGE(s): Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692191766962.jpeg" alt="Cox,Zane Alexander" />
 <figcaption>Cox,Zane Alexander</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Cox,Zane Alexander REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Assault, Disorderly conduct; Disturbing a meeting, assembly or procession, Stalking; Reckless conduct causing fear to person or family, Criminal trespass; Unknown circumstance<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692191822007.jpeg" alt="Fletcher,Jermai Montez" />
 <figcaption>Fletcher,Jermai Montez</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Fletcher,Jermai Montez REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692191852214.jpeg" alt="Franks,Loretta Lynn" />
 <figcaption>Franks,Loretta Lynn</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Franks,Loretta Lynn REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Outside warrant/NCIC hit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692191990086.jpeg" alt="Goheen,Christina Renee" />
 <figcaption>Goheen,Christina Renee</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Goheen,Christina Renee REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192024670.jpeg" alt="Harper,John Wayne" />
 <figcaption>Harper,John Wayne</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Harper,John Wayne REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192086091.jpeg" alt="Howell,Johnna Matias" />
 <figcaption>Howell,Johnna Matias</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Howell,Johnna Matias REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192113991.jpeg" alt="Leidig,Ashlynn Nadine" />
 <figcaption>Leidig,Ashlynn Nadine</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Leidig,Ashlynn Nadine REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Theft of prop/serv;&lt;$1500 3 business in 72 hrs<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192146041.jpeg" alt="Lovelace,Burney Sage" />
 <figcaption>Lovelace,Burney Sage</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp; REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Use/poss drug paraphernalia/human body, Poss of marijuana, Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192180621.jpeg" alt="McBride,Brooklynn Sarah Christine" />
 <figcaption>McBride,Brooklynn Sarah Christine</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: McBride,Brooklynn Sarah Christine REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Disorderly conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct to cause resentment, Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192217008.jpeg" alt="Schimmel,Tevin Lawrence" />
 <figcaption>Schimmel,Tevin Lawrence</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Schimmel,Tevin Lawrence REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Theft of prop/serv;&lt;$1500 3 business in 72 hrs<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192244414.jpeg" alt="Schuster,Cheyenne Martice" />
 <figcaption>Schuster,Cheyenne Martice</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Schuster,Cheyenne Martice REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192269223.jpeg" alt="Sepmoree,Marcus" />
 <figcaption>Sepmoree,Marcus</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Sepmoree,Marcus REQUESTED CHARGE(S): In transit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192295944.jpeg" alt="Shanley,Jason Kyle Terrance" />
 <figcaption>Shanley,Jason Kyle Terrance</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Shanley,Jason Kyle Terrance REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Theft of prop/services;Value $1,500 to $25,000<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692192327310.jpeg" alt="Williams,Edward Lamont" />
 <figcaption>Williams,Edward Lamont</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Williams,Edward Lamont REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Outside warrant/NCIC hit

Saline County Jail Bookings, Aug. 16

By RON WILSONDirector of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

Can I tell you a secret? How about 84 of them?

That sounds like a lot. In this case, I’m referring to a new book that intentionally shares such little known stories. The book is titled Secret Kansas. It is chock-full of fascinating and little-known stories about our state.

Roxie Yonkey, who we have profiled before, is an author, blogger and travel writer. A Nebraska native, she became a staff writer at a college in Virginia. She came back to the Midwest for her career in journalism, married a Kansan in Goodland, and worked in tourism for years. She found she enjoyed writing about Kansas attractions.

In 2019, Yonkey launched a website and travel blog called&nbsp;<a href="http://www.roxieontheroad.com/">www.roxieontheroad.com</a>, of which she is the CEO: that is, Chief Exploration Officer.

She continues to write and post about Kansas attractions. In 2021, Yonkey published her book titled “100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die,” as we have previously profiled.

In 2023, Yonkey published another book. This one is titled “Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.” It is a gem. The book chronicles little known oddities and attractions around the state, complete with photos, locations and tips for visiting.

For example, there is the heart-wrenching story of Father Emil Kapaun, the Kansan who sacrificed his life for American prisoners in Korea and is a candidate for sainthood. There are the examples of how and where Kansas Day and Veteran’s Day and the GI Bill and the National Teachers Hall of Fame all began in Kansas. There is the world’s largest mural painted by a single artist, the state’s 106th county, and the town that might have provided the inspiration for Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

The fascinating stories just keep coming. In 1890, a magazine held a contest to write a Pledge of Allegiance for America. Cherryvale thirteen-year-old Frank Bellamy submitted his version and saw it published in the magazine but credited it to Anonymous. When he checked, he was told that all submissions were the magazine’s property.

Meanwhile, a member of the magazine’s marketing staff claimed that he had written his own version of the Pledge of Allegiance. That version was only one word different from the one submitted by young Frank Bellamy. The name of the magazine writer? Francis Bellamy – no relation.&nbsp; For decades, Francis Bellamy would be credited as the author of the Pledge of Allegiance, but later research found that young Frank’s version was published first.

Who knew?&nbsp; “You can’t make this stuff up,” Yonkey said.

There are stories of odd attractions, parks, wildlife areas, ghosts, ghost towns and little known historical monuments. The stories come from communities large and small, including rural communities such as Damar, population 112; Coolidge, population 80; and Studley, population 33 people. Now, that’s rural.

Yonkey is planning to produce a couple more Kansas books through her current publisher. She also has a special book that she wants to publish herself.

“I think I was inspired by the story of a woman in Goodland, Eva Morely Murphy, who played a pivotal role in getting women the right to vote in her community, which allowed our town to get a Carnegie Library,” Yonkey said. “My passion project is to write about women who did amazing things in Kansas history.”

Since Kansas was the nation’s 34th state (and Ike the 34th President), Yonkey plans to feature 34 women.

Yonkey is inviting the public to nominate women who should be covered in the new book. Nominations can be submitted through the website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.34kansaswomen.com/">34kansaswomen.com</a>.

Secret Kansas is available through retailers and online booksellers.

“It’s been so much fun to find these stories,” Yonkey said. “Kansas is like an onion, you keep peeling off another layer and sometimes it makes you cry. As a Kansan, you should hold up your head and be proud.”

Can I tell you a secret? Roxie Yonkey shares 84 of them in her fascinating new book, Secret Kansas. We salute Roxie Yonkey for making a difference with her remarkable research and great writing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692186215495.jpeg" alt=" Roxie Yonkey" />
 <figcaption> Roxie Yonkey</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSONDirector of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State UniversityCan I tell you a secret? How about 84 of them?That sounds like a lot. In this case, I’m referring to a new book that intentionally shares such little known stories. The book is titled Secret Kansas. It is chock-full of fascinating and little-known stories about our state.Roxie Yonkey, who we have profiled before, is an author, blogger and travel writer. A Nebraska native, she became a staff writer at a college in Virginia. She came back to the Midwest for her career in journalism, married a Kansan in Goodland, and worked in tourism for years. She found she enjoyed writing about Kansas attractions.In 2019, Yonkey launched a website and travel blog called&nbsp;<a href="http://www.roxieontheroad.com/">www.roxieontheroad.com</a>, of which she is the CEO: that is, Chief Exploration Officer.She continues to write and post about Kansas attractions. In 2021, Yonkey published her book titled “100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die,” as we have previously profiled.In 2023, Yonkey published another book. This one is titled “Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.” It is a gem. The book chronicles little known oddities and attractions around the state, complete with photos, locations and tips for visiting.For example, there is the heart-wrenching story of Father Emil Kapaun, the Kansan who sacrificed his life for American prisoners in Korea and is a candidate for sainthood. There are the examples of how and where Kansas Day and Veteran’s Day and the GI Bill and the National Teachers Hall of Fame all began in Kansas. There is the world’s largest mural painted by a single artist, the state’s 106th county, and the town that might have provided the inspiration for Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.The fascinating stories just keep coming. In 1890, a magazine held a contest to write a Pledge of Allegiance for America. Cherryvale thirteen-year-old Frank Bellamy submitted his version and saw it published in the magazine but credited it to Anonymous. When he checked, he was told that all submissions were the magazine’s property.Meanwhile, a member of the magazine’s marketing staff claimed that he had written his own version of the Pledge of Allegiance. That version was only one word different from the one submitted by young Frank Bellamy. The name of the magazine writer? Francis Bellamy – no relation.&nbsp; For decades, Francis Bellamy would be credited as the author of the Pledge of Allegiance, but later research found that young Frank’s version was published first.Who knew?&nbsp; “You can’t make this stuff up,” Yonkey said.There are stories of odd attractions, parks, wildlife areas, ghosts, ghost towns and little known historical monuments. The stories come from communities large and small, including rural communities such as Damar, population 112; Coolidge, population 80; and Studley, population 33 people. Now, that’s rural.Yonkey is planning to produce a couple more Kansas books through her current publisher. She also has a special book that she wants to publish herself.“I think I was inspired by the story of a woman in Goodland, Eva Morely Murphy, who played a pivotal role in getting women the right to vote in her community, which allowed our town to get a Carnegie Library,” Yonkey said. “My passion project is to write about women who did amazing things in Kansas history.”Since Kansas was the nation’s 34th state (and Ike the 34th President), Yonkey plans to feature 34 women.Yonkey is inviting the public to nominate women who should be covered in the new book. Nominations can be submitted through the website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.34kansaswomen.com/">34kansaswomen.com</a>.Secret Kansas is available through retailers and online booksellers.“It’s been so much fun to find these stories,” Yonkey said. “Kansas is like an onion, you keep peeling off another layer and sometimes it makes you cry. As a Kansan, you should hold up your head and be proud.”Can I tell you a secret? Roxie Yonkey shares 84 of them in her fascinating new book, Secret Kansas. We salute Roxie Yonkey for making a difference with her remarkable research and great writing.These are secrets worth telling.

Now That’s Rural: Roxie Yonkey, Secret Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas house fire and have made arrests.

Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, fire crews&nbsp;responded to a reported house fire at 631 SE 35th Street in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire in the single-story home. Fire crews searched the house, and determined no one was home at the time of the fire.

Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set and&nbsp;two individuals were arrested&nbsp;

Shaliqua A. Hill, 28, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Arson and Criminal use of explosives..A 17-year-old girl was also arrested and booked on requested charges of Arson, Criminal use of explosives, Criminal threat and Criminal damage to property.

The origin of the fire was on the exterior of the house near a bedroom window.&nbsp;The total estimated loss was approximately $3,000, all attributed to structural loss. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692141411419.png" alt="Hill-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hill-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas house fire and have made arrests.Just after 10:30a.m. Monday, fire crews&nbsp;responded to a reported house fire at 631 SE 35th Street in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire in the single-story home. Fire crews searched the house, and determined no one was home at the time of the fire.Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set and&nbsp;two individuals were arrested&nbsp;Shaliqua A. Hill, 28, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Arson and Criminal use of explosives..A 17-year-old girl was also arrested and booked on requested charges of Arson, Criminal use of explosives, Criminal threat and Criminal damage to property.The origin of the fire was on the exterior of the house near a bedroom window.&nbsp;The total estimated loss was approximately $3,000, all attributed to structural loss.

Two accused of using explosive to start Kansas house fire

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after she ran from a traffic stop.

Just before 3a.m. August 13,&nbsp;a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a red 2012 Chevrolet Equinox in the 2000 block of SE 11th Street for speeding, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. 

The driver later identified as 22-year-old Alyiah L. Love of Topeka failed to stop and quickly fled the vehicle on foot in the 1200 block of SE Republican Avenue.

After a search, a Topeka police officer located Love nearby and she was placed into custody. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located.

Love was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include possession of a certain stimulant, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, operating a motor vehicle without registration, no vehicle liability insurance and speeding. She is no longer in custody.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692106657689.png" alt="Love-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Love-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after she ran from a traffic stop.Just before 3a.m. August 13,&nbsp;a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a red 2012 Chevrolet Equinox in the 2000 block of SE 11th Street for speeding, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The driver later identified as 22-year-old Alyiah L. Love of Topeka failed to stop and quickly fled the vehicle on foot in the 1200 block of SE Republican Avenue.After a search, a Topeka police officer located Love nearby and she was placed into custody. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located.Love was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include possession of a certain stimulant, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, operating a motor vehicle without registration, no vehicle liability insurance and speeding. She is no longer in custody.

Kansas woman jailed after running from traffic stop

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A driver accused of DUI in a fatal crash on July 20 in Sedgwick County has yet to make a court appearance, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. The Kansas Highway Patrol had not scheduled an appointment with the district attorney's office.

The patrol reported a 2013 Dodge Journey driven by Caleb T. Faron, 18, Bel Aire,&nbsp; was northbound on Interstate 135 just north of 13th Street in the #3 lane moving to the #4 lane.

Faron failed to see a 2011 Hyundai Sonata driven by Uriel&nbsp;Orosco, 31, Wichita, slowing down in lane 4 with emergency hazard lights activated.

After impact, the Hyundai rotated counterclockwise and came to rest in the #4 lane against the KDOT bridge wall. The Dodge overturned and came to rest in the #3 lane.&nbsp;

Orosco was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Forensics Science Center. EMS transported a passenger in the Hyundia identified as Nallely Medrano Meraz, 28, Wichita, to Wesley Medical Center. 

Faron was not injured and later that night was booked into the Sedgwick County jail on a requested charge that included driving under the influence and marijuana possession, according to online jail records.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody.

 Orosco was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were also two children in the Hyundai; juvenile record is protected data.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689934377266.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the crash photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the crash photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A driver accused of DUI in a fatal crash on July 20 in Sedgwick County has yet to make a court appearance, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. The Kansas Highway Patrol had not scheduled an appointment with the district attorney's office.The patrol reported a 2013 Dodge Journey driven by Caleb T. Faron, 18, Bel Aire,&nbsp; was northbound on Interstate 135 just north of 13th Street in the #3 lane moving to the #4 lane.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690035440176.png" alt="Faron in the only photo available from Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Faron in the only photo available from Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Faron failed to see a 2011 Hyundai Sonata driven by Uriel&nbsp;Orosco, 31, Wichita, slowing down in lane 4 with emergency hazard lights activated.The Dodge rear-ended the Hyundai.After impact, the Hyundai rotated counterclockwise and came to rest in the #4 lane against the KDOT bridge wall. The Dodge overturned and came to rest in the #3 lane.&nbsp;Orosco was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Forensics Science Center. EMS transported a passenger in the Hyundia identified as Nallely Medrano Meraz, 28, Wichita, to Wesley Medical Center. Faron was not injured and later that night was booked into the Sedgwick County jail on a requested charge that included driving under the influence and marijuana possession, according to online jail records.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody. Orosco was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were also two children in the Hyundai; juvenile record is protected data.

No formal charges yet for Kan. teen accused in fatal DUI crash

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Interfere w/ LEO; unknown circ; misd,&nbsp;Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Driving while suspended

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): theft of property or services, felony

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;DUI; 2nd conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Failure to stop at accident; Injury or damage over $1000,&nbsp;Transporting an open container

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body,&nbsp;Poss of marijuana,&nbsp;Poss of stimulant

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Unlawful voluntary sexual relations; Intercourse with child &gt;14&lt;16

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County JailAll persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692101929077.jpeg" alt="Albany,Timothy James" />
 <figcaption>Albany,Timothy James</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Albany,Timothy JamesREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692101999870.jpeg" alt=" Carr,William James" />
 <figcaption> Carr,William James</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Carr,William JamesREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102051430.jpeg" alt="Derrick,Stephanie Leigh" />
 <figcaption>Derrick,Stephanie Leigh</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Derrick,Stephanie LeighREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Interfere w/ LEO; unknown circ; misd,&nbsp;Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102116281.jpeg" alt="Finch,Matthew Lee" />
 <figcaption>Finch,Matthew Lee</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Finch,Matthew LeeREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Driving while suspended<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102162644.jpeg" alt=" Hopson,Ronald Keith" />
 <figcaption> Hopson,Ronald Keith</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Hopson,Ronald KeithREQUESTED CHARGE(S): theft of property or services, felony<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102208504.jpeg" alt="Knight,Bradley Thomas" />
 <figcaption>Knight,Bradley Thomas</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Knight,Bradley ThomasREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;DUI; 2nd conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Failure to stop at accident; Injury or damage over $1000,&nbsp;Transporting an open container<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102286407.jpeg" alt="Lemaster,Carl Mason Eugene" />
 <figcaption>Lemaster,Carl Mason Eugene</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Lemaster,Carl Mason EugeneREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102328919.jpeg" alt="Marfise,Emily Rose" />
 <figcaption>Marfise,Emily Rose</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Marfise,Emily RoseREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body,&nbsp;Poss of marijuana,&nbsp;Poss of stimulant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102435598.jpeg" alt="Smith,Lance Walden" />
 <figcaption>Smith,Lance Walden</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Smith,Lance WaldenREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102497393.jpeg" alt="Sosebee,Kyler Thomas" />
 <figcaption>Sosebee,Kyler Thomas</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Sosebee,Kyler ThomasREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Unlawful voluntary sexual relations; Intercourse with child &gt;14&lt;16<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692102555000.jpeg" alt="Ward,Ian Matthew" />
 <figcaption>Ward,Ian Matthew</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Ward,Ian MatthewREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation

Saline County Booking Activity, Aug. 15

ATLANTA (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and 18 allies were indicted in Georgia on Monday over their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, with prosecutors using a statute normally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">associated with mobsters</a>&nbsp;to accuse the former president, lawyers and other aides of a “criminal enterprise” to keep him in power.

<a href="https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2023/08/14/23SC188947_-_CRIMINAL_INDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the full</a> indictment

The nearly 100-page indictment details dozens of acts by Trump or his allies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">undo his defeat</a>, including beseeching Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to find enough votes for him to win the battleground state; harassing an election worker who faced false claims of fraud; and attempting to persuade Georgia lawmakers to ignore the will of voters and appoint a new slate of electoral college electors favorable to Trump.

In one particularly brazen episode, it also outlines a plot involving one of his lawyers to access voting machines in a rural Georgia county and steal data from a voting machine company.

"The indictment alleges that rather than abide by Georgia’s legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia’s presidential election result,” Fulton County District Attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-fani-willis-indictment-32bfdd2cca9d3184056836b208a78379">Fani Willis</a>, whose office brought the case, said at a late-night news conference.

Other defendants include former White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-meadows">Mark Meadows</a>; Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>; and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who advanced the then-president's efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia. Other lawyers who supported legally dubious ideas aimed at overturning the results, including John Eastman, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, were also charged.

Willis said the defendants would be permitted to voluntarily surrender by noon Aug. 25. She also said she plans to seek a trial date within six months and that she intends to try the defendants collectively.

The indictment bookends a remarkable crush of criminal cases — four in five months, each in a different city — that would be daunting for anyone, never mind someone like Trump who is simultaneously balancing the roles of criminal defendant and presidential candidate.

It comes just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged him in a vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">conspiracy to overturn the election</a>, underscoring how prosecutors after lengthy investigations that followed the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol have now, two-and-a-half years later, taken steps to hold Trump to account for an assault on the underpinnings of American democracy.

The Georgia case covers some of the same ground as Trump’s recent indictment in Washington, including attempts he and his allies made to disrupt the electoral vote count at the Capitol. But in its sprawling web of defendants — 19 in total — the indictment stands apart from the more tightly targeted case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, which so far only names Trump as a defendant.

In charging close Trump aides who were referenced by Smith only as unindicted co-conspirators, the Georgia indictment alleges a scale of criminal conduct extending far beyond just the ex-president.

The charging document, in language conjuring up the seedy underworld of mob bosses and gang leaders, accuses the former president, his former chief of staff, Trump’s attorneys and the ex-New York mayor of being members of a “criminal organization” and “enterprise” that operated in Georgia and other states.

The indictment capped a chaotic day at the courthouse caused by the brief but mysterious posting on a county website of a list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">criminal charges</a>&nbsp;that were to be brought against the former president. Reuters, which published a copy of the document, said the filing was taken down quickly.

A Willis spokesperson said in the afternoon that it was “inaccurate" to say that an indictment had already been returned but declined to comment further on a kerfuffle that the Trump legal team rapidly jumped on to attack the integrity of the investigation.

Trump and his allies, who have characterized the investigation as politically motivated, immediately seized on the apparent error to claim that the process was rigged. Trump’s campaign aimed to fundraise off it, sending out an email with the since-deleted document embedded.

In a statement after the indictment was issued, Trump's legal team said “the events that have unfolded today have been shocking and absurd, starting with the leak of a presumed and premature indictment before the witnesses had testified or the grand jurors had deliberated and ending with the District Attorney being unable to offer any explanation.”

The lawyers said prosecutors presenting their case “relied on witnesses who harbor their own personal and political interests — some of whom ran campaigns touting their efforts against the accused.”

Many of the 161 acts by Trump and his associates outlined in the Georgia indictment have already received widespread attention. That includes a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-raffensperger-phone-call-georgia-d503c8b4e58f7cd648fbf9a746131ec9">Jan. 2, 2021</a>, call in which Trump urged Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the 11,780 votes needed to overturn his election loss. That call, prosecutors said, violated a Georgia law against soliciting a public official to violate their oath.

It also charges Trump with making false statements and writings for a series of claims he made to Raffensperger and other state election officials, including that up to 300,000 ballots “were dropped mysteriously into the rolls” in the 2020 election, that more than 4,500 people voted who weren’t on registration lists and that a Fulton County election worker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-2022-midterm-elections-georgia-election-recounts-5cffe294a372eb32dc68588784202314">Ruby Freeman</a>, was a “professional vote scammer.”

Giuliani, meanwhile, is charged with making false statements for allegedly lying to lawmakers by claiming that more than 96,000 mail-in ballots were counted in Georgia despite there being no record of them having been returned to a county elections office, and that a voting machine in Michigan wrongly recorded 6,000 votes for Biden that were actually cast for Trump.

In a statement, Giuliani did not respond directly to any of the allegations but called the indictment an “affront to American democracy” and “just the next chapter in a book of lies.”

Also charged are individuals prosecutors say helped Trump and his allies on the ground in Georgia influence and intimidate election workers.

One man, Stephen Cliffgard Lee, was charged by prosecutors for allegedly traveling to Freeman's home “with intent to influence her testimony.” Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss testified to Congress last year about how Trump and his allies latched onto surveillance footage from November 2020 to accuse both women of committing voter fraud — allegations that were quickly debunked, yet spread widely across conservative media.

Both women, who are Black, faced death threats for several months after the election.

The indictment also accuses Powell and several co-defendants of tampering with voting machines in Coffee County, Georgia, and stealing data belonging to Dominion Voting Systems, a producer of tabulation machines that has long been the focus of conspiracy theories.

According to evidence made public by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot, Trump allies targeted Coffee County in search of evidence to back their theories of widespread voter fraud, allegedly copying data and software.

Besides the two election-related cases, Trump faces a separate federal indictment accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-documents-maralago-politics-florida-charges-bee867f48da593d351c5a91e87c356a9">illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">New York state case</a>&nbsp;charging him with falsifying business records.

As indictments mount, Trump — the leading Republican candidate for president in 2024 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-target-letter-indictment-january-6-13afe5fa279e277aa6a11da46cd1821d">often invokes his distinction</a>&nbsp;as the only former president to face criminal charges. He is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-second-quarter-fundraising-gop-primary-fec-8f988e730c2ce8330b92063ed7225d7a">campaigning and fundraising</a>&nbsp;around these themes, portraying himself as the victim of Democratic prosecutors out to get him.

Republican allies once again quickly rallied to Trump’s defense. “Americans see through this desperate sham,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692093595851.png" alt="Fulton County District Attorney&nbsp;Fani Willis&nbsp;during Monday night's announcement-photo CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Fulton County District Attorney&nbsp;Fani Willis&nbsp;during Monday night's announcement-photo CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and 18 allies were indicted in Georgia on Monday over their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, with prosecutors using a statute normally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">associated with mobsters</a>&nbsp;to accuse the former president, lawyers and other aides of a “criminal enterprise” to keep him in power.<a href="https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2023/08/14/23SC188947_-_CRIMINAL_INDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the full</a> indictmentThe nearly 100-page indictment details dozens of acts by Trump or his allies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">undo his defeat</a>, including beseeching Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to find enough votes for him to win the battleground state; harassing an election worker who faced false claims of fraud; and attempting to persuade Georgia lawmakers to ignore the will of voters and appoint a new slate of electoral college electors favorable to Trump.In one particularly brazen episode, it also outlines a plot involving one of his lawyers to access voting machines in a rural Georgia county and steal data from a voting machine company."The indictment alleges that rather than abide by Georgia’s legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia’s presidential election result,” Fulton County District Attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-fani-willis-indictment-32bfdd2cca9d3184056836b208a78379">Fani Willis</a>, whose office brought the case, said at a late-night news conference.Other defendants include former White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-meadows">Mark Meadows</a>; Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>; and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who advanced the then-president's efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia. Other lawyers who supported legally dubious ideas aimed at overturning the results, including John Eastman, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, were also charged.Willis said the defendants would be permitted to voluntarily surrender by noon Aug. 25. She also said she plans to seek a trial date within six months and that she intends to try the defendants collectively.The indictment bookends a remarkable crush of criminal cases — four in five months, each in a different city — that would be daunting for anyone, never mind someone like Trump who is simultaneously balancing the roles of criminal defendant and presidential candidate.It comes just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged him in a vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">conspiracy to overturn the election</a>, underscoring how prosecutors after lengthy investigations that followed the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol have now, two-and-a-half years later, taken steps to hold Trump to account for an assault on the underpinnings of American democracy.The Georgia case covers some of the same ground as Trump’s recent indictment in Washington, including attempts he and his allies made to disrupt the electoral vote count at the Capitol. But in its sprawling web of defendants — 19 in total — the indictment stands apart from the more tightly targeted case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, which so far only names Trump as a defendant.In charging close Trump aides who were referenced by Smith only as unindicted co-conspirators, the Georgia indictment alleges a scale of criminal conduct extending far beyond just the ex-president.The charging document, in language conjuring up the seedy underworld of mob bosses and gang leaders, accuses the former president, his former chief of staff, Trump’s attorneys and the ex-New York mayor of being members of a “criminal organization” and “enterprise” that operated in Georgia and other states.The indictment capped a chaotic day at the courthouse caused by the brief but mysterious posting on a county website of a list of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">criminal charges</a>&nbsp;that were to be brought against the former president. Reuters, which published a copy of the document, said the filing was taken down quickly.A Willis spokesperson said in the afternoon that it was “inaccurate" to say that an indictment had already been returned but declined to comment further on a kerfuffle that the Trump legal team rapidly jumped on to attack the integrity of the investigation.Trump and his allies, who have characterized the investigation as politically motivated, immediately seized on the apparent error to claim that the process was rigged. Trump’s campaign aimed to fundraise off it, sending out an email with the since-deleted document embedded.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from Trump Campaign <a href="https://t.co/1qT1dgdcCA">pic.twitter.com/1qT1dgdcCA</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1691275754179317760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a statement after the indictment was issued, Trump's legal team said “the events that have unfolded today have been shocking and absurd, starting with the leak of a presumed and premature indictment before the witnesses had testified or the grand jurors had deliberated and ending with the District Attorney being unable to offer any explanation.”The lawyers said prosecutors presenting their case “relied on witnesses who harbor their own personal and political interests — some of whom ran campaigns touting their efforts against the accused.”Many of the 161 acts by Trump and his associates outlined in the Georgia indictment have already received widespread attention. That includes a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-raffensperger-phone-call-georgia-d503c8b4e58f7cd648fbf9a746131ec9">Jan. 2, 2021</a>, call in which Trump urged Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the 11,780 votes needed to overturn his election loss. That call, prosecutors said, violated a Georgia law against soliciting a public official to violate their oath.It also charges Trump with making false statements and writings for a series of claims he made to Raffensperger and other state election officials, including that up to 300,000 ballots “were dropped mysteriously into the rolls” in the 2020 election, that more than 4,500 people voted who weren’t on registration lists and that a Fulton County election worker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-2022-midterm-elections-georgia-election-recounts-5cffe294a372eb32dc68588784202314">Ruby Freeman</a>, was a “professional vote scammer.”Giuliani, meanwhile, is charged with making false statements for allegedly lying to lawmakers by claiming that more than 96,000 mail-in ballots were counted in Georgia despite there being no record of them having been returned to a county elections office, and that a voting machine in Michigan wrongly recorded 6,000 votes for Biden that were actually cast for Trump.In a statement, Giuliani did not respond directly to any of the allegations but called the indictment an “affront to American democracy” and “just the next chapter in a book of lies.”Also charged are individuals prosecutors say helped Trump and his allies on the ground in Georgia influence and intimidate election workers.One man, Stephen Cliffgard Lee, was charged by prosecutors for allegedly traveling to Freeman's home “with intent to influence her testimony.” Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss testified to Congress last year about how Trump and his allies latched onto surveillance footage from November 2020 to accuse both women of committing voter fraud — allegations that were quickly debunked, yet spread widely across conservative media.Both women, who are Black, faced death threats for several months after the election.The indictment also accuses Powell and several co-defendants of tampering with voting machines in Coffee County, Georgia, and stealing data belonging to Dominion Voting Systems, a producer of tabulation machines that has long been the focus of conspiracy theories.According to evidence made public by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot, Trump allies targeted Coffee County in search of evidence to back their theories of widespread voter fraud, allegedly copying data and software.Besides the two election-related cases, Trump faces a separate federal indictment accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-documents-maralago-politics-florida-charges-bee867f48da593d351c5a91e87c356a9">illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">New York state case</a>&nbsp;charging him with falsifying business records.As indictments mount, Trump — the leading Republican candidate for president in 2024 —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-target-letter-indictment-january-6-13afe5fa279e277aa6a11da46cd1821d">often invokes his distinction</a>&nbsp;as the only former president to face criminal charges. He is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-second-quarter-fundraising-gop-primary-fec-8f988e730c2ce8330b92063ed7225d7a">campaigning and fundraising</a>&nbsp;around these themes, portraying himself as the victim of Democratic prosecutors out to get him.Republican allies once again quickly rallied to Trump’s defense. “Americans see through this desperate sham,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.___

Read the full text of the Trump Georgia indictment document

OVERLAND PARK&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp;today&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;iconic singer-songwriter and early childhood literacy advocate&nbsp;Dolly Parton to Kansas to celebrate the statewide&nbsp;expansion&nbsp;of her Imagination Library program, according to a media release from Kelly's office. The celebration comes after the announcement last month that every child in Kansas is now eligible to participate in the program&nbsp;to&nbsp;receive one free, high-quality, age-appropriate&nbsp;book per month until their fifth birthday. That’s a total of 60 books from birth to age 5! Today, Kansas is one of just 15 states where the program is available statewide, with more coming&nbsp;onboard later this year. “Well Kansas, we did it! I’m so thankful for Governor Kelly, Representative Waymaster and the countless friends and local partners across Kansas who have made this dream come true,”&nbsp;Dolly Parton said.&nbsp;“Let’s celebrate by registering as many children and families as we can to receive the gift of Imagination Library books right to their home each month. Together, we can inspire children across Kansas to love books and reading, and that’s a gift that will last a lifetime.”&nbsp;

This statewide expansion&nbsp;of the Imagination Library&nbsp;was made possible through the additional funding&nbsp;that was&nbsp;included in&nbsp;Governor Kelly’s&nbsp;budget proposal at the start of the 2023 legislative session and&nbsp;was&nbsp;passed by the bipartisan Kansas legislature.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; "I’m honored that Dolly has taken the time to help our state celebrate this exciting milestone of being able to provide the gift of reading for children and families in every part of Kansas,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I urge all eligible families to take advantage of this program and&nbsp;to&nbsp;sign their children up for the Imagination Library of Kansas.”

This was a closed event to nearly 500 supporters of the program and special guests hosted by the Imagination Library of Kansas.&nbsp;The event&nbsp;featured&nbsp;a&nbsp;sit-down&nbsp;conversation between Dolly Parton and Governor Kelly&nbsp;where&nbsp;Parton&nbsp;also presented the&nbsp;governor with a&nbsp;copy of her book,&nbsp;Coat of Many Colors.&nbsp;Governor Kelly&nbsp;also&nbsp;declared August 14 “Imagination Library of Kansas Day.” The celebration&nbsp;was&nbsp;emceed by Representative Troy Waymaster,&nbsp;whose three children are all enrolled in the Imagination Library Program.&nbsp;The evening concluded with Parton signing “Coat of Many Colors” and “Try.”&nbsp; &nbsp; “All children in Kansas should be able to have the same opportunity that my sons have,”&nbsp;Representative Troy Waymaster said. &nbsp;“All three of our sons participate in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, thank you, Dolly Parton, for providing the gift of reading for all children ages zero to five in the state of Kansas.”

To enroll 0-5 children for free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8va3NjaGlsZHJlbnNjYWJpbmV0Lm9yZy9pbWFnaW5hdGlvbmxpYnJhcnkvIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDIzMDgxNC44MTExOTg2MSJ9.VwavJ3SQlX6oIIYEnY0H_h76yzw-sPP07q8VMVwton0/s/1303160919/br/224206871999-l" target="_blank">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692049888802.png" alt="This statewide expansion of the Imagination Library was made possible through the additional funding that was included in Governor Kelly’s budget proposal at the start of the 2023 legislative session and was passed by the bipartisan Kansas legislature. -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>This statewide expansion of the Imagination Library was made possible through the additional funding that was included in Governor Kelly’s budget proposal at the start of the 2023 legislative session and was passed by the bipartisan Kansas legislature. -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp;today&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;iconic singer-songwriter and early childhood literacy advocate&nbsp;Dolly Parton to Kansas to celebrate the statewide&nbsp;expansion&nbsp;of her Imagination Library program, according to a media release from Kelly's office. The celebration comes after the announcement last month that every child in Kansas is now eligible to participate in the program&nbsp;to&nbsp;receive one free, high-quality, age-appropriate&nbsp;book per month until their fifth birthday. That’s a total of 60 books from birth to age 5! Today, Kansas is one of just 15 states where the program is available statewide, with more coming&nbsp;onboard later this year. “Well Kansas, we did it! I’m so thankful for Governor Kelly, Representative Waymaster and the countless friends and local partners across Kansas who have made this dream come true,”&nbsp;Dolly Parton said.&nbsp;“Let’s celebrate by registering as many children and families as we can to receive the gift of Imagination Library books right to their home each month. Together, we can inspire children across Kansas to love books and reading, and that’s a gift that will last a lifetime.”&nbsp; This statewide expansion&nbsp;of the Imagination Library&nbsp;was made possible through the additional funding&nbsp;that was&nbsp;included in&nbsp;Governor Kelly’s&nbsp;budget proposal at the start of the 2023 legislative session and&nbsp;was&nbsp;passed by the bipartisan Kansas legislature.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; "I’m honored that Dolly has taken the time to help our state celebrate this exciting milestone of being able to provide the gift of reading for children and families in every part of Kansas,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I urge all eligible families to take advantage of this program and&nbsp;to&nbsp;sign their children up for the Imagination Library of Kansas.” This was a closed event to nearly 500 supporters of the program and special guests hosted by the Imagination Library of Kansas.&nbsp;The event&nbsp;featured&nbsp;a&nbsp;sit-down&nbsp;conversation between Dolly Parton and Governor Kelly&nbsp;where&nbsp;Parton&nbsp;also presented the&nbsp;governor with a&nbsp;copy of her book,&nbsp;Coat of Many Colors.&nbsp;Governor Kelly&nbsp;also&nbsp;declared August 14 “Imagination Library of Kansas Day.” The celebration&nbsp;was&nbsp;emceed by Representative Troy Waymaster,&nbsp;whose three children are all enrolled in the Imagination Library Program.&nbsp;The evening concluded with Parton signing “Coat of Many Colors” and “Try.”&nbsp; &nbsp; “All children in Kansas should be able to have the same opportunity that my sons have,”&nbsp;Representative Troy Waymaster said. &nbsp;“All three of our sons participate in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, thank you, Dolly Parton, for providing the gift of reading for all children ages zero to five in the state of Kansas.”To enroll 0-5 children for free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8va3NjaGlsZHJlbnNjYWJpbmV0Lm9yZy9pbWFnaW5hdGlvbmxpYnJhcnkvIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDIzMDgxNC44MTExOTg2MSJ9.VwavJ3SQlX6oIIYEnY0H_h76yzw-sPP07q8VMVwton0/s/1303160919/br/224206871999-l" target="_blank">here</a>.

Gov. welcomes Dolly Parton to Kan. for the Imagination Library celebration

LINDSBORG- Rodger Gerberding will be the Artist-in-Residence at the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy0cPZWHF5XdNsq0ohjiVspu4wyDxkZYH2dP33MYTDJlEhmxdG3MVb6lOXtN3G1HxAs7_5UU_F_kviNYs_ZIHSO1HEbzoFjWeyLI9oMBeV7kH&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Red Barn Studio Museum</a>&nbsp;from Monday, August 14 until Wednesday, August 30.

Gerberding, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, is a multidisciplinary artist active in applied arts, book illustrations, writing, acting, and other venues.&nbsp;

His paintings, drawings, collages, and other multimedia work are currently represented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU5s63tr2VpSuiPyzV_t7iS4qHzsOc8mR_ApYgm7knZ4hFq4xowW-ebQ2FFTGs5voxNdwwXEHncuBW2wtr8FTJmRkNB6sUMFP2i&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Noyes Gallery</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyyoz1MQ6f27bm-jbWrBKcx7hivvl_eMf33CMIHtR9fLaKP41hvvmxhTwXZdnAcb7KgMIQX7J5gK2Dz4QEv8ND_PXjdOLazXuT1g6yOBuYTRsh4XC6BxLoTG-zHtMH1wvdQ==&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Perrish Studios</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyyoz1MQ6f27bFLFDiSYSMvc8Uwj1Flo_AIDqTvy51h0LKbM0hLjvshEoa4Mir83JeiW_9iD-_RYMxhtnBuiWJCSUFcT19CJxKq6rkvcO4iUB&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Metro Gallery</a>, all in Lincoln, Nebraska, and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU5bftc3XiHEyRkdluR7jTyYMLB2K1VYk9yp_LCqfQkgQHWOaMarbPTOyKOozJC4RqWuo17gIT0ucPEhLeII_kbfy4VM1EO8qad&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Gallery 72</a>/<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU52wZTqzfgvVq7_TT8t-pWVbItx7f1m9aiISFxuxaz8tJKLcrnGLiKO7Be1uW7L8BldroNq9J2NIs=&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">John and Roberta Rogers Gallery</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;Omaha, Nebraska.

Illustrating several books as well as domestic and international periodicals, Gerberding has garnered a wide variety of awards. He has illustrations in three novels by James Herbert from&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU5O1nr8Xj2ic_qZqNGRjylP28Cf5eyGEg1MjPR0jITD9Rbk03nqbxLvy0uYxGRxCekjheJiVD2h3RJynsiauLtLKXYelRtE8np&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Centipede Press</a>, and he has recently completed a series of paintings relating to Sauk City, Wisconsin, environs and the work of August Derleth, for a new edition of Derleth’s&nbsp;Rivers of America&nbsp;book,&nbsp;The Wisconsin.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While at the Red Barn,&nbsp;Gerberding&nbsp;will continue his concentration on Lindsborg as image-matter, with reference to its people and places.&nbsp;He may also indulge in making “objects” culled from found and other materials, a lesser-known facet of his practice.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy0cPZWHF5XdNsq0ohjiVspu4wyDxkZYH2dP33MYTDJlEhmxdG3MVb6lOXtN3G1HxAs7_5UU_F_kviNYs_ZIHSO1HEbzoFjWeyLI9oMBeV7kH&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Red Barn Studio Museum</a>'s residency program is sponsored in part by the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyy_L2hT04vetqijG6o_T7JsLTviPDyZyxfQdbJzDbu2--P9IEe7sP_V5KPZjhqDk88gCIfGw5RAPq5W_grOOtUgoSiFxX_wUhfEsIuia4qisex-hEExbqAOWYZzJL47sSw==&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Kansas Creative Arts Industry Commission</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyy_L2hT04vetxIDnFTxQRrS5Gzc7lT0iKjoB64POgYeaHNT3JaAwo3lokOjO4zHlt3yWFi7QHTTwCwDsdr2l30E=&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">National Endowment for the Arts</a>. The Red Barn Studio Museum is located at&nbsp;212 S. Main Street&nbsp;and is&nbsp;open&nbsp;Tuesday through Friday, 10:00am-5:00pm and Saturday and&nbsp;Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm, and by appointment. Please call&nbsp;(785) 227-2217&nbsp;to schedule an appointment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692040537473.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;An art piece by Rodger Gerberding. Image Courtesy Visit Lindsborg " />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;An art piece by Rodger Gerberding. Image Courtesy Visit Lindsborg </figcaption>
 </figure>LINDSBORG- Rodger Gerberding will be the Artist-in-Residence at the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy0cPZWHF5XdNsq0ohjiVspu4wyDxkZYH2dP33MYTDJlEhmxdG3MVb6lOXtN3G1HxAs7_5UU_F_kviNYs_ZIHSO1HEbzoFjWeyLI9oMBeV7kH&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Red Barn Studio Museum</a>&nbsp;from Monday, August 14 until Wednesday, August 30. Gerberding, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, is a multidisciplinary artist active in applied arts, book illustrations, writing, acting, and other venues.&nbsp;His paintings, drawings, collages, and other multimedia work are currently represented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU5s63tr2VpSuiPyzV_t7iS4qHzsOc8mR_ApYgm7knZ4hFq4xowW-ebQ2FFTGs5voxNdwwXEHncuBW2wtr8FTJmRkNB6sUMFP2i&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Noyes Gallery</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyyoz1MQ6f27bm-jbWrBKcx7hivvl_eMf33CMIHtR9fLaKP41hvvmxhTwXZdnAcb7KgMIQX7J5gK2Dz4QEv8ND_PXjdOLazXuT1g6yOBuYTRsh4XC6BxLoTG-zHtMH1wvdQ==&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Perrish Studios</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyyoz1MQ6f27bFLFDiSYSMvc8Uwj1Flo_AIDqTvy51h0LKbM0hLjvshEoa4Mir83JeiW_9iD-_RYMxhtnBuiWJCSUFcT19CJxKq6rkvcO4iUB&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Metro Gallery</a>, all in Lincoln, Nebraska, and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU5bftc3XiHEyRkdluR7jTyYMLB2K1VYk9yp_LCqfQkgQHWOaMarbPTOyKOozJC4RqWuo17gIT0ucPEhLeII_kbfy4VM1EO8qad&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Gallery 72</a>/<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU52wZTqzfgvVq7_TT8t-pWVbItx7f1m9aiISFxuxaz8tJKLcrnGLiKO7Be1uW7L8BldroNq9J2NIs=&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">John and Roberta Rogers Gallery</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;Omaha, Nebraska.Illustrating several books as well as domestic and international periodicals, Gerberding has garnered a wide variety of awards. He has illustrations in three novels by James Herbert from&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy7AvkE58qPU5O1nr8Xj2ic_qZqNGRjylP28Cf5eyGEg1MjPR0jITD9Rbk03nqbxLvy0uYxGRxCekjheJiVD2h3RJynsiauLtLKXYelRtE8np&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Centipede Press</a>, and he has recently completed a series of paintings relating to Sauk City, Wisconsin, environs and the work of August Derleth, for a new edition of Derleth’s&nbsp;Rivers of America&nbsp;book,&nbsp;The Wisconsin.&nbsp;&nbsp;While at the Red Barn,&nbsp;Gerberding&nbsp;will continue his concentration on Lindsborg as image-matter, with reference to its people and places.&nbsp;He may also indulge in making “objects” culled from found and other materials, a lesser-known facet of his practice.The&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAy0cPZWHF5XdNsq0ohjiVspu4wyDxkZYH2dP33MYTDJlEhmxdG3MVb6lOXtN3G1HxAs7_5UU_F_kviNYs_ZIHSO1HEbzoFjWeyLI9oMBeV7kH&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Red Barn Studio Museum</a>'s residency program is sponsored in part by the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyy_L2hT04vetqijG6o_T7JsLTviPDyZyxfQdbJzDbu2--P9IEe7sP_V5KPZjhqDk88gCIfGw5RAPq5W_grOOtUgoSiFxX_wUhfEsIuia4qisex-hEExbqAOWYZzJL47sSw==&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">Kansas Creative Arts Industry Commission</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AxMtrp3cXoE0uXy9FuLuVmYGt9gw7CmgGRvxc6m1UUoSFTz4K-AAyy_L2hT04vetxIDnFTxQRrS5Gzc7lT0iKjoB64POgYeaHNT3JaAwo3lokOjO4zHlt3yWFi7QHTTwCwDsdr2l30E=&amp;c=4_knelAlfklNYLEAcl_hnJXqXTqn8_DbJBKCWPnVOEvXsB5LQ2uRBg==&amp;ch=t8f4Imzpb4HM2-GdrZbOZRH6fLZrsrCgA_nQooxVNwt69ok400tRDA==" target="_blank">National Endowment for the Arts</a>. The Red Barn Studio Museum is located at&nbsp;212 S. Main Street&nbsp;and is&nbsp;open&nbsp;Tuesday through Friday, 10:00am-5:00pm and Saturday and&nbsp;Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm, and by appointment. Please call&nbsp;(785) 227-2217&nbsp;to schedule an appointment.

LINDSBORG: Red Barn Studio Museum new artist in residence

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): &nbsp;Illegal alien,&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity,&nbsp;Speeding; maximum limits

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Driving while habitual violator

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Making False Information,&nbsp;Attempted theft of property or services; Value less than $1,500

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): &nbsp;Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor,&nbsp;Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting,&nbsp;Interf w/LEO; obstr/resist/oppose misd warrant, Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Domestic Battery: rude physical contact

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County JailAll persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692017454329.jpeg" alt="Baier,Jessie Rose" />
 <figcaption>Baier,Jessie Rose</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Baier,Jessie RoseREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692017504280.jpeg" alt="Bernal Ayub,Pablo Frenando" />
 <figcaption>Bernal Ayub,Pablo Frenando</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Bernal Ayub,Pablo FrenandoREQUESTED CHARGE(S): &nbsp;Illegal alien,&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity,&nbsp;Speeding; maximum limits<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692017542902.jpeg" alt="Butler,Jessica Lynn " />
 <figcaption>Butler,Jessica Lynn </figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Butler,Jessica LynnREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Driving while habitual violator<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692017697010.jpeg" alt="Harris,Cade Austin" />
 <figcaption>Harris,Cade Austin</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Harris,Cade AustinREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Making False Information,&nbsp;Attempted theft of property or services; Value less than $1,500<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692017776195.jpeg" alt=" Lytle,Jason Lee" />
 <figcaption> Lytle,Jason Lee</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: Lytle,Jason LeeREQUESTED CHARGE(S): &nbsp;Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor,&nbsp;Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting,&nbsp;Interf w/LEO; obstr/resist/oppose misd warrant, Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692017875780.jpeg" alt="McKenna,Samuel Daniel" />
 <figcaption>McKenna,Samuel Daniel</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: McKenna,Samuel DanielREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Domestic Battery: rude physical contact

Saline County Booking Activity, Aug. 14

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Kelly will welcome&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton&nbsp;for a celebration of the statewide success of&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton's Imagination Library Monday afternoon in Overland&nbsp; Park. This event is&nbsp;hosted by the Imagination Library of Kansas. Governor Kelly will deliver brief remarks and participate in a sit-down conversation with&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton&nbsp;on stage.&nbsp; The event is&nbsp;closed to the public.

Every child in Kansas from birth to age five can receive free books every month from&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton’s Imagination Library. This is made possible through increased funding provided to the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund by Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Legislature. These funds supplement local and regional resources to ensure equitable opportunity across the state. The Imagination Library has gifted over 200 million books worldwide since its launch in 1995.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I am pleased that we have reached this amazing milestone – being able to provide the gift of reading for children and families across Kansas,”&nbsp;said Governor Laura Kelly.&nbsp;“We know that a child’s first five years are critical for health development and childhood literacy. By increasing access to the Imagination Library, we will be nurturing a love for reading and supporting the foundation of a child’s social-emotional, physical, and cognitive future. I urge all eligible Kansas families to sign their children up for the Imagination Library of Kansas.”&nbsp;

The early childhood period (birth to five years) is the most influential for a child’s future, providing the foundation for a child to grow, learn, and thrive. Leaders across Kansas have been focused on developing strategies to promote early literacy and support educators, parents, and families in fostering commitments to reading. Forming an Imagination Library of Kansas is a significant step towards actualizing these goals by placing books directly in the child’s home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pratt, Kansas, has the distinction of starting the first Imagination Library site outside Tennessee in 2005. Today, Kansas is celebrating over 52,200 children enrolled and celebrating the milestone of gifting more than 3.8 million books to children since 2005.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write,&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton started her Imagination Library in 1995 to foster a love of reading for the children within her home county. Today, her program mails over 2 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month until their fifth birthday - at no cost to families. The program's impact has been widely researched, and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton’s Imagination Library.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692013525128.png" alt="Every child in Kansas from birth to age five can receive free books every month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.-courtesy photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Every child in Kansas from birth to age five can receive free books every month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.-courtesy photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Kelly will welcome&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton&nbsp;for a celebration of the statewide success of&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton's Imagination Library Monday afternoon in Overland&nbsp; Park. This event is&nbsp;hosted by the Imagination Library of Kansas. Governor Kelly will deliver brief remarks and participate in a sit-down conversation with&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton&nbsp;on stage.&nbsp; The event is&nbsp;closed to the public.Every child in Kansas from birth to age five can receive free books every month from&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton’s Imagination Library. This is made possible through increased funding provided to the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund by Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Legislature. These funds supplement local and regional resources to ensure equitable opportunity across the state. The Imagination Library has gifted over 200 million books worldwide since its launch in 1995.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am pleased that we have reached this amazing milestone – being able to provide the gift of reading for children and families across Kansas,”&nbsp;said Governor Laura Kelly.&nbsp;“We know that a child’s first five years are critical for health development and childhood literacy. By increasing access to the Imagination Library, we will be nurturing a love for reading and supporting the foundation of a child’s social-emotional, physical, and cognitive future. I urge all eligible Kansas families to sign their children up for the Imagination Library of Kansas.”&nbsp;The early childhood period (birth to five years) is the most influential for a child’s future, providing the foundation for a child to grow, learn, and thrive. Leaders across Kansas have been focused on developing strategies to promote early literacy and support educators, parents, and families in fostering commitments to reading. Forming an Imagination Library of Kansas is a significant step towards actualizing these goals by placing books directly in the child’s home.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pratt, Kansas, has the distinction of starting the first Imagination Library site outside Tennessee in 2005. Today, Kansas is celebrating over 52,200 children enrolled and celebrating the milestone of gifting more than 3.8 million books to children since 2005.&nbsp;&nbsp;Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write,&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton started her Imagination Library in 1995 to foster a love of reading for the children within her home county. Today, her program mails over 2 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month until their fifth birthday - at no cost to families. The program's impact has been widely researched, and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of&nbsp;Dolly&nbsp;Parton’s Imagination Library.&nbsp;

Dolly Parton will meet with governor in Kansas today

Editor's note: The story has been updated. Police originally reported the car was a 2014.&nbsp; It is a 2004.

CLOUD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

According to social media report from Concordia Police, officers are looking for 34-year-lold Ric Jacob Meczywor. Aka Jake.

He is wanted for allegedly stealing a&nbsp;silver 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix&nbsp; with Kansas tag 808SBZ. He is also accused of entering another vehicle&nbsp; in same parking lot Saturday night.&nbsp;

Meczywor was booked into the Cloud County Jail in May and released from custody July 6, according to online jail records.

Anyone with information on Meczywor or the vehicle should contact police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691967204362.png" alt="MECZYWOR photo Concordia Police" />
 <figcaption>MECZYWOR photo Concordia Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Editor's note: The story has been updated. Police originally reported the car was a 2014.&nbsp; It is a 2004.CLOUD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vehicle theft and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.According to social media report from Concordia Police, officers are looking for 34-year-lold Ric Jacob Meczywor. Aka Jake.He is wanted for allegedly stealing a&nbsp;silver 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix&nbsp; with Kansas tag 808SBZ. He is also accused of entering another vehicle&nbsp; in same parking lot Saturday night.&nbsp;Meczywor was booked into the Cloud County Jail in May and released from custody July 6, according to online jail records.Anyone with information on Meczywor or the vehicle should contact police.

Police search for stolen car, suspect in north central Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect caught driving a stolen car.

Just after 11:30p.m&nbsp; Thursday, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the 3300 block of SW Gage Boulevard on a white 2019 Ford Fusion that was reported stolen out of Kansas City. 

The driver, later identified as&nbsp;Paul M. Eicholz, 24, of Topeka, failed to stop and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit ended in the 500 block of SW 39th Street where Eicholz fled the scene on foot.

A sheriff's department drone was used to quickly locate. He was arrested and transported to a local hospital by American Medical Response (AMR) due to a nonlife-threatening injury suffered while running away from the vehicle.

Eicholz was medically cleared and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, felony flee or attempt to elude, two counts of possession of stolen property, speeding, failure to yield at a stop sign and possession of drug paraphernalia.

&nbsp;The passenger was interviewed and released from the scene.&nbsp;This incident is still under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691780419210.png" alt="Eicholz-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Eicholz-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect caught driving a stolen car.Just after 11:30p.m&nbsp; Thursday, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the 3300 block of SW Gage Boulevard on a white 2019 Ford Fusion that was reported stolen out of Kansas City. The driver, later identified as&nbsp;Paul M. Eicholz, 24, of Topeka, failed to stop and initiated a pursuit. The pursuit ended in the 500 block of SW 39th Street where Eicholz fled the scene on foot.A sheriff's department drone was used to quickly locate. He was arrested and transported to a local hospital by American Medical Response (AMR) due to a nonlife-threatening injury suffered while running away from the vehicle.Eicholz was medically cleared and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of felony interference with law enforcement, felony flee or attempt to elude, two counts of possession of stolen property, speeding, failure to yield at a stop sign and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;The passenger was interviewed and released from the scene.&nbsp;This incident is still under investigation.

Drone used to help catch Kan. man who ran from stolen car

BY: David Norlin Originally published,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/10/in-a-local-dispute-over-pride-month-profound-questions-about-faith-and-government-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Public officials’ actions can be flawed or a fraud. Yet some people applaud.

June 12, Salina’s city commission offered a prime example. A routine proclamation was read and signed by the mayor. It recognized Pride Month and celebrated LGBTQ contributions to city, state and country. Standard stuff.

Imagine everyone’s surprise, then, when new commissioner and soon-to-be-mayor Bill Longbine rose up, announced he was recusing himself and walked out of the meeting.

The next meeting, he was called to task during public comments.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salina.com/story/news/local/2023/06/29/salina-commissioner-bill-longbine-walkout-draws-concern-and-support/70356653007/">His response</a>: “I do have deeply held beliefs and values. This did conflict with my beliefs and values, and I have that right.”

Following calls for an apology, three rose instead to applaud Longbine’s action. All were members of a like-minded local group, including one of their leaders, Chad Farber, a pastor and city commission candidate. Farber has long been outspoken against freedom for teachers in public schools and an opponent of city regulation, including for public health measures, vaccines or otherwise. Like Longbine, he consistently proclaims that his faith, first and foremost, will guide his public policy votes.

To be fair, it can be argued Longbine’s action harmed no one. No one was shot. No one was fired. No harm, no foul.

But here’s the rub: As commissioner, even Salina’s formal ethics code requires Longbine serve and respect all the public. His public trust includes a commitment to growth and working toward mutual understanding. Given his stance, future votes of greater consequence may be, well, more consequential.

His lack of commitment to examine his religious ideas (“moral” or not) means he can’t be trusted to vote in everyone’s best interest. His religion hems us in. By self-proclamation, he is capable of — and in a sense, committed to — inflicting harm, in the right circumstance.

Think such things can’t happen? Consider this: In Sterling, both city librarians lost their jobs because they had the temerity to use a rainbow in a book display.

"Think such things can’t happen? Consider this: In Sterling, both city librarians lost their jobs because they had the temerity to use a rainbow in a book display."

As&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansas.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dion-lefler/article277199513.html">Dion Lefler of the Wichita Eagle editorialized</a>: “It used to be you could get fired from a government job for being too prejudiced. Now, in Sterling, Kansas, you get fired for not being prejudiced enough.”

According to Lefler, Sterling library board vice president Michelle Miller said: “I do not want any kind of rainbow display … especially in this month. We are in Pride Month. People are on display. We have a conservative town and as a library, do not need to make political statements like Target and Bud Light.”

The Sterling Library Board is not elected. The mayor is on that board. He appoints other members submitted by the existing board. In this way, unaccountable public officials just cost accountable public servants their jobs.

In Saint Marys, officials aren’t removing the librarian. They’re&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/11/st-marys-officials-again-threaten-library-because-of-lgbtq-books/">trying to remove</a>&nbsp;the library. The city commission again threatens to end the library’s building lease unless their religious doctrines prevail.

Going above city level, greater power brings even greater injustice. Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach has lost no time misusing his office. He is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/07/kobach-sues-to-strip-transgender-kansans-of-identities-in-dispute-over-drivers-licenses/">suing Gov. Laura Kelly</a>&nbsp;to change driver’s licenses (already issued by request of transgender individuals) back to an undesired or even repugnant gender designation.

National office provides even more power to harm. Tommy Tuberville, a former football coach now serving as Republican U.S. senator from Alabama, has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">put a hold</a>&nbsp;on all military appointments. He wants the Senate to vote on a military policy allowing travel reimbursement for service members seeking abortion services.

His self-righteous religious conviction endangers not only bodily autonomy but national security and defense. Tuberville’s from a different state, but he has a similar state of mind. Overwhelming condemnation of his actions, even from senators of his own party, have not swayed him. His “religion” tells him he is right. And the rest of us can, well, go to hell.

This is dangerous. Theocracy is not democracy. Will we really let another’s conscience be our guide?

These leaders’ actions, and the churches and members who support them, lead me to echo&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marygauthier.com/mercy-now-lyrics">Mary Gauthier’s song</a>&nbsp;“Mercy Now”:

“My church and my country could use a little mercy now

As they sink into a poisoned pit, gonna take forever to climb out.

They carry the weight of the faithful who follow them down

I love my church and country and they could use some mercy now.”

David Norlin is&nbsp;a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of communications/English, specializing in media.&nbsp; This article contains views and opinions which are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other author, agency, organization, employer or company, including Eagle Communications.&nbsp; Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/submit-opinion/">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582312931775.png" alt="opinion sq.png" />
 <figcaption>opinion sq.png</figcaption>
 </figure>BY: David Norlin Originally published,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/10/in-a-local-dispute-over-pride-month-profound-questions-about-faith-and-government-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>Public officials’ actions can be flawed or a fraud. Yet some people applaud.June 12, Salina’s city commission offered a prime example. A routine proclamation was read and signed by the mayor. It recognized Pride Month and celebrated LGBTQ contributions to city, state and country. Standard stuff.Imagine everyone’s surprise, then, when new commissioner and soon-to-be-mayor Bill Longbine rose up, announced he was recusing himself and walked out of the meeting.The next meeting, he was called to task during public comments.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salina.com/story/news/local/2023/06/29/salina-commissioner-bill-longbine-walkout-draws-concern-and-support/70356653007/">His response</a>: “I do have deeply held beliefs and values. This did conflict with my beliefs and values, and I have that right.”Following calls for an apology, three rose instead to applaud Longbine’s action. All were members of a like-minded local group, including one of their leaders, Chad Farber, a pastor and city commission candidate. Farber has long been outspoken against freedom for teachers in public schools and an opponent of city regulation, including for public health measures, vaccines or otherwise. Like Longbine, he consistently proclaims that his faith, first and foremost, will guide his public policy votes.To be fair, it can be argued Longbine’s action harmed no one. No one was shot. No one was fired. No harm, no foul.But here’s the rub: As commissioner, even Salina’s formal ethics code requires Longbine serve and respect all the public. His public trust includes a commitment to growth and working toward mutual understanding. Given his stance, future votes of greater consequence may be, well, more consequential.His lack of commitment to examine his religious ideas (“moral” or not) means he can’t be trusted to vote in everyone’s best interest. His religion hems us in. By self-proclamation, he is capable of — and in a sense, committed to — inflicting harm, in the right circumstance.This is dangerous.Think such things can’t happen? Consider this: In Sterling, both city librarians lost their jobs because they had the temerity to use a rainbow in a book display.<h2>"Think such things can’t happen? Consider this: In Sterling, both city librarians lost their jobs because they had the temerity to use a rainbow in a book display."</h2>– David NorlinAs&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansas.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/dion-lefler/article277199513.html">Dion Lefler of the Wichita Eagle editorialized</a>: “It used to be you could get fired from a government job for being too prejudiced. Now, in Sterling, Kansas, you get fired for not being prejudiced enough.”According to Lefler, Sterling library board vice president Michelle Miller said: “I do not want any kind of rainbow display … especially in this month. We are in Pride Month. People are on display. We have a conservative town and as a library, do not need to make political statements like Target and Bud Light.”The Sterling Library Board is not elected. The mayor is on that board. He appoints other members submitted by the existing board. In this way, unaccountable public officials just cost accountable public servants their jobs.In Saint Marys, officials aren’t removing the librarian. They’re&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/11/st-marys-officials-again-threaten-library-because-of-lgbtq-books/">trying to remove</a>&nbsp;the library. The city commission again threatens to end the library’s building lease unless their religious doctrines prevail.So much for the freedom to read.Going above city level, greater power brings even greater injustice. Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach has lost no time misusing his office. He is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/07/kobach-sues-to-strip-transgender-kansans-of-identities-in-dispute-over-drivers-licenses/">suing Gov. Laura Kelly</a>&nbsp;to change driver’s licenses (already issued by request of transgender individuals) back to an undesired or even repugnant gender designation.So much for individual freedom.National office provides even more power to harm. Tommy Tuberville, a former football coach now serving as Republican U.S. senator from Alabama, has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">put a hold</a>&nbsp;on all military appointments. He wants the Senate to vote on a military policy allowing travel reimbursement for service members seeking abortion services.His self-righteous religious conviction endangers not only bodily autonomy but national security and defense. Tuberville’s from a different state, but he has a similar state of mind. Overwhelming condemnation of his actions, even from senators of his own party, have not swayed him. His “religion” tells him he is right. And the rest of us can, well, go to hell.So much for bodily autonomy.This is dangerous. Theocracy is not democracy. Will we really let another’s conscience be our guide?These leaders’ actions, and the churches and members who support them, lead me to echo&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marygauthier.com/mercy-now-lyrics">Mary Gauthier’s song</a>&nbsp;“Mercy Now”:“My church and my country could use a little mercy nowAs they sink into a poisoned pit, gonna take forever to climb out.They carry the weight of the faithful who follow them downI love my church and country and they could use some mercy now.”David Norlin is&nbsp;a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of communications/English, specializing in media.&nbsp; This article contains views and opinions which are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other author, agency, organization, employer or company, including Eagle Communications.&nbsp; Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/submit-opinion/">here</a>.

OPINION: Local dispute over Pride Month, faith and government in Kansas

The lawsuit was originally filed by attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana last year alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies to suppress free speech

By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Attorneys for the Biden administration argued this week that a district judge in Louisiana overstepped his authority by barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies to urge them to moderate information deemed harmful or misleading.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments over whether it should lift an injunction issued by a lower court in July that concluded the government wrongly pushed social media companies to suppress disfavored political views.&nbsp;

Daniel Tenny, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, made the case Thursday that the injunction hampers the government’s ability to deal with misinformation during emergencies and violates the government’s own right to speak freely.

“Plaintiffs have urged, for example, that if there were a natural disaster and there were untrue statements circulating on social media that were damaging to the public interest, the government would be powerless under the injunction to discourage social media companies from further disseminating those incorrect statements,” said Daniel Tenny of the U.S. Department of Justice.&nbsp;

The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump coerced social media companies to censor content&nbsp;</a>over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.

Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.

During Thursday’s hearing, judges asked Tenny directly about communications between the government and social media companies, which they said at times felt coercive.

“What appears to be in the record are these irate messages, from time to time, from high ranking government officials who say ‘you didn’t do this yet,’” ”said Judge Edith Brown Clement, an appointee of former President George W. Bush. “And so it’s like, jump, and how high.”

Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, said he believes it’s “perfectly fine for the government to call out publicly someone for posting or publishing something that the government believes is false or believes is dangerous.”

But the conversations at the heart of this lawsuit took place in private, Willett said, and seem to have relied on “a fairly unsubtle kind of strong arming.”

“That’s a really nice social media platform you got there,” Willett continued, “it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”

D. John Sauer, the former solicitor general of Missouri who argued Thursday on behalf of the Louisiana attorney general, equated the government’s communications with social media companies to hypothetically pressuring booksellers to create a “book burning program.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578090484280.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The lawsuit was originally filed by attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana last year alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies to suppress free speech</h2>By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Attorneys for the Biden administration argued this week that a district judge in Louisiana overstepped his authority by barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies to urge them to moderate information deemed harmful or misleading.A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments over whether it should lift an injunction issued by a lower court in July that concluded the government wrongly pushed social media companies to suppress disfavored political views.&nbsp;Daniel Tenny, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, made the case Thursday that the injunction hampers the government’s ability to deal with misinformation during emergencies and violates the government’s own right to speak freely.“Plaintiffs have urged, for example, that if there were a natural disaster and there were untrue statements circulating on social media that were damaging to the public interest, the government would be powerless under the injunction to discourage social media companies from further disseminating those incorrect statements,” said Daniel Tenny of the U.S. Department of Justice.&nbsp;The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump coerced social media companies to censor content&nbsp;</a>over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.During Thursday’s hearing, judges asked Tenny directly about communications between the government and social media companies, which they said at times felt coercive.“What appears to be in the record are these irate messages, from time to time, from high ranking government officials who say ‘you didn’t do this yet,’” ”said Judge Edith Brown Clement, an appointee of former President George W. Bush. “And so it’s like, jump, and how high.”Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, said he believes it’s “perfectly fine for the government to call out publicly someone for posting or publishing something that the government believes is false or believes is dangerous.”But the conversations at the heart of this lawsuit took place in private, Willett said, and seem to have relied on “a fairly unsubtle kind of strong arming.”“That’s a really nice social media platform you got there,” Willett continued, “it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”D. John Sauer, the former solicitor general of Missouri who argued Thursday on behalf of the Louisiana attorney general, equated the government’s communications with social media companies to hypothetically pressuring booksellers to create a “book burning program.”&nbsp;“In July of 2021, you see the platform’s having resisted the White House pressure for a significant period of time, all of a sudden after public threats combined with the private pressure campaign that had lasted for months and months, you see the platform just giving in,” Sauer said.&nbsp;The result, Sauer argued, was the deplatforming of conservative voices and the silencing of “prominent critics of the administration.”Biden administration attorneys argued federal officials don’t have the authority to order content removed from social media platforms, accusing GOP attorneys general of misrepresenting communications with companies about public health disinformation and election conspiracies.There is no evidence of threats by the administration, Tenny said Thursday.&nbsp;“The district court identified no evidence suggesting that a threat accompanied any request for the removal of content,” Tenny argued in a brief asking for the injunction to be lifted.&nbsp;The&nbsp;whole&nbsp;theory&nbsp;of&nbsp;coercion, Tenny said, “falls&nbsp;apart&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;facts.”The lawsuit has garnered widespread attention, and attracted co-plaintiffs with long histories of spreading misinformation and debunked conspiracy theories.That includes Jim Hoft, founder of the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, who was added to the lawsuit in August and has built a career on promulgating conspiracies on a wide range of topics, from the 2018 Parkland school shooting to former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.More recently, Hoft has been among the biggest purveyors of election fraud lies. He currently faces&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/28/missouri-lawsuit-isnt-the-only-defamation-case-against-far-right-site-gateway-pundit/">defamation lawsuit in St. Louis circuit court</a>&nbsp;filed by two Georgia election workers who faced death threats following Gateway Pundit’s false stories about a vote-rigging scheme.&nbsp;Sauer cited Hoft directly during Thursday’s argument, claiming that he is “currently&nbsp;subjected&nbsp;to&nbsp;an&nbsp;ongoing&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;by&nbsp;federal&nbsp;officials&nbsp;to&nbsp;target&nbsp;the&nbsp;content&nbsp;on&nbsp;his&nbsp;website.”&nbsp;The lawsuit also attracted support from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/06/anti-vaxxers-seek-to-intervene-in-missouri-ag-eric-schmitts-social-media-lawsuit/">presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., who has a long history of promoting medical misinformation such as the idea that vaccines cause autism and Wi-Fi causes cancer.&nbsp;