WSU says internal inquiry compels attribution corrections to doctoral paper

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA —&nbsp;Kansas academics point to signs of plagiarism in Wichita State University President Richard Muma’s doctoral dissertation, but there’s a nuanced dispute about consequences for breaking scholarly writing protocol.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/read-the-evidence-examples-of-copied-material-in-wichita-state-university-presidents-dissertation/">Click here to view&nbsp;</a>some of the evidence

Debate emerged on campuses throughout the state since Monday when Kansas Reflector&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/wichita-state-university-presidents-doctoral-dissertation-raises-concerns-of-academic-misconduct/">published an investigation</a>&nbsp;of Muma’s 2004 dissertation that led to awarding of a doctorate by University of Missouri-St. Louis. More than 10 university professors employed outside of WSU told the Reflector that Muma’s use of dozens of passages from journals and books — without quotation marks to fully credit verbatim writing of others — met the definition of plagiarism.

In response, Muma said an internal, confidential review led by WSU administrators concluded he wasn’t guilty of misconduct. However, he said, there were instances in the dissertation where “attribution should have included the use of quotation marks around reuse of text.”&nbsp;The president said he would submit to UMSL a revised version&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/wichita-state-university-president-vows-to-fix-attribution-flaws-in-up-to-5-of-dissertation/">correcting attribution in up to 5% of his dissertation.&nbsp;</a>He also said “the matter was closed.”

Elizabeth Heilman, a Wichita State professor of education, said she was skeptical of WSU’s internal analysis of about 50 instances in which Muma borrowed the writing of more than 20 scholars.

“Issues with Muma’s dissertation are not technical omissions as he has stated. The issue raised is plagiarism and research misconduct,” Heilman said.

Chris Dudley, an assistant clinical professor in Wichita State’s physician assistant program, said missing quotation marks in Muma’s dissertation were “definitely a mistake,” but the dissertation contained references that could lead readers to original authors.

“There is a big difference between clerical/grammatical errors and not citing the author,” said Dudley, who graduated from WSU’s physician assistant program in 2008. “Both fall under the definition of plagiarism, but I think we can agree one is way worse than the other.”

Dudley said the Reflector’s reporting “stinks of a witch hunt” as if someone were “trying to tear down the reputation of someone who has worked in health care and who now leads a university brilliantly.”

Muma, who has worked at Wichita State for nearly 30 years, was a tenured professor and chairman of the physician assistant program at WSU when he completed the dissertation. He was promoted to vice president and provost before appointed president in 2020 by the Kansas Board of Regents.

Before publication of the story, Muma said he was confident his dissertation was “original.” He later said the article “raised misrepresentations about the academic integrity” of his dissertation.

The Reflector manually examined Muma’s 88-page dissertation on management of physician assistant programs.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/read-the-evidence-examples-of-copied-material-in-wichita-state-university-presidents-dissertation/">Copies of original articles and books were acquired for line-by-line comparisons to the dissertation.</a>&nbsp;The extent of the copying by Muma led a diverse group of university educators interviewed by the Reflector to the conclusion the dissertation was partially plagiarized.

Dan Hoyt, a professor of English at Kansas State University, said it would be wrong for a college freshman to leave out quotation marks to highlight contributions of other writers. It would be “inexcusable” for someone to make the same mistake in a doctoral dissertation, he said.

“I think you could easily make the case this is plagiarism,” Hoyt said. “It does all kinds of harm to the world of ideas and the world of education.”

Jim Leiker, a history professor at Johnson County Community College, said the scholarly exception made for WSU’s president sent the wrong message to the university’s students. The bottom line, he said, was “we should hold the president of an institution such as WSU to a higher standard than we hold our students.”

Eve Levin, professor emeritus at the University of Kansas, said UMSL should rescind the doctoral degree it awarded to Muma because he produced a dissertation that claimed the words of others as his own.

“If he didn’t know better, he’s unqualified to be a university faculty member, much less a university president,” she said. “If he did know better, but was too sloppy in his research methods, he’s unqualified.&nbsp;If he did know better and deliberately decided to copy other scholars’ words, he’s unqualified.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728665053937.png" alt="Reaction at Wichita State University and other college campuses in Kansas affirms that WSU President Richard Muma improperly copied writing of other scholars in his doctoral dissertation, but differs on consequences for that decision. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Reaction at Wichita State University and other college campuses in Kansas affirms that WSU President Richard Muma improperly copied writing of other scholars in his doctoral dissertation, but differs on consequences for that decision. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>WSU says internal inquiry compels attribution corrections to doctoral paper</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA —&nbsp;Kansas academics point to signs of plagiarism in Wichita State University President Richard Muma’s doctoral dissertation, but there’s a nuanced dispute about consequences for breaking scholarly writing protocol.<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/read-the-evidence-examples-of-copied-material-in-wichita-state-university-presidents-dissertation/">Click here to view&nbsp;</a>some of the evidenceDebate emerged on campuses throughout the state since Monday when Kansas Reflector&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/wichita-state-university-presidents-doctoral-dissertation-raises-concerns-of-academic-misconduct/">published an investigation</a>&nbsp;of Muma’s 2004 dissertation that led to awarding of a doctorate by University of Missouri-St. Louis. More than 10 university professors employed outside of WSU told the Reflector that Muma’s use of dozens of passages from journals and books — without quotation marks to fully credit verbatim writing of others — met the definition of plagiarism.In response, Muma said an internal, confidential review led by WSU administrators concluded he wasn’t guilty of misconduct. However, he said, there were instances in the dissertation where “attribution should have included the use of quotation marks around reuse of text.”&nbsp;The president said he would submit to UMSL a revised version&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/wichita-state-university-president-vows-to-fix-attribution-flaws-in-up-to-5-of-dissertation/">correcting attribution in up to 5% of his dissertation.&nbsp;</a>He also said “the matter was closed.”But that doesn’t satisfy everyone.Elizabeth Heilman, a Wichita State professor of education, said she was skeptical of WSU’s internal analysis of about 50 instances in which Muma borrowed the writing of more than 20 scholars.“Issues with Muma’s dissertation are not technical omissions as he has stated. The issue raised is plagiarism and research misconduct,” Heilman said.Chris Dudley, an assistant clinical professor in Wichita State’s physician assistant program, said missing quotation marks in Muma’s dissertation were “definitely a mistake,” but the dissertation contained references that could lead readers to original authors.“There is a big difference between clerical/grammatical errors and not citing the author,” said Dudley, who graduated from WSU’s physician assistant program in 2008. “Both fall under the definition of plagiarism, but I think we can agree one is way worse than the other.”Dudley said the Reflector’s reporting “stinks of a witch hunt” as if someone were “trying to tear down the reputation of someone who has worked in health care and who now leads a university brilliantly.”Muma, who has worked at Wichita State for nearly 30 years, was a tenured professor and chairman of the physician assistant program at WSU when he completed the dissertation. He was promoted to vice president and provost before appointed president in 2020 by the Kansas Board of Regents.Before publication of the story, Muma said he was confident his dissertation was “original.” He later said the article “raised misrepresentations about the academic integrity” of his dissertation.The Reflector manually examined Muma’s 88-page dissertation on management of physician assistant programs.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/read-the-evidence-examples-of-copied-material-in-wichita-state-university-presidents-dissertation/">Copies of original articles and books were acquired for line-by-line comparisons to the dissertation.</a>&nbsp;The extent of the copying by Muma led a diverse group of university educators interviewed by the Reflector to the conclusion the dissertation was partially plagiarized.Dan Hoyt, a professor of English at Kansas State University, said it would be wrong for a college freshman to leave out quotation marks to highlight contributions of other writers. It would be “inexcusable” for someone to make the same mistake in a doctoral dissertation, he said.“I think you could easily make the case this is plagiarism,” Hoyt said. “It does all kinds of harm to the world of ideas and the world of education.”Jim Leiker, a history professor at Johnson County Community College, said the scholarly exception made for WSU’s president sent the wrong message to the university’s students. The bottom line, he said, was “we should hold the president of an institution such as WSU to a higher standard than we hold our students.”Eve Levin, professor emeritus at the University of Kansas, said UMSL should rescind the doctoral degree it awarded to Muma because he produced a dissertation that claimed the words of others as his own.“If he didn’t know better, he’s unqualified to be a university faculty member, much less a university president,” she said. “If he did know better, but was too sloppy in his research methods, he’s unqualified.&nbsp;If he did know better and deliberately decided to copy other scholars’ words, he’s unqualified.”

Kansas professors debate severity of plagiarism, response to WSU president’s dissertation

JACKSON COUNTY – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 10:30 p.m. Sept. 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2014 Ford Escape at 142nd Road on U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

A probable cause search was conducted and illegal contraband was found.

The driver, Robert Duane Uitts, 48, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of felony interference, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, and operating a vehicle without insurance. He has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728396729568.png" alt="Uitts has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.- photo Jackson Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Uitts has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.- photo Jackson Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 10:30 p.m. Sept. 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2014 Ford Escape at 142nd Road on U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.A probable cause search was conducted and illegal contraband was found.The driver, Robert Duane Uitts, 48, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of felony interference, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, and operating a vehicle without insurance. He has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kansas felon caught transporting drugs

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas boy critically injured in a shooting on Wednesday has died, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Just after 8a.m. Wednesday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from 46-year-old Tesha L. Florence of Wichita reporting that she shot her son, according to Captain Moses.

First responders located a 16-year-old identified as Robert Florence inside an apartment in the 9100 Block of East Harry. He had a single gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he was in extremely critical condition.

On Friday morning the boy succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital, according to Moses.

At the scene, officers detained <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=168822">Tesha Florence,</a> identified according to Sedgwick County booking records. She is the boy's mother.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wichita Police investigators are in the process of amending the requested charges for her to include Second Degree Murder.

During the investigation into this case, detectives learned of a previously unreported incident from March 2024 where Techa Florence threatened an ex-husband and his current girlfriend with a gun.

Just after 4:30p.m. Wednesday, Tesha Florence was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail and is currently being held on bonds totaling $600,000, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=168822">according to online jail records.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728555306481.png" alt="Tesha Florence photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Tesha Florence photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas boy critically injured in a shooting on Wednesday has died, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.Just after 8a.m. Wednesday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from 46-year-old Tesha L. Florence of Wichita reporting that she shot her son, according to Captain Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728510375843.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Wednesday morning-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Wednesday morning-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located a 16-year-old identified as Robert Florence inside an apartment in the 9100 Block of East Harry. He had a single gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he was in extremely critical condition.On Friday morning the boy succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital, according to Moses.At the scene, officers detained <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=168822">Tesha Florence,</a> identified according to Sedgwick County booking records. She is the boy's mother.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wichita Police investigators are in the process of amending the requested charges for her to include Second Degree Murder.During the investigation into this case, detectives learned of a previously unreported incident from March 2024 where Techa Florence threatened an ex-husband and his current girlfriend with a gun.Just after 4:30p.m. Wednesday, Tesha Florence was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail and is currently being held on bonds totaling $600,000, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=168822">according to online jail records.</a>

Police: 16-year-old Kan. boy shot by his mother has died

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of copies of Donald Trump’s “God Bless the USA” Bible were printed in a country that the former president has repeatedly accused of stealing American jobs and engaging in unfair trade practices: China.

Global trade records reviewed by The Associated Press show a printing company in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou shipped close to 120,000 of the Bibles to the United States earlier this year.

The estimated value of the three separate shipments was $342,000, or less than $3 per Bible, according to databases that track exports and imports. The minimum price for the Trump-backed Bible is $59.99, putting the potential sales revenue at about $7 million.

The Trump Bible’s connection to China reveals a deep divide between the former president’s harsh anti-China rhetoric and his efforts to raise cash while campaigning.

The Trump campaign did not respond to emails and calls seeking comment.

In a March 26 video posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced a partnership with country singer Lee Greenwood to hawk the Bibles, inspired by Greenwood's “God Bless the USA” hit song.

In the video, Trump blended religion with his campaign message as he urged viewers to buy the Bible, which includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Pledge of Allegiance.

“This Bible is a reminder that the biggest thing we have to bring back in America, and to make America great again, is our religion," Trump said.

Trump didn’t say where the “God Bless the USA” Bibles are printed, what they cost or how much he earns per sale. A version of the $59.99 Bible memorializes the July 13 assassination attempt on the former president in Pennsylvania. Trump’s name is stamped on the cover above the phrase, “The Day God Intervened.”

The Bibles are sold exclusively through a website that states it is not affiliated with any political campaign nor is it owned or controlled by Trump.

The website states that Trump’s name and image are used under a paid license from CIC Ventures, a company Trump reported owning in a financial disclosure released in August. CIC Ventures earned $300,000 in Bible sales royalties, according to the disclosure. It’s unclear if Trump has received additional payments.

AP received no response to questions sent to the Bible website and to a publicist for Greenwood.

For years, Trump has castigated Beijing as an obstacle to America’s economic success, slapping hefty tariffs on Chinese imports while president and threatening even more stringent measures if he’s elected again. He blamed China for the COVID-19 outbreak and recently suggested, without evidence, that Chinese immigrants are flooding the U.S. to build an “army” and attack America.

But Trump also has an eye on his personal finances. Pitching Bibles is one of a dizzying number of for-profit ventures he’s launched or promoted, including diamond-encrusted watches, sneakers, photo books, cryptocurrency and digital trading cards.

The web of enterprises has stoked conflict of interest concerns. Selling products at prices that exceed their value may be considered a campaign contribution, said Claire Finkelstein, founder of the nonpartisan Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law and a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

“You have to assume that everything that the individual does is being done as a candidate and so that any money that flows through to him benefits him as a candidate,” Finkelstein said. “Suppose Vladimir Putin were to buy a Trump watch. Is that a campaign finance violation? I would think so.”

There’s a potentially lucrative opportunity for Trump to sell 55,000 of the Bibles to Oklahoma after the state’s education department ordered public schools to incorporate Scripture into lessons. Oklahoma plans to buy Bibles that initially matched Trump’s edition: a King James Version that contains the U.S. founding documents. The request was revised Monday to allow the U.S. historical documents to be bound with the Bible or provided separately.

The first delivery of Trump Bibles was labeled “God Bless USA,” according to the information from the Panjiva and Import Genius databases. The other two were described as “Bibles.” All the books were shipped by New Ade Cultural Media, a printing company in Hangzhou, to Freedom Park Design, a company in Alabama that databases identified as the importer of the Bibles.

Tammy Tang, a sales representative for New Ade, told AP all three shipments were “God Bless the USA” Bibles. She said New Ade received the orders from Freedom Park Design via the WhatsApp messaging service. The books were printed on presses near the company’s office, she said.

Freedom Park Design was incorporated in Florida on March 1. An aspiring country singer named Jared Ashley is the company’s president. He also co-founded 16 Creative, a marketing firm that uses the same Gulf Shores address and processes online orders for branded merchandise.

Ashley hung up on a reporter who called to ask about the Bibles. Greenwood is a client of 16 Creative, according to the firm’s website. He launched the American-flag emblazoned Bible in 2021.

Religious scholars have denounced the merger of Scripture and government documents as a “toxic mix” that would fuel Christian nationalism, a movement that fuses American and Christian values, symbols and identity and seeks to privilege Christianity in public life. Other critics have called the Trump Bible blasphemous.

Tim Wildsmith, a Baptist minister who reviews Bibles on his YouTube channel, said he quickly noticed the signs of a cheaply made book when his “God Bless the USA” Bible arrived in the mail.

It had a faux leather cover, and words were jammed together on the pages, making it hard to read. He also found sticky pages that ripped when pulled apart, and there was no copyright page or information about who printed the Bible, or where.

“I was shocked by how poor the quality of it was,” Wildsmith said. “It says to me that it’s more about the love of money than it is the love of our country.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711546280758.png" alt="Image from the&nbsp;<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a>&nbsp;web site" />
 <figcaption>Image from the&nbsp;<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a>&nbsp;web site</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of copies of Donald Trump’s “God Bless the USA” Bible were printed in a country that the former president has repeatedly accused of stealing American jobs and engaging in unfair trade practices: China.Global trade records reviewed by The Associated Press show a printing company in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou shipped close to 120,000 of the Bibles to the United States earlier this year.The estimated value of the three separate shipments was $342,000, or less than $3 per Bible, according to databases that track exports and imports. The minimum price for the Trump-backed Bible is $59.99, putting the potential sales revenue at about $7 million.The Trump Bible’s connection to China reveals a deep divide between the former president’s harsh anti-China rhetoric and his efforts to raise cash while campaigning.The Trump campaign did not respond to emails and calls seeking comment.In a March 26 video posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced a partnership with country singer Lee Greenwood to hawk the Bibles, inspired by Greenwood's “God Bless the USA” hit song.In the video, Trump blended religion with his campaign message as he urged viewers to buy the Bible, which includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Pledge of Allegiance.“This Bible is a reminder that the biggest thing we have to bring back in America, and to make America great again, is our religion," Trump said.Trump didn’t say where the “God Bless the USA” Bibles are printed, what they cost or how much he earns per sale. A version of the $59.99 Bible memorializes the July 13 assassination attempt on the former president in Pennsylvania. Trump’s name is stamped on the cover above the phrase, “The Day God Intervened.”The Bibles are sold exclusively through a website that states it is not affiliated with any political campaign nor is it owned or controlled by Trump.The website states that Trump’s name and image are used under a paid license from CIC Ventures, a company Trump reported owning in a financial disclosure released in August. CIC Ventures earned $300,000 in Bible sales royalties, according to the disclosure. It’s unclear if Trump has received additional payments.AP received no response to questions sent to the Bible website and to a publicist for Greenwood.For years, Trump has castigated Beijing as an obstacle to America’s economic success, slapping hefty tariffs on Chinese imports while president and threatening even more stringent measures if he’s elected again. He blamed China for the COVID-19 outbreak and recently suggested, without evidence, that Chinese immigrants are flooding the U.S. to build an “army” and attack America.But Trump also has an eye on his personal finances. Pitching Bibles is one of a dizzying number of for-profit ventures he’s launched or promoted, including diamond-encrusted watches, sneakers, photo books, cryptocurrency and digital trading cards.The web of enterprises has stoked conflict of interest concerns. Selling products at prices that exceed their value may be considered a campaign contribution, said Claire Finkelstein, founder of the nonpartisan Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law and a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.“You have to assume that everything that the individual does is being done as a candidate and so that any money that flows through to him benefits him as a candidate,” Finkelstein said. “Suppose Vladimir Putin were to buy a Trump watch. Is that a campaign finance violation? I would think so.”There’s a potentially lucrative opportunity for Trump to sell 55,000 of the Bibles to Oklahoma after the state’s education department ordered public schools to incorporate Scripture into lessons. Oklahoma plans to buy Bibles that initially matched Trump’s edition: a King James Version that contains the U.S. founding documents. The request was revised Monday to allow the U.S. historical documents to be bound with the Bible or provided separately.The first delivery of Trump Bibles was labeled “God Bless USA,” according to the information from the Panjiva and Import Genius databases. The other two were described as “Bibles.” All the books were shipped by New Ade Cultural Media, a printing company in Hangzhou, to Freedom Park Design, a company in Alabama that databases identified as the importer of the Bibles.Tammy Tang, a sales representative for New Ade, told AP all three shipments were “God Bless the USA” Bibles. She said New Ade received the orders from Freedom Park Design via the WhatsApp messaging service. The books were printed on presses near the company’s office, she said.Freedom Park Design was incorporated in Florida on March 1. An aspiring country singer named Jared Ashley is the company’s president. He also co-founded 16 Creative, a marketing firm that uses the same Gulf Shores address and processes online orders for branded merchandise.Ashley hung up on a reporter who called to ask about the Bibles. Greenwood is a client of 16 Creative, according to the firm’s website. He launched the American-flag emblazoned Bible in 2021.Religious scholars have denounced the merger of Scripture and government documents as a “toxic mix” that would fuel Christian nationalism, a movement that fuses American and Christian values, symbols and identity and seeks to privilege Christianity in public life. Other critics have called the Trump Bible blasphemous.Tim Wildsmith, a Baptist minister who reviews Bibles on his YouTube channel, said he quickly noticed the signs of a cheaply made book when his “God Bless the USA” Bible arrived in the mail.It had a faux leather cover, and words were jammed together on the pages, making it hard to read. He also found sticky pages that ripped when pulled apart, and there was no copyright page or information about who printed the Bible, or where.“I was shocked by how poor the quality of it was,” Wildsmith said. “It says to me that it’s more about the love of money than it is the love of our country.”

Trump blasted China's trade practices. His 'God Bless the USA' Bibles were printed there

SEDGWICK COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that sent a teen to the hospital in critical condition and his mother, identified as 46-year-old Tesha L. Florence as <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=168822">identified by booking records</a> to jail.

Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from Florence reporting that she shot her son, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Police, Sedgwick County EMS and Wichita Fire Department personnel, responded to the scene. 

First responders located a 16-year-old boy inside an apartment with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he was extremely critical condition.

Officers detained a 46-year-old Florence of Wichita who is the victim’s mother. During the investigation into this case, detectives learned of a previously unreported incident from March 2024 where Florence threatened an ex-husband and his current girlfriend with a gun. 

Just after 4:30p.m. Wednesday, Florence was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault Domestic Violence and Aggravated Assault

Investigators continue to gather information and the facts will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for formal charging consideration.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728555306481.png" alt="Florence photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Florence photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that sent a teen to the hospital in critical condition and his mother, identified as 46-year-old Tesha L. Florence as <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=168822">identified by booking records</a> to jail.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728510375843.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from Florence reporting that she shot her son, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.Police, Sedgwick County EMS and Wichita Fire Department personnel, responded to the scene. First responders located a 16-year-old boy inside an apartment with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he was extremely critical condition.Officers detained a 46-year-old Florence of Wichita who is the victim’s mother. During the investigation into this case, detectives learned of a previously unreported incident from March 2024 where Florence threatened an ex-husband and his current girlfriend with a gun. Just after 4:30p.m. Wednesday, Florence was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault Domestic Violence and Aggravated AssaultInvestigators continue to gather information and the facts will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for formal charging consideration.&nbsp;

Kan. woman who called 911 after shooting her son identified

The Friends of the River Foundation is excited to announce its annual Fall Fix-Up event, set to take place on Saturday, October 12, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

 The Fall Fix-Up is a chance for Salina residents to come together to beautify and care for various areas of our city. Volunteers are needed for a range of activities at multiple locations around Salina. Snacks and necessary tools will be provided to participants. 

Volunteers are encouraged to wear clothing appropriate for outdoor work and that can get dirty. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

At Ashby House, located at 143 S. 8th St., volunteers will participate in campus clean-up, painting, and furniture removal. The City of Salina, at 336 S. Santa Fe Ave., The Temple parking lot, will have volunteers placing storm drain medallions.

The&nbsp; Community Housing Development Organization, (CHDO) located at 1802 Roberts, will need help with fence replacement and yard work, while at 936 S. 10th St., volunteers will assist with tree removal and yard work.

Friends of the River will meet at the YMCA parking lot to remove invasive plants and trash at the Smoky Hill River. In the North Town District, there will be clean-up efforts at 1020 W. North, focusing on landscaping at Mounted Patrol &amp; Rescue Squad.

 Additional projects in the area include cleaning and painting a sculpture base on artwork at 715 N. 9th St., and organizing book storage for Little Libraries and cleaning and painting another sculpture base on artwork at 346 N. 9th St.

Volunteers will also work downtown at 112-114 S. Santa Fe Ave. (Borolo Grille back patio &amp; Strand Plaza), cleaning planter pots, adding mulch, tying ribbons on grass, cleaning around planters and benches, and removing trash from dumpster corrals.

 The Salina Food Bank at 255 S. Chicago will have volunteers working on landscaping and pantry shelf cleaning. At the Salina Rescue Mission, located at 1716 Summers Road, volunteers will apply weather protector to wood in the prayer garden, touch up painting, clean flower beds, and prep for a vegetable garden. 

There will also be cleaning and painting at The Temple, located at 336 S. Santa Fe Ave. (North red door). Lastly, the City of Salina will offer Free Landfill Day at 4292 S. Burma Rd. from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Items must be properly secured to take advantage of the offer.

The Friends of the River Foundation invites everyone in the community to participate in this meaningful event. It’s a great opportunity to meet neighbors, make a positive impact, and show pride in our beautiful city.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727292142880.png" alt="Fall Fix-Up flyer.png" />
 <figcaption>Fall Fix-Up flyer.png</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTThe Friends of the River Foundation is excited to announce its annual Fall Fix-Up event, set to take place on Saturday, October 12, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Fall Fix-Up is a chance for Salina residents to come together to beautify and care for various areas of our city. Volunteers are needed for a range of activities at multiple locations around Salina. Snacks and necessary tools will be provided to participants. Volunteers are encouraged to wear clothing appropriate for outdoor work and that can get dirty. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.At Ashby House, located at 143 S. 8th St., volunteers will participate in campus clean-up, painting, and furniture removal. The City of Salina, at 336 S. Santa Fe Ave., The Temple parking lot, will have volunteers placing storm drain medallions.The&nbsp; Community Housing Development Organization, (CHDO) located at 1802 Roberts, will need help with fence replacement and yard work, while at 936 S. 10th St., volunteers will assist with tree removal and yard work.Friends of the River will meet at the YMCA parking lot to remove invasive plants and trash at the Smoky Hill River. In the North Town District, there will be clean-up efforts at 1020 W. North, focusing on landscaping at Mounted Patrol &amp; Rescue Squad. Additional projects in the area include cleaning and painting a sculpture base on artwork at 715 N. 9th St., and organizing book storage for Little Libraries and cleaning and painting another sculpture base on artwork at 346 N. 9th St.Volunteers will also work downtown at 112-114 S. Santa Fe Ave. (Borolo Grille back patio &amp; Strand Plaza), cleaning planter pots, adding mulch, tying ribbons on grass, cleaning around planters and benches, and removing trash from dumpster corrals. The Salina Food Bank at 255 S. Chicago will have volunteers working on landscaping and pantry shelf cleaning. At the Salina Rescue Mission, located at 1716 Summers Road, volunteers will apply weather protector to wood in the prayer garden, touch up painting, clean flower beds, and prep for a vegetable garden. There will also be cleaning and painting at The Temple, located at 336 S. Santa Fe Ave. (North red door). Lastly, the City of Salina will offer Free Landfill Day at 4292 S. Burma Rd. from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Items must be properly secured to take advantage of the offer.The Friends of the River Foundation invites everyone in the community to participate in this meaningful event. It’s a great opportunity to meet neighbors, make a positive impact, and show pride in our beautiful city.

Salina 2024 Fall Fix-Up planned for Oct. 12

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday blasted his predecessor for spreading an “onslaught of lies” about how the federal government is handling the damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Hurricane Helene</a>&nbsp;as another hurricane,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-tampa-florida-08bde4b9c29460f471d43c6512821c93">Milton</a>, was on the verge of making landfall in Florida.

“Quite frankly, these lies are un-American,” Biden said from the White House. “Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;has led this onslaught of lies.”

Biden said that Donald Trump and his allies have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-trump-musk-conspiracy-theories-misinformation-fe81869765d778ac2ff3dc5f9ac18e10">misrepresented the response and resources</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The president singled out Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia who claimed the federal government could control the weather.

Asked why he believed his Republican opponents were not talking accurately about the government’s response, Biden said, “I don’t know. I simply don’t know. ... I use a phrase more than I did in my whole career, un-American. It’s un-American. It’s not who in the hell we are.”

The president talked about the potential damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/hurricane-milton-florida-tracker-updates">Hurricane Milton</a>&nbsp;and encouraged people near its path to seek shelter. Biden said the government had staged 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water in anticipation of the storm and that military units were ready with search and rescue teams to help victims of it.

“We’ve got your back,” Biden said, then referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him in July at the top of the presidential ticket: “Kamala and I will be there for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild.”

Bristling at misinformation is something Biden and Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-hurricane-helene-misinformation-552e413dfb6c1b3e37eca0d2114668ea">have done</a>&nbsp;a lot of lately, including earlier Wednesday during a virtual briefing at the White House on federal preparations for Milton. The president had even harsher words for Greene then, saying her comments on the weather were “beyond ridiculous.”

“It’s gotta stop,” Biden said, adding that such assertions were “off the wall” and “like out of a comic book.”

Still, most of his criticism has been directed at Trump. At rallies for November’s presidential election, the former president has sought to energize his voters by criticizing how Biden and Harris have handled the response to the severe weather.

At a recent rally in Wisconsin, Trump said it was worse than the government’s response in 2005 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>, which resulted in 1,392 fatalities. By contrast, Hurricane Helene has resulted in roughly 230 deaths.

“This is the worst response to a storm or a catastrophe or a hurricane that we’ve ever seen, ever,” Trump said. “Probably worse than Katrina, and that’s hard to beat, right?”

WASHINGTON (AP) —President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday blasted his predecessor for spreading an “onslaught of lies” about how the federal government is handling the damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-helene">Hurricane Helene</a>&nbsp;as another hurricane,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-tampa-florida-08bde4b9c29460f471d43c6512821c93">Milton</a>, was on the verge of making landfall in Florida.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;At this point, evacuation is probably difficult, so I encourage people to look for safer shelter. Sometimes moving just a few miles can mean the difference between life and death.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SFNsukLnAl">pic.twitter.com/SFNsukLnAl</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1844152480541598154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Quite frankly, these lies are un-American,” Biden said from the White House. “Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;has led this onslaught of lies.”Biden said that Donald Trump and his allies have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-trump-musk-conspiracy-theories-misinformation-fe81869765d778ac2ff3dc5f9ac18e10">misrepresented the response and resources</a>&nbsp;of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The president singled out Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marjorie-taylor-greene">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a>&nbsp;of Georgia who claimed the federal government could control the weather.Asked why he believed his Republican opponents were not talking accurately about the government’s response, Biden said, “I don’t know. I simply don’t know. ... I use a phrase more than I did in my whole career, un-American. It’s un-American. It’s not who in the hell we are.”The president talked about the potential damage from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/hurricane-milton-florida-tracker-updates">Hurricane Milton</a>&nbsp;and encouraged people near its path to seek shelter. Biden said the government had staged 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water in anticipation of the storm and that military units were ready with search and rescue teams to help victims of it.“We’ve got your back,” Biden said, then referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him in July at the top of the presidential ticket: “Kamala and I will be there for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild.”Bristling at misinformation is something Biden and Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-hurricane-helene-misinformation-552e413dfb6c1b3e37eca0d2114668ea">have done</a>&nbsp;a lot of lately, including earlier Wednesday during a virtual briefing at the White House on federal preparations for Milton. The president had even harsher words for Greene then, saying her comments on the weather were “beyond ridiculous.”“It’s gotta stop,” Biden said, adding that such assertions were “off the wall” and “like out of a comic book.”Still, most of his criticism has been directed at Trump. At rallies for November’s presidential election, the former president has sought to energize his voters by criticizing how Biden and Harris have handled the response to the severe weather.At a recent rally in Wisconsin, Trump said it was worse than the government’s response in 2005 to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>, which resulted in 1,392 fatalities. By contrast, Hurricane Helene has resulted in roughly 230 deaths.“This is the worst response to a storm or a catastrophe or a hurricane that we’ve ever seen, ever,” Trump said. “Probably worse than Katrina, and that’s hard to beat, right?”

🎥Biden condemns ‘un-American’ ‘lies’ about federal storm response 

SEDGWICK COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that sent a teen to the hospital in critical condition and his mother to jail.

Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from a woman reporting that she shot her son, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

First responders located a 16-year-old boy inside an apartment with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he remains in extremely critical condition.

Officers detained a 46-year-old female of Wichita who is the victim’s mother. During the investigation into this case, detectives learned of a previously unreported incident from March 2024 where the same suspect threatened an ex-husband and his current girlfriend with a gun. 

The suspect has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault Domestic Violence and Aggravated Assault

Investigators continue to gather information and the facts will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for formal charging consideration. Police did not release the name of the mother.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728510375843.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY– Law enforcement are investigating a shooting that sent a teen to the hospital in critical condition and his mother to jail.Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a 911 call from a woman reporting that she shot her son, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.Police, Sedgwick County EMS and Wichita Fire Department personnel, responded to the scene. First responders located a 16-year-old boy inside an apartment with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he remains in extremely critical condition.Officers detained a 46-year-old female of Wichita who is the victim’s mother. During the investigation into this case, detectives learned of a previously unreported incident from March 2024 where the same suspect threatened an ex-husband and his current girlfriend with a gun. The suspect has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault Domestic Violence and Aggravated AssaultInvestigators continue to gather information and the facts will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for formal charging consideration. Police did not release the name of the mother.

Kan. woman called 911 to report she shot her 16-year-old son

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has had as many as seven private phone calls with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;since leaving office and secretly sent the Russian president COVID-19 test machines during the height of the pandemic, Bob Woodward reported in his new book, “War."

The famed Watergate reporter also details President Joe Biden's frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;'s assortment of burner phones. The Associated Press obtained an early copy of the book, which is due out next week.

Trump denied the reporting, telling ABC News' Jonathan Karl that Woodward is “a storyteller. A bad one. And he’s lost his marbles.”

Trump had previously spoken to Woodward for the journalist's 2021 book, “Rage.” Trump later sued over it, claiming Woodward never had permission to publicly release recordings of their interviews for the book. The publisher and Woodward denied his allegations.

Trump has had multiple calls with Putin since his White House term ended

Woodward reports that Trump asked an aide to leave his office at his Florida resort,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Mar-a-Lago</a>, so that the former president could have a private call with Putin in early 2024. The aide, whom Woodward doesn’t name, said there have been multiple calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left office, perhaps as many as seven, according to the book, though it does not detail what they discussed.

Trump senior adviser and longtime aide Jason Miller told Woodward that he had not heard Trump was having calls with Putin and said, “I'd push back on that.” But Miller also said, according to the book, “I’m sure they’d know how to get in touch with each other."

Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said none of the stories in Woodward’s books are true. In a statement on Tuesday, he called them “the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reporting about the calls was “not true.”

Trump's relationship with Putin has been scrutinized since his 2016 campaign for president, when he memorably called on Russia to find and make public missing emails deleted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>, his Democratic opponent. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” he said.

U.S. intelligence agencies later determined that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election to help Trump, though an investigation by special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-mueller">Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">no conspiracy</a>&nbsp;between the Trump team and Russia. In 2018, Trump publicly questioned that finding following an in-person meeting with Putin in Helsinki.

In recent years, Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine as it fights off Russia’s invasion. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">said Ukraine should have made concessions</a>&nbsp;to Putin before Russia invaded in 2022. He also previously touted his good relationship with Putin and called the Russian leader “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine.

Trump sent COVID-19 test machines to Putin for his personal use

Woodward reports that Trump sent Putin COVID-19 test machines for his personal use as the virus began spreading in 2020.

Putin told Trump not to tell anyone because people would be mad at Trump over it, but Trump said he didn’t care if anyone knew, according to the book. Trump ended up agreeing not to tell anyone.

The book doesn’t specify when the machines were sent but describes it as being when the virus spread rapidly through Russia. It was previously reported by The Associated Press and other agencies that Trump’s administration in May 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-politics-virus-outbreak-e08621567fd8758c89b0c5aed5ac5d72">sent</a>&nbsp;ventilators and other equipment to several countries, including Russia.

“There were no secret shipments. The pandemic was starting back then," Peskov said Wednesday via a messaging app. “Many countries were exchanging equipment. We sent ventilators. Testers came from America.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, in an interview Tuesday with radio host Howard Stern, accused Trump of giving the machines to a “murderous dictator” at a time when “everyone was scrambling" to get tests.

“This person who wants to be president again, who secretly is helping out an an adversary while the American people are dying by the hundreds every day," said Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate.

Biden highlighted the report during a stop in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

“You see what came out today?” Biden said at a fundraiser for Sen. Bob Casey. “So he calls his good friend Putin — not a joke — and makes sure he had the tests. He had the tests.”

Biden's anger at Netanyahu has boiled over in private

The book also details Biden’s complicated relationship with Netanyahu as well as private moments when the president has been fed up with him over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>.

Biden’s “frustrations and distrust” of Netanyahu “erupted” this past spring, Woodward writes. The president privately unleashed a profanity-laden tirade, calling him a “son of a bitch” and a “bad f——— guy," according to the book. Biden said he felt, in Woodward’s accounting, that Netanyahu “had been lying to him regularly.” With Netanyahu “continuing to say he was going to kill every last member of Hamas.” Woodward wrote, “Biden had told him that was impossible, threatening both privately and publicly to withhold offensive U.S. weapons shipment.”

Biden and Netanyahu have long been acquainted, although their relationship has not been known to be close or overly friendly. Last week, Biden said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-mideast-israel-d9f53ba8c7b3b4db953be020f676274c">didn’t know whether</a>&nbsp;the Israeli leader was holding up a Mideast peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Asked about the book's reporting, White House spokesperson Emilie Simons told reporters Tuesday that “The commitment that we have to the state of Israel is ironclad.”

Simons, when pressed on the details, said she wouldn't comment on every anecdote that may come out in reporting. She added of Biden and Netanyahu: “They have a long-term relationship. They have a very honest and direct relationship, and I don’t have a comment on those specific anecdotes.”

Biden criticized Obama's handling of the Russian invasion of Crimea

The book details Biden’s criticism late last year of President Barack Obama’s handling of Putin’s earlier invasion of Ukraine, when Russia seized Crimea and a section of the Donbas in 2014, at a time when Biden was serving as the Democrat’s vice president.

“They f----- up in 2014,” Woodward wrote that Biden said to a close friend in December, blaming the lack of action for Putin’s actions in Ukraine. “Barack never took Putin seriously.”

Biden was angry while speaking to the friend and said they “never should have let Putin just walk in there” in 2014 and that the U.S. “did nothing.”

Biden regrets choosing Garland as attorney general

Woodward reports Biden was privately furious with Attorney General Merrick Garland for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-justice-garland-ad1034e274570d65032f8e4f47c0c8f6">appointing a special counsel</a>&nbsp;to investigate Biden’s son Hunter in a tax-and-gun prosecution.

“Should never have picked Garland,” Biden told an associate, according to Woodward. The journalist did not name the associate.

Hunter Biden was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted in June</a>&nbsp;on federal gun charges and faces sentencing in federal court in Delaware in December. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-tax-trial-justice-department-6873692c030244b450e27826e7097946">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to federal tax charges in California and is also set to be sentenced in that case in December.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

Graham says going to Mar-a-Lago is ‘a little bit like going to North Korea’

One of Trump’s longest-term allies, South Carolina Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lindsey-graham">Lindsey Graham</a>, blamed Trump’s ongoing false claims that the 2020 election was rigged to a cult of personality in which the former president’s ensconcement at Mar-a-Lago and circle of aides and advisers “constantly feed this narrative,” according to the book.

The weekend after Russia invaded Ukraine, Graham was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which the senator characterized as “a little bit like going to North Korea.” Graham added that “everybody stands up and claps every time Trump comes in.”

On politics, Woodward wrote that Graham’s counsel was part of what persuaded Trump to run again for the presidency.

In March, during one of his many visits to the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Graham told Woodward that he had been meeting with the Saudi crown prince when Graham suggested they call Trump. From “a bag containing about 50 burner phones,” Prince Mohammed “pulled out one labeled ‘TRUMP 45.’” On another trip, Woodward wrote, the Saudi leader retrieved another burner phone, "this time labeled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jake-sullivan">JAKE SULLIVAN</a>&nbsp;” when the men called Biden’s national security adviser.

Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Hillel Italie in New York, Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington and Aamer Madhani aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728413843207.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has had as many as seven private phone calls with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;since leaving office and secretly sent the Russian president COVID-19 test machines during the height of the pandemic, Bob Woodward reported in his new book, “War."The famed Watergate reporter also details President Joe Biden's frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;'s assortment of burner phones. The Associated Press obtained an early copy of the book, which is due out next week.Trump denied the reporting, telling ABC News' Jonathan Karl that Woodward is “a storyteller. A bad one. And he’s lost his marbles.”Trump had previously spoken to Woodward for the journalist's 2021 book, “Rage.” Trump later sued over it, claiming Woodward never had permission to publicly release recordings of their interviews for the book. The publisher and Woodward denied his allegations.Here is more from the new book:<h2>Trump has had multiple calls with Putin since his White House term ended</h2>Woodward reports that Trump asked an aide to leave his office at his Florida resort,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Mar-a-Lago</a>, so that the former president could have a private call with Putin in early 2024. The aide, whom Woodward doesn’t name, said there have been multiple calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left office, perhaps as many as seven, according to the book, though it does not detail what they discussed.Trump senior adviser and longtime aide Jason Miller told Woodward that he had not heard Trump was having calls with Putin and said, “I'd push back on that.” But Miller also said, according to the book, “I’m sure they’d know how to get in touch with each other."Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said none of the stories in Woodward’s books are true. In a statement on Tuesday, he called them “the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reporting about the calls was “not true.”Trump's relationship with Putin has been scrutinized since his 2016 campaign for president, when he memorably called on Russia to find and make public missing emails deleted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>, his Democratic opponent. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” he said.U.S. intelligence agencies later determined that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election to help Trump, though an investigation by special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-mueller">Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">no conspiracy</a>&nbsp;between the Trump team and Russia. In 2018, Trump publicly questioned that finding following an in-person meeting with Putin in Helsinki.In recent years, Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine as it fights off Russia’s invasion. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">said Ukraine should have made concessions</a>&nbsp;to Putin before Russia invaded in 2022. He also previously touted his good relationship with Putin and called the Russian leader “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine.<h2>Trump sent COVID-19 test machines to Putin for his personal use</h2>Woodward reports that Trump sent Putin COVID-19 test machines for his personal use as the virus began spreading in 2020.Putin told Trump not to tell anyone because people would be mad at Trump over it, but Trump said he didn’t care if anyone knew, according to the book. Trump ended up agreeing not to tell anyone.The book doesn’t specify when the machines were sent but describes it as being when the virus spread rapidly through Russia. It was previously reported by The Associated Press and other agencies that Trump’s administration in May 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-politics-virus-outbreak-e08621567fd8758c89b0c5aed5ac5d72">sent</a>&nbsp;ventilators and other equipment to several countries, including Russia.“There were no secret shipments. The pandemic was starting back then," Peskov said Wednesday via a messaging app. “Many countries were exchanging equipment. We sent ventilators. Testers came from America.”Vice President Kamala Harris, in an interview Tuesday with radio host Howard Stern, accused Trump of giving the machines to a “murderous dictator” at a time when “everyone was scrambling" to get tests.“This person who wants to be president again, who secretly is helping out an an adversary while the American people are dying by the hundreds every day," said Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate.Biden highlighted the report during a stop in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.“You see what came out today?” Biden said at a fundraiser for Sen. Bob Casey. “So he calls his good friend Putin — not a joke — and makes sure he had the tests. He had the tests.”<h2>Biden's anger at Netanyahu has boiled over in private</h2>The book also details Biden’s complicated relationship with Netanyahu as well as private moments when the president has been fed up with him over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>.Biden’s “frustrations and distrust” of Netanyahu “erupted” this past spring, Woodward writes. The president privately unleashed a profanity-laden tirade, calling him a “son of a bitch” and a “bad f——— guy," according to the book. Biden said he felt, in Woodward’s accounting, that Netanyahu “had been lying to him regularly.” With Netanyahu “continuing to say he was going to kill every last member of Hamas.” Woodward wrote, “Biden had told him that was impossible, threatening both privately and publicly to withhold offensive U.S. weapons shipment.”Biden and Netanyahu have long been acquainted, although their relationship has not been known to be close or overly friendly. Last week, Biden said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-mideast-israel-d9f53ba8c7b3b4db953be020f676274c">didn’t know whether</a>&nbsp;the Israeli leader was holding up a Mideast peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.Asked about the book's reporting, White House spokesperson Emilie Simons told reporters Tuesday that “The commitment that we have to the state of Israel is ironclad.”Simons, when pressed on the details, said she wouldn't comment on every anecdote that may come out in reporting. She added of Biden and Netanyahu: “They have a long-term relationship. They have a very honest and direct relationship, and I don’t have a comment on those specific anecdotes.”<h2>Biden criticized Obama's handling of the Russian invasion of Crimea</h2>The book details Biden’s criticism late last year of President Barack Obama’s handling of Putin’s earlier invasion of Ukraine, when Russia seized Crimea and a section of the Donbas in 2014, at a time when Biden was serving as the Democrat’s vice president.“They f----- up in 2014,” Woodward wrote that Biden said to a close friend in December, blaming the lack of action for Putin’s actions in Ukraine. “Barack never took Putin seriously.”Biden was angry while speaking to the friend and said they “never should have let Putin just walk in there” in 2014 and that the U.S. “did nothing.”<h2>Biden regrets choosing Garland as attorney general</h2>Woodward reports Biden was privately furious with Attorney General Merrick Garland for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-justice-garland-ad1034e274570d65032f8e4f47c0c8f6">appointing a special counsel</a>&nbsp;to investigate Biden’s son Hunter in a tax-and-gun prosecution.“Should never have picked Garland,” Biden told an associate, according to Woodward. The journalist did not name the associate.Hunter Biden was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted in June</a>&nbsp;on federal gun charges and faces sentencing in federal court in Delaware in December. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-tax-trial-justice-department-6873692c030244b450e27826e7097946">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to federal tax charges in California and is also set to be sentenced in that case in December.The Justice Department declined to comment.<h2>Graham says going to Mar-a-Lago is ‘a little bit like going to North Korea’</h2>One of Trump’s longest-term allies, South Carolina Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lindsey-graham">Lindsey Graham</a>, blamed Trump’s ongoing false claims that the 2020 election was rigged to a cult of personality in which the former president’s ensconcement at Mar-a-Lago and circle of aides and advisers “constantly feed this narrative,” according to the book.The weekend after Russia invaded Ukraine, Graham was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which the senator characterized as “a little bit like going to North Korea.” Graham added that “everybody stands up and claps every time Trump comes in.”On politics, Woodward wrote that Graham’s counsel was part of what persuaded Trump to run again for the presidency.In March, during one of his many visits to the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Graham told Woodward that he had been meeting with the Saudi crown prince when Graham suggested they call Trump. From “a bag containing about 50 burner phones,” Prince Mohammed “pulled out one labeled ‘TRUMP 45.’” On another trip, Woodward wrote, the Saudi leader retrieved another burner phone, "this time labeled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jake-sullivan">JAKE SULLIVAN</a>&nbsp;” when the men called Biden’s national security adviser.___Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Hillel Italie in New York, Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington and Aamer Madhani aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.

Woodward's new book: Shocking claims about Trump and Biden

Landess Lee (Lanny) Norstrom, 77, passed away at 4:45 p.m. on October 5, 2024, in the presence of family members after an eight month battle with the effects of a stroke suffered in February of that year.&nbsp; Lanny was born to Landess L. and Leona Nerine (Milleson) Norstrom on January 3, 1947.&nbsp; He was the New Year's baby in McPherson, Kansas, having been born in McPherson Hospital.

Lanny spent his initial years on the family farm outside of Roxbury, Kansas.&nbsp; The family moved from the farm to the house that he grew up in on Walnut St. in Canton, Kansas.&nbsp; Lanny attended the Canton Schools, being active in the sports of football, basketball, and track and also participating in the band, playing the trombone.&nbsp; He graduated from Canton High School in 1965, receiving his diploma from his father who was a member of the Board of Education.

Lanny began his post-secondary education at McPherson College, attending for a year before deciding to take some time to explore what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.&nbsp; It was during this time that he went to work for the Hesston Corporation as a mechanic working on hay harvesting equipment in Arizona and California.

It was in the next year or two that he decided to continue his education in business, attending Washburn University in Topeka.&nbsp; It was here that he became engaged to his life-long love, Pam Lindberg.&nbsp; They began their life together while Lanny was still attending classes at Washburn.&nbsp; It was when they learned that their first born, Michael, was on the way that Lanny decided it was time to go back to work, getting a job in the offices of the Santa Fe Railroad in Topeka.

Both sons, Michael and Eric, were born in Topeka.&nbsp; Pam and Lanny were members of the Westside Christian Church in Topeka, serving as youth leaders.&nbsp; Many of the friendships formed there continue today.&nbsp; Pam and Lanny celebrated 50 years of marriage on June 20, 2019, being virtually inseparable over the years.

The decision was made to move back to rural Galva in 1974 to help with the Lindberg family farm.&nbsp; It was at this time that they moved to the Lindberg homestead five miles north of Galva, and raised their two sons, and spent the remainder of their lives.&nbsp; One of the few dark moments in their time together came on June 15, 1992, when the farm was visited by an F5 tornado.&nbsp; It was ¾ of a mile wide when it came by, leaving little behind.&nbsp; Thankfully, no one was injured, and they began the process of rebuilding “Gone With The Wind Estates”, as they appropriately now call the property.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Lanny who has always been involved with the schools, became a member of the Board of Education for 12 years, with a good chunk of that time serving as the president of the board.&nbsp; He handed both son’s their high school diplomas.&nbsp; Even after leaving the formal position on the board, Lanny was an ever present fan, whether his grandkids were involved in the activity or not.&nbsp; Many times, he would arrive at an event, home or away, so early that he would need to return from the stands to purchase a ticket once the ticket takers arrived.

Pam and Lanny joined the Galva Christian Church upon moving back to central Kansas.&nbsp; Lanny held many positions in the church, including president of the board, elder, and was recently honored with the title of elder emeritus.&nbsp; He was also very involved with the state men’s group for the Christian Church in Kansas, and with the establishment and improvement of Camp Tawakoni.

Upon their return to Galva, Lanny began working for the Home Telephone Company on April 1, 1975, and retired on December 31, 2009, after 39 and a half years.&nbsp; He proudly put a personalized license plate on his vehicle, “FONEMAN”, for all to see.&nbsp; Upon retiring from the phone office, he and Pam worked for several years with the rural water district.&nbsp; Lanny performed the maintenance on the system while Pam kept the books.

Lanny cherished every moment spent with all of his grandkids, following them to sporting events, scouting events, community events, or whatever they chose to be involved in.&nbsp; It didn’t matter what the activity was, Lanny and Pam were all in with their support.

Another low spot in Lanny and Pam’s life together came in the summer of 2017 when Pam received a diagnosis of gallbladder cancer.&nbsp; While Pam was ever positive in her battle with the disease, she was quick to mention that Lanny was always there as her guardian angel.&nbsp; He accompanied her to her many obligations as the state president of the Christian Women in Kansas.&nbsp; Wherever she was, you didn’t need to look far to see Lanny.&nbsp; He was a constant in her three year battle, losing her in February, 2020.

Lanny was preceded in death by his wife, Pam; and his parents, Landess and Nerine.

He leaves behind:&nbsp; two sons, Mike and wife Karla, and Eric and wife Treva; four grandchildren, Zach (Mike’s) and wife Oliva, Drew (Mike’s) and wife Jaime, Taryn (Eric’s) and husband Brandon, and Ryder (Eric’s).&nbsp; Extended family members and friends are too many to mention, as Lanny never met a stranger.

The family wants to thank the many who have stopped by to visit dad over these last several months, for the lifelong friendships, the many prayers, thoughts and well wishes that have been sent, and for all the love that you have provided. Please hear dad’s patent response, “Love Ya’ Back!”

The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday October 25, at Galva Christian Church.&nbsp; A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 26, with a meal to follow, all at the church.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728414489050.jpeg" alt="Landess Lee (Lanny) Norstrom" />
 <figcaption>Landess Lee (Lanny) Norstrom</figcaption>
 </figure>Landess Lee (Lanny) Norstrom, 77, passed away at 4:45 p.m. on October 5, 2024, in the presence of family members after an eight month battle with the effects of a stroke suffered in February of that year.&nbsp; Lanny was born to Landess L. and Leona Nerine (Milleson) Norstrom on January 3, 1947.&nbsp; He was the New Year's baby in McPherson, Kansas, having been born in McPherson Hospital.Lanny spent his initial years on the family farm outside of Roxbury, Kansas.&nbsp; The family moved from the farm to the house that he grew up in on Walnut St. in Canton, Kansas.&nbsp; Lanny attended the Canton Schools, being active in the sports of football, basketball, and track and also participating in the band, playing the trombone.&nbsp; He graduated from Canton High School in 1965, receiving his diploma from his father who was a member of the Board of Education.Lanny began his post-secondary education at McPherson College, attending for a year before deciding to take some time to explore what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.&nbsp; It was during this time that he went to work for the Hesston Corporation as a mechanic working on hay harvesting equipment in Arizona and California.It was in the next year or two that he decided to continue his education in business, attending Washburn University in Topeka.&nbsp; It was here that he became engaged to his life-long love, Pam Lindberg.&nbsp; They began their life together while Lanny was still attending classes at Washburn.&nbsp; It was when they learned that their first born, Michael, was on the way that Lanny decided it was time to go back to work, getting a job in the offices of the Santa Fe Railroad in Topeka.Both sons, Michael and Eric, were born in Topeka.&nbsp; Pam and Lanny were members of the Westside Christian Church in Topeka, serving as youth leaders.&nbsp; Many of the friendships formed there continue today.&nbsp; Pam and Lanny celebrated 50 years of marriage on June 20, 2019, being virtually inseparable over the years.The decision was made to move back to rural Galva in 1974 to help with the Lindberg family farm.&nbsp; It was at this time that they moved to the Lindberg homestead five miles north of Galva, and raised their two sons, and spent the remainder of their lives.&nbsp; One of the few dark moments in their time together came on June 15, 1992, when the farm was visited by an F5 tornado.&nbsp; It was ¾ of a mile wide when it came by, leaving little behind.&nbsp; Thankfully, no one was injured, and they began the process of rebuilding “Gone With The Wind Estates”, as they appropriately now call the property.Following in his father’s footsteps, Lanny who has always been involved with the schools, became a member of the Board of Education for 12 years, with a good chunk of that time serving as the president of the board.&nbsp; He handed both son’s their high school diplomas.&nbsp; Even after leaving the formal position on the board, Lanny was an ever present fan, whether his grandkids were involved in the activity or not.&nbsp; Many times, he would arrive at an event, home or away, so early that he would need to return from the stands to purchase a ticket once the ticket takers arrived.Pam and Lanny joined the Galva Christian Church upon moving back to central Kansas.&nbsp; Lanny held many positions in the church, including president of the board, elder, and was recently honored with the title of elder emeritus.&nbsp; He was also very involved with the state men’s group for the Christian Church in Kansas, and with the establishment and improvement of Camp Tawakoni.Upon their return to Galva, Lanny began working for the Home Telephone Company on April 1, 1975, and retired on December 31, 2009, after 39 and a half years.&nbsp; He proudly put a personalized license plate on his vehicle, “FONEMAN”, for all to see.&nbsp; Upon retiring from the phone office, he and Pam worked for several years with the rural water district.&nbsp; Lanny performed the maintenance on the system while Pam kept the books.Lanny cherished every moment spent with all of his grandkids, following them to sporting events, scouting events, community events, or whatever they chose to be involved in.&nbsp; It didn’t matter what the activity was, Lanny and Pam were all in with their support.Another low spot in Lanny and Pam’s life together came in the summer of 2017 when Pam received a diagnosis of gallbladder cancer.&nbsp; While Pam was ever positive in her battle with the disease, she was quick to mention that Lanny was always there as her guardian angel.&nbsp; He accompanied her to her many obligations as the state president of the Christian Women in Kansas.&nbsp; Wherever she was, you didn’t need to look far to see Lanny.&nbsp; He was a constant in her three year battle, losing her in February, 2020.Lanny was preceded in death by his wife, Pam; and his parents, Landess and Nerine.He leaves behind:&nbsp; two sons, Mike and wife Karla, and Eric and wife Treva; four grandchildren, Zach (Mike’s) and wife Oliva, Drew (Mike’s) and wife Jaime, Taryn (Eric’s) and husband Brandon, and Ryder (Eric’s).&nbsp; Extended family members and friends are too many to mention, as Lanny never met a stranger.The family wants to thank the many who have stopped by to visit dad over these last several months, for the lifelong friendships, the many prayers, thoughts and well wishes that have been sent, and for all the love that you have provided. Please hear dad’s patent response, “Love Ya’ Back!”The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday October 25, at Galva Christian Church.&nbsp; A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 26, with a meal to follow, all at the church.

Landess Lee (Lanny) Norstrom

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just before 8:30a.m. Oct. 6, Sheriff's Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Mercedes E350 on 150th Road, just west of U.S. Highway 75 in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

&nbsp; Deputies conducted a probable cause search and located illegal drug contraband.&nbsp; The driver, Tyler Ryan Simmons, 46, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728396652103.png" alt="Simmons-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Simmons-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just before 8:30a.m. Oct. 6, Sheriff's Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Mercedes E350 on 150th Road, just west of U.S. Highway 75 in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp; Deputies conducted a probable cause search and located illegal drug contraband.&nbsp; The driver, Tyler Ryan Simmons, 46, of Topeka was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas man accused of transporting methamphetamine

By MICHAEL FREELAND Re-Imagining our Library Steering Committee Member

Growing up in the Salina community, the Salina Public Library has always been a solid constant in my life. I have always LOVED reading. From checking out Early Readers as a child to borrowing my favorite Stephen King book in high school to listening to a business audiobook in order to strengthen my professional skill set, SPL has had a life-long impact on me. In fact, I now own almost every book Stephen King has ever written!

The Salina Public Library is much more than a place to borrow books; it’s a cornerstone of the community that shapes the lives of children and families in the Salina area. By fostering literacy, providing educational tools, and nurturing creativity, the library helps prepare children for a bright future and strengthens the fabric of our community in the process.

Personally, I have attended family-centered community events at the Library, conducted business meetings in the annex across the street, perused local art featured in the entrance hallway, listened to audiobooks and watched movies online through my SPL account. By providing levels of both traditional and interactive learning, the Library provides something for everyone.

As I now have children of my own and run my own small business, the library continues to be a place where I can go to strengthen my business skills, find the perfect book to help my 1st&nbsp;grader expand his reading ability, or try out a new Xbox game to play with my boys. I have a personal goal to read/listen to one professional development book a month throughout the year. I never want to stop learning, both in my professional and personal development. If we stop reading, we stop growing as leaders, community members, husbands, and fathers.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapubliclibrary.org/support/re-imagining-our-library/">Re-Imagining Our Library: Youth Services</a>&nbsp;project is an exciting project to see moving forward. The Youth Area has some things that haven’t changed much since I checked out my very first Early Reader. An upgrade like this is quite overdue and I am eager to bring my kids to a newly renovated space that meets some of the technology, education, and family-focused needs of our community.

The Salina Public Library has met the needs of countless people in our community. Through its welcoming environment, the Salina Public Library helps children from all walks of life feel included and connected. The library is a safe and inclusive space where children can gather, make friends, and engage in meaningful activities.

Now, we should, in turn, provide our support to the Library and help them re-imagine the Youth Services department in hopes of impacting even more children, students, and families in Salina.

Off the Shelf is a blog post series organized by the Salina Public Library. To learn more about the new youth services center <a href="https://salinapubliclibrary.org/support/re-imagining-our-library/#1715807533339-3e0e300c-de90">click here</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728327294948.png" alt="Michael Freeland, pictured left, alongside a rendering of the future re-imagined library youth services center. Image Courtesy Salina Public Library" />
 <figcaption>Michael Freeland, pictured left, alongside a rendering of the future re-imagined library youth services center. Image Courtesy Salina Public Library</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL FREELAND Re-Imagining our Library Steering Committee MemberGrowing up in the Salina community, the Salina Public Library has always been a solid constant in my life. I have always LOVED reading. From checking out Early Readers as a child to borrowing my favorite Stephen King book in high school to listening to a business audiobook in order to strengthen my professional skill set, SPL has had a life-long impact on me. In fact, I now own almost every book Stephen King has ever written!The Salina Public Library is much more than a place to borrow books; it’s a cornerstone of the community that shapes the lives of children and families in the Salina area. By fostering literacy, providing educational tools, and nurturing creativity, the library helps prepare children for a bright future and strengthens the fabric of our community in the process.Personally, I have attended family-centered community events at the Library, conducted business meetings in the annex across the street, perused local art featured in the entrance hallway, listened to audiobooks and watched movies online through my SPL account. By providing levels of both traditional and interactive learning, the Library provides something for everyone.Never Stop Learning… TogetherAs I now have children of my own and run my own small business, the library continues to be a place where I can go to strengthen my business skills, find the perfect book to help my 1st&nbsp;grader expand his reading ability, or try out a new Xbox game to play with my boys. I have a personal goal to read/listen to one professional development book a month throughout the year. I never want to stop learning, both in my professional and personal development. If we stop reading, we stop growing as leaders, community members, husbands, and fathers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728327389418.png" alt="Re-Imagining our Library floor plan for the youth services area on the main floor of the Salina Public Library. Image Courtesy Salina Public Library" />
 <figcaption>Re-Imagining our Library floor plan for the youth services area on the main floor of the Salina Public Library. Image Courtesy Salina Public Library</figcaption>
 </figure>Focused and Forward-ThinkingThe&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapubliclibrary.org/support/re-imagining-our-library/">Re-Imagining Our Library: Youth Services</a>&nbsp;project is an exciting project to see moving forward. The Youth Area has some things that haven’t changed much since I checked out my very first Early Reader. An upgrade like this is quite overdue and I am eager to bring my kids to a newly renovated space that meets some of the technology, education, and family-focused needs of our community.The Salina Public Library has met the needs of countless people in our community. Through its welcoming environment, the Salina Public Library helps children from all walks of life feel included and connected. The library is a safe and inclusive space where children can gather, make friends, and engage in meaningful activities.Now, we should, in turn, provide our support to the Library and help them re-imagine the Youth Services department in hopes of impacting even more children, students, and families in Salina.Off the Shelf is a blog post series organized by the Salina Public Library. To learn more about the new youth services center <a href="https://salinapubliclibrary.org/support/re-imagining-our-library/#1715807533339-3e0e300c-de90">click here</a>.&nbsp;

OFF THE SHELF: Lifelong learning at my local library

Richard Muma copied more than 50 passages from sources without full attribution

WICHITA — Wichita State University president Richard Muma failed to give proper credit to more than 20 authors after copying their writing in his doctoral dissertation.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/read-the-evidence-examples-of-copied-material-in-wichita-state-university-presidents-dissertation/">Click here to view </a>some of the evidence

Muma, president of the university since 2020, runs afoul of academic standards and university policies by including extensive amounts of inadequately attributed material into his 2004 dissertation, according to academic professionals who reviewed Muma’s work.

A Kansas Reflector comparison of Muma’s 88-page dissertation with earlier scholarly work uncovered improperly ascribed phrases, sentences and paragraphs. In some cases, text copied from books and journals comprised the majority of entire pages in Muma’s dissertation.

Ten faculty at public and private colleges and universities said in interviews Muma’s dissertation amounted to plagiarism. None embraced Muma’s view that his dissertation adhered to academic publication standards.

Steven Mintz, a history professor at University of Texas-Austin who has authored or edited 15 books and found plagiarism of his own writing in international publications, said Muma’s dissertation would give the university a “black eye.”

“It is a form of theft. In my department, if I let a dissertation get to that stage, well, a student would be expelled, but I would be ostracized,” Mintz said.

Muma denied he plagiarized his dissertation through Wichita State spokeswoman Lainie Mazzullo-Hart, who said allegations of academic misconduct, especially assertions of plagiarism, were a serious matter.

Despite repeated requests via phone and email over five weeks, WSU declined to make Muma available for an interview.

“What I can share with you is that Dr. Muma vehemently denies any accusation of plagiarism and maintains that the research, analysis and conclusions in his dissertation were entirely original, and all referenced material were properly cited in accordance with academic standards,” Mazzullo-Hart said.

Muma’s dissertation, “<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Muma_Dissertation.pdf">Use of Mintzberg’s Model of Managerial Roles as a Framework to Describe a Population of Academic Health Profession Administrators</a>,” relied on parentheses — in the form of (Bennett, 1983) — to cite sources. He also included reference materials in a bibliography.

But Muma’s research paper lacked routine techniques for attributing other authors’ work. Typically, attribution is made through single or double quotation marks, italics or indentation of margins on the page.

Muma was a tenured professor and department chair at the time he submitted the dissertation on physician assistant education programs to a faculty review panel at University of Missouri-St. Louis. The project earned him a doctorate in higher education. With that credential, Muma advanced through the hierarchy at WSU from department chairman to vice president, provost and president.

Misappropriated text started with the first sentence in his dissertation: It was a mirror image to the opening of the 1983 book “Managing the Academic Department” by John Bennett, who earned a doctorate at Yale University, served as a college provost and authored more than 100 articles and six books.

“Important? Definitely. Overworked? Probably. Prepared for the job? Rarely. This is the typical academic department chairperson,” Bennett wrote.

Muma copied the sequence word for word, but didn’t place quotation marks around the text to show readers the prose was created by someone else. Muma replicated that pattern dozens of times in his dissertation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728303448862.png" alt=" Wichita State University President Richard Muma earned a doctorate in 2004 from University of Missouri-St. Louis with a dissertation that includes dozens of passages from more than 20 scholars without quotation marks to properly cite original authors. Academics interviewed by Kansas Reflector say Muma’s dissertation includes plagiarism. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Wichita State University President Richard Muma earned a doctorate in 2004 from University of Missouri-St. Louis with a dissertation that includes dozens of passages from more than 20 scholars without quotation marks to properly cite original authors. Academics interviewed by Kansas Reflector say Muma’s dissertation includes plagiarism. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Richard Muma copied more than 50 passages from sources without full attribution</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>WICHITA — Wichita State University president Richard Muma failed to give proper credit to more than 20 authors after copying their writing in his doctoral dissertation.<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/07/read-the-evidence-examples-of-copied-material-in-wichita-state-university-presidents-dissertation/">Click here to view </a>some of the evidenceMuma, president of the university since 2020, runs afoul of academic standards and university policies by including extensive amounts of inadequately attributed material into his 2004 dissertation, according to academic professionals who reviewed Muma’s work.A Kansas Reflector comparison of Muma’s 88-page dissertation with earlier scholarly work uncovered improperly ascribed phrases, sentences and paragraphs. In some cases, text copied from books and journals comprised the majority of entire pages in Muma’s dissertation.Ten faculty at public and private colleges and universities said in interviews Muma’s dissertation amounted to plagiarism. None embraced Muma’s view that his dissertation adhered to academic publication standards.Steven Mintz, a history professor at University of Texas-Austin who has authored or edited 15 books and found plagiarism of his own writing in international publications, said Muma’s dissertation would give the university a “black eye.”“It is a form of theft. In my department, if I let a dissertation get to that stage, well, a student would be expelled, but I would be ostracized,” Mintz said.<h2>WSU stands by Muma</h2>Muma denied he plagiarized his dissertation through Wichita State spokeswoman Lainie Mazzullo-Hart, who said allegations of academic misconduct, especially assertions of plagiarism, were a serious matter.Despite repeated requests via phone and email over five weeks, WSU declined to make Muma available for an interview.“What I can share with you is that Dr. Muma vehemently denies any accusation of plagiarism and maintains that the research, analysis and conclusions in his dissertation were entirely original, and all referenced material were properly cited in accordance with academic standards,” Mazzullo-Hart said.Muma’s dissertation, “<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Muma_Dissertation.pdf">Use of Mintzberg’s Model of Managerial Roles as a Framework to Describe a Population of Academic Health Profession Administrators</a>,” relied on parentheses — in the form of (Bennett, 1983) — to cite sources. He also included reference materials in a bibliography.But Muma’s research paper lacked routine techniques for attributing other authors’ work. Typically, attribution is made through single or double quotation marks, italics or indentation of margins on the page.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728303407224.png" alt=" The first sentence of Wichita State University President Richard Muma’s 2004 doctoral dissertation is copied — without quotation marks — from the first sentence of the 1983 book “Managing the Academic Department” by John Bennett, who earned a doctorate at Yale University. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The first sentence of Wichita State University President Richard Muma’s 2004 doctoral dissertation is copied — without quotation marks — from the first sentence of the 1983 book “Managing the Academic Department” by John Bennett, who earned a doctorate at Yale University. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A dissertation review</h2>Muma was a tenured professor and department chair at the time he submitted the dissertation on physician assistant education programs to a faculty review panel at University of Missouri-St. Louis. The project earned him a doctorate in higher education. With that credential, Muma advanced through the hierarchy at WSU from department chairman to vice president, provost and president.Misappropriated text started with the first sentence in his dissertation: It was a mirror image to the opening of the 1983 book “Managing the Academic Department” by John Bennett, who earned a doctorate at Yale University, served as a college provost and authored more than 100 articles and six books.“Important? Definitely. Overworked? Probably. Prepared for the job? Rarely. This is the typical academic department chairperson,” Bennett wrote.Muma copied the sequence word for word, but didn’t place quotation marks around the text to show readers the prose was created by someone else. Muma replicated that pattern dozens of times in his dissertation.Of 255 words on the first page of Muma’s dissertation, more than 150 were copied from published work by Bennett and two other scholars, Kathleen Stassen Berger and Allan Tucker.In a lengthy passage on Page 22, Muma deleted quote marks from borrowed text, keeping the reader in the dark that there was an original author. On Page 24 of the dissertation, three-fourths of 284 words were copied from other scholarly writing and pasted into the dissertation. All but a handful of 230 words on Page 29 were drawn verbatim from previously published academic work.In 2002, for example, Berger wrote an academic article on “Inevitable Conflicts of a Department Chair.” Her distinctive opening lines: “Too much to do, too little time. Deadlines ignored; demands not met; requests trashed. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators queue up with phone messages, mailbox memos, emails and knocks on my door.”Muma’s casting two years later echoed Berger: “It seems that academic department chairs have too much to do and no time to do it. Frequently they ignore deadlines, have demands that are not met, and requests are not answered.” That was followed by verbatim text: “Students, faculty, staff, and administrators queue up with phone messages, mailbox memos, emails, and knocks at the door.”<h2>Defining plagiarism</h2>Higher education institutions most often describe this type of academic misconduct as seizing work of others without full credit. Plagiarism could result from insufficiently paraphrasing research and writing performed by others or by inadequately citing thoughts of others. Lesser infractions might occur because of carelessness in conducting research or lack of familiarity with U.S. standards for academic writing.The American Association of University Professors’ statement on plagiarism, adopted nearly 35 years ago, says those who claimed words, ideas or methods of others with the intent of being credited for that work committed “theft of a special kind.” AAUP said plagiarism was the antithesis of “honest labor that characterizes true scholarship.”Concern about plagiarism among college students escalated in recent years along with access to generative artificial intelligence capable of completing academic assignments. Sophisticated software has been deployed at universities to test students’ work for plagiarism. AI cross-check resources weren’t a prominent feature of higher education when Muma was in graduate school and completed his dissertation.Anxiety about academic dishonesty has infiltrated U.S. faculty ranks, including Harvard University where the university’s president resigned, in part, over allegations of plagiarism.Other recent faculty cases of alleged plagiarism have emerged at Columbia University, University of Maryland, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Washington.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728303341893.png" alt=" Wichita State University president Richard Muma inserted phrases, sentences and paragraphs into his doctoral dissertation without proper credit to original authors. Muma declined requests for an interview, but WSU says the 2004 dissertation is “original.” In this image, highlighted phrases denote inadequately attributed material. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Wichita State University president Richard Muma inserted phrases, sentences and paragraphs into his doctoral dissertation without proper credit to original authors. Muma declined requests for an interview, but WSU says the 2004 dissertation is “original.” In this image, highlighted phrases denote inadequately attributed material. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A shortcut’</h2>In five chapters of Muma’s dissertation, which included findings of an opinion survey of health educators and professionals, Kansas Reflector identified approximately 55 passages of inadequately attributed material.“That’s a problem in my eyes,” said Jonathan Bailey, founder of Plagiarism Today and a copyright and plagiarism consultant in New Orleans. “When you copy and paste wholesale like that, you’re not proving you have the knowledge and understanding. This person did a shortcut.”U.S. colleges and universities discipline students, including dismissal, for violating policies requiring they avoid plagiarism by distinguishing their original expression from information drawn from other sources. Plagiarism is considered an especially grave error when perpetrated by graduate students or faculty members expected to be well-versed in scholarly writing.Individuals engaged in higher education research, teaching or administration told Kansas Reflector the insufficient attribution in Muma’s dissertation reached the level of plagiarism.Tim Hill, professor of political science at Doane University in Nebraska and recipient of a 2003 doctorate from Ohio State University, said his review led to an undeniable conclusion.“The standard of the profession says this counts as plagiarism,” Hill said. “I keep thinking (of) being a faculty member at that institution when this breaks. How do you walk into the classroom and say academic honesty is important? From the perspective of the audience, he’s lying to them. It harms everyone involved.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://academicintegrity.org/events-conferences/idoa-international-day-of-action-for-academic-integrity" target="_blank">International Day of Action for Academic Integrity</a>&nbsp;will be Oct. 16. Wichita State scheduled events during the month to emphasize academic integrity as the responsibility of all faculty, staff and students.Kansas Rep. Kirk Haskins, a Topeka Democrat who earned a doctorate in higher education at the University of Kansas and a master’s degree at WSU, said he was trained to include quotation marks and other attribution when making use of scholarship from other people.Haskins, who serves as chairman of graduate-level programs at Baker University in Baldwin City, said taking material without sufficient attribution could suggest an individual didn’t understand dissertation writing practices. Or, he said, it could demonstrate what a person thought he or she could get away with while producing a capstone educational achievement.“(Muma) has done a commendable job in his time as president,” Haskins said. “However, I find these issues should be taken seriously because it pulls threads of higher ed’s academic integrity.”Kansas Reflector also interviewed college and university educators without identifying Muma, his job title or employer. These interview subjects were informed of the breadth of attribution issues and that the author was awarded a doctorate, remained a faculty member and was employed as an administrator.Kansas Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican who taught at Johnson County Community College and is now an associate vice president at Pittsburg State University, serves as chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.“Every step of the way, it’s a matter of ‘show us your work,’ ” said Baumgardner, who holds a master’s degree. “This notion of appropriation of someone else’s work is critical. A reputation is what can make or break an institution. Anytime someone dishonestly advances, it leaves another in the dust.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728303262352.png" alt="Wichita State University policy on professional ethics says faculty derive obligations from membership in a community of scholars, which includes a duty to “acknowledge their academic debts” to other scholars. In addition, WSU’s definition of research misconduct includes fabrication, falsification and plagiarism. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Wichita State University policy on professional ethics says faculty derive obligations from membership in a community of scholars, which includes a duty to “acknowledge their academic debts” to other scholars. In addition, WSU’s definition of research misconduct includes fabrication, falsification and plagiarism. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>WSU policies</h2>At Wichita State, students found to have violated plagiarism policy could fail a class or receive a warning, probation, suspension or expulsion.WSU requires faculty to “practice intellectual honesty.” The statement says faculty have a duty to “acknowledge their academic debts.”“As members of their institution,” the policy manual says, “faculty members seek above all to be effective teachers and scholars.”Policies regarding research misconduct at WSU, adopted in 1997 and last revised in 2017, cover “fabrication, falsification, plagiarism or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community.”The Kansas Board of Regents policy manual is silent on faculty plagiarism, said Matt Keith, spokesman for the board. The Board of Regents has responsibility for hiring presidents and chancellors at the state’s six public universities.Muma was named acting president in September 2020 by the Board of Regents simultaneous to the departure of WSU president Jay Golden. The state board formally appointed him the 15th president of WSU in May 2021.WSU made Muma its first gay president and Muma was the first physician assistant in the country to rise through the ranks to become a university president.Muma, in his fourth year as WSU president, received a 4% raise in July to increase his annual salary to $520,000.