KANSAS CITY (AP) — A homeless Kansas City woman has been charged with fatally stabbing her also homeless boyfriend.

Forty-eight-year-old Ilene Davis is jailed on $150,00 bond after she was charged Friday with second degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of 46-year-old Howard West. No attorney is listed for her in online court records.

West’s body was found last month on a sidewalk in northeast Kansas City, with a trail of blood leading to a parked RV that was used by the homeless. Witnesses said they were sleeping in the RV and woke up to “tussling” between Davis and West, court records say.

One of the witnesses said she heard Davis yelling “you raped me” and “you stole from me” before leaving the trailer with blood on her. Court records said the other witness said Davis had an object that appeared to be a knife in her hand. The stabbing later was captured on surveillance video.

When police questioned Davis on Thursday, court records said, a small knife was found in her bag and “apparent blood” was seen on and inside the bag.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592217776391.png" alt="Davis photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Davis photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A homeless Kansas City woman has been charged with fatally stabbing her also homeless boyfriend.Forty-eight-year-old Ilene Davis is jailed on $150,00 bond after she was charged Friday with second degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of 46-year-old Howard West. No attorney is listed for her in online court records.West’s body was found last month on a sidewalk in northeast Kansas City, with a trail of blood leading to a parked RV that was used by the homeless. Witnesses said they were sleeping in the RV and woke up to “tussling” between Davis and West, court records say.One of the witnesses said she heard Davis yelling “you raped me” and “you stole from me” before leaving the trailer with blood on her. Court records said the other witness said Davis had an object that appeared to be a knife in her hand. The stabbing later was captured on surveillance video.When police questioned Davis on Thursday, court records said, a small knife was found in her bag and “apparent blood” was seen on and inside the bag.

Kansas City woman charged in fatal stabbing

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a pair of residential burglaries and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 1p.m. Thursday, sheriff's&nbsp;deputies&nbsp;responded to a residential burglary that had recently occurred in the 3900 block of SE Howey Road, according to deputy Shayna Anderson.&nbsp;

The victims provided a description of the suspect and deputies began searching the area. 

At 2:15pm deputies responded to another reported residential burglary nearby in the 2200 block of SE 41st Street.

Deputies, K9’s and drones were used to search the area and the suspect was identified as Paul D. Cohagen, 50, Topeka, was found hiding in a wooded area with stolen items. 

Deputies took Cohagen into custody without incident. He was transported to the Shawnee County Sheriff’s office for questioning and later booked him on requested charges of&nbsp;Burglary, Felony theft, Theft, Criminal damage to property, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Anderson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591958915554.png" alt="Cohagen photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Cohagen photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a pair of residential burglaries and have a suspect in custody.Just before 1p.m. Thursday, sheriff's&nbsp;deputies&nbsp;responded to a residential burglary that had recently occurred in the 3900 block of SE Howey Road, according to deputy Shayna Anderson.&nbsp;The victims provided a description of the suspect and deputies began searching the area. At 2:15pm deputies responded to another reported residential burglary nearby in the 2200 block of SE 41st Street.Deputies, K9’s and drones were used to search the area and the suspect was identified as Paul D. Cohagen, 50, Topeka, was found hiding in a wooded area with stolen items. Deputies took Cohagen into custody without incident. He was transported to the Shawnee County Sheriff’s office for questioning and later booked him on requested charges of&nbsp;Burglary, Felony theft, Theft, Criminal damage to property, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Anderson.

Drones help find Kan. burglary suspect hiding in woods

OSBORNE COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just before 11a.m. Sunday in Osborne County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Jeep Laredo was northbound on U.S. 281 HWY eleven miles south of Osborne. 

The Jeep traveled off the right side of the roadway, back onto the roadway, crossed the centerline, traveled off the roadway to the left, returned to the road and rolled.&nbsp;Both occupants were ejected.

&nbsp;Thomas F. Scott, 85, and Nyla J. Scott, 77, both of Chambers, Nebraska were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to&nbsp; Clark-Gashaw Morturary.&nbsp;&nbsp;

First responders were unable to determine who was driving. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

OSBORNE COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just before 11a.m. Sunday in Osborne County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Jeep Laredo was northbound on U.S. 281 HWY eleven miles south of Osborne. The Jeep traveled off the right side of the roadway, back onto the roadway, crossed the centerline, traveled off the roadway to the left, returned to the road and rolled.&nbsp;Both occupants were ejected.&nbsp;Thomas F. Scott, 85, and Nyla J. Scott, 77, both of Chambers, Nebraska were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to&nbsp; Clark-Gashaw Morturary.&nbsp;&nbsp;First responders were unable to determine who was driving. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

2 dead after being ejected in NW Kansas rollover crash

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A proposal to allow the first black bear hunt in modern Missouri history is drawing strong interest, particularly from opponents.

The Missouri Department of Conservation asked for public response to a plan for a limited black bear hunt next year as a way to manage a bear population that is growing and expanding its range. The department said between 540 and 840 black bears live in Missouri, mostly south of the Missouri River.

The state Conservation Commission must ultimately approve the proposal.

The comment period, which ended June 5, drew more than 3,300 responses. As of June 2, more than 67% of the respondents opposed the idea,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/state-and-regional/fur-flies-over-missouri-proposal-to-allow-hunting-of-black-bears/article_57908419-572d-586a-b279-e8e0d985fac0.html">according&nbsp;</a>to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Some opponents object to hunting generally, while others didn't like some details of the plan, such as imposing a quota or holding the bear hunt during deer hunting season.

More than 1,000 survey respondents supported plans for the bear hunt. And the Conservation Federation of Missouri, a nonprofit organization that represents 100 groups with more than 80,000 affiliated members, favors the hunt.

“We agree that it’s crucial to use science-based methods to manage a self-sustaining population of black bears, focusing on research and monitoring, population management, and habitat management,” said Tyler Schwartze, the group’s executive director.

Only Missouri residents would be allowed to hunt the bears, and hunters would be limited to one bear. Because most bears live south of the Missouri River, conservation officials would create three “Bear Management Zones.”

The hunt would start the third Monday of October 2021, last no longer than 10 days and end if hunters reached their quota before then. Quotas would be established for each zone in the spring before the hunt.

Baiting and use of dogs wouldn’t be allowed, and at least 10% of permits designated for each zone would go to qualified landowners. An application for a permit would cost $10, with those who won licenses from a random drawing paying $25 for the permit.

Laura Conlee, chief furbearer biologist for the Department of Conservation, said hunters would be allowed to kill any bear that is by itself, but not bears in groups — such as a sow with cubs nearby.

Comments opposing the bear hunt came from across Missouri but also from other states and even Germany.

"My heart breaks for these wonderful highly intelligent animals! I kindly ask you to NOT allow such a massacre!” wrote Vera Kebsch-Müller of Germany. “Hunting is barbaric, extremely brutal and perverse and those who are able to do it are no humans in my eyes.”

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A proposal to allow the first black bear hunt in modern Missouri history is drawing strong interest, particularly from opponents.The Missouri Department of Conservation asked for public response to a plan for a limited black bear hunt next year as a way to manage a bear population that is growing and expanding its range. The department said between 540 and 840 black bears live in Missouri, mostly south of the Missouri River.The state Conservation Commission must ultimately approve the proposal.The comment period, which ended June 5, drew more than 3,300 responses. As of June 2, more than 67% of the respondents opposed the idea,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/state-and-regional/fur-flies-over-missouri-proposal-to-allow-hunting-of-black-bears/article_57908419-572d-586a-b279-e8e0d985fac0.html">according&nbsp;</a>to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Some opponents object to hunting generally, while others didn't like some details of the plan, such as imposing a quota or holding the bear hunt during deer hunting season.More than 1,000 survey respondents supported plans for the bear hunt. And the Conservation Federation of Missouri, a nonprofit organization that represents 100 groups with more than 80,000 affiliated members, favors the hunt.“We agree that it’s crucial to use science-based methods to manage a self-sustaining population of black bears, focusing on research and monitoring, population management, and habitat management,” said Tyler Schwartze, the group’s executive director.Only Missouri residents would be allowed to hunt the bears, and hunters would be limited to one bear. Because most bears live south of the Missouri River, conservation officials would create three “Bear Management Zones.”The hunt would start the third Monday of October 2021, last no longer than 10 days and end if hunters reached their quota before then. Quotas would be established for each zone in the spring before the hunt.Baiting and use of dogs wouldn’t be allowed, and at least 10% of permits designated for each zone would go to qualified landowners. An application for a permit would cost $10, with those who won licenses from a random drawing paying $25 for the permit.Laura Conlee, chief furbearer biologist for the Department of Conservation, said hunters would be allowed to kill any bear that is by itself, but not bears in groups — such as a sow with cubs nearby.Comments opposing the bear hunt came from across Missouri but also from other states and even Germany."My heart breaks for these wonderful highly intelligent animals! I kindly ask you to NOT allow such a massacre!” wrote Vera Kebsch-Müller of Germany. “Hunting is barbaric, extremely brutal and perverse and those who are able to do it are no humans in my eyes.”

Critics slam plan for first black bear hunt in Missouri 

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary that sent two suspects to an area hospital and have reported an arrest.

Just after 2 a.m. Monday, police responded to a burglary-in-progress call at the home in the 1400 Block of North Caddy in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a black 2017 Mazda 4-door that had crashed into a tree in the front yard of a separate home in the same block.&nbsp; Inside the vehicle was a 19-year-old female who had sustained a gunshot wound to her leg and a 19-year-old male who had sustained a gunshot wound to his body.&nbsp;

The woman identified as Mia Yevonne Marie Hidalgo was taken to an area hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury, and the man was taken to an area hospital for treatment of a serious injury.

The investigation revealed a 42-year-old male was at home with his 38-year-old spouse and 5-year-old son.&nbsp; He heard his garage door open, went outside and heard a discussion between individuals in the Mazda and a black truck, targeting his home.&nbsp; 

The 19-year-old man and woman then pulled into his driveway with their headlights off and began to get out of the car.&nbsp; The 42-year-old yelled at them and fired two times from a shotgun, striking the individuals and the Mazda.&nbsp; Inside the Mazda, officers located two handguns, and the vehicle was reported as stolen.&nbsp; The truck fled the scene.

On Friday, police reported Mia Yevonne Marie Hidalgo, 19, was now in custody on requested charges of aggravated burglary, theft and a drug possession charge, according to the Sedgwick County booking report. She is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20061018">held on a bond of $51,500,</a> according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591965362598.png" alt="Hidalgo -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hidalgo -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary that sent two suspects to an area hospital and have reported an arrest.Just after 2 a.m. Monday, police responded to a burglary-in-progress call at the home in the 1400 Block of North Caddy in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a black 2017 Mazda 4-door that had crashed into a tree in the front yard of a separate home in the same block.&nbsp; Inside the vehicle was a 19-year-old female who had sustained a gunshot wound to her leg and a 19-year-old male who had sustained a gunshot wound to his body.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591635014456.png" alt="Police on the scene of Monday's burglary -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of Monday's burglary -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The woman identified as Mia Yevonne Marie Hidalgo was taken to an area hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury, and the man was taken to an area hospital for treatment of a serious injury.The investigation revealed a 42-year-old male was at home with his 38-year-old spouse and 5-year-old son.&nbsp; He heard his garage door open, went outside and heard a discussion between individuals in the Mazda and a black truck, targeting his home.&nbsp; The 19-year-old man and woman then pulled into his driveway with their headlights off and began to get out of the car.&nbsp; The 42-year-old yelled at them and fired two times from a shotgun, striking the individuals and the Mazda.&nbsp; Inside the Mazda, officers located two handguns, and the vehicle was reported as stolen.&nbsp; The truck fled the scene.On Friday, police reported Mia Yevonne Marie Hidalgo, 19, was now in custody on requested charges of aggravated burglary, theft and a drug possession charge, according to the Sedgwick County booking report. She is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20061018">held on a bond of $51,500,</a> according to online jail records.

Burglary suspect wounded by Kan. homeowner moved from hospital to jail

The U.S. communications regulator proposed a $225 million fine, its largest ever, against two health insurance telemarketers for spamming people with 1 billion robocalls using fake phone numbers.

The Federal Communications Commission said John Spiller and Jakob Mears made the calls through two businesses. State attorneys general of&nbsp;Arkansas,&nbsp;Indiana,&nbsp;Michigan,&nbsp;Missouri,&nbsp;North Carolina,&nbsp;Ohio&nbsp;and&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;also sued the two men and their companies, Rising Eagle and JSquared Telecom, in federal court in Texas, where both men live, for violating the federal law governing telemarketing, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The FCC said the robocalls offered plans from major insurers like Aetna and UnitedHealth with an automated message. If consumers pressed a button for more information, however, they were transferred to a call center that sold plans not connected to those companies. The FCC said the Missouri attorney general sued Rising Eagle’s largest client, Health Advisors of America, for telemarketing violations last year.

Over more than four months in early 2019, the FCC said, these telemarketers faked the number their calls displayed in caller ID with intent to deceive consumers; purposefully called people who are on the Do Not Call list; and called people's mobile phones without getting permission first.

Consumers weren't the only ones bothered. The telemarketers faked their calls to make them appear they came from other companies, which then received angry calls and were named in lawsuits from consumers. The FCC didn't name these companies, but said one got so many calls that its phone network “became unusable.”

The fine is not a final decision. Spiller and Mears will have a chance to respond.

As robocalls became a pressing issue for consumers, both as an annoyance and as a vehicle for fraud, the FCC has pushed carriers to do more to stop them. A new law beefs up enforcement and mandates that the phone industry not charge for call-blocking tools and put in place a system designed to weed out “spoofed” calls made using fake numbers.

Reached by phone at the number listed for JSquared, Spiller declined to comment. He declined to provide contact information for Mears and said neither would speak before talking to an attorney.

BY TALI ARBEL, AP Technology WriterThe U.S. communications regulator proposed a $225 million fine, its largest ever, against two health insurance telemarketers for spamming people with 1 billion robocalls using fake phone numbers.The Federal Communications Commission said John Spiller and Jakob Mears made the calls through two businesses. State attorneys general of&nbsp;Arkansas,&nbsp;Indiana,&nbsp;Michigan,&nbsp;Missouri,&nbsp;North Carolina,&nbsp;Ohio&nbsp;and&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;also sued the two men and their companies, Rising Eagle and JSquared Telecom, in federal court in Texas, where both men live, for violating the federal law governing telemarketing, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.The FCC said the robocalls offered plans from major insurers like Aetna and UnitedHealth with an automated message. If consumers pressed a button for more information, however, they were transferred to a call center that sold plans not connected to those companies. The FCC said the Missouri attorney general sued Rising Eagle’s largest client, Health Advisors of America, for telemarketing violations last year.Over more than four months in early 2019, the FCC said, these telemarketers faked the number their calls displayed in caller ID with intent to deceive consumers; purposefully called people who are on the Do Not Call list; and called people's mobile phones without getting permission first.Consumers weren't the only ones bothered. The telemarketers faked their calls to make them appear they came from other companies, which then received angry calls and were named in lawsuits from consumers. The FCC didn't name these companies, but said one got so many calls that its phone network “became unusable.”The fine is not a final decision. Spiller and Mears will have a chance to respond.As robocalls became a pressing issue for consumers, both as an annoyance and as a vehicle for fraud, the FCC has pushed carriers to do more to stop them. A new law beefs up enforcement and mandates that the phone industry not charge for call-blocking tools and put in place a system designed to weed out “spoofed” calls made using fake numbers.Reached by phone at the number listed for JSquared, Spiller declined to comment. He declined to provide contact information for Mears and said neither would speak before talking to an attorney.

Feds seek $225M fine for pair who made a billion robocalls

RENO COUNTY— A Kansas man who was arrested for embezzling more than $380,000 from a local company will spend the next 11 years in prison after his sentencing Friday afternoon in Reno County District Court.

Fifty-four-year-old Anthony Mills of Hutchinson could have been looking at even more time, but the sentence will run concurrent to a lengthy prison sentence he will serve in Colorado for a previous crime involving an unlawful sexual relationship.

Mills was convicted of embezzlement and computer crimes after taking the money from B &amp; B Hydraulics. The defense in the case had asked for community corrections, saying it would allow Mills to pay restitution in the case. But the prosecution noted the representatives of B &amp; B felt that any chance of meaningful restitution was not likely to happen and asked for the maximum sentence.

It was back in March that law enforcement learned Mills had used company funds to pay personal debts from 2017 to the present. Through the investigation, detectives determined that the total loss was approximately $384,000 over a three-year period.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mills was also sentenced for failing to register as an offender from his Colorado case. In arguing against any community corrections for Mills, the prosecution noted that Mills was still having contact with the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592049726796.png" alt="Mills -photo KBI offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Mills -photo KBI offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure> RENO COUNTY— A Kansas man who was arrested for embezzling more than $380,000 from a local company will spend the next 11 years in prison after his sentencing Friday afternoon in Reno County District Court.Fifty-four-year-old Anthony Mills of Hutchinson could have been looking at even more time, but the sentence will run concurrent to a lengthy prison sentence he will serve in Colorado for a previous crime involving an unlawful sexual relationship.Mills was convicted of embezzlement and computer crimes after taking the money from B &amp; B Hydraulics. The defense in the case had asked for community corrections, saying it would allow Mills to pay restitution in the case. But the prosecution noted the representatives of B &amp; B felt that any chance of meaningful restitution was not likely to happen and asked for the maximum sentence.It was back in March that law enforcement learned Mills had used company funds to pay personal debts from 2017 to the present. Through the investigation, detectives determined that the total loss was approximately $384,000 over a three-year period.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mills was also sentenced for failing to register as an offender from his Colorado case. In arguing against any community corrections for Mills, the prosecution noted that Mills was still having contact with the victim.

Registered sex offender sentenced for embezzlement from employer

Gilbert Baker left Kansas as soon as
 he could. But, as many around the world celebrate LGBTQ pride month, 
it's worth noting that Kansas also struggled to hold the flag creator 
dear.

By C.J. JANOVY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2020-06-06/rainbow-flags-creator-didnt-celebrate-his-home-state-but-some-kansans-are-keeping-his-memory-alive">Kansas News Service</a>

The iced tea is flowing, and the women of Parsons High School’s class of 1969 are on a roll.

A
 handful of them are circled up at a table in the increasingly crowded 
fellowship hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church, where yearbooks from 50 
years ago are spread out at the front of the room and laughter from old 
stories grows louder amid the white cinder block walls and 
green-and-yellow linoleum-tiled floor. One of the women at the table has
 purple hair – not the subtle tint of elderly ladies’ salon rinses but 
the declarative violet in vogue among queer kids.

All of these 
women have clear recollections of a classmate who got the hell out of 
Kansas as soon as he could and went on to change the world.

Gilbert
 Baker, born in Chanute, Kansas, on June 2, 1951, designed the rainbow 
flag, now flown all over the world to signify support for LGBTQ equality
 and pride.

“He always was into the arts,” one of Baker’s classmates remembers.

“He was a personality unto himself,” says another.

“He was always at our lunch table. He really did feel comfortable with us, and we felt comfortable with him.”

“He loved to act, and help us do the plays.”

They
 remember a dark-haired boy with thick Buddy Holly glasses. “You know, 
he would be the kind to wear a scarf or shawl, whatever you’d call it.”

“This may not be etiquette, but in ’69, we didn’t know what gay was. 
So Gilbert was just different,” says Debbie Sailsbury Burke. “People 
would make fun of him because he was different, but he set the stage way
 before it was ever a norm.”

One time, he asked Patty Eakins 
Edgington on a date. “I’d evidently broken up with a boyfriend. I don’t 
know what I’d done, I was 16 or 17, who knows. And I don’t know why he 
said – that’s just Gilbert – he said, ‘Let’s go to the drive-in.’ So we 
went to the drive-in movie and it was a quote, date, but I kind of knew 
it wasn’t really a date.”

Everyone agrees: “Just a friend — just a friend.”

“The
 next day,” Edgington continues, “I got yellow roses delivered to my 
house: ‘Thank you for a great time.’ He was just a nice guy.”

In 
the decades since they graduated, people began to realize what Baker had
 done after leaving Kansas. Eventually Facebook came along.

“I 
shot a request to him and he accepted,” Edgington says. “I posted some 
stuff over the years because I fiddled around in art, and he’d comment.”

At some point there was talk of inviting Baker back for one of the reunions, but that brought up other memories.

“At
 our lunch table, the guys, the jocks, would come by with their trays 
and they would slap him in the back of the head,” Burke says. “I mean 
some of them were cruel to him. I always felt sorry for him.”

They
 point across the room to Sandy Salyer, who remembers Baker doing 
cartwheels. Salyer says she read an interview where Baker talked about 
being bullied as a kid.

“When I heard that it broke my heart,” she
 says. “We were just innocent and didn’t understand what a gay person 
was. He was a free spirit, loving life.” A lot of people didn’t know 
where he went after high school, but he seemed destined for greatness.

“I’m
 just so proud of what he did and the movement he was part of,” Sayler 
says. And she begins to tear up. “I’m really sorry people treated him 
that way.”

Kansas
 has a rough time staking much of a claim to Gilbert Baker. By the time 
of his death, at age 65 on March 31, 2017, his personality and his work 
were too big even for San Francisco. He’d made his home in New York 
City.

“The rainbow flag has become a universal symbol for 
inclusion, peace and love,” the New York Times noted in his obituary. 
“It has been waved by gay rights supporters in China fighting for 
equality. It has been hung from apartment balconies as a sign of 
solidarity. After the United States Supreme Court legalized gay marriage
 in 2015, more than 26 million people on Facebook changed their profile 
photos to include the flag.”

In his autobiography “<a href="https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/rainbow-warrior-products-9781641601504.php" target="_blank">Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color</a>,”
 published posthumously in 2019, Baker devotes a grand total of eight 
pages to his Kansas upbringing. He titled that chapter “Dreaming of a 
Life Over the Rainbow.”

“I was born gay and I always knew it,” Baker writes, before detailing the pain of that knowledge in 1950s Kansas.

As
 a child in his room, Baker pulled sheets off of his bed to fashion 
outfits for a kindergartner’s imaginary drag routine, dancing to songs 
on the radio until he heard someone coming and scrambled to put the 
sheets back on the bed. 

Later, when his parents discovered him twirling in his aunt’s old 
prom dress, his father spanked him. Sundays at the Methodist church were
 no comfort. “In my soul, questions burned: Did God make me gay and love
 me, or was I going to hell for a sin?” He considered killing himself.

Still,
 his work was inspired and ultimately shaped by a quintessentially 
Kansas event: President Dwight D. Eisenhower running for re-election, 
which Baker’s mother let him watch on TV.

“I was mesmerized by the
 hoopla of bunting and balloons and thrilled by the pageantry,” he 
writes. “I especially loved the parade of state delegates, each group 
carrying signs and banners created in crepe paper. There were crazy hats
 and pretty girls in washes of stars and stripes, the national anthem 
and the Pledge of Allegiance. I was especially moved by the sight of the
 American flag.”

Armed with crayons, young Baker became obsessed 
with drawing what he’d seen. But “it was not considered normal to 
imagine greatness and beauty,” he writes. “Being an artist was bad in 
the same way that homosexuality was bad.”

Baker’s family moved to 
Wichita for his father’s law practice. By the time he was 9, he was in 
such distress that he went to the library to try to figure out what was 
wrong with him; in a book about Freud and abnormal psychology, a 
description of “delusions of grandeur” seemed to explain his feelings. 
Fearing his parents would send him to a mental institution, Baker, like 
so many other Midwestern kids of his time, tortured himself with efforts
 to be something he was not. 

He grew obsessed with death. “Only one thing seemed certain about my 
life in Kansas: I would either be blown up by a nuclear bomb or die from
 boredom.”

Peak mid-century TV provided a bit of salvation: 
Phyllis Diller on “The Tonight Show”; the political, passionate and 
kooky Barbra Streisand; the long-haired Beatles and the Rolling Stones. 
“Old people said they looked like girls, so they were definitely pushing
 a button on the taboo of homosexuality,” he writes.

Baker took up
 the trumpet, and music became his teenage means of survival – “the way I
 could compensate socially for being so effeminate and being known as 
the class queer.” Nobody wanted to play Sousa marches, so Baker 
pressured music teachers to include arrangements of Herb Alpert &amp; 
the Tijuana Brass and Blood, Sweat &amp; Tears.

“My efforts succeeded,” he writes, “and I even became popular with my classmates because of it.”

But
 fights with his parents intensified, and he grew riveted to news from 
the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The streets of Chicago were 
exploding, “but the only thing taking over the streets in Kansas was 
tumbleweed.”

By the time he was 19, he knew it was time to leave.

“So, unlike Dorothy, when the tornado came I ran right for it, saying, ‘Take me away!’”

About
 35 miles south of Baker’s birthplace in Chanute, in the far southeast 
corner of the state, Parsons is home to around 10,000 people. Its 
well-kept Main Street and the presence of Labette Community College make
 it feel almost like a city to the kids from nearby towns of just a few 
hundred.

It’s the kind of place where people remember<a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/zasu-pitts/15496" target="_blank"> ZaSu Pitts</a>,
 an actress who started out in silent films and worked up through 1963’s
 “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” Pitts has a star on the Hollywood 
Walk of Fame and a bronze star in front of the Parsons movie theater. 
It’s also the birthplace of a jazz trumpeter named<a href="https://library.umkc.edu/archival-collections/clayton" target="_blank"> Buck Clayton</a>,
 who played with Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Billie Holliday and has 
been honored with a local jazz festival. Cherryvale, 20-some miles away,
 has bragging rights to two people:<a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/vivian-vance/15499" target="_blank"> Vivian Vance</a> from “I Love Lucy,” and<a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/pledge-of-allegiance/12172" target="_blank"> Frank E. Bellamy</a>, a high school student who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance.

“We
 jump on every little tiny thing we can to get people to our towns,” 
says Scotty Zollars, the library director at Labette Community College. 
“But why has there never been any mention of Gilbert, who had much wider
 representation than that?”

It would be easy to consider that a 
rhetorical question with the obvious answer that a stereotypically 
conservative place like small-town Kansas wants no part of celebrating 
gay culture. But the real answer is more complicated.

Even 
Zollars, a gay man in his late 50s who has lived around Parsons for 
almost his entire life, had never heard of Gilbert Baker until 2017. And
 that’s not because Zollars has stayed in the closet.

“I don’t 
hide it. Everybody at work knows, my boss knows. My fiancé and I go to 
college events, we go to Mass together, we’ve had no repercussions at 
all,” Zollars says. “We just act like it’s normal. And there’s other 
couples in town who are the same way. My impression is that people in 
southeast Kansas, they really don’t care as long as you don’t shove it 
in their face.”

Flying rainbow flags does, of course, put something in people’s 
faces. But that only partly explains the lack of recognition for Baker’s
 legacy.

It’s also as if Baker, by leaving so early and so thoroughly, helped erase his own legacy in Kansas.

Another
 reason Zollars had never heard of Gilbert Baker until 2017 was that no 
one had made any serious effort to honor him until Aaron Casserly 
Stewart was elected to the city commission. Stewart was an anomaly in 
Parsons for two reasons.

“As a gay, black man, to be honest, I 
didn’t think I was going to be elected,” Stewart says. But he was newly 
back to town for family reasons, and ran for office to honor his father.
 “He was the city building inspector, so anything that was built in the 
town he had to sign off on it. A lot of people knew him.”

Stewart 
doesn’t think the fact that he’s gay had much to do with his election. 
“I beat out an incumbent who had been on the council for a while. I 
think people wanted a change.”

During his own high school years, a
 couple of generations after Baker’s, Stewart had been the president of 
the student council, popular enough to be president of all the southeast
 Kansas student councils. But some kids found his diary, in which 
Stewart had been trying to deal with his sexuality. They took it to a 
party and read it out loud.

“Being outed, at 17 in rural Kansas in 1983, was more than I could 
deal with, so I left,” he says. Stewart finished his senior year in 
Lawrence and, like Baker, then joined the military and left the state.

Stewart
 ended up in Minneapolis, where, possessed of a soulful baritone, he got
 a gig singing with the Sounds of Blackness, a three-time-Grammy-winning
 group whose members ran in the same circles as Janet Jackson and the 
esteemed producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. From there he moved to Los
 Angeles, where he worked as a personal assistant for the keyboardist 
Morris Hayes, who’d been in Prince’s New Power Generation.

By the 
time he came back to Parsons, Stewart had been gone for 22 years. Now in
 his late 40s, he didn’t need anyone’s validation. Dealing with people’s
 conservative views was hard, but Stewart was also surprised to find a 
lot of support.

“Because my husband is British, and we’re an 
interracial, inter-generational couple,” he explains, “there was a bit 
of, how do I say, just, interest in that because we were kind of a 
novelty.”

Recognizing an opportunity to which the rest of the town was apparently oblivious, Stewart got in touch with Baker.

“He had not been back to Parsons since he left, so I invited him back,” Stewart says.

He
 also called some of Baker’s old classmates, and they talked about 
having a day in his honor, with Stewart giving him a key to the city and
 the college hosting a Gilbert Baker Film Festival.

Over the course of almost a year, Stewart had phone conversations updating Baker on the various plans.

“He was really reluctant to come back because of the experience growing up in small town Kansas,” Stewart says.

But both men seemed struck by the fact that no one had ever asked Baker to come back.

Finally, Stewart says, “he decided to come.”

A month before his celebrated return, Baker died.

The film festival went on as planned. Zollars screened the hits “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1013753/" target="_blank">Milk</a>” and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3169706/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Pride</a>” as well as “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5839198/" target="_blank">Out Here in Kansas</a>,”
 a short documentary about a gay football star from Andover, and he gave
 an award for one of the student submissions. Hardly anyone came – maybe
 15 or 20 people including staff at the college. “It was not a good 
showing,” Zollars says, “but we did it.”

In the year that 
followed, Stewart immigrated to England where he and his husband were 
married. But he stayed in touch with a few people back in Parsons, and 
in 2019, he reached out to one of the city commissioners and asked if 
they’d fly a rainbow flag at City Hall during June.

“I didn’t get a response,” he says.

By
 then, though, another gay couple had moved to town. A doctor named 
Shawn Zimbrunes had taken a job at the hospital, bringing his husband, 
David Matthew, from Washington, D.C. When he learned it was Baker’s 
hometown, Matthew told a reporter for the Parsons Sun, he was surprised.
 “I wondered where is the memorial? Where is the honor of his legacy? 
Where are the pride flags?”

Matthew, who had spent most of his 
life on the East Coast, couldn’t let Pride Month pass without honoring 
Baker. He bought three dozen rainbow flags (which wasn’t easy, since 
they’re in short supply around that time of year). He put the first one 
up in his yard, an act that felt so momentous it brought him to tears.

He
 also approached businesses along Main Street, and the owner of the 
popular Kitchen Pass offered to fly two flags out front and one inside 
in support of LGBTQ friends and employees. There were some questions 
about affixing flag-holders to city light poles, and in general all of 
this was a lot of drama for Parsons. Two of the flags outside the 
Kitchen Pass were stolen, then returned. 

Other than that, Matthew said in <a href="https://www.parsonssun.com/news/article_b8d8be40-949a-11e9-a1c7-8fd4e0254dd0.html" target="_blank">a written statement to the Parsons Sun</a>, the response had been overwhelmingly positive.

“I
 heard heart-wrenching stories about rather awful experiences growing up
 in a town where they felt hated and excluded, where they feared 
admitting who they were. People relayed how it brought them to tears to 
see pride flags flying in a town where they had never felt seen, never 
felt accepted. I also heard from local residents who were absolutely 
thrilled to see these flags to honor Gilbert Baker, to honor their son 
or daughter who is gay, to honor their family and make them visible and 
appreciated in the place they call home,” Matthew wrote.

One city 
commissioner agreed that the town should consider a way to honor Baker, 
and encouraged people who had enthusiasm and ideas to bring them 
forward.

The fellowship hall at St. John’s church has grown loud and humid, crowded with members of the class of 1969.

Les
 Hammett, a State Farm insurance agent who bought a house with his wife 
in Liberty, Missouri, a while back but still drives to his hometown for 
work during the week, finds a place near the yearbook table to make a 
short speech. He explains why a journalist is here asking questions 
about Gilbert Baker and encourages everyone to share their memories.

“As
 far as I’m concerned, Gilbert did a lot to change the world for the 
better,” Hammett says to emphatic applause. “Some of us have been 
talking about trying to do something, just a little plaque to recognize 
Gilbert, maybe up at the city building or at the high school, 
something,” Hammett says. “If you’re interested in helping us, let us 
know.”

By the spring, the city had donated a small plot of vacant land 
downtown to a group called Southeast Kansas Point of Pride (the group’s 
name referring not to LGBTQ pride but rather the civic pride that 
inspires residents to take part in neighborhood clean-ups and plant 
flowers in pots lining downtown streets). The Point of Pride folks 
planned to turn the small, empty grassy strip into a pocket park. 
Renderings show a fountain, a couple of park benches, native plants and,
 along one wall, a plaque in honor of Gilbert Baker.

Hammett 
figured it would be ready to dedicate this fall, perhaps in time for the
 next Gilbert Baker Film Festival at Labette Community College.

“It’s not often that you rub shoulders with a person who changes the 
world,” says Hammett, who guesses it was 15 or 20 years ago when he 
learned his classmate had designed the rainbow flag. He’s been impressed
 ever since.

Hammett’s own memories of high school suggest a 
nearly universal truth – that teenagers in that setting don’t have any 
clue how others perceive themselves or each other – which is especially 
sad in Baker’s case.

“He talked about being picked on in high 
school,” Hammett says. “I’ll be honest with you – I just never saw that.
 I thought Gilbert was well liked. He was in theater and that kind of 
thing, he was a fun person. I think everybody liked Gil.”

But 
Hammett was preoccupied with his own concerns. “My mom died right before
 I started high school, and I lived with my grandparents. I was just 
trying to survive. I didn’t go to dances and that kind of thing. My 
social skills and my social life in high school was not like a lot of 
folks.”

Maybe everyone feels like an outsider in high school, one way or 
another. Certainly it’s easier for gay kids today, even in a town like 
Parsons, which Hammett describes as “pretty straight.”

Rainbow flag's creator: Kan. native who never celebrated his home state

WASHINGTON (AP -RNS )— Each Sunday, Larry Little and his wife, Mary, get ready for church. They dress casually, fill two tumblers with water, climb into their golf cart and drive two miles to The Grove, a grassy field next to their church.

There they find a parking place, turn off the engine and settle in for a live service in front of a Jumbotron and a stage.

The Littles, who live in a retirement community called The Villages, about an hour’s drive northwest of Orlando, Florida, are among the lucky few.

Since mid-March, when state shutdowns forced churches, synagogues and mosques to close amid the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have had to mostly rely on online worship services.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.liveoakschurch.org/" target="_blank">Live Oaks Community Church</a>&nbsp;has been able to offer continuous outdoor services — one on Saturday and two on Sunday — with dozens, sometimes hundreds, arriving via their golf carts.

“The only negative is that you don’t have much interaction with the rest of the congregation,” said Larry Little, 77. “Our golf carts are 6 feet apart and they don’t want us outside the golf cart.”

For many, if not most, older congregants living in colder climates or with no access to outdoor services, such options are a luxury.

Unable to find spiritual sustenance or the comforts of community, many are isolated and lonely. They may struggle with using the technology required for viewing online services or connecting virtually with family, friends and community members.

“It’s becoming more of a challenge to figure out how we minister to, and with, these older adults,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Missy Buchanan</a>, a writer and speaker from Rockwall, Texas, with a focus on older adults.

Some congregations are making phone calls and writing letters to older members. Others have bought them tablets and are teaching the least technologically savvy how to connect to online platforms.

Now, as states begin loosening lockdown restrictions and churches contemplate how to reopen safely, clergy and other religious leaders face difficult decisions when it comes to their senior members.

For older people, there’s a cruel reality to those reopenings.

Mounting evidence suggests houses of worship are probably among the riskiest places for older people. Transmission is much more likely indoors where lots of people come into close contact and where droplets with viral particles might linger in the air for as long as eight minutes. Multiple coronavirus cases across the country have been linked to people attending church and synagogue services or events.

Older Americans are also among the most likely to develop a severe case of COVID-19. Eight out of 10 coronavirus deaths reported in the U.S. have been among adults 65 years and older, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control.</a>

Many older people like the Littles may not see the insides of a church or synagogue for a very long time.

“When churches regather, older people may be the last to go back,” said&nbsp;<a href="http://amyhanson.org/" target="_blank">Amy Hanson</a>, an instructor in the gerontology department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has a consulting ministry to help churches engage older adults. “Some will want to return. But it will be hard for those who do go back. There’ll be no handshaking and hugging — things older adults are missing. They won’t feel all they’re hoping to feel.”

Older American were nearly twice as likely as younger Americans to attend church, synagogue and mosque before the shutdowns. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/" target="_blank">Pew Research</a>&nbsp;survey found that 61% of those born before 1945 (the so-called Silent Generation) attended religious services monthly or more, compared with 35% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).

In this in-between time, congregations should assess their older adult members, charting whether they live alone or have family nearby. Do they have hearing or vision impairments? Do they have access to chaplains at assisted living or nursing homes?

They would also do well to recognize that older Americans are not monolithic in their needs, said Buchanan, who writes devotionals for older adults. Buchanan has identified four basic groups of older adults: the “go-go’s,” those who are still very active and independent; the “slow-go’s,” those who may have some physical limitations; the “no-go’s,” those who are homebound; and the “not-gonna-make-me-go,” young Boomers who don’t attend religious services on a regular basis.

Many congregational ministries, Buchanan said, focus on only one or two of those groups.

Large churches, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.johnsonferry.org/default.aspx?page=4378" target="_blank">Johnson Ferry Baptist Church</a>&nbsp;in Marietta, Georgia, can do a lot more. In the days after the shutdown, the 7,000-member church prepared meals for many isolated church members and made daily phone calls to those living alone.

Now the emphasis has shifted to finding ways to engage older adults and allow them to contribute to the life of the church.

“They’re not here to take up space,” said Peggy Fulghum, minister to older adults at Johnson Ferry. “We want to keep them serving. I try to create ministries for them to be active and serve and give back to the community.”

For example, after noticing that in-person high school graduations were canceled, Fulghum asked older members to write congratulatory cards to high school seniors, encouraging them on their journey to adulthood and sharing a bit of their wisdom.

The cards were mailed to the church and the church staff is now sending them to families with high school seniors.

The church has also started a Tuesday morning Zoom call for older members where they can greet each other, sing a song and pray as a group. They hope it encourages groups of older adults to start their own Zoom gatherings. And the church is retooling its “GrandCamp” ministry to allow grandparents and children to interact through online projects.

Live Oaks Community Church in Florida has recently announced it will resume indoor worship for up to 100 people with social distancing.

The Littles, however, have decided to continue worshipping outdoors — at least for the time being.

“We think the golf cart experience is unique and we enjoy it,” Larry Little said. “It’s completely open and there’s always a little breeze. You don’t feel that sense of isolation. Isolation is worse than the virus for old folks.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584278183206.png" alt="google image" />
 <figcaption>google image</figcaption>
 </figure>By YONAT SHIMRONWASHINGTON (AP -RNS )— Each Sunday, Larry Little and his wife, Mary, get ready for church. They dress casually, fill two tumblers with water, climb into their golf cart and drive two miles to The Grove, a grassy field next to their church.There they find a parking place, turn off the engine and settle in for a live service in front of a Jumbotron and a stage.The Littles, who live in a retirement community called The Villages, about an hour’s drive northwest of Orlando, Florida, are among the lucky few.Since mid-March, when state shutdowns forced churches, synagogues and mosques to close amid the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have had to mostly rely on online worship services.But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.liveoakschurch.org/" target="_blank">Live Oaks Community Church</a>&nbsp;has been able to offer continuous outdoor services — one on Saturday and two on Sunday — with dozens, sometimes hundreds, arriving via their golf carts.“The only negative is that you don’t have much interaction with the rest of the congregation,” said Larry Little, 77. “Our golf carts are 6 feet apart and they don’t want us outside the golf cart.”For many, if not most, older congregants living in colder climates or with no access to outdoor services, such options are a luxury.Unable to find spiritual sustenance or the comforts of community, many are isolated and lonely. They may struggle with using the technology required for viewing online services or connecting virtually with family, friends and community members.“It’s becoming more of a challenge to figure out how we minister to, and with, these older adults,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Missy Buchanan</a>, a writer and speaker from Rockwall, Texas, with a focus on older adults.Some congregations are making phone calls and writing letters to older members. Others have bought them tablets and are teaching the least technologically savvy how to connect to online platforms.Now, as states begin loosening lockdown restrictions and churches contemplate how to reopen safely, clergy and other religious leaders face difficult decisions when it comes to their senior members.For older people, there’s a cruel reality to those reopenings.Mounting evidence suggests houses of worship are probably among the riskiest places for older people. Transmission is much more likely indoors where lots of people come into close contact and where droplets with viral particles might linger in the air for as long as eight minutes. Multiple coronavirus cases across the country have been linked to people attending church and synagogue services or events.Older Americans are also among the most likely to develop a severe case of COVID-19. Eight out of 10 coronavirus deaths reported in the U.S. have been among adults 65 years and older, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control.</a>Many older people like the Littles may not see the insides of a church or synagogue for a very long time.“When churches regather, older people may be the last to go back,” said&nbsp;<a href="http://amyhanson.org/" target="_blank">Amy Hanson</a>, an instructor in the gerontology department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has a consulting ministry to help churches engage older adults. “Some will want to return. But it will be hard for those who do go back. There’ll be no handshaking and hugging — things older adults are missing. They won’t feel all they’re hoping to feel.”Older American were nearly twice as likely as younger Americans to attend church, synagogue and mosque before the shutdowns. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/" target="_blank">Pew Research</a>&nbsp;survey found that 61% of those born before 1945 (the so-called Silent Generation) attended religious services monthly or more, compared with 35% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).In this in-between time, congregations should assess their older adult members, charting whether they live alone or have family nearby. Do they have hearing or vision impairments? Do they have access to chaplains at assisted living or nursing homes?They would also do well to recognize that older Americans are not monolithic in their needs, said Buchanan, who writes devotionals for older adults. Buchanan has identified four basic groups of older adults: the “go-go’s,” those who are still very active and independent; the “slow-go’s,” those who may have some physical limitations; the “no-go’s,” those who are homebound; and the “not-gonna-make-me-go,” young Boomers who don’t attend religious services on a regular basis.Many congregational ministries, Buchanan said, focus on only one or two of those groups.Large churches, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.johnsonferry.org/default.aspx?page=4378" target="_blank">Johnson Ferry Baptist Church</a>&nbsp;in Marietta, Georgia, can do a lot more. In the days after the shutdown, the 7,000-member church prepared meals for many isolated church members and made daily phone calls to those living alone.Now the emphasis has shifted to finding ways to engage older adults and allow them to contribute to the life of the church.“They’re not here to take up space,” said Peggy Fulghum, minister to older adults at Johnson Ferry. “We want to keep them serving. I try to create ministries for them to be active and serve and give back to the community.”For example, after noticing that in-person high school graduations were canceled, Fulghum asked older members to write congratulatory cards to high school seniors, encouraging them on their journey to adulthood and sharing a bit of their wisdom.The cards were mailed to the church and the church staff is now sending them to families with high school seniors.The church has also started a Tuesday morning Zoom call for older members where they can greet each other, sing a song and pray as a group. They hope it encourages groups of older adults to start their own Zoom gatherings. And the church is retooling its “GrandCamp” ministry to allow grandparents and children to interact through online projects.Live Oaks Community Church in Florida has recently announced it will resume indoor worship for up to 100 people with social distancing.The Littles, however, have decided to continue worshipping outdoors — at least for the time being.“We think the golf cart experience is unique and we enjoy it,” Larry Little said. “It’s completely open and there’s always a little breeze. You don’t feel that sense of isolation. Isolation is worse than the virus for old folks.”

As they reopen, congregations grapple with including seniors

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal car-pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as 1-year-old Robin Sowers of Melvern. 

Just after 5p.m. Friday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a car/pedestrian accident in the city of Melvern on private property, according to Sheriff Laurie Dunn.

A child was struck by a vehicle driven by Jenna L Pollard, 24, of Melvern in a private drive.

Osage County deputies, Osage County EMS, Osage County Fire District #3 – Melvern, and Lifesave air ambulance responded to the scene. 

The child was transported to a Topeka hospital by Osage County EMS in critical condition and later pronounced deceased. 

The accident is still under investigation, according to the sheriff.

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal car-pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as 1-year-old Robin Sowers of Melvern. Just after 5p.m. Friday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a car/pedestrian accident in the city of Melvern on private property, according to Sheriff Laurie Dunn.A child was struck by a vehicle driven by Jenna L Pollard, 24, of Melvern in a private drive.Osage County deputies, Osage County EMS, Osage County Fire District #3 – Melvern, and Lifesave air ambulance responded to the scene. The child was transported to a Topeka hospital by Osage County EMS in critical condition and later pronounced deceased. The accident is still under investigation, according to the sheriff.

Sheriff: 1-year-old Kansas girl died after being struck by car

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.

Just before noon Thursday, police&nbsp; were contacted by an outside law enforcement agency about two juveniles reporting an incident that occurred in Wichita involving 32-year-old Kirk Wittrock of Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.

The investigation revealed that Wittrock, who is known to the victims, allegedly inappropriately touched the two teens.

Police arrested Wittrock Thursday in the 1200 block of South Emporia without incident on a requested charge of indecent liberties with a child.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591965788762.png" alt="Wittrock" />
 <figcaption>Wittrock</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.Just before noon Thursday, police&nbsp; were contacted by an outside law enforcement agency about two juveniles reporting an incident that occurred in Wichita involving 32-year-old Kirk Wittrock of Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.The investigation revealed that Wittrock, who is known to the victims, allegedly inappropriately touched the two teens.Police arrested Wittrock Thursday in the 1200 block of South Emporia without incident on a requested charge of indecent liberties with a child.&nbsp;

Kansas man accused of child sex crimes involving 2 teens

TREGO COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after noon Saturday in Trego County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 GMC Envoy driven by&nbsp; Courtney D. Windholz, 19, Bucklin, was southbound on 290th Road&nbsp; four miles west of Kansas Highway 147.

&nbsp;The driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a dirt embankment on the drivers side. The vehicle rolled and driver was ejected. The vehicle&nbsp; came to rest on its roof facing Northwest.

Windholz was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Schmitt Funeral Home.

TREGO COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after noon Saturday in Trego County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 GMC Envoy driven by&nbsp; Courtney D. Windholz, 19, Bucklin, was southbound on 290th Road&nbsp; four miles west of Kansas Highway 147.&nbsp;The driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a dirt embankment on the drivers side. The vehicle rolled and driver was ejected. The vehicle&nbsp; came to rest on its roof facing Northwest.Windholz was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Schmitt Funeral Home.

Kansas teen dies after being ejected when SUV rolls

KANSAS CITY(AP) — A Kansas City man who was prosecuted after filming two police officers who he thought were being too aggressive in their arrest of a black transgender woman is suing the city and the officers.

Roderick Reed contends in his lawsuit that the charges against him were an attempt to stop him from releasing the video of the May 2019 arrest of Breona or “Bryia” Hill by officers Matthew Brummett and Charles Prichard.

Police said Reed was arrested because he refused the officers' commands to move his car, which he had stopped in the middle of the street to record the arrest. Reed was convicted of a city ordinance violation, but Mayor Quinton Lucas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/db41066b7d28cdca8aad6f3317202cbb">pardoned</a>&nbsp;him last week.

A grand jury indicted Brummett and Prichard on a misdemeanor assault charge for “recklessly causing pain” to Hill while she was handcuffed. Prosecutors cited Reed's video of the arrest when the charges were announced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589657213001.png" alt="Image from the arrest video courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Image from the arrest video courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY(AP) — A Kansas City man who was prosecuted after filming two police officers who he thought were being too aggressive in their arrest of a black transgender woman is suing the city and the officers.Roderick Reed contends in his lawsuit that the charges against him were an attempt to stop him from releasing the video of the May 2019 arrest of Breona or “Bryia” Hill by officers Matthew Brummett and Charles Prichard.Police said Reed was arrested because he refused the officers' commands to move his car, which he had stopped in the middle of the street to record the arrest. Reed was convicted of a city ordinance violation, but Mayor Quinton Lucas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/db41066b7d28cdca8aad6f3317202cbb">pardoned</a>&nbsp;him last week.A grand jury indicted Brummett and Prichard on a misdemeanor assault charge for “recklessly causing pain” to Hill while she was handcuffed. Prosecutors cited Reed's video of the arrest when the charges were announced.Reed said in the lawsuit, filed Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court, that he started recording the arrest after he saw an officer hit Hill. Reed, who never got out of his car, ignored officers' orders to move the vehicle and continued recording because he “believed that Hill would be killed" if he stopped.Reed is seeking $5 million in damages for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.Jamie Walker, Reed’s attorney, said the prosecution was obviously retaliation and suggested Reed was a Good Samaritan whom the city should have commended, not condemned.Kansas City police spokeswoman Doaa El-Ashkar said in a statement that the police department “regrets all of the circumstances surrounding this incident” but could not comment further because of the pending litigation.Last week, the City Council&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/db41066b7d28cdca8aad6f3317202cbb">approved</a>&nbsp;an amendment to the city code that ensures witnesses aren’t barred from filming the actions of police officers.