By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Lead Reporter - Salina Post

While sitting in the basement of his residence Tuesday afternoon with a woman, a 32-year-old Salina man heard some glass break upstairs. Soon after, a man entered his basement, allegedly beat him and left, forcefully taking the 22-year-old woman with him.

Salina Police Department (SPD) Capt. James Feldman said at about 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, multiple witnesses began reporting to SPD that a man was causing a disturbance at a residence in the 100 block of North College Avenue.

"Officers were advised in route that we had multiple calls and that there was a female being forced into a vehicle and there was a male at the residence bleeding from his head," Feldman said.

Once officers arrived at the scene, Feldman said they began conversations with the 32-year-old victim, who told them what allegedly happened in his basement just a few minutes before.

The victim reported to officers that a man, later identified as 35-year-old Mark A. Martin, entered his basement, grabbed the victim by the throat and pushed him against a wall, causing the victim to fall into furniture and to the ground.

"He [Martin] was upset," Feldman said. "While on the ground, he [the victim] was punched multiple times in the face. The subject reported that Mr. Martin grabbed the female, dragged her upstairs, forced her into a vehicle and drove away."

Feldman said that officers later found that Martin and the 22-year-old victim were related to each other but did not give further details.

Officers then began searching the area for Martin or his vehicle, but reports from Christ Cathedral sent officers to the historic church on Eighth Street. 

"We received a call that the vehicle was possibly at Christ Cathedral," Feldman said. "Officers responded, didn't see the vehicle, but made contact with the 22-year-old female who was at the church."

The 22-year-old woman told officers that Martin had dropped her off at the church to meet with another relative, where she then took refuge away from Martin and church staff called SPD.

Another officer in the 800 block of West South Street located Martin's car and found Martin at a residence about 30 minutes after the initial call at the residence on College Avenue.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/0d45ed1d-c4da-4c34-b846-fc3c1d27c8a9">🎙King in the Community — Mike Schrage discusses Friends of the Salina Animal Shelter, the Cozy Inn civil case and more</a>

Officers then arrested Martin without incident and, with further investigation, found that Martin also had his 2-year-old child with him during the entire incident.

Feldman said officers booked him into the Saline County Jail with requested charges for aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, kidnapping, domestic battery, driving while suspended and endangering a child.

The burglary charge stems from Martin entering an occupied home with the intent to cause violence, constituting a burglary charge under the crime's definition. Martin did not steal anything from the residence.

The 32-year-old male victim had multiple injuries, including a swollen and bleeding right eye, a laceration to the backside of the head and a broken cheekbone. The 22-year-old woman had no injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574355645622.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Lead Reporter - Salina PostWhile sitting in the basement of his residence Tuesday afternoon with a woman, a 32-year-old Salina man heard some glass break upstairs. Soon after, a man entered his basement, allegedly beat him and left, forcefully taking the 22-year-old woman with him.Salina Police Department (SPD) Capt. James Feldman said at about 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, multiple witnesses began reporting to SPD that a man was causing a disturbance at a residence in the 100 block of North College Avenue."Officers were advised in route that we had multiple calls and that there was a female being forced into a vehicle and there was a male at the residence bleeding from his head," Feldman said.Once officers arrived at the scene, Feldman said they began conversations with the 32-year-old victim, who told them what allegedly happened in his basement just a few minutes before.The victim reported to officers that a man, later identified as 35-year-old Mark A. Martin, entered his basement, grabbed the victim by the throat and pushed him against a wall, causing the victim to fall into furniture and to the ground.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720009069671.png" alt="Martin, Mark Andrew" />
 <figcaption>Martin, Mark Andrew</figcaption>
 </figure>"He [Martin] was upset," Feldman said. "While on the ground, he [the victim] was punched multiple times in the face. The subject reported that Mr. Martin grabbed the female, dragged her upstairs, forced her into a vehicle and drove away."Feldman said that officers later found that Martin and the 22-year-old victim were related to each other but did not give further details.Officers then began searching the area for Martin or his vehicle, but reports from Christ Cathedral sent officers to the historic church on Eighth Street. "We received a call that the vehicle was possibly at Christ Cathedral," Feldman said. "Officers responded, didn't see the vehicle, but made contact with the 22-year-old female who was at the church."The 22-year-old woman told officers that Martin had dropped her off at the church to meet with another relative, where she then took refuge away from Martin and church staff called SPD.Another officer in the 800 block of West South Street located Martin's car and found Martin at a residence about 30 minutes after the initial call at the residence on College Avenue.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/0d45ed1d-c4da-4c34-b846-fc3c1d27c8a9">🎙King in the Community — Mike Schrage discusses Friends of the Salina Animal Shelter, the Cozy Inn civil case and more</a>Officers then arrested Martin without incident and, with further investigation, found that Martin also had his 2-year-old child with him during the entire incident.Feldman said officers booked him into the Saline County Jail with requested charges for aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, kidnapping, domestic battery, driving while suspended and endangering a child.The burglary charge stems from Martin entering an occupied home with the intent to cause violence, constituting a burglary charge under the crime's definition. Martin did not steal anything from the residence.The 32-year-old male victim had multiple injuries, including a swollen and bleeding right eye, a laceration to the backside of the head and a broken cheekbone. The 22-year-old woman had no injuries.

Salina man arrested after battering victim, kidnapping a woman and endangering child

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita have arrested a man and his father.

Just after 11a.m. Monday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.

Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney on a requested charge of Second-Degree Reckless Murder and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jeffrey McKinney is Peter's father, according to Ford.

At this time, police believe that Crawford and the suspect knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.

The facts of this case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration. This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921077048.png" alt="Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita have arrested a man and his father.Just after 11a.m. Monday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719885319829.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>First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921323757.png" alt="Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney on a requested charge of Second-Degree Reckless Murder and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jeffrey McKinney is Peter's father, according to Ford.At this time, police believe that Crawford and the suspect knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.The facts of this case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration. This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.&nbsp;

Father and son arrested in Kansas apartment complex killing

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for killing a Sedgwick County Sheriff's K9 officer.

&nbsp;Kaylon Kirkwood, 25, Wichita, was sentenced to nearly 2 and one half years for battery of a law enforcement officer and and another year in jail for harming or killing the the K9, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In November,&nbsp;the Wichita Police Domestic intervention and Violence Reduction team was in the area of Pawnee and Rock attempting to locate a robbery suspect later identified as Kirkwood according to Wichita Police Lt.&nbsp;Lieutenant Aaron Moses.

Just after noon, police located Kirkwood but he fled into a creek and barricaded himself in a storm drain and refused to come out.

Sheriff's deputies and police used extended leashes and sent K9 officers into the drain.&nbsp; There was an altercation between the Kirkwood and&nbsp; Sedgwick County Sheriff K9 Bane. The dog was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Moses.

Just after 2:30p.m. Kirkwood was finally taken into custody and transported for treatment of minor injuries from the K9. After Kirwood was released, police booked him into the Sedgwick County Detention Center.

In May, Kansas legislators voted to override a veto of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2583/">House Bill 2583</a>, known as “Bane’s Law.” &nbsp;The law increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.

The law was inspired by Sedgwick County K9 officer Bane.

Officers were chasing Kirkwood in November, 2023. Kirkwood tried to hide in a storm drain near Rock Road and Pawnee. The K9 officer Bane was sent in after Kirkwood. Police said Kirkwood strangled Bane.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Judge Eric Williams ordered $38,379.98 in restitution to cover the cost of a new dog, a K9 ballistic vest, training along with Bane's necropsy and cremation.&nbsp; Restitution was payable to several parties because the Sheriff's office received donations that covered some of the items.

In an unrelated case Kirkwood pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with sexual motivation and interference with law enforcement. Kirkwood was sentenced to 29 months for the battery case and seven months for the interference case. All sentences are to run consecutively. The sentences are the maximum allowed under Kansas law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700237992193.png" alt="Kirkwood-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Kirkwood-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for killing a Sedgwick County Sheriff's K9 officer.&nbsp;Kaylon Kirkwood, 25, Wichita, was sentenced to nearly 2 and one half years for battery of a law enforcement officer and and another year in jail for harming or killing the the K9, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In November,&nbsp;the Wichita Police Domestic intervention and Violence Reduction team was in the area of Pawnee and Rock attempting to locate a robbery suspect later identified as Kirkwood according to Wichita Police Lt.&nbsp;Lieutenant Aaron Moses.Just after noon, police located Kirkwood but he fled into a creek and barricaded himself in a storm drain and refused to come out.Sheriff's deputies and police used extended leashes and sent K9 officers into the drain.&nbsp; There was an altercation between the Kirkwood and&nbsp; Sedgwick County Sheriff K9 Bane. The dog was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700174387964.png" alt="PSD Bane was 8 years old and had been with the Sheriff’s Office for 1 year.-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>PSD Bane was 8 years old and had been with the Sheriff’s Office for 1 year.-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:30p.m. Kirkwood was finally taken into custody and transported for treatment of minor injuries from the K9. After Kirwood was released, police booked him into the Sedgwick County Detention Center.In May, Kansas legislators voted to override a veto of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2583/">House Bill 2583</a>, known as “Bane’s Law.” &nbsp;The law increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.The law was inspired by Sedgwick County K9 officer Bane.Officers were chasing Kirkwood in November, 2023. Kirkwood tried to hide in a storm drain near Rock Road and Pawnee. The K9 officer Bane was sent in after Kirkwood. Police said Kirkwood strangled Bane.&nbsp;&nbsp;Judge Eric Williams ordered $38,379.98 in restitution to cover the cost of a new dog, a K9 ballistic vest, training along with Bane's necropsy and cremation.&nbsp; Restitution was payable to several parties because the Sheriff's office received donations that covered some of the items.In an unrelated case Kirkwood pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with sexual motivation and interference with law enforcement. Kirkwood was sentenced to 29 months for the battery case and seven months for the interference case. All sentences are to run consecutively. The sentences are the maximum allowed under Kansas law.

Man who killed Kansas K9 officer is headed to prison

&nbsp;Milly Jean Schrader August 6, 1929 ~ June 25, 2024

Milly’s life began on August 6, 1929, in Abilene, KS. She was the daughter of Clinton Willet and Cora Leona (Comer) Emig. Milly was a 1947 graduate of Abilene High School and taught in a one-room schoolhouse in her early years. She worked as Administrative Assistant of Student Services at University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita. After retirement, she worked at JoAnn Fabrics in Wichita and later at the Board of Regents in Topeka. Milly was an avid reader, logging thousands of books throughout her lifetime and instilling the love of reading in her children and grandchildren. She had a love for words and learning so crossword puzzles were a favorite pastime and would become group efforts when family gathered. Once she was introduced to counted cross-stitch, she was captivated. If a cross-stitch project was not in progress, she was restless, asking for requests for new projects. She was also an accomplished seamstress, making clothing for children and grandchildren, piecing quilt tops using scraps, and repairing and repurposing what others might have discarded. Milly was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Herington. She is survived by her children Kirby (Cynthia) Schrader of Magnolia, TX; Monte (Denise) Schrader of Midland, TX; Larry (Miyong) Schrader of San Antonio, TX; Vicky (Darrell) Minton of Latimer, KS; Dana (Anna) Schrader of Grimes, IA; Dede (Jeff) Patterson of Latimer, KS and Jenny (Rich Schwabauer) Schrader of Portland, OR; grandchildren Steven Schrader, Heidi (Gray) Gregory, Dylan (Ariel) Schrader, Andrew (Magenta) Schrader, Molly (Jason) Stepp, Kelby Schrader, Bailley Schrader, Ben (Winter) Schrader, Megan (Casey) Rhea, Ryan (Andrea) Glessner, Dustin Glessner, Josh (Brooklyn) Patterson and Kaiti Patterson. Milly passed away at her home on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Glen Schrader, and siblings Merle Emig, Dorothy McMillen, Robert Emig, Sr, and David Emig. Family and friends are invited to attend an open house on Saturday June 29, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Herington Country Club to celebrate her life. A private graveside service will be held at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Herington led by Pastor Jim Peters. Yazel Megli Funeral Home is serving the family. Memorial contributions in Milly’s name may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church, Herington or Dickinson County Home Health and Hospice. Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of Milly at www.yazelmeglifh.com.&nbsp;

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/9e3f230d-fe53-478d-9789-17c71e30f72c">Love Kansas campaign aims to draw past residents back to the Sunflower State</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719926380671.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Milly Jean Schrader August 6, 1929 ~ June 25, 2024 Milly’s life began on August 6, 1929, in Abilene, KS. She was the daughter of Clinton Willet and Cora Leona (Comer) Emig. Milly was a 1947 graduate of Abilene High School and taught in a one-room schoolhouse in her early years. She worked as Administrative Assistant of Student Services at University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita. After retirement, she worked at JoAnn Fabrics in Wichita and later at the Board of Regents in Topeka. Milly was an avid reader, logging thousands of books throughout her lifetime and instilling the love of reading in her children and grandchildren. She had a love for words and learning so crossword puzzles were a favorite pastime and would become group efforts when family gathered. Once she was introduced to counted cross-stitch, she was captivated. If a cross-stitch project was not in progress, she was restless, asking for requests for new projects. She was also an accomplished seamstress, making clothing for children and grandchildren, piecing quilt tops using scraps, and repairing and repurposing what others might have discarded. Milly was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Herington. She is survived by her children Kirby (Cynthia) Schrader of Magnolia, TX; Monte (Denise) Schrader of Midland, TX; Larry (Miyong) Schrader of San Antonio, TX; Vicky (Darrell) Minton of Latimer, KS; Dana (Anna) Schrader of Grimes, IA; Dede (Jeff) Patterson of Latimer, KS and Jenny (Rich Schwabauer) Schrader of Portland, OR; grandchildren Steven Schrader, Heidi (Gray) Gregory, Dylan (Ariel) Schrader, Andrew (Magenta) Schrader, Molly (Jason) Stepp, Kelby Schrader, Bailley Schrader, Ben (Winter) Schrader, Megan (Casey) Rhea, Ryan (Andrea) Glessner, Dustin Glessner, Josh (Brooklyn) Patterson and Kaiti Patterson. Milly passed away at her home on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Glen Schrader, and siblings Merle Emig, Dorothy McMillen, Robert Emig, Sr, and David Emig. Family and friends are invited to attend an open house on Saturday June 29, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Herington Country Club to celebrate her life. A private graveside service will be held at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Herington led by Pastor Jim Peters. Yazel Megli Funeral Home is serving the family. Memorial contributions in Milly’s name may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church, Herington or Dickinson County Home Health and Hospice. Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of Milly at www.yazelmeglifh.com.&nbsp;READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/9e3f230d-fe53-478d-9789-17c71e30f72c">Love Kansas campaign aims to draw past residents back to the Sunflower State</a>

 Milly J. Schrader

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;halting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">debate performance</a>&nbsp;has led some in his own party to begin questioning whether he should be replaced on the ballot before November.

There is no evidence Biden is willing to end his campaign. And it would be nearly impossible for Democrats to replace him unless he chooses to step aside.

Delegates Biden won in the primaries are obligated to support him

Every state has already held its presidential primary. Democratic rules mandate that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-presumptive-nominee-election-president-democrat-63b66006d4bc45354343228e323e3baa">the delegates Biden won</a>&nbsp;remain obligated to support him at the party's upcoming national convention unless he tells them he’s leaving the race.

Biden indicated that he had no plans to do that, telling supporters in Atlanta shortly after he left the debate stage, “Let's keep going.” Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt was even clearer, saying Friday: “Of course he's not dropping out.”

The conventions and their rules are controlled by the political parties. The Democratic National Committee could convene before the convention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-2024-8616953934537edbf2cf795066c878ec">opens on Aug. 19</a>&nbsp;and change how things will work, but that isn't likely as long as Biden wants to continue seeking reelection.

The current rules read: “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”

VP Kamala Harris couldn't automatically replace Biden

The vice president is Biden's running mate, but that doesn't mean she can swap in for him at the top of the ticket by default. Biden also can't decree that she replace him should he suddenly decide to leave the race.

The Democratic National Convention is being held in Chicago, but the party has announced that it will hold a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-ballot-biden-access-3bf359cce8e73714be45cb99a6e31546">virtual roll call</a>&nbsp;to formally nominate Biden before in-person proceedings begin. The exact date for the roll call has not yet been set.

If Biden opts to abandon his reelection campaign, Harris would likely join other top Democratic candidates looking to replace him. But that would probably create a scenario where she and others end up lobbying individual state delegations at the convention for their support.

That hasn't happened for Democrats since 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trayvon-martin-today-in-history-los-angeles-thurgood-marshall-ef2219d71bc32d488191beaa47d2397f">jockeyed</a>&nbsp;for votes during that year’s Democratic convention in Los Angeles.

Other potential Democratic candidates would also face challenges

In addition to the vice president, others that had endorsed Biden in 2024 while harboring their own presidential aspirations for future cycles include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker and California Rep. Ro Khanna.

Still others who Biden bested during the party’s 2020 presidential primary could also try again, including Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

If Biden were to abruptly leave the race, conservative groups have suggested they will file lawsuits around the country, potentially questioning the legality of the Democratic candidate's name on the ballot.

But Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, who wrote a book about the presidential nominating process and is also a member of the Democratic National Committee’s rulemaking arm, said that courts have consistently stayed out of political primaries as long as parties running them weren’t doing anything that would contradict other constitutional rights, such as voter suppression based on race.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;halting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">debate performance</a>&nbsp;has led some in his own party to begin questioning whether he should be replaced on the ballot before November.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Folks, I might not walk as easily or talk as smoothly as I used to. I might not debate as well as I used to. But what I do know is how to tell the truth.<a href="https://t.co/ep5D0EhT5P">pic.twitter.com/ep5D0EhT5P</a>&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1806746426904379543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>There is no evidence Biden is willing to end his campaign. And it would be nearly impossible for Democrats to replace him unless he chooses to step aside.Here's why:<h2>Delegates Biden won in the primaries are obligated to support him</h2>Every state has already held its presidential primary. Democratic rules mandate that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-presumptive-nominee-election-president-democrat-63b66006d4bc45354343228e323e3baa">the delegates Biden won</a>&nbsp;remain obligated to support him at the party's upcoming national convention unless he tells them he’s leaving the race.Biden indicated that he had no plans to do that, telling supporters in Atlanta shortly after he left the debate stage, “Let's keep going.” Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt was even clearer, saying Friday: “Of course he's not dropping out.”The conventions and their rules are controlled by the political parties. The Democratic National Committee could convene before the convention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-2024-8616953934537edbf2cf795066c878ec">opens on Aug. 19</a>&nbsp;and change how things will work, but that isn't likely as long as Biden wants to continue seeking reelection.The current rules read: “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”<h2>VP Kamala Harris couldn't automatically replace Biden</h2>The vice president is Biden's running mate, but that doesn't mean she can swap in for him at the top of the ticket by default. Biden also can't decree that she replace him should he suddenly decide to leave the race.The Democratic National Convention is being held in Chicago, but the party has announced that it will hold a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-ballot-biden-access-3bf359cce8e73714be45cb99a6e31546">virtual roll call</a>&nbsp;to formally nominate Biden before in-person proceedings begin. The exact date for the roll call has not yet been set.If Biden opts to abandon his reelection campaign, Harris would likely join other top Democratic candidates looking to replace him. But that would probably create a scenario where she and others end up lobbying individual state delegations at the convention for their support.That hasn't happened for Democrats since 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trayvon-martin-today-in-history-los-angeles-thurgood-marshall-ef2219d71bc32d488191beaa47d2397f">jockeyed</a>&nbsp;for votes during that year’s Democratic convention in Los Angeles.<h2>Other potential Democratic candidates would also face challenges</h2>In addition to the vice president, others that had endorsed Biden in 2024 while harboring their own presidential aspirations for future cycles include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker and California Rep. Ro Khanna.Still others who Biden bested during the party’s 2020 presidential primary could also try again, including Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.If Biden were to abruptly leave the race, conservative groups have suggested they will file lawsuits around the country, potentially questioning the legality of the Democratic candidate's name on the ballot.But Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, who wrote a book about the presidential nominating process and is also a member of the Democratic National Committee’s rulemaking arm, said that courts have consistently stayed out of political primaries as long as parties running them weren’t doing anything that would contradict other constitutional rights, such as voter suppression based on race.

🎥Why it would be tough to replace Joe Biden on the presidential ticket

Changes effective July 1 touch on energy, crime, education and business statutes

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

TOPEKA — Kansans will awake to a new statutory landscape Monday after contents of 101 bills approved by the Legislature and, mostly, signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly officially take effect.

With turning of the calendar at 12:01 a.m. July 1, incarcerated juveniles in Kansas could be granted work release. Microbreweries would be able to self-distribute beer and hard cider. Public universities must adhere to restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion policy. Coercing a female to get an abortion could be a crime. Companies delivering pornography online must confirm customers are of legal age.

Motorists could choose from a half-dozen new options for distinctive license plates. Public utilities would be forbidden from relying on eminent domain to locate solar farms. Leaving the scene of an accident would become a more serious offense. The state unemployment insurance and worker compensation programs would change. The law authorizing issuance of bonds to lure the Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals to Kansas would be in play. Overhaul of the state’s civil asset forfeiture law also would be final.

Even cosmetic changes occur, including renaming the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office to the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. Adoption of House Bill 2760 by the Kansas Legislature and signing of the bill by Kelly won’t alter the agency’s office locations or contact numbers.

“While the agency’s name is changing, its mission and core functions remain steadfast,” Kelly said. “The name change removes confusion with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs and better aligns with the agency’s purpose.”

Kelly vetoed a long list of bills and provisions in budget bills, but the Legislature imposed its will at times with veto overrides.

The Republican-led Legislature and the Democratic governor agreed to adoption of House Bill 2105 banning public universities from requiring students, faculty or other employees to disclose views on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. GOP legislators complained DEI policies were interferring with university admissions and hiring decisions, so they delivered a law forbidding pledges of allegiance to DEI.

In K-12 public schools, Kansas statute was altered to allow districts to maintain emergency medication kits that included epinephrine for allergic reactions and albuterol for breathing problems. The bill amended liability protections for any person who rendered emergency care at a school-sponsored event or on school property. It provide a level of immunity from liability for a pharmacist, physician or a mid-level practitioner who distributed or prescribed emergency medications to a school.

Senate Bill 195, approved unanimously by the House and Senate, authorized the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund to establish a nonprofit organization to raise money for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Book gifting program. The program mails free, age-appropriate books each month to the home of Kansas children until their fifth birthday.

Under House Bill 2703, all children in foster care custody of the Kansas Department for Children and Families would be added to the list of students eligible to receive at-risk programs and services in the public school system. Another new law mandated DCF release certain information related to a child fatality when criminal charges were filed alleging a person caused the death.

The enactment of House Bill 2144 created the new Kansas crime of encouraging a person to attempt suicide or kill themselves. A person charged with the felony would have to know the person was suicidal and the oral, written or visual communication must be shown to have substantially influenced the individual.

Legislators were advised during the session the state law could invite challenges on First Amendment grounds because the statute could be viewed as criminalizing speech.

The suicide statute was developed at behest of Jennifer Dennis, who discovered too late her son logged onto an internet chat site to obtain instructions on how to die by suicide. Her son, William, obtained sodium nitrite, drove to a Lenexa model, consumed the substance with water and died.

“William had an undiagnosed mental illness,” Dennis said. “Instead of coming to his parents for help, he went to (the internet chat site) where he was brainwashed by sociopaths.”

In addition, the bill established penalties for people convicted of taking part in “organized retail” crimes. It would permit the attorney general to prosecute cases in which alleged criminal activity occurred in two or more counties.

Attorney General Kris Kobach advocated for the reform to thwart gangs organized to move from city to city to rob stores. The law would apply to theft of goods with a retail market value of $5,000 or more within a one-year period.

Other new state laws raised from $4,000 to $10,000 the treshhold for cases to be considered in small claims court. Compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent defendants was raised from $80 to $120 per hour. A separate law provided immunity from prosecution for certain drug crimes when an individual sought or&nbsp;provided medical assistance to a person who consumed a controlled substance.

As of July 1, the maximum civil penalty that could be imposed by the Kansas Corporation Commission for pipeline safety violations was changed. The new law complied with requirements of the Federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

“The alignment with federal maximum penalty amounts is required if Kansas wishes to maintain enforcement authority over intrastate natural gas pipeline safety,” said Paul Owings, deputy chief engineer in the utilities division at the KCC.

Another state law would require the state’s budget director to independently determine the cost of compliance and implementation for all proposed state rules and regulations. In general, rules and regulations that cost businesses, local governments or individuals $1 million or more during the initial five-year period after adoption would have to be ratified by the Legislature.

As of Monday, railroads operating in Kansas must keep stored rolling cars on sidings a minimum distance from unlit traffic crossings. House Bill 2501 set the safe-zone distance at 250 feet, if that crossing didn’t have electronic warning signals. Exceptions to the law would address railcars awaiting loading or unloading.

Implementation of House Bill 2588 meant telecommunications, broadband and video service providers wouldn’t be blocked from using county right-of-way to construct, maintain and operate poles, cable, switches and related equipment for delivery of services. Their gear couldn’t obstruct or hinder public safety nor interfere with legal use of that ground by utilities or providers, the law said.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 455 declared a public utility would be prohibited from exercising eminent domain to secure property to build a solar-powered electric generation station.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719692481654.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly, shown participating in the ceremonial signing of a bill reforming worker compensation law in Kansas, put her signature to 100 bills approved by the Legislature during the regular session and one more bill adopted during the special session that will be implemented July 1. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly, shown participating in the ceremonial signing of a bill reforming worker compensation law in Kansas, put her signature to 100 bills approved by the Legislature during the regular session and one more bill adopted during the special session that will be implemented July 1. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Changes effective July 1 touch on energy, crime, education and business statutes</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansans will awake to a new statutory landscape Monday after contents of 101 bills approved by the Legislature and, mostly, signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly officially take effect.With turning of the calendar at 12:01 a.m. July 1, incarcerated juveniles in Kansas could be granted work release. Microbreweries would be able to self-distribute beer and hard cider. Public universities must adhere to restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion policy. Coercing a female to get an abortion could be a crime. Companies delivering pornography online must confirm customers are of legal age.Motorists could choose from a half-dozen new options for distinctive license plates. Public utilities would be forbidden from relying on eminent domain to locate solar farms. Leaving the scene of an accident would become a more serious offense. The state unemployment insurance and worker compensation programs would change. The law authorizing issuance of bonds to lure the Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals to Kansas would be in play. Overhaul of the state’s civil asset forfeiture law also would be final.Even cosmetic changes occur, including renaming the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office to the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. Adoption of House Bill 2760 by the Kansas Legislature and signing of the bill by Kelly won’t alter the agency’s office locations or contact numbers.“While the agency’s name is changing, its mission and core functions remain steadfast,” Kelly said. “The name change removes confusion with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs and better aligns with the agency’s purpose.”Kelly vetoed a long list of bills and provisions in budget bills, but the Legislature imposed its will at times with veto overrides.<h2>Education front</h2>The Republican-led Legislature and the Democratic governor agreed to adoption of House Bill 2105 banning public universities from requiring students, faculty or other employees to disclose views on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. GOP legislators complained DEI policies were interferring with university admissions and hiring decisions, so they delivered a law forbidding pledges of allegiance to DEI.In K-12 public schools, Kansas statute was altered to allow districts to maintain emergency medication kits that included epinephrine for allergic reactions and albuterol for breathing problems. The bill amended liability protections for any person who rendered emergency care at a school-sponsored event or on school property. It provide a level of immunity from liability for a pharmacist, physician or a mid-level practitioner who distributed or prescribed emergency medications to a school.Senate Bill 195, approved unanimously by the House and Senate, authorized the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund to establish a nonprofit organization to raise money for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Book gifting program. The program mails free, age-appropriate books each month to the home of Kansas children until their fifth birthday.Under House Bill 2703, all children in foster care custody of the Kansas Department for Children and Families would be added to the list of students eligible to receive at-risk programs and services in the public school system. Another new law mandated DCF release certain information related to a child fatality when criminal charges were filed alleging a person caused the death.<h2>The crime log</h2>The enactment of House Bill 2144 created the new Kansas crime of encouraging a person to attempt suicide or kill themselves. A person charged with the felony would have to know the person was suicidal and the oral, written or visual communication must be shown to have substantially influenced the individual.Legislators were advised during the session the state law could invite challenges on First Amendment grounds because the statute could be viewed as criminalizing speech.The suicide statute was developed at behest of Jennifer Dennis, who discovered too late her son logged onto an internet chat site to obtain instructions on how to die by suicide. Her son, William, obtained sodium nitrite, drove to a Lenexa model, consumed the substance with water and died.“William had an undiagnosed mental illness,” Dennis said. “Instead of coming to his parents for help, he went to (the internet chat site) where he was brainwashed by sociopaths.”In addition, the bill established penalties for people convicted of taking part in “organized retail” crimes. It would permit the attorney general to prosecute cases in which alleged criminal activity occurred in two or more counties.Attorney General Kris Kobach advocated for the reform to thwart gangs organized to move from city to city to rob stores. The law would apply to theft of goods with a retail market value of $5,000 or more within a one-year period.Other new state laws raised from $4,000 to $10,000 the treshhold for cases to be considered in small claims court. Compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent defendants was raised from $80 to $120 per hour. A separate law provided immunity from prosecution for certain drug crimes when an individual sought or&nbsp;provided medical assistance to a person who consumed a controlled substance.<h2>Business law</h2>As of July 1, the maximum civil penalty that could be imposed by the Kansas Corporation Commission for pipeline safety violations was changed. The new law complied with requirements of the Federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.“The alignment with federal maximum penalty amounts is required if Kansas wishes to maintain enforcement authority over intrastate natural gas pipeline safety,” said Paul Owings, deputy chief engineer in the utilities division at the KCC.Another state law would require the state’s budget director to independently determine the cost of compliance and implementation for all proposed state rules and regulations. In general, rules and regulations that cost businesses, local governments or individuals $1 million or more during the initial five-year period after adoption would have to be ratified by the Legislature.As of Monday, railroads operating in Kansas must keep stored rolling cars on sidings a minimum distance from unlit traffic crossings. House Bill 2501 set the safe-zone distance at 250 feet, if that crossing didn’t have electronic warning signals. Exceptions to the law would address railcars awaiting loading or unloading.Implementation of House Bill 2588 meant telecommunications, broadband and video service providers wouldn’t be blocked from using county right-of-way to construct, maintain and operate poles, cable, switches and related equipment for delivery of services. Their gear couldn’t obstruct or hinder public safety nor interfere with legal use of that ground by utilities or providers, the law said.Meanwhile, Senate Bill 455 declared a public utility would be prohibited from exercising eminent domain to secure property to build a solar-powered electric generation station.

Kansas set to implement head-spinning collection of new laws packed into 101 bills

SEDGWICK COUNTY —An inmate booked into the Sedgwick County jail on Tuesday has died.

Early Friday&nbsp;EMS was called to transport the 37-year-old male inmate, who was housed in the Detention Facility Clinic, to the hospital due to irregular lab results, according to Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.

Prior to EMS arriving at the jail the inmate became unresponsive. Immediate medical attention was administered from onsite medical staff and responding EMS personnel. The inmate was pronounced dead shortly before 3:00 a.m. 

The inmate had a history of a chronic health problem, which clinic staff was treating.&nbsp; The preliminary cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy.

 The inmate was being held in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility on a $150,000 felony warrant for contempt of court since June 25.&nbsp;

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigations Division were notified.&nbsp; &nbsp; The inmate’s family has been notified of his death and his identity is being withheld at their request.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —An inmate booked into the Sedgwick County jail on Tuesday has died.Early Friday&nbsp;EMS was called to transport the 37-year-old male inmate, who was housed in the Detention Facility Clinic, to the hospital due to irregular lab results, according to Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.Prior to EMS arriving at the jail the inmate became unresponsive. Immediate medical attention was administered from onsite medical staff and responding EMS personnel. The inmate was pronounced dead shortly before 3:00 a.m. The inmate had a history of a chronic health problem, which clinic staff was treating.&nbsp; The preliminary cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy. The inmate was being held in the Sedgwick County Detention Facility on a $150,000 felony warrant for contempt of court since June 25.&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigations Division were notified.&nbsp; &nbsp; The inmate’s family has been notified of his death and his identity is being withheld at their request.

Sheriff: Man jailed in Kansas on Tuesday died on Friday

Editor's note: This is a two-part series on hospice care in northwest Kansas. The first part ran on Saturday, June 1, on the Hays Post. See a link to that story below.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Dalene Juenemann and her father, Dean, had to make the difficult decision to enter hospice care after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

“He was just such a social guy and someone was in a couple times a week,” she said. “They were checking in on him and it was that security blanket he had.”

“He didn’t want to be in and out of hospital care and not doing his activities, especially because of his age,” she said.

He didn’t want to go through aggressive chemo and he didn’t qualify for a bladder removal because of his age.&nbsp;

“He chose quality of life,” she said.

"It was that final decision that we are done with everyone wanting a piece of me. I'm just going to enjoy life," she said.

Dalene's father, Dean Shearer, was a patient of NWKareS, Hospice of Northwest Kansas, which serves 16 counties from Interstate 70 to the Nebraska border and Trego County to the Colorado border.

Dalene and other family members who have been helped by hospice, as well as hospice volunteers, agreed to tell their stories in hopes of easing fears and urging other families to choose the service.

Dalene is a former resident of Hays. She now lives in Olathe, but her father was living in Norton.

Dalene visited her father every two weeks, but hospice helped fill the gap. Hospice staff contacted her and gave her regular updates on her dad’s condition. He was a hospice patient for about six months before he died.

Dalene said that finding medical supplies could be challenging because her father lived in a rural area. The hospice staff ensured he had all the medical supplies he needed.

“I find when I’m trying to encourage people that I get in contact with, it’s hard to stop putting their loved ones through all that because they’re just not ready to let their loved ones go,” Dalene said.

“I’ve also talked to someone that went ahead and did it all and said I wish we had never put him through it,” she said. “He would have had much more quality of life.”

Dalene said the social worker talked to her about her feelings and helped her prepare for her dad's death. She and her dad were very close.

"It’s a process. It’s more of an acceptance then," she said. "You’re never ready to say goodbye, but there’s very much an acceptance of what you’ve got going on in your life.

"You don't feel like you are going it alone," she said. "Because there are so many people there who you can lean on, and they are so knowledgeable of everything."

She said the extra care hospice offered allowed her to just be a daughter to her father as he was dying.

"My dad was so active. To be able to die like this with so much dignity and at home the way he wanted to, it was beautiful," she said. "I think as much as being with someone when a new life comes into the world, what an honor and blessing my brother and I felt it was to be there with our mom and our dad."

"I felt all of [the hospice workers] have supported and helped us immensely," she said. "Don’t cheat yourself of having such a great experience."

On the day her father died, the hospice nurse, Norma, who had been working with Dean, volunteered to come to his bedside on her day off.

"Once she got there, he just let go and let everything take its course," Dalene said.&nbsp;

"I was telling Dad to let go and goodbye and I said, 'Just go toward the light, Dad.' Norma was standing at the door, and she said she just saw this tear come down the side of my dad's face, and that was it.

“That is the kind of peace you want for your family members who pass,” Dalene said.

Cathy Harrison's husband, Don, was a hospice patient. Her family had a unique perspective. She and Don had been funeral directors in Colby for more than 40 years, and Don had been a long-time hospice board member.

“In the families who we served, we could see how hospice services coming in during those last months and during those last weeks and even last hours helped the family be healthy in their grief," Cathy said.

She said hospice helps guide people through what to expect in the dying process.

“If you have decided to make that decision to take care of a loved one at home, there is always that question of ‘What’s going to happen?’ How am I going to know?” she said.&nbsp;

"They really come alongside you in that journey," she said, "and help you begin that grieving process. When you know that person is terminal, you begin that grieving process before they are even gone."

“If that starts out in a healthy way,” she said. “Then it helps with healthy grieving after they’re gone.”

Cathy said it was important for her family to have her husband at home during the last seven months of his life.

Hospice staff members made regular visits to help assess Don's health.

"It was an easy decision to know it was time to have some help with being here at home," she said, "and our familiarity made it an easier decision."

Cathy said the hospice staff was with them through their journey with Don, even after his death.

"We were walking the journey and we were doing it with a lot of faith. I had a real determination that our home would be filled with peace and joy as Don made his final journey home," she said.

"I would tell them it is one of the final gifts that they can give to their family," Harrison said of other families considering hospice care, "not only to their loved one … but it's a gift that you give to your family that brings you together that allows you to open up conversations."

“It’s nice to have someone in a very loving and comfortable way guide you in some of those difficult conversations,” she said.

In other people she has dealt with as a funeral director, she has encountered families who don’t want to talk about the fact that someone is dying or the person who is dying doesn’t want to talk about it.

“It’s such a healthy process when you can open up about it and talk about it, and you give that loved one permission to visit with you about any concerns they may have and fears they may have, and the opportunity to say goodbye,” Cathy said.&nbsp;

“I think hospice gives you that opportunity to say goodbye to your loved one in such a warm and compassionate environment,” she said.

Volunteers can be an integral part of hospice services. Medical training is not required.

Volunteers serve as companions to patients and provide respite care and support for families.

Sherry Woodside has been a hospice volunteer for nine years. She encountered many hospice staff working in a pharmacy in Phillipsburg and admired their work.&nbsp;

When time became available, she decided to become a volunteer.

Sherry primarily visits patients in nursing homes. She talks with the patients, although some have memory issues and might not remember her name.

“I had one lady who liked to color in adult coloring books, and we colored,” she said. “Everyone is a little different in what they are able to do.”

“I had one lady who really liked to go to the church service they had Sundays at the nursing home in Philipsburg, so I tried to make it a point to try to always be there that week to go with her,” she said.

One patient with ALS couldn’t speak anymore, but she loved looking through cookbooks and pointing to her favorite recipes.

“It’s just having someone else to talk to, to have an outside voice that’s not a family member,” she said.

Sherry said she has found her time as a volunteer rewarding. Families are very appreciative.

“The family sends thank you notes, or they say, ‘My mom talked about you a lot,’” she said, her voice beginning to crack. “I counted up the other day, and I think I have had 30 already.”

Phyllis Tucker, who is from rural Smith County, said she became a volunteer to pay it forward. Her dad died suddenly, and she wasn't able to be with him. She had seen the positives of hospice when her aunt used the services.

She was her aunt's caregiver, but she Phyllis lived three hours away.

Hospice staff and volunteers kept Phyllis updated on her aunt's condition when she couldn't be with her.

As a volunteer, Phyllis does the same thing for the families she serves.&nbsp;

Most of the patients with whom Phyllis works are in nursing homes.&nbsp;

“So many folks don’t have local family,” she said.

“I go in and visit the patients, and then I text their daughter who lives in Wichita,” she said. “I can be that eyes on.”

Often, Phyllis just chats with her patients during visits. She said the patients appreciate seeing someone who chooses to come for visits.

“It’s an honor to be with people in those last days of their lives,” she said, “to hear their stories and to get to know them in a different way.”

“One patient said, ‘You’re not here because it’s your job. The volunteers come because they want to,'” she said.

She said hospice volunteers and staff gave her peace of mind in the last few days of her aunt's life.

“Most of us don’t have any experience or training and all of the sudden we are taking care of a person in this stage of life that we’re not familiar with,” Phyllis said.

“I was there for her last few days and to have some there who told me I was doing a good job,” she said. “That we were doing it right, the pain medication right, if she didn’t want to eat, we weren’t feeding her, and that was OK,” she said. “The thing that you don’t necessarily have the good instincts for.”

She said being a hospice volunteer has been very rewarding, especially in a patient's final moments of life.

She called being with someone when they die a mystical moment.&nbsp;

Phyllis urged others to volunteer with hospice. The number of volunteers with NWKareS has dwindled since the pandemic. 

There are many ways to volunteer. Some volunteers help with paperwork. Some volunteers at HaysMed Hospice Care don't see patients. They bake cookies and help with memorial or bereavement services.

The HaysMed Hospice Memorial Service is offered twice yearly, with the upcoming fall memorial service on Oct. 20. This service is specific to hospice patients who have been cared for and is not open to the community or public.

For more information on volunteering for HaysMed Hospice Care, call 785-623-6200.

You can also assist hospice by donating monetarily.

To donate to or volunteer with NWKareS call&nbsp;800-315-5122 or go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hospicenwks.net/donate">www.hospicenwks.net/donate</a>.

You can donate to HaysMed Hospice through the HaysMed Foundation, either online or by mail. The foundation accepts credit cards, Venmo, or PayPal. The website is&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://haysmedfoundation.org/" target="_blank">https://haysmedfoundation.org/</a>.

You may designate your donation to HaysMed Hospice or direct it to the individual’s memorial, and the HaysMed Foundation will transfer the funds to the memorial.

Editor's note: This is a two-part series on hospice care in northwest Kansas. The first part ran on Saturday, June 1, on the Hays Post. See a link to that story below.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717167614433.jpeg" alt="Dean Shearer, a hospice patient, dances with a hospice staff member several days before he died. His daughter, Dalene Juenemann, said hospice care was a great gift to her father and her family. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dean Shearer, a hospice patient, dances with a hospice staff member several days before he died. His daughter, Dalene Juenemann, said hospice care was a great gift to her father and her family. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostDalene Juenemann and her father, Dean, had to make the difficult decision to enter hospice care after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.“He was just such a social guy and someone was in a couple times a week,” she said. “They were checking in on him and it was that security blanket he had.”“He didn’t want to be in and out of hospital care and not doing his activities, especially because of his age,” she said.He didn’t want to go through aggressive chemo and he didn’t qualify for a bladder removal because of his age.&nbsp;“He chose quality of life,” she said."It was that final decision that we are done with everyone wanting a piece of me. I'm just going to enjoy life," she said.Dalene's father, Dean Shearer, was a patient of NWKareS, Hospice of Northwest Kansas, which serves 16 counties from Interstate 70 to the Nebraska border and Trego County to the Colorado border.Dalene and other family members who have been helped by hospice, as well as hospice volunteers, agreed to tell their stories in hopes of easing fears and urging other families to choose the service.Dalene is a former resident of Hays. She now lives in Olathe, but her father was living in Norton.Dalene visited her father every two weeks, but hospice helped fill the gap. Hospice staff contacted her and gave her regular updates on her dad’s condition. He was a hospice patient for about six months before he died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717167818422.jpeg" alt="Dean Shearer and his daughter,&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann. Dalene said hospice allowed her father to stay at home and remain active after his cancer diagnosis. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dean Shearer and his daughter,&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann. Dalene said hospice allowed her father to stay at home and remain active after his cancer diagnosis. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Dalene said that finding medical supplies could be challenging because her father lived in a rural area. The hospice staff ensured he had all the medical supplies he needed.“I find when I’m trying to encourage people that I get in contact with, it’s hard to stop putting their loved ones through all that because they’re just not ready to let their loved ones go,” Dalene said.“I’ve also talked to someone that went ahead and did it all and said I wish we had never put him through it,” she said. “He would have had much more quality of life.”Dalene said the social worker talked to her about her feelings and helped her prepare for her dad's death. She and her dad were very close."It’s a process. It’s more of an acceptance then," she said. "You’re never ready to say goodbye, but there’s very much an acceptance of what you’ve got going on in your life."You don't feel like you are going it alone," she said. "Because there are so many people there who you can lean on, and they are so knowledgeable of everything."She said the extra care hospice offered allowed her to just be a daughter to her father as he was dying.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717167975250.jpeg" alt="Dean Shearer, a hospice patient.&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann, his daughter, said hospice helped her feel as if she wasn't alone as she dealt with her father's death. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dean Shearer, a hospice patient.&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann, his daughter, said hospice helped her feel as if she wasn't alone as she dealt with her father's death. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>"My dad was so active. To be able to die like this with so much dignity and at home the way he wanted to, it was beautiful," she said. "I think as much as being with someone when a new life comes into the world, what an honor and blessing my brother and I felt it was to be there with our mom and our dad.""I felt all of [the hospice workers] have supported and helped us immensely," she said. "Don’t cheat yourself of having such a great experience."On the day her father died, the hospice nurse, Norma, who had been working with Dean, volunteered to come to his bedside on her day off."Once she got there, he just let go and let everything take its course," Dalene said.&nbsp;"I was telling Dad to let go and goodbye and I said, 'Just go toward the light, Dad.' Norma was standing at the door, and she said she just saw this tear come down the side of my dad's face, and that was it.“That is the kind of peace you want for your family members who pass,” Dalene said.Cathy Harrison's husband, Don, was a hospice patient. Her family had a unique perspective. She and Don had been funeral directors in Colby for more than 40 years, and Don had been a long-time hospice board member.“In the families who we served, we could see how hospice services coming in during those last months and during those last weeks and even last hours helped the family be healthy in their grief," Cathy said.She said hospice helps guide people through what to expect in the dying process.“If you have decided to make that decision to take care of a loved one at home, there is always that question of ‘What’s going to happen?’ How am I going to know?” she said.&nbsp;"They really come alongside you in that journey," she said, "and help you begin that grieving process. When you know that person is terminal, you begin that grieving process before they are even gone."“If that starts out in a healthy way,” she said. “Then it helps with healthy grieving after they’re gone.”Cathy said it was important for her family to have her husband at home during the last seven months of his life.Hospice staff members made regular visits to help assess Don's health."It was an easy decision to know it was time to have some help with being here at home," she said, "and our familiarity made it an easier decision."Cathy said the hospice staff was with them through their journey with Don, even after his death."We were walking the journey and we were doing it with a lot of faith. I had a real determination that our home would be filled with peace and joy as Don made his final journey home," she said."I would tell them it is one of the final gifts that they can give to their family," Harrison said of other families considering hospice care, "not only to their loved one … but it's a gift that you give to your family that brings you together that allows you to open up conversations."“It’s nice to have someone in a very loving and comfortable way guide you in some of those difficult conversations,” she said.In other people she has dealt with as a funeral director, she has encountered families who don’t want to talk about the fact that someone is dying or the person who is dying doesn’t want to talk about it.“It’s such a healthy process when you can open up about it and talk about it, and you give that loved one permission to visit with you about any concerns they may have and fears they may have, and the opportunity to say goodbye,” Cathy said.&nbsp;“I think hospice gives you that opportunity to say goodbye to your loved one in such a warm and compassionate environment,” she said.<h2>Volunteers</h2>Volunteers can be an integral part of hospice services. Medical training is not required.Volunteers serve as companions to patients and provide respite care and support for families.Sherry Woodside has been a hospice volunteer for nine years. She encountered many hospice staff working in a pharmacy in Phillipsburg and admired their work.&nbsp;When time became available, she decided to become a volunteer.Sherry primarily visits patients in nursing homes. She talks with the patients, although some have memory issues and might not remember her name.“I had one lady who liked to color in adult coloring books, and we colored,” she said. “Everyone is a little different in what they are able to do.”She watches TV with some patients.&nbsp;“I had one lady who really liked to go to the church service they had Sundays at the nursing home in Philipsburg, so I tried to make it a point to try to always be there that week to go with her,” she said.One patient with ALS couldn’t speak anymore, but she loved looking through cookbooks and pointing to her favorite recipes.“It’s just having someone else to talk to, to have an outside voice that’s not a family member,” she said.Sherry said she has found her time as a volunteer rewarding. Families are very appreciative.“The family sends thank you notes, or they say, ‘My mom talked about you a lot,’” she said, her voice beginning to crack. “I counted up the other day, and I think I have had 30 already.”Phyllis Tucker, who is from rural Smith County, said she became a volunteer to pay it forward. Her dad died suddenly, and she wasn't able to be with him. She had seen the positives of hospice when her aunt used the services.She was her aunt's caregiver, but she Phyllis lived three hours away.Hospice staff and volunteers kept Phyllis updated on her aunt's condition when she couldn't be with her.As a volunteer, Phyllis does the same thing for the families she serves.&nbsp;Most of the patients with whom Phyllis works are in nursing homes.&nbsp;“So many folks don’t have local family,” she said.“I go in and visit the patients, and then I text their daughter who lives in Wichita,” she said. “I can be that eyes on.”Often, Phyllis just chats with her patients during visits. She said the patients appreciate seeing someone who chooses to come for visits.“It’s an honor to be with people in those last days of their lives,” she said, “to hear their stories and to get to know them in a different way.”“One patient said, ‘You’re not here because it’s your job. The volunteers come because they want to,'” she said.She said hospice volunteers and staff gave her peace of mind in the last few days of her aunt's life.“Most of us don’t have any experience or training and all of the sudden we are taking care of a person in this stage of life that we’re not familiar with,” Phyllis said.“I was there for her last few days and to have some there who told me I was doing a good job,” she said. “That we were doing it right, the pain medication right, if she didn’t want to eat, we weren’t feeding her, and that was OK,” she said. “The thing that you don’t necessarily have the good instincts for.”She said being a hospice volunteer has been very rewarding, especially in a patient's final moments of life.She called being with someone when they die a mystical moment.&nbsp;“That holiness,” she said.Phyllis urged others to volunteer with hospice. The number of volunteers with NWKareS has dwindled since the pandemic. There are many ways to volunteer. Some volunteers help with paperwork. Some volunteers at HaysMed Hospice Care don't see patients. They bake cookies and help with memorial or bereavement services.The HaysMed Hospice Memorial Service is offered twice yearly, with the upcoming fall memorial service on Oct. 20. This service is specific to hospice patients who have been cared for and is not open to the community or public.For more information on volunteering for HaysMed Hospice Care, call 785-623-6200.You can also assist hospice by donating monetarily.To donate to or volunteer with NWKareS call&nbsp;800-315-5122 or go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hospicenwks.net/donate">www.hospicenwks.net/donate</a>.You can donate to HaysMed Hospice through the HaysMed Foundation, either online or by mail. The foundation accepts credit cards, Venmo, or PayPal. The website is&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://haysmedfoundation.org/" target="_blank">https://haysmedfoundation.org/</a>.You may designate your donation to HaysMed Hospice or direct it to the individual’s memorial, and the HaysMed Foundation will transfer the funds to the memorial.

Families, volunteers share stories of finding peace through hospice

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, failed to identify an active shooting, did not follow his training and made critical decisions that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">slowed the law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to stop a killer who was “hunting” victims and ultimately killed 21 people at Robb Elementary, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.

<a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/resources/pdf/9497b92d-5611-4700-bd26-e2a54a0efa4a-REDACTEDARREDONDOINDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment

<a href="https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1141-pub.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 600 page report from the Dept. of Justice

Pete Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-indictments-e603acfc25c452695e6e29dd756152d0">was arrested</a>&nbsp;and briefly booked into the Uvalde County jail before he was released Thursday night on 10 state jail felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in the May 24, 2022, attack that killed 19 children and two teachers. Former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on similar charges, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/">Uvalde Leader-News</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/arredondo-indict-uvalde-robb-elementary-massacre-19543514.php">San Antonio Express-News</a>&nbsp;reported, but that indictment was not yet public.

Arredondo and Gonzales are the first officers to be criminally charged for the police response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the indictments from a Uvalde County grand jury follow two years of calls from some families for such action.

The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff's deputy in Florida who didn't go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deputy-scot-peterson-parkland-school-shooting-8f012afbc525f77fbb9f9015a65593ca">was acquitted</a>&nbsp;of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims' families and survivors is pending.

The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">the shooting</a>, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and that a teacher had been shot. Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building, and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said.

“After being advised that a child or children were injured in a class at Robb Elementary School (Arredondo) failed to identify the incident as an active shooter incident and failed to respond as trained to an active shooter incident and instead directed law enforcement officers to evacuate the wing before confronting the shooter thereby delaying the response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter who was hunting and shooting a child or children,” the indictment said.

More than 370 federal, state and local officers converged on Robb Elementary, but they waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the shooter, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as agonized parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.

The indictment charges Arredondo with failing to protect survivors of the attack, including Khloie Torres, who called 911 and begged for help, telling a dispatcher, “Please hurry. There’s a lot of dead bodies. Some of my teachers are still alive but they’re shot.”

The charges carry up to two years in jail if convicted. Arredondo does not have a listed phone number and the court clerk had no record of an attorney for him.

In an interview with the Texas Tribune two weeks after the shooting, Arredondo insisted to took the steps he thought would best protect the lives of students and teachers.

“My mind was to get there as fast as possible, eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff," he told the newspaper.

Since then, scathing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-justice-department-report-police-16b59efa5c5015d685d917c3f0f26256">federal</a>&nbsp;investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.

Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-shootings-texas-6c5ba12b382b5cc42a6e5816dc418383">lost his job</a>&nbsp;three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers alleged law enforcement botched their response to the massacre.

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said the investigation should not stop with the two indictments against the school officers. Gutierrez has been critical of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the head of the agency, Steve McCraw, who testified before the grand jury in February.

It was unclear Friday whether the grand jury considered indictments against any other officers.

“Every single officer that stood down that day must be held accountable," Gutierrez said. We can’t rest until we have justice.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705598723648.png" alt="Photo&nbsp; U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp; U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, failed to identify an active shooting, did not follow his training and made critical decisions that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">slowed the law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to stop a killer who was “hunting” victims and ultimately killed 21 people at Robb Elementary, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.<a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/resources/pdf/9497b92d-5611-4700-bd26-e2a54a0efa4a-REDACTEDARREDONDOINDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment<a href="https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1141-pub.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 600 page report from the Dept. of Justice<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719593775508.png" alt="Arredondo photo Uvalde Co." />
 <figcaption>Arredondo photo Uvalde Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Pete Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-indictments-e603acfc25c452695e6e29dd756152d0">was arrested</a>&nbsp;and briefly booked into the Uvalde County jail before he was released Thursday night on 10 state jail felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in the May 24, 2022, attack that killed 19 children and two teachers. Former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on similar charges, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/">Uvalde Leader-News</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/arredondo-indict-uvalde-robb-elementary-massacre-19543514.php">San Antonio Express-News</a>&nbsp;reported, but that indictment was not yet public.Arredondo and Gonzales are the first officers to be criminally charged for the police response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the indictments from a Uvalde County grand jury follow two years of calls from some families for such action.The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff's deputy in Florida who didn't go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deputy-scot-peterson-parkland-school-shooting-8f012afbc525f77fbb9f9015a65593ca">was acquitted</a>&nbsp;of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims' families and survivors is pending.The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">the shooting</a>, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and that a teacher had been shot. Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building, and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said.“After being advised that a child or children were injured in a class at Robb Elementary School (Arredondo) failed to identify the incident as an active shooter incident and failed to respond as trained to an active shooter incident and instead directed law enforcement officers to evacuate the wing before confronting the shooter thereby delaying the response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter who was hunting and shooting a child or children,” the indictment said.More than 370 federal, state and local officers converged on Robb Elementary, but they waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the shooter, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as agonized parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.The indictment charges Arredondo with failing to protect survivors of the attack, including Khloie Torres, who called 911 and begged for help, telling a dispatcher, “Please hurry. There’s a lot of dead bodies. Some of my teachers are still alive but they’re shot.”The charges carry up to two years in jail if convicted. Arredondo does not have a listed phone number and the court clerk had no record of an attorney for him.In an interview with the Texas Tribune two weeks after the shooting, Arredondo insisted to took the steps he thought would best protect the lives of students and teachers.“My mind was to get there as fast as possible, eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff," he told the newspaper.Since then, scathing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-justice-department-report-police-16b59efa5c5015d685d917c3f0f26256">federal</a>&nbsp;investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-shootings-texas-6c5ba12b382b5cc42a6e5816dc418383">lost his job</a>&nbsp;three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers alleged law enforcement botched their response to the massacre.Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said the investigation should not stop with the two indictments against the school officers. Gutierrez has been critical of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the head of the agency, Steve McCraw, who testified before the grand jury in February.It was unclear Friday whether the grand jury considered indictments against any other officers.“Every single officer that stood down that day must be held accountable," Gutierrez said. We can’t rest until we have justice.”

Read the indictment: Ex-school police chief jailed for mass shooting

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 11:30p.m. June 24, Sheriff's Deputies arrested 54-year-old Tammy Lynn Scheibe of Topeka in the 600 Block of Arizona Avenue in Holton, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies arrested her following an investigation of suspicious activity in the area. Scheibe was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include criminal use of a weapon, possession of controlled substances, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719430997711.png" alt="Scheibe-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Scheibe-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just after 11:30p.m. June 24, Sheriff's Deputies arrested 54-year-old Tammy Lynn Scheibe of Topeka in the 600 Block of Arizona Avenue in Holton, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies arrested her following an investigation of suspicious activity in the area. Scheibe was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include criminal use of a weapon, possession of controlled substances, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.