BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two teenagers in connection with fentanyl distribution.

Just after 11:30a.m. Wednesday, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the United States Postal Inspection Service, conducted an undercover operation involving the controlled delivery of a package containing approximately 20,000 counterfeit M30 pills suspected of containing Fentanyl, according to Butler County Undersheriff&nbsp;Daimon Cundiff.

The estimated street value could be as high as $200,000. The package was delivered to an address in the 800 block of N. Taylor in El Dorado, Kansas. 

After a short period of time, a vehicle drove up to the residence. One of the occupants retrieved the package, took it back to the car, and started to leave as deputies, in several marked Butler County Sheriff’s Office vehicles, attempted a traffic stop.

The vehicle fled and law enforcement pursued the vehicle from El Dorado, down the Kansas Turnpike, where one of the occupants of the vehicle threw the package out, causing it to break open on the highway.

The fleeing vehicle then exited to westbound K-96 where the pursuit ended at the Hillside exit when the car became disabled after driving over a concrete median. 

The driver, 18-year-old Jordan R. Cooper as well as the male passenger, 18-year-old Kavonte Horton both of Wichita were booked into the Butler County Detention Facility on charges related to the possession of the pills as well the pursuit.

Authorities spent several hours on the turnpike cleaning up the pills to reduce the risk of Fentanyl exposure to the public.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689252765240.png" alt="Horton-photo Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Horton-photo Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two teenagers in connection with fentanyl distribution.Just after 11:30a.m. Wednesday, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the United States Postal Inspection Service, conducted an undercover operation involving the controlled delivery of a package containing approximately 20,000 counterfeit M30 pills suspected of containing Fentanyl, according to Butler County Undersheriff&nbsp;Daimon Cundiff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689252742208.png" alt="Cooper-photo Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Cooper-photo Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The estimated street value could be as high as $200,000. The package was delivered to an address in the 800 block of N. Taylor in El Dorado, Kansas. After a short period of time, a vehicle drove up to the residence. One of the occupants retrieved the package, took it back to the car, and started to leave as deputies, in several marked Butler County Sheriff’s Office vehicles, attempted a traffic stop.The vehicle fled and law enforcement pursued the vehicle from El Dorado, down the Kansas Turnpike, where one of the occupants of the vehicle threw the package out, causing it to break open on the highway.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689252926882.png" alt="Law enforcement on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The fleeing vehicle then exited to westbound K-96 where the pursuit ended at the Hillside exit when the car became disabled after driving over a concrete median. The driver, 18-year-old Jordan R. Cooper as well as the male passenger, 18-year-old Kavonte Horton both of Wichita were booked into the Butler County Detention Facility on charges related to the possession of the pills as well the pursuit.Authorities spent several hours on the turnpike cleaning up the pills to reduce the risk of Fentanyl exposure to the public.

Kan. teens jailed: Undercover operation discovers 20,000 fentanyl pills

Department of Revenue sought to lift order, extend services to transgender Kansans

By TIM CARPENTER AND SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Shawnee County District Court judge rejected Wednesday a request by a Kansas Department of Revenue lawyer to lift a temporary restraining order prohibiting the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly from issuing driver’s licenses amended to reflect gender preferences of transgender individuals.

Judge Teresa Watson, who conducted a technology-plagued hearing by livestream, affirmed her decision to impose the restraining order to make certain the state agency abided by Senate Bill 180. The statute adopted over a veto by Kelly became law July 1, and Attorney General Kris Kobach contended the law superseded previous policy or law guiding the Department of Revenue’s handling of requests to modify gender markers on licenses to drive.

Watson sided with Kobach on preservation of the temporary injunction. Her order said issuance of driver’s licenses in conflict with state law represented an “immediate and irreparable injury” given the influx of 172 requests for gender reclassifications on driver’s licenses in June.

“Driver’s licenses are issued for a period of six years and are difficult to take back and out of circulation once issued,” Watson said. “Compliance with stated legal requirements for identifying license holders is a public safety concern.”

Department of Revenue attorney Ted Smith urged Watson to dissolve the restraining order with the understanding the driver’s license division would continue to collect information on applicants’ gender status and biological sex at birth. He said a hold had been placed on gender adjustments to driver’s licenses.

He argued the new law inspired by an out-of-state conservative organization and embraced by GOP lawmakers in Kansas was generic and didn’t apply to issuance of driver’s licenses because there was a more specific statute on the books.

“Can you tell me why Senate Bill 180, which went into effect on July 1st, is not the status quo?” the judge asked Smith.

“Senate Bill 180 … basically doesn’t overwrite any existing driver’s license statutes,” Smith replied. “We have a more specific statute that deals with gender in the context of driver’s licenses. Senate Bill 180 doesn’t deal with driver’s licenses. Nowhere in that one-page bill does it reference driver’s licenses.”

“Doesn’t Senate Bill 180 say it applies to any state law?” the judge said. “And, wouldn’t it include driver’s license statutes?”

“Basically, that’s an implicit assumption, right?” Smith said. “It’s not specific to driver’s licenses. So, we’re always going to defer to the more specific statutes.”

Smith dismissed the nonbinding legal opinion issued by Kobach that asserted the law forbid gender changes to driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

“I don’t conflate his advisory opinion or interpretation of law to be equivalent to a specific statutory legal requirement,” Smith said. “And, I think there is a good faith and reasonable argument for our interpretation. We’re not bound, again, by the attorney general’s legal theories. We’re bound by the statutes.”

Kobach said in court documents and in his oral remarks that it would be improper for the Shawnee County judge to allow the state to deflect a law requiring Kansas government agencies gathering vital statistics to document a person’s sex at birth as either male or female.

The Department of Revenue’s approach to driver’s licenses, which was endorsed by the governor’s office, amounted to violation of state law, Kobach said.

“Violation of the statute itself is an injury to the state,” the Republican attorney general said. “If a state’s statutes are being violated by a state agency or in any large-scale fashion then the state is injured.”

Kobach said controversy about implementation of the law aimed at transgender Kansans had arisen in Johnson County in terms of law enforcement’s ability to to its job. He said failure by the Department of Revenue to comply with the new law could impede identification of suspects or the issuance of search or arrest warrants.

He said allowing the Department of Revenue to decide which statutes it followed and which it sidestepped away from would defy intent of the Legislature, which was the authorizing authority for the state agency. It was common understanding, established by the Kansas Supreme Court, new law trumped old law on a subject, he said.

“The status quo is the position of the individuals affected by the law, not the agency’s process,” Kobach said. “SB180 contains the phrase, ‘notwithstanding any provision of state law to the contrary.’ Clearly, SB180 was drafted with the intent of sweeping aside any possible contrary language in any other Kansas statute.”

The livestreamed hearing had to be halted twice due to technology woes, including problems with the attorney general’s internet connection that resulted in garbling of about half of his spoken words. The initial portion of the livestream wasn’t broadcast to dozens of online viewers.

Kobach filed the lawsuit July 7 against two employees in the Department of Revenue. The judge responded with the restraining order Monday. In wake of that action, the Department of Revenue sought a hearing to argue for repeal of the order.

On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas filed a request to intervene in Kobach’s lawsuit on behalf of five transgender Kansans. No decision has been released regarding the ACLU motion.

In a statement following the judge’s decision, the ACLU of Kansas said “we will continue to fight for transgender Kansans’ right to have identification that reflects who they are, and that fight is far from over.”

Watson, an appointee of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, instructed the attorney general’s office and the Department of Revenue lawyers to confer about scheduling the filing of documents and conducting a hearing on Kobach’s request for a temporary injunction in the case. If adopted by the judge, it would prevent the Department of Revenue from taking action central to the dispute before the conflict was resolved through a trial or settlement.

<h2>Department of Revenue sought to lift order, extend services to transgender Kansans</h2>By TIM CARPENTER AND SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Shawnee County District Court judge rejected Wednesday a request by a Kansas Department of Revenue lawyer to lift a temporary restraining order prohibiting the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly from issuing driver’s licenses amended to reflect gender preferences of transgender individuals.Judge Teresa Watson, who conducted a technology-plagued hearing by livestream, affirmed her decision to impose the restraining order to make certain the state agency abided by Senate Bill 180. The statute adopted over a veto by Kelly became law July 1, and Attorney General Kris Kobach contended the law superseded previous policy or law guiding the Department of Revenue’s handling of requests to modify gender markers on licenses to drive.Watson sided with Kobach on preservation of the temporary injunction. Her order said issuance of driver’s licenses in conflict with state law represented an “immediate and irreparable injury” given the influx of 172 requests for gender reclassifications on driver’s licenses in June.“Driver’s licenses are issued for a period of six years and are difficult to take back and out of circulation once issued,” Watson said. “Compliance with stated legal requirements for identifying license holders is a public safety concern.”<h2>Motion to dissolve</h2>Department of Revenue attorney Ted Smith urged Watson to dissolve the restraining order with the understanding the driver’s license division would continue to collect information on applicants’ gender status and biological sex at birth. He said a hold had been placed on gender adjustments to driver’s licenses.He argued the new law inspired by an out-of-state conservative organization and embraced by GOP lawmakers in Kansas was generic and didn’t apply to issuance of driver’s licenses because there was a more specific statute on the books.“Can you tell me why Senate Bill 180, which went into effect on July 1st, is not the status quo?” the judge asked Smith.“Senate Bill 180 … basically doesn’t overwrite any existing driver’s license statutes,” Smith replied. “We have a more specific statute that deals with gender in the context of driver’s licenses. Senate Bill 180 doesn’t deal with driver’s licenses. Nowhere in that one-page bill does it reference driver’s licenses.”“Doesn’t Senate Bill 180 say it applies to any state law?” the judge said. “And, wouldn’t it include driver’s license statutes?”“Basically, that’s an implicit assumption, right?” Smith said. “It’s not specific to driver’s licenses. So, we’re always going to defer to the more specific statutes.”Smith dismissed the nonbinding legal opinion issued by Kobach that asserted the law forbid gender changes to driver’s licenses and birth certificates.“I don’t conflate his advisory opinion or interpretation of law to be equivalent to a specific statutory legal requirement,” Smith said. “And, I think there is a good faith and reasonable argument for our interpretation. We’re not bound, again, by the attorney general’s legal theories. We’re bound by the statutes.”<h2>Violation of state law</h2>Kobach said in court documents and in his oral remarks that it would be improper for the Shawnee County judge to allow the state to deflect a law requiring Kansas government agencies gathering vital statistics to document a person’s sex at birth as either male or female.The Department of Revenue’s approach to driver’s licenses, which was endorsed by the governor’s office, amounted to violation of state law, Kobach said.“Violation of the statute itself is an injury to the state,” the Republican attorney general said. “If a state’s statutes are being violated by a state agency or in any large-scale fashion then the state is injured.”Kobach said controversy about implementation of the law aimed at transgender Kansans had arisen in Johnson County in terms of law enforcement’s ability to to its job. He said failure by the Department of Revenue to comply with the new law could impede identification of suspects or the issuance of search or arrest warrants.He said allowing the Department of Revenue to decide which statutes it followed and which it sidestepped away from would defy intent of the Legislature, which was the authorizing authority for the state agency. It was common understanding, established by the Kansas Supreme Court, new law trumped old law on a subject, he said.“The status quo is the position of the individuals affected by the law, not the agency’s process,” Kobach said. “SB180 contains the phrase, ‘notwithstanding any provision of state law to the contrary.’ Clearly, SB180 was drafted with the intent of sweeping aside any possible contrary language in any other Kansas statute.”The livestreamed hearing had to be halted twice due to technology woes, including problems with the attorney general’s internet connection that resulted in garbling of about half of his spoken words. The initial portion of the livestream wasn’t broadcast to dozens of online viewers.Kobach filed the lawsuit July 7 against two employees in the Department of Revenue. The judge responded with the restraining order Monday. In wake of that action, the Department of Revenue sought a hearing to argue for repeal of the order.On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas filed a request to intervene in Kobach’s lawsuit on behalf of five transgender Kansans. No decision has been released regarding the ACLU motion.In a statement following the judge’s decision, the ACLU of Kansas said “we will continue to fight for transgender Kansans’ right to have identification that reflects who they are, and that fight is far from over.”Watson, an appointee of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, instructed the attorney general’s office and the Department of Revenue lawyers to confer about scheduling the filing of documents and conducting a hearing on Kobach’s request for a temporary injunction in the case. If adopted by the judge, it would prevent the Department of Revenue from taking action central to the dispute before the conflict was resolved through a trial or settlement.

Kan. judge affirms restraining order: No driver’s licenses with gender changes

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

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

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp; DUI; 3rd in 10-y;comp evidence blood/breath .08+, Duty of driver to report; Unattended veh/prop;unkn, No Proof Of Insurance, Outside warrant/NCIC hit and Fail to yield at stop or yield sign

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Battery, Robbery, Conspiracy theft of property or services; Value less than $1,500

NAME:&nbsp;Armendariz, Reydesel (photo unavailaable)

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail.All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689248195340.png" alt="Cruz, Johanna Lee" />
 <figcaption>Cruz, Johanna Lee</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Cruz, Johanna LeeREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to Appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689248261608.png" alt="Degener, Jason Edward" />
 <figcaption>Degener, Jason Edward</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Degener, Jason EdwardREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp; DUI; 3rd in 10-y;comp evidence blood/breath .08+, Duty of driver to report; Unattended veh/prop;unkn, No Proof Of Insurance, Outside warrant/NCIC hit and Fail to yield at stop or yield sign<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689248374663.png" alt="Lovely, Kyle James" />
 <figcaption>Lovely, Kyle James</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Lovely, Kyle JamesREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689248453111.png" alt=" Miller, Jeremy Michael" />
 <figcaption> Miller, Jeremy Michael</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp; Miller, Jeremy MichaelREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to Appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689248512702.png" alt="Mudd, Joshua Robert" />
 <figcaption>Mudd, Joshua Robert</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Mudd, Joshua RobertREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689248575514.png" alt="Zugg, Lawrence Robert" />
 <figcaption>Zugg, Lawrence Robert</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Zugg, Lawrence RobertREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689247879600.png" alt="Wellington, Marquis Terellr" />
 <figcaption>Wellington, Marquis Terellr</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Wellington, Marquis TerellrREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Battery, Robbery, Conspiracy theft of property or services; Value less than $1,500NAME:&nbsp;Armendariz, Reydesel (photo unavailaable)REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity

Saline County Booking Activity, July 13

LOS ANGELES&nbsp;– A federal grand jury Wednesday returned an indictment against a man from Hays, Kansas and a man from West Los Angeles who allegedly ran a decade-long telemarketing scam primarily targeting elderly victims that fraudulently obtained more than $4.5 million via false promises to help victims sell or rent their timeshare properties.

Michael Alexai Dragunov, 44, whose aliases include “Michael Anthony Farole,” “Michael LeFleur,” “Victor Romano,” and “James Logan,” is charged in the 10-count indictment along with Christopher Michael Lang, 42, of Hays, Kansas, whose aliases include “Scott Graham,” “Don Lewis,” and “Jack Morgan.”

Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and email marketing targeting the elderly.

Dragunov was arrested on a federal criminal complaint in this matter on June 28 and was ordered jailed without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for July 18 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Lang was arrested in Kansas on June 28 and is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

According to the indictment, from August 2013 to June 2023, Dragunov and Lang purported to represent companies that provided advertising and other services to current or former timeshare owners. The companies included Premier Marketing LLC, CML Marketing Specialists Inc., Condo Rental Associates LLC, and Paramount Media LLC.

Dragunov and Lang allegedly contacted victims, many of whom were elderly, and, to conceal the fraudulent scheme and their true identities, the defendants also used Skype messaging service phone numbers and used aliases instead of their true names.

Victims allegedly were induced to enter into agreements with the defendants’ telemarketing companies – agreements that were formalized in documents that were faxed or sent electronically – by falsely representing that the telemarketing companies would assist the victims with selling or renting their timeshare properties for a “one time” advertising fee.

Despite the recurring fees that each victim paid, often reaching the hundreds of thousands over several years, no victim received the timeshare-related services or proceeds promised, the indictment alleges.

To dupe victims into sending them more money, Dragunov and Lang allegedly told their victims a series of lies, including that the fees being requested would be refunded or reimbursed to the victims upon completion of the sale or rental of the victims’ timeshare, that the victims still owed taxes on the timeshare properties, and if the victims tried to dispute their payments to the telemarketing companies, the victims would automatically lose their disputes and lose all funds paid and any proceeds from a sale or rental of their timeshares.

To create the false impression that the telemarketing companies were legitimate, Dragunov and Lang pretended to be the companies’ customers and engaged in hundreds of phony small transactions with the companies’ payment processing accounts, according to the indictment.

Dragunov and Lang also allegedly concealed material facts from the victims, including the fact that their money was being used to personally enrich themselves.

If convicted of all charges, Dragunov and Lang would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Henry County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Department; Hays (Kansas) Police Department; and United States Marshals Service provided substantial assistance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688408367149.png" alt="Christopher Lang was booked into the Shawnee Co. Jail June 28.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Christopher Lang was booked into the Shawnee Co. Jail June 28.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES&nbsp;– A federal grand jury Wednesday returned an indictment against a man from Hays, Kansas and a man from West Los Angeles who allegedly ran a decade-long telemarketing scam primarily targeting elderly victims that fraudulently obtained more than $4.5 million via false promises to help victims sell or rent their timeshare properties.Michael Alexai Dragunov, 44, whose aliases include “Michael Anthony Farole,” “Michael LeFleur,” “Victor Romano,” and “James Logan,” is charged in the 10-count indictment along with Christopher Michael Lang, 42, of Hays, Kansas, whose aliases include “Scott Graham,” “Don Lewis,” and “Jack Morgan.”Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and email marketing targeting the elderly.Dragunov was arrested on a federal criminal complaint in this matter on June 28 and was ordered jailed without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for July 18 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Lang was arrested in Kansas on June 28 and is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.According to the indictment, from August 2013 to June 2023, Dragunov and Lang purported to represent companies that provided advertising and other services to current or former timeshare owners. The companies included Premier Marketing LLC, CML Marketing Specialists Inc., Condo Rental Associates LLC, and Paramount Media LLC.Dragunov and Lang allegedly contacted victims, many of whom were elderly, and, to conceal the fraudulent scheme and their true identities, the defendants also used Skype messaging service phone numbers and used aliases instead of their true names.Victims allegedly were induced to enter into agreements with the defendants’ telemarketing companies – agreements that were formalized in documents that were faxed or sent electronically – by falsely representing that the telemarketing companies would assist the victims with selling or renting their timeshare properties for a “one time” advertising fee.Despite the recurring fees that each victim paid, often reaching the hundreds of thousands over several years, no victim received the timeshare-related services or proceeds promised, the indictment alleges.To dupe victims into sending them more money, Dragunov and Lang allegedly told their victims a series of lies, including that the fees being requested would be refunded or reimbursed to the victims upon completion of the sale or rental of the victims’ timeshare, that the victims still owed taxes on the timeshare properties, and if the victims tried to dispute their payments to the telemarketing companies, the victims would automatically lose their disputes and lose all funds paid and any proceeds from a sale or rental of their timeshares.To create the false impression that the telemarketing companies were legitimate, Dragunov and Lang pretended to be the companies’ customers and engaged in hundreds of phony small transactions with the companies’ payment processing accounts, according to the indictment.Dragunov and Lang also allegedly concealed material facts from the victims, including the fact that their money was being used to personally enrich themselves.If convicted of all charges, Dragunov and Lang would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count.An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Henry County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Department; Hays (Kansas) Police Department; and United States Marshals Service provided substantial assistance.

Kan. man charged with wire fraud in $4.5M timeshare scheme

City commissioners says they don’t want ‘garbage’ on the public library’s shelves

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

ST. MARYS —&nbsp;Gerard Kleinsmith says he hates the idea of censorship.

He just wants to pull the lease for the city’s public library because he doesn’t like books about transgender people.

As a city commissioner, he feels it is his duty to remove transgender content — “garbage,” as he refers to it. Kleinsmith said during a city commission meeting that removing the library was part of his job as a city official, emphasizing “God doesn’t make mistakes,” and his belief that people can’t change genders.

“My goal is to terminate the lease with the library,” Kleinsmith said. “If they want to have their library, so be it. Go do it. Find another building to do it in, I can’t stop that. My intention is not to stop that, but I will not ever vote for any taxpayer money, facilities, anything to be used anywhere that houses this kind of garbage.”

He is supported in this stance by the other members of St. Marys’ five-person city commission, a heavily religious group that attends the Society of St. Pius X, or SSPX, an extreme religious sect that broke away from the Catholic church. The commissioners have said at previous meetings that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/06/kansas-towns-library-lease-renewed-after-months-of-debate-about-lgbtq-content/">their views are influenced by their religious affiliation</a>.

“Some things are wrong,” said commissioner Richard Binsfeld, during a city commission discussion about&nbsp; transgender books and the transgender community at large. “If you live up to your morals, if you stand by your morals at all, you’d look at it and say, ‘Why do we have it?'”

The public library has been under scrutiny from local officials for months, narrowly surviving an attempt to pull the lease at the end of last year. Library director Judith Cremer said she and her staff were trying to work with the commissioners while remaining in accordance with legal guidelines for public libraries.

She’s still not sure why the commissioners have taken issue with the library in recent months when it had operated in its St. Marys location for decades without problems. Cremer has held her position since 2003, and until last year, this was a position without controversy.

“We’re not part of the city structure and the lease agreement is the only leverage that they have seemed to be able to find,” Cremer said. “They seem to be continuing down that road, which I’m disappointed with because we have still been here doing our job, trying to help people, trying to do summer reading, and I feel like it’s a misunderstanding of who we are. We are trying to do our job and we have followed the rules.”

While commissioners have no governing influence over the library, the Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library would be forced to shift locations if the lease isn’t renewed, giving up a community spot it has held for decades and depriving St. Marys residents of easily accessible library material.

The library has been housed in St. Marys since the 1980s, operating on an annual lease with the city. The library acts as the headquarters for eight locations, including Alma, Alta Vista, Eskridge, Harveyville, Olsburg, Onaga, St. Marys and Westmoreland, with county residents funding the library through taxes.

An eight-member board of trustees provides oversight of the library’s operations, with Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee County commissioners appointing members to the board to serve four-year terms. The commission doesn’t have influence over board decisions.

The library formed an advisory group in an attempt to address community concerns with library materials, but efforts toward reconciliation have been unsuccessful.

The library’s lease renewal came up for debate last year because the library refused to accept a renewal clause asking for the removal of all LGBTQ and socially divisive books from the shelves. Facing intense public pressure, the commission in December&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/06/kansas-towns-library-lease-renewed-after-months-of-debate-about-lgbtq-content/">renewed the lease</a>&nbsp;for one year.

Now, city commissioners have renewed their campaign against LGBTQ books, despite federal legal protections for public libraries.

During the April city commission meeting, Kleinsmith raged against the book “Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition,” a coming of age story about a transgender teenager.

“This author is absolutely wrong. God does not make mistakes,” Kleinsmith said. “God cannot make a mistake. We can make mistakes. Mankind can make a mistake. God cannot make a mistake. … I will do everything I can to fight this kind of garbage.”

“If God makes you as a male, you are a male,” he added. “If God makes you a female, you are a female, no matter what.”

St. Marys Mayor Matthew Childs, who formulated the anti-LGBTQ renewal clause last year, said during the April meeting that the library’s contents would once again influence the commission’s decision to renew the lease.

“We don’t want transgender books in the library. … The elephant in the room is that we don’t want the library to be promoting certain types of material,” Childs said. “If the library is, we come back to the question, do we want to renew it at all?”

Sharon Brett, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, which warned commissioners to drop their censorship attempts during the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/02/troubling-and-authoritarian-kansas-aclu-warns-st-marys-officials-that-closing-town-library-is-unconstitutional/">first lease renewal discussion</a>, said city officials need to remember constitutional protections.

“Each member of the commission should remember that their own discomfort with a certain book does not justify restricting its availability to everyone else in the community,” Brett said. “Not only is this potential censorship authoritarian, it has implications under even a basic reading of our First Amendment. We urge the commission to remember their obligations under the Constitution.”

Cremer said she and the library board had been trying to cooperate with the commission and concerned residents as much as possible.

“We’re providing services to the community,” Cremer said. “We’re taking care of the same people. I don’t see why there should be a problem.”

Following the April commission meeting, she sent a letter to the commissioners asking them to directly address their concerns with library staff, as they had a process in place to review book complaints.

Library staff are also participating in the advisory committee. Cremer said the library was sending regular updates about the library and the advisory committee’s work to the city commission.

But she is still fielding criticism from religious members of the community, including during a contentious June 28 library board meeting attended by Binsfeld and other St. Marys residents.&nbsp;

“As we move forward, we would like to see that all LGBTQ+ media — whether audio files, movies, books, activities, etc. — be removed from this branch altogether and from any access, including online ordering and inter-library loans, to any minor through this branch,” resident Stephen Murtha wrote in a letter to library board members.

The library should reflect the community’s Christian majority, Murtha wrote.

Cremer said for the most part, these complaints were from a small segment of the population and that she hasn’t had problems or complaints from a majority of library customers.

But she is concerned about the future of the library.

“We have continued, even though that stress and controversy has been significant,” Cremer said. “My staff and I have continued forward just as we always have to provide those services, because it’s not the people that we’re serving, it’s not their fault, but they’re the ones that are going to be losing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689185283812.png" alt=" St. Marys city commissioners have taken offense with a transgender book in the Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> St. Marys city commissioners have taken offense with a transgender book in the Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>City commissioners says they don’t want ‘garbage’ on the public library’s shelves</h2>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>ST. MARYS —&nbsp;Gerard Kleinsmith says he hates the idea of censorship.He just wants to pull the lease for the city’s public library because he doesn’t like books about transgender people.As a city commissioner, he feels it is his duty to remove transgender content — “garbage,” as he refers to it. Kleinsmith said during a city commission meeting that removing the library was part of his job as a city official, emphasizing “God doesn’t make mistakes,” and his belief that people can’t change genders.“My goal is to terminate the lease with the library,” Kleinsmith said. “If they want to have their library, so be it. Go do it. Find another building to do it in, I can’t stop that. My intention is not to stop that, but I will not ever vote for any taxpayer money, facilities, anything to be used anywhere that houses this kind of garbage.”He is supported in this stance by the other members of St. Marys’ five-person city commission, a heavily religious group that attends the Society of St. Pius X, or SSPX, an extreme religious sect that broke away from the Catholic church. The commissioners have said at previous meetings that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/06/kansas-towns-library-lease-renewed-after-months-of-debate-about-lgbtq-content/">their views are influenced by their religious affiliation</a>.“Some things are wrong,” said commissioner Richard Binsfeld, during a city commission discussion about&nbsp; transgender books and the transgender community at large. “If you live up to your morals, if you stand by your morals at all, you’d look at it and say, ‘Why do we have it?'”The public library has been under scrutiny from local officials for months, narrowly surviving an attempt to pull the lease at the end of last year. Library director Judith Cremer said she and her staff were trying to work with the commissioners while remaining in accordance with legal guidelines for public libraries.She’s still not sure why the commissioners have taken issue with the library in recent months when it had operated in its St. Marys location for decades without problems. Cremer has held her position since 2003, and until last year, this was a position without controversy.“We’re not part of the city structure and the lease agreement is the only leverage that they have seemed to be able to find,” Cremer said. “They seem to be continuing down that road, which I’m disappointed with because we have still been here doing our job, trying to help people, trying to do summer reading, and I feel like it’s a misunderstanding of who we are. We are trying to do our job and we have followed the rules.”While commissioners have no governing influence over the library, the Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library would be forced to shift locations if the lease isn’t renewed, giving up a community spot it has held for decades and depriving St. Marys residents of easily accessible library material.The library has been housed in St. Marys since the 1980s, operating on an annual lease with the city. The library acts as the headquarters for eight locations, including Alma, Alta Vista, Eskridge, Harveyville, Olsburg, Onaga, St. Marys and Westmoreland, with county residents funding the library through taxes.An eight-member board of trustees provides oversight of the library’s operations, with Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee County commissioners appointing members to the board to serve four-year terms. The commission doesn’t have influence over board decisions.The library formed an advisory group in an attempt to address community concerns with library materials, but efforts toward reconciliation have been unsuccessful.The library’s lease renewal came up for debate last year because the library refused to accept a renewal clause asking for the removal of all LGBTQ and socially divisive books from the shelves. Facing intense public pressure, the commission in December&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/06/kansas-towns-library-lease-renewed-after-months-of-debate-about-lgbtq-content/">renewed the lease</a>&nbsp;for one year.Now, city commissioners have renewed their campaign against LGBTQ books, despite federal legal protections for public libraries.During the April city commission meeting, Kleinsmith raged against the book “Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition,” a coming of age story about a transgender teenager.“This author is absolutely wrong. God does not make mistakes,” Kleinsmith said. “God cannot make a mistake. We can make mistakes. Mankind can make a mistake. God cannot make a mistake. … I will do everything I can to fight this kind of garbage.”“If God makes you as a male, you are a male,” he added. “If God makes you a female, you are a female, no matter what.”St. Marys Mayor Matthew Childs, who formulated the anti-LGBTQ renewal clause last year, said during the April meeting that the library’s contents would once again influence the commission’s decision to renew the lease.“We don’t want transgender books in the library. … The elephant in the room is that we don’t want the library to be promoting certain types of material,” Childs said. “If the library is, we come back to the question, do we want to renew it at all?”Sharon Brett, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, which warned commissioners to drop their censorship attempts during the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/02/troubling-and-authoritarian-kansas-aclu-warns-st-marys-officials-that-closing-town-library-is-unconstitutional/">first lease renewal discussion</a>, said city officials need to remember constitutional protections.“Each member of the commission should remember that their own discomfort with a certain book does not justify restricting its availability to everyone else in the community,” Brett said. “Not only is this potential censorship authoritarian, it has implications under even a basic reading of our First Amendment. We urge the commission to remember their obligations under the Constitution.”Cremer said she and the library board had been trying to cooperate with the commission and concerned residents as much as possible.“We’re providing services to the community,” Cremer said. “We’re taking care of the same people. I don’t see why there should be a problem.”Following the April commission meeting, she sent a letter to the commissioners asking them to directly address their concerns with library staff, as they had a process in place to review book complaints.Library staff are also participating in the advisory committee. Cremer said the library was sending regular updates about the library and the advisory committee’s work to the city commission.But she is still fielding criticism from religious members of the community, including during a contentious June 28 library board meeting attended by Binsfeld and other St. Marys residents.&nbsp;“As we move forward, we would like to see that all LGBTQ+ media — whether audio files, movies, books, activities, etc. — be removed from this branch altogether and from any access, including online ordering and inter-library loans, to any minor through this branch,” resident Stephen Murtha wrote in a letter to library board members.The library should reflect the community’s Christian majority, Murtha wrote.Cremer said for the most part, these complaints were from a small segment of the population and that she hasn’t had problems or complaints from a majority of library customers.But she is concerned about the future of the library.“We have continued, even though that stress and controversy has been significant,” Cremer said. “My staff and I have continued forward just as we always have to provide those services, because it’s not the people that we’re serving, it’s not their fault, but they’re the ones that are going to be losing.”

St. Marys officials again threaten library because of LGBTQ books

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Two men accused in the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz Club in Wichita's Old Town have made their initial appearance in court.

On Tuesday 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram was charged with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;John D. Houze, 27, was charged on Tuesday with 6 counts of aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city. Both suspects are being held on a bond of $500,000. King-ingram and Houze are due back in court July 24.

On Tuesday evening police arrested a third suspect identified as&nbsp;23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp; Six days ago police asked the public for help to locate Thomas. Police have not released details of the arrest. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740180\">He is being held on</a> requested charges of attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.&nbsp;The facts of Thomas’ involvement will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for a charging decision.

A Missouri man arrested in the case July 3 was not charged after the district attorney determined he was acting in self defense.

Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.

There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.

The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.

The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later that day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688816302231.png" alt="King-Ingram-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>King-Ingram-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Two men accused in the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz Club in Wichita's Old Town have made their initial appearance in court.On Tuesday 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram was charged with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689015131240.png" alt="Houze has previous convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon, fleeing police and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. -photo KDOC " />
 <figcaption>Houze has previous convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon, fleeing police and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. -photo KDOC </figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;John D. Houze, 27, was charged on Tuesday with 6 counts of aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city. Both suspects are being held on a bond of $500,000. King-ingram and Houze are due back in court July 24.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689162087966.png" alt="Thomas was booked into jail just after 10p.m.. Tuesday, according to online jail records." />
 <figcaption>Thomas was booked into jail just after 10p.m.. Tuesday, according to online jail records.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Tuesday evening police arrested a third suspect identified as&nbsp;23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp; Six days ago police asked the public for help to locate Thomas. Police have not released details of the arrest. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740180\">He is being held on</a> requested charges of attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.&nbsp;The facts of Thomas’ involvement will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for a charging decision.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>A Missouri man arrested in the case July 3 was not charged after the district attorney determined he was acting in self defense.Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later that day.

2 suspects charged for Wichita mass shooting

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs; Misdemeanor, Battery on LEO; Phys contact county/city LEO, Distribute marijuana; &lt; 25 grams, Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body, Liquor; Purch/poss/consume 18-20 yrs; unkn conv and Agg battery; Knowingly cause great body harm

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Domestic battery: Knowing/reckless bodily harm

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to Appear;&nbsp;Aggravated assault, Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption, Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor and Domestic Battery: rude physical contact

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail.All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689161515966.png" alt="Banda, Jesus Antonio" />
 <figcaption>Banda, Jesus Antonio</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Banda, Jesus AntonioREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs; Misdemeanor, Battery on LEO; Phys contact county/city LEO, Distribute marijuana; &lt; 25 grams, Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body, Liquor; Purch/poss/consume 18-20 yrs; unkn conv and Agg battery; Knowingly cause great body harm<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689161599404.png" alt="Dunlap, Marie Elena Joan" />
 <figcaption>Dunlap, Marie Elena Joan</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Dunlap, Marie Elena JoanREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Domestic battery: Knowing/reckless bodily harm<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689161659305.png" alt="Outland, Alazia Beyonce" />
 <figcaption>Outland, Alazia Beyonce</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Outland, Alazia BeyonceREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to Appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683806384816.jpeg" alt="Pickering, Kaylee Marie" />
 <figcaption>Pickering, Kaylee Marie</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Pickering, Kaylee MarieREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689161771394.png" alt=" Salome, Jesus" />
 <figcaption> Salome, Jesus</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Salome ,JesusREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to Appear;&nbsp;Aggravated assault, Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption, Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor and Domestic Battery: rude physical contact

Saline County Booking Activity, July 12

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz Club in Wichita's Old Town have arrested 23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp; This is the fourth arrest of a shooter from this incident. Five days ago police asked the public for help to locate Thomas. Police have not released details of the arrest. He is being held on requested charges of attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

On Friday police arrested 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram and booked him into the Sedgwick County jail for his role in the shooting.

Just before noon Monday police booked 27-year-old John D. Houze for the shooting&nbsp; as well as a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant stemming from the shooting.

A Missouri man arrested in the case was not charged after the district attorney determined he was acting in self defense.

The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later Sunday.

On Tuesday King-Ingram was charged with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney. \  His bond is $500,000.&nbsp;

Houze was charged on Tuesday with 6 counts of aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city. His bond is $500,000. King-ingram and Houze are due back in court July 24.

The facts of Thomas’ involvement will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for a charging decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689162087966.png" alt="Thomas-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz Club in Wichita's Old Town have arrested 23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp; This is the fourth arrest of a shooter from this incident. Five days ago police asked the public for help to locate Thomas. Police have not released details of the arrest. He is being held on requested charges of attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.On Friday police arrested 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram and booked him into the Sedgwick County jail for his role in the shooting.Just before noon Monday police booked 27-year-old John D. Houze for the shooting&nbsp; as well as a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant stemming from the shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>A Missouri man arrested in the case was not charged after the district attorney determined he was acting in self defense.Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later Sunday.On Tuesday King-Ingram was charged with aggravated battery, 6 counts of aggravated assault, 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney. \ His bond is $500,000.&nbsp;Houze was charged on Tuesday with 6 counts of aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and unlawful discharge of a firearm in a city. His bond is $500,000. King-ingram and Houze are due back in court July 24.The facts of Thomas’ involvement will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for a charging decision.

Police capture another suspect wanted for Wichita mass shooting

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, recently completed a three-month sex offender operation “Operation New Day," according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.

Beginning April 1, and continuing through June 30, deputies with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Offender Registration Unit and deputies of the United States Marshals Service conducted 1,015 compliance checks on registered sex offenders in Sedgwick County.&nbsp; 

There were 31 offenders found to be non-compliant and 18 were arrested for Violation of the Offender Registration Act.&nbsp; The operation was conducted during regular duty hours as well as after hours and utilized over 350 man-hours of Sheriff’s Office personnel.

The USMS Sex Offender Investigations Branch (SOIB) was created following the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA), which became law on July 27, 2006. 

The SOIB carries out the USMS’s three principal responsibilities under the AWA: &nbsp;assist state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities in the location and apprehension of non-compliant and fugitive sex offenders; investigate violations of the act for federal prosecution; and assist in the identification and location of sex offenders relocated as a result of a major disaster. To ensure the safety of communities and children across the country, the USMS has implemented an aggressive enforcement strategy for its responsibilities under the AWA

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689082327438.png" alt="On June 7, deputies arrested 31-year-old Brandon True for a third violation of the offender registration act, according to the Sedgwick County daily booking records. He has been listed as a registered sex offender since 2012 after a felony conviction for attempted criminal sodomy involving a child under the age of 16 in 2009, according to the KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>On June 7, deputies arrested 31-year-old Brandon True for a third violation of the offender registration act, according to the Sedgwick County daily booking records. He has been listed as a registered sex offender since 2012 after a felony conviction for attempted criminal sodomy involving a child under the age of 16 in 2009, according to the KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, recently completed a three-month sex offender operation “Operation New Day," according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.Beginning April 1, and continuing through June 30, deputies with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Offender Registration Unit and deputies of the United States Marshals Service conducted 1,015 compliance checks on registered sex offenders in Sedgwick County.&nbsp; There were 31 offenders found to be non-compliant and 18 were arrested for Violation of the Offender Registration Act.&nbsp; The operation was conducted during regular duty hours as well as after hours and utilized over 350 man-hours of Sheriff’s Office personnel.The USMS Sex Offender Investigations Branch (SOIB) was created following the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA), which became law on July 27, 2006. The SOIB carries out the USMS’s three principal responsibilities under the AWA: &nbsp;assist state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities in the location and apprehension of non-compliant and fugitive sex offenders; investigate violations of the act for federal prosecution; and assist in the identification and location of sex offenders relocated as a result of a major disaster. To ensure the safety of communities and children across the country, the USMS has implemented an aggressive enforcement strategy for its responsibilities under the AWA

18 sex offenders arrested in months-long Kansas operation 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating two&nbsp; shooting incidents have arrested 71-year-old Kansas felon Samuel L. Neal.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police had asked the public for help to locate him.

Just after 12:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting in the 1100 block of South Emporia, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 21-year-old man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

&nbsp;Through the investigation, detectives identified Samuel Neal as a suspect. He is also believed to be the suspect in another shooting on July 9.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=741136">Police booked him into the</a> Sedgwick County Jail just after 1p.m. Tuesday on requested charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault and parole violations, according to online jail records.

Neal was released from prison in 2019 after a manslaughter conviction on a crime that occurred in 1979, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689162169452.png" alt="Neal-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Neal-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating two&nbsp; shooting incidents have arrested 71-year-old Kansas felon Samuel L. Neal.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police had asked the public for help to locate him.Just after 12:30a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting in the 1100 block of South Emporia, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 21-year-old man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.&nbsp;Through the investigation, detectives identified Samuel Neal as a suspect. He is also believed to be the suspect in another shooting on July 9.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=741136">Police booked him into the</a> Sedgwick County Jail just after 1p.m. Tuesday on requested charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault and parole violations, according to online jail records.Neal was released from prison in 2019 after a manslaughter conviction on a crime that occurred in 1979, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 Kan. man who spent 40-years in prison is back in jail for shooting

Barbara E. Wallace, 80, of McPherson, KS, passed away on Friday, July 7, 2023, at her vacation home in Dubois, WY.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Barbara was born on February 14, 1943, at the Menorah Hospital in Kansas City, MO, the daughter of James and Ruth (Gordon) Benson.&nbsp; She spent her earlier years in Russellville, MO, attending school and enjoying summers with her grandparents, aunts, and uncles.&nbsp; She either attended the &nbsp;Church of Christ there in Russellville or in Kansas City, KS.&nbsp; Following graduation from Wyandotte High School (Kansas City, KS) in 1961, she began working as a secretary for a local business.&nbsp;

On July 26, 1968, Barbara married Larry Roland Wallace in Kansas City, MO.&nbsp; Larry had a daughter, Kimberly, and Barbara welcomed her with open arms.&nbsp; At this time, Larry was the general manager for Gene Cable Chevrolet.&nbsp; On March 3, 1974, Larry and Barbara were blessed with the birth of their son, Chris.&nbsp; The family lived in the Kansas City area until April 1978, when they moved to McPherson, KS and purchased Turner Chevrolet, which would later become Wallace Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Inc.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Larry and Barbara enjoyed traveling together.&nbsp; They visited many places in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii.&nbsp; They also traveled to Canada, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.&nbsp; They also made many trips to Kansas City, Nevada, Missouri, and Colorado Springs to visit family.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Barbara enjoyed fishing with Larry, working puzzles, and bird watching, having marked many pages in her bird book.&nbsp; Barbara and Larry purchased their vacation home in Dubois, WY, and soon, the mountains became her favorite place to be.&nbsp; She had numerous hummingbird feeders out and enjoyed watching deer in their yard.

Her pride and joy were her six grandchildren, Megan, Eric, Tiffany, Trisha, Alayna, and Hayden.&nbsp; She loved spending time with them and attending their many activities.&nbsp; She even had a separate grandchildren calendar just to record all their activities, never wanting to miss an event.&nbsp; She enjoyed playing games with them. Some of the favorite games were Pitch, Stinko, and Solitaire.&nbsp; As the grandchildren got older, she would wait by the phone for their calls.

Barbara especially enjoyed Christmas eve, breaking out the Christmas carol books and singing with the family.&nbsp; Watching the grandchildren perform and open presents was a special highlight of hers.&nbsp; Her family would insist on Thanksgiving and Christmas be at her house every year as she was known for her “silver trays” full of various sides to go with the turkey and ham.

Attending her P.E.O. Chapter HI meetings, swimming with the neighbors, attending McPherson Opera House shows, and getting her hair done were some of her other favorites.&nbsp; A memorable evening at the McPherson Opera House was meeting and visiting with Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers.&nbsp; She even had her picture taken with them.&nbsp;

Barbara loved God and was a member of McPherson Church of Christ.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Survivors include: children, Kimberly (Evan) McHugh of Knoxville, TN and Chris (Catrina) Wallace of Moundridge, KS; and six grandchildren, Megan McHugh of the Netherlands, Eric McHugh of Knoxville, TN, Tiffany McChesney of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Trisha McHugh of Indianapolis, IN, Alayna Wallace of Kansas City, MO, and Hayden Wallace of Moundridge, KS.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and siblings, Linda Maurer and Gordon Benson.

The family will receive friends&nbsp;from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM, Friday, July 28, 2023, at Stockham Family Funeral Home.&nbsp; A private graveside service will be held at McPherson Cemetery.

Memorial donations can be made to McPherson County Community Foundation (MCCF) for the Larry Wallace Nursing Scholarship Fund, McPherson church of Christ Scholarship Fund, or the McPherson Opera House in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home,&nbsp;205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.

Personal condolences may be sent to the family at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stockhamfamily.com/">www.stockhamfamily.com</a>.

Barbara E. Wallace, 80, of McPherson, KS, passed away on Friday, July 7, 2023, at her vacation home in Dubois, WY.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barbara was born on February 14, 1943, at the Menorah Hospital in Kansas City, MO, the daughter of James and Ruth (Gordon) Benson.&nbsp; She spent her earlier years in Russellville, MO, attending school and enjoying summers with her grandparents, aunts, and uncles.&nbsp; She either attended the &nbsp;Church of Christ there in Russellville or in Kansas City, KS.&nbsp; Following graduation from Wyandotte High School (Kansas City, KS) in 1961, she began working as a secretary for a local business.&nbsp;On July 26, 1968, Barbara married Larry Roland Wallace in Kansas City, MO.&nbsp; Larry had a daughter, Kimberly, and Barbara welcomed her with open arms.&nbsp; At this time, Larry was the general manager for Gene Cable Chevrolet.&nbsp; On March 3, 1974, Larry and Barbara were blessed with the birth of their son, Chris.&nbsp; The family lived in the Kansas City area until April 1978, when they moved to McPherson, KS and purchased Turner Chevrolet, which would later become Wallace Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Inc.&nbsp;&nbsp;Larry and Barbara enjoyed traveling together.&nbsp; They visited many places in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii.&nbsp; They also traveled to Canada, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.&nbsp; They also made many trips to Kansas City, Nevada, Missouri, and Colorado Springs to visit family.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barbara enjoyed fishing with Larry, working puzzles, and bird watching, having marked many pages in her bird book.&nbsp; Barbara and Larry purchased their vacation home in Dubois, WY, and soon, the mountains became her favorite place to be.&nbsp; She had numerous hummingbird feeders out and enjoyed watching deer in their yard.Her pride and joy were her six grandchildren, Megan, Eric, Tiffany, Trisha, Alayna, and Hayden.&nbsp; She loved spending time with them and attending their many activities.&nbsp; She even had a separate grandchildren calendar just to record all their activities, never wanting to miss an event.&nbsp; She enjoyed playing games with them. Some of the favorite games were Pitch, Stinko, and Solitaire.&nbsp; As the grandchildren got older, she would wait by the phone for their calls.Barbara especially enjoyed Christmas eve, breaking out the Christmas carol books and singing with the family.&nbsp; Watching the grandchildren perform and open presents was a special highlight of hers.&nbsp; Her family would insist on Thanksgiving and Christmas be at her house every year as she was known for her “silver trays” full of various sides to go with the turkey and ham.Attending her P.E.O. Chapter HI meetings, swimming with the neighbors, attending McPherson Opera House shows, and getting her hair done were some of her other favorites.&nbsp; A memorable evening at the McPherson Opera House was meeting and visiting with Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers.&nbsp; She even had her picture taken with them.&nbsp;Barbara loved God and was a member of McPherson Church of Christ.&nbsp;&nbsp;Survivors include: children, Kimberly (Evan) McHugh of Knoxville, TN and Chris (Catrina) Wallace of Moundridge, KS; and six grandchildren, Megan McHugh of the Netherlands, Eric McHugh of Knoxville, TN, Tiffany McChesney of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Trisha McHugh of Indianapolis, IN, Alayna Wallace of Kansas City, MO, and Hayden Wallace of Moundridge, KS.She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and siblings, Linda Maurer and Gordon Benson.The family will receive friends&nbsp;from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM, Friday, July 28, 2023, at Stockham Family Funeral Home.&nbsp; A private graveside service will be held at McPherson Cemetery.Memorial donations can be made to McPherson County Community Foundation (MCCF) for the Larry Wallace Nursing Scholarship Fund, McPherson church of Christ Scholarship Fund, or the McPherson Opera House in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home,&nbsp;205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.Personal condolences may be sent to the family at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stockhamfamily.com/">www.stockhamfamily.com</a>.

Barbara E. Wallace

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Probation ViolationOutside warrant/NCIC hitTheft of prop/serv;&lt;$1500 2 or more conv in 5yr

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Criminal use of a financial card; W/o consent of owner less than $1,000,&nbsp;Theft by deception;&lt;$1500 3 business in 72 hrs,&nbsp;Theft of property lost or mislaid; Value less than $1,000

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Driving While Suspended

REQUESTED CHARGE(S): Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500,&nbsp;Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Driving while habitual violator,&nbsp;Ignition interlock device; Operate a car without a required device, Speeding; maximum limits

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Battery; Knowing/recklessly causing bodily harm, Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Abuse of a child; torture or beat child; vic&lt;6yo,&nbsp;Aggravated endangering a child; Reckless situation to child &lt;18,&nbsp;Agg battery; Reckless great bodily harm,&nbsp;Agg battery; Recklessly use deadly weapon,&nbsp;Battery; Phys contact rude/insult/angry manner,&nbsp;Crim damage to prop;w/o consent &lt;$1K,&nbsp;Domestic Battery: rude physical contact

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail.All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076229005.jpeg" alt="Behling,Zachariah Martin" />
 <figcaption>Behling,Zachariah Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Behling,Zachariah MartinREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Probation ViolationOutside warrant/NCIC hitTheft of prop/serv;&lt;$1500 2 or more conv in 5yr<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076300943.jpeg" alt="Bouck,Gary Keith" />
 <figcaption>Bouck,Gary Keith</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Bouck,Gary KeithREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Criminal use of a financial card; W/o consent of owner less than $1,000,&nbsp;Theft by deception;&lt;$1500 3 business in 72 hrs,&nbsp;Theft of property lost or mislaid; Value less than $1,000<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076366877.jpeg" alt="Goldberg,Eric Allen" />
 <figcaption>Goldberg,Eric Allen</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Goldberg,Eric AllenREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Failure to Appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076409827.jpeg" alt="Malone,Alicia Michelle" />
 <figcaption>Malone,Alicia Michelle</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Malone,Alicia MichelleREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Driving While Suspended<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076462415.jpeg" alt="Nelson,Toby Glen" />
 <figcaption>Nelson,Toby Glen</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Nelson,Toby GlenREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500,&nbsp;Criminal trespass; Remain in defiance of order by owner<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076529682.jpeg" alt=" Scott,Eddie Ray" />
 <figcaption> Scott,Eddie Ray</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Scott,Eddie RayREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076593990.jpeg" alt="Vargas,Maricela Christina" />
 <figcaption>Vargas,Maricela Christina</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Vargas,Maricela ChristinaREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Driving while habitual violator,&nbsp;Ignition interlock device; Operate a car without a required device, Speeding; maximum limits<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076659142.jpeg" alt="Watkins,William Earl" />
 <figcaption>Watkins,William Earl</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:

Watkins,William Earl REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Battery; Knowing/recklessly causing bodily harm, Disorderly conduct; Brawling or fighting<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689076721121.jpeg" alt="Williams,Quincy Montrell" />
 <figcaption>Williams,Quincy Montrell</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Williams,Quincy MontrellREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Abuse of a child; torture or beat child; vic&lt;6yo,&nbsp;Aggravated endangering a child; Reckless situation to child &lt;18,&nbsp;Agg battery; Reckless great bodily harm,&nbsp;Agg battery; Recklessly use deadly weapon,&nbsp;Battery; Phys contact rude/insult/angry manner,&nbsp;Crim damage to prop;w/o consent &lt;$1K,&nbsp;Domestic Battery: rude physical contact

Saline County Booking Activity, July 11

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz club in Wichita's Old Town are asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita for questioning in connection to the incident.

Just before noon Monday police booked 27-year-old John D. Houze on requested charges of of aggravated battery and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, as well as a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant stemming from the shooting.

King-Ingram is being held on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery and one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688849063007.png" alt="Thomas-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz club in Wichita's Old Town are asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita for questioning in connection to the incident.On Friday police arrested 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram and booked him into the Sedgwick County jail for his role in the shooting.Just before noon Monday police booked 27-year-old John D. Houze on requested charges of of aggravated battery and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, as well as a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant stemming from the shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later Sunday.King-Ingram is being held on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery and one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Kansas mass shooting suspect still hiding from police

By NATE KING Salina Post

Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop on Interstate 135.

Just after 1:38 a.m. Friday, a Salina Police Officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for following too closely and making and unsafe lane change,&nbsp;according to SPD Sergeant Kyle Tonniges.

When conducting the traffic stop the officers smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. They searched the vehicle and located 36.4 pounds of THC oil.

The passenger of the vehicle confessed to purchasing the drugs.&nbsp; Lance Fane, 21, Ind., was&nbsp;arrested for distribution of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

By NATE KING Salina PostLaw enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop on Interstate 135.Just after 1:38 a.m. Friday, a Salina Police Officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for following too closely and making and unsafe lane change,&nbsp;according to SPD Sergeant Kyle Tonniges.When conducting the traffic stop the officers smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. They searched the vehicle and located 36.4 pounds of THC oil.The passenger of the vehicle confessed to purchasing the drugs.&nbsp; Lance Fane, 21, Ind., was&nbsp;arrested for distribution of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689023024955.jpeg" alt="Lance Fane Saline County Bookings&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Lance Fane Saline County Bookings&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>

 Indiana Man Arrested After Police Discover 36.4 Pounds of THC Oil in Vehicle

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz club in Wichita's Old Town have made another arrest, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

On Friday police booked 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram in the case on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery and one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A 31-year-old Missouri man arrested in the case on July 3, was released when the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office determined he fired a weapon in self defense.

Police continue&nbsp;&nbsp;asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita for questioning in connection to the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689015131240.png" alt="Houze has previous convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon, fleeing police and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. -photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Houze has previous convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon, fleeing police and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. -photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz club in Wichita's Old Town have made another arrest, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.Just before noon Monday police booked 27-year-old John D. Houze on requested charges of of aggravated battery and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, as well as a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant stemming from the shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688816302231.png" alt="King-Ingram-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>King-Ingram-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Friday police booked 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram in the case on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery and one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;&nbsp;A 31-year-old Missouri man arrested in the case on July 3, was released when the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office determined he fired a weapon in self defense.Police continue&nbsp;&nbsp;asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita for questioning in connection to the incident.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688849063007.png" alt="Thomas-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later Sunday.King-Ingram is being held on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery and one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Kansas felon accused in Wichita mass shooting is in custody

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Violation of protection order; Unknown circumstance

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Failure to appear,&nbsp;Computer unlawful acts: False represent &lt;$100K&nbsp;Identity theft; Receive benefits &lt; $100K&nbsp;Making False Information,&nbsp;Theft by deception;Value $25,000 to $100,000

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

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

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Harass by telecom device; Cause device to ring/activate to harass,&nbsp;Harass by telecom device; Phone call with intent to abuse/threaten/harass,&nbsp;Stalking; Reckless conduct causing fear to person or family

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail.All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688986693388.jpeg" alt="Allen,Xavier Ramell Tysyl" />
 <figcaption>Allen,Xavier Ramell Tysyl</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Allen,Xavier Ramell TysylREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Violation of protection order; Unknown circumstance<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688986747463.jpeg" alt="Duede,Laurin Elizabeth" />
 <figcaption>Duede,Laurin Elizabeth</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Duede,Laurin ElizabethREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Failure to appear,&nbsp;Computer unlawful acts: False represent &lt;$100K&nbsp;Identity theft; Receive benefits &lt; $100K&nbsp;Making False Information,&nbsp;Theft by deception;Value $25,000 to $100,000<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688986855279.jpeg" alt=" El-Kurd,Britaney Krystyne" />
 <figcaption> El-Kurd,Britaney Krystyne</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME: El-Kurd,Britaney KrystyneREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body,&nbsp;Poss of marijuana,&nbsp;Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688986954290.jpeg" alt="Griffin,Lance Michael" />
 <figcaption>Griffin,Lance Michael</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Griffin,Lance MichaelREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body, Poss of marijuana,&nbsp;Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688987023805.jpeg" alt="Huff,Jerry Allen" />
 <figcaption>Huff,Jerry Allen</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Huff,Jerry AllenREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Harass by telecom device; Cause device to ring/activate to harass,&nbsp;Harass by telecom device; Phone call with intent to abuse/threaten/harass,&nbsp;Stalking; Reckless conduct causing fear to person or family

Saline County Bookings, July 10

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688849063007.png" alt="Thomas-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the July 2, mass shooting at the City Nightz club in Wichita's Old Town are asking the public for help to locate&nbsp;23-year-old Jaylen Thomas of Wichita for questioning in connection to the incident.On Friday police arrested 19-year-old Ameir King-Ingram and booked him into the Sedgwick County jail for his role in the shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation July 2, -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 1a.m. July 2, police responded to the club in the 200 Block of North Washington, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses.There were nine people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp;&nbsp;No one was killed but one person was critically injured.&nbsp; Police originally arrested a Missouri man as a suspect.&nbsp;He was released from jail after the Sedgwick County District Attorney determined he was acting in self defense.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police&nbsp; also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses. Two additional gunshot victims checked into the hospital later Sunday.King-Ingram is being held on requested charges that include two counts of aggravated battery and one count of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Suspect in Wichita mass shooting is still at large

NAME:Miller,Brian Richard REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Driving while habitual violator

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear and&nbsp;Interf w/LEO; obstr/resist/oppose misd warrant

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail.All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688902533495.jpeg" alt="Miller,Brian Richard" />
 <figcaption>Miller,Brian Richard</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Miller,Brian Richard REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs Unknown severity,&nbsp;Driving While Suspended,&nbsp;Driving while habitual violator<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688562049999.png" alt="Williams,Jessica Eileen " />
 <figcaption>Williams,Jessica Eileen </figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Williams,Jessica EileenREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear and&nbsp;Interf w/LEO; obstr/resist/oppose misd warrant

Saline County Booking Activity July 9

New laws that went into effect this month in Kansas could have a significant impact on the lives of residents. But some may still face the scrutiny of a court challenge.

By DYLAN LYSEN&nbsp; <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-23/kansas-lawmakers-vote-to-restrict-transgender-athletes-and-doctors-treating-gender-identity">Kansas News Service</a>

New laws that range from the definition of male and female to testing for a lethal drug to abortion pill regulations took effect in Kansas this month.

It’s unclear how many of them will survive likely court challenges.

The fresh statutes reflect the Legislature’s increasingly aggressive approach to America’s culture wars — with a particular focus to restrict, rather than recognize, transgender rights — over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s sometimes toothless objections.

But lawmakers also found some ways to find bipartisan bargains, like one change in law that legalized fentanyl test strips as a way to reduce overdose deaths.

Here are some of the most consequential new laws in Kansas:

Men and women are now defined by their sex assigned at birth.

<h2>New laws that went into effect this month in Kansas could have a significant impact on the lives of residents. But some may still face the scrutiny of a court challenge.</h2>By DYLAN LYSEN&nbsp; <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-23/kansas-lawmakers-vote-to-restrict-transgender-athletes-and-doctors-treating-gender-identity">Kansas News Service</a>New laws that range from the definition of male and female to testing for a lethal drug to abortion pill regulations took effect in Kansas this month.It’s unclear how many of them will survive likely court challenges.The fresh statutes reflect the Legislature’s increasingly aggressive approach to America’s culture wars — with a particular focus to restrict, rather than recognize, transgender rights — over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s sometimes toothless objections.But lawmakers also found some ways to find bipartisan bargains, like one change in law that legalized fentanyl test strips as a way to reduce overdose deaths.Here are some of the most consequential new laws in Kansas:<h2>Women’s Bill of Rights</h2>Men and women are now defined by their sex assigned at birth.But it appears the true ramifications of the law will need to be resolved in court.Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach said he plans to sue Kelly’s administration after the governor announced the law would not change how Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department or Revenue issue identification.The state agencies will continue to allow residents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/2023-06-29/kelly-kobach-split-over-what-a-new-law-means-for-transgender-kansans-ids" target="_blank">to change the gender on their birth certificates and IDs</a>. Kobach had previously said the new law meant the state must reverse gender changes on both.However, the new law appears to contradict a 2019 federal ruling. In that case, the court ordered Kansas to allow transgender residents to change their IDs.<h2>Fairness in Women’s Sports Act</h2>Transgender girls will no longer be allowed to participate in girls sports for schools and colleges.Republican lawmakers argued the law was needed because student athletes assigned male at birth have a biological advantage in sports over girls. (Experts say that physical advantage&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999897243/this-researcher-is-trying-to-settle-the-transgender-athlete-debate-using-science" target="_blank">subsides with hormone therapy</a>, particularly if it begins before puberty.)Kelly initially vetoed the bill — the third time she’d rejected similar legislation in three years. But Republicans rallied enough votes — including one from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-05-25/this-kansas-democrat-helped-pass-transgender-restrictions-he-still-enjoys-support-in-his-district" target="_blank">Democratic Rep. Marvin Robinson</a>&nbsp;— to enact the law. But the law may also be challenged in court.Meanwhile, the change is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-04-05/kansas-lawmakers-override-democratic-governors-veto-enacting-ban-on-transgender-athletes" target="_blank">not expected to have a widespread impact</a>&nbsp;on Kansas student athletes.Jeremy Holaday, a spokesperson for the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said of the 106,000 students participating in the organization’s sports and activities during the 2022-23 school year, only one of the students would still be when it went into effect.<h2>Legalizing fentanyl test strips</h2>&nbsp;Fentanyl test strips are no longer considered drug paraphernalia. That allows them to be used to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-05-28/fentanyl-test-strips-will-finally-be-legal-in-kansas-helping-protect-people-from-a-deadly-poison" target="_blank">detect whether other drugs are laced with deadly fentanyl</a>.Several attempts to legalize the test strips failed in recent years. But this year, lawmakers heard gut-wrenching testimony from Kansas parents who lost children to drug overdoses.The change received broad bipartisan support. When the bill was signed into law, Republican Rep. Stephen Owens said the test strips can help save lives.“These issues that are so critical,” Owens said, “can be bipartisan issues that we can move forward together to make Kansas a better place.”<h2>Statute of limitations for child sex crimes</h2>Prosecutions of child sex crimes no longer have a statute of limitations. Similar to murder and rape cases, prosecutors can now bring cases to trial decades after the crime.Additionally, victims of child sex abuse have until they are 31 years old to pursue civil lawsuits against abusers. Previously, the state required those lawsuits to be filed before the victim turned 21 years old.Lawmakers considered the change after a Kansas Bureau of Investigation report<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-01-06/report-finds-catholic-church-in-kansas-covered-up-sexual-abuse-of-children-by-priests-for-decades" target="_blank">&nbsp;documented decades of sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;by Catholic priests in the state. The agency also concluded that the state’s statute of limitations hindered criminal prosecutions.The new law received unanimous support in the Legislature.<h2>Abortion pill reversal</h2>Doctors are now required to provide abortion patients with information about the reversibility of the abortion pill mifepristone. The information is medically unsubstantiated and medical groups argue studies supporting the idea are flawed.Although the law is on the books, the state won’t enforce it until a court weighs in.Kobcah reached an agreement with abortion providers to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-06-20/kobach-and-kansas-clinics-agree-to-delay-enforcement-of-abortion-pill-reversal-law" target="_blank">wait until the court rules on a request for a temporary injunction</a>. Abortion providers are challenging the law and several others for violating the state constitutional right to an abortion.Laws restricting abortion access in Kansas are likely to face scrutiny from the Kansas Supreme Court, which ruled in 2019 that the state constitution protects the right to an abortion. Kansas voters also reaffirmed that ruling when they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-02/kansas-voters-rejected-an-amendment-that-would-have-stripped-away-abortion-rights" target="_blank">overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;last year that would have effectively reversed the court’s ruling.