KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the fatal crash that killed a pedestrian near Interstate 435 and Truman Road on Wednesday, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.

Corey M. Holloway, 22m faces Involuntary Manslaughter 1st Degree, Tampering With a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree, Resisting Arrest and Leaving the Scene of an Accident.

According to court records, a GMC vehicle stopped on Wednesday evening by Kansas City police on Independence Avenue drove forward striking a police car. 

The driver then attempted to elude police. The vehicle reached speeds up to 95 mph on residential streets. As the vehicle approached Independence Avenue and Interstate 435, it traveled southbound in the northbound lanes. 

At that time, officers terminated the pursuit. Other KCPD officers located the vehicle near Truman Road and Interested 435, where the GMC had been involved in a crash involving a signal box. A pedestrian was struck by the GMC and died of those injuries.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City are searching for a driver of a stolen pickup truck they say fatally hit a pedestrian as it fled from officers.

The chase began Wednesday afternoon on Kansas City’s east side when officers spotted the stolen pickup and tried to pull it over, police said in a news release. The truck fled, ramming a patrol car in the process.

Police said the officers called off the chase as the truck entered the northbound lanes of Interstate 435 traveling southbound. Less that a minute later, police found the body a man in the road that appeared to have been hit by the fleeing truck.

The truck was found a short distance away, and a woman who was a passenger in the truck was arrested. The driver of the truck fled on foot and, despite a search involving helicopters and police dogs, was not found, police said.

The name of the pedestrian killed was not immediately released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653581203815.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal pedestrian accident-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal pedestrian accident-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in the fatal crash that killed a pedestrian near Interstate 435 and Truman Road on Wednesday, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.Corey M. Holloway, 22m faces Involuntary Manslaughter 1st Degree, Tampering With a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree, Resisting Arrest and Leaving the Scene of an Accident.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653703196685.png" alt="Holloway-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Holloway-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, a GMC vehicle stopped on Wednesday evening by Kansas City police on Independence Avenue drove forward striking a police car. The driver then attempted to elude police. The vehicle reached speeds up to 95 mph on residential streets. As the vehicle approached Independence Avenue and Interstate 435, it traveled southbound in the northbound lanes. At that time, officers terminated the pursuit. Other KCPD officers located the vehicle near Truman Road and Interested 435, where the GMC had been involved in a crash involving a signal box. A pedestrian was struck by the GMC and died of those injuries.Prosecutors requested a $250,000 bond.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City are searching for a driver of a stolen pickup truck they say fatally hit a pedestrian as it fled from officers.The chase began Wednesday afternoon on Kansas City’s east side when officers spotted the stolen pickup and tried to pull it over, police said in a news release. The truck fled, ramming a patrol car in the process.Police said the officers called off the chase as the truck entered the northbound lanes of Interstate 435 traveling southbound. Less that a minute later, police found the body a man in the road that appeared to have been hit by the fleeing truck.The truck was found a short distance away, and a woman who was a passenger in the truck was arrested. The driver of the truck fled on foot and, despite a search involving helicopters and police dogs, was not found, police said.The name of the pedestrian killed was not immediately released.

Man who fled KC traffic stop charged in fatal pedestrian crash

By LAURA SPENCER <a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2022-05-25/best-bookstore-in-america-the-raven-in-lawrence-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>

On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.dannycaine.com/" target="_blank">Danny Caine</a>
 was in Bayfield, Wisconsin, for a spring meeting of the Midwest 
Independent Booksellers when he heard the news: Publishers Weekly named 
the <a href="https://www.ravenbookstore.com/" target="_blank">Raven Book Store</a> as Bookstore of the Year.

“It
 was a thrill,” said Caine, co-owner of the store and author of the book
 “How to Resist Amazon and Why” and three collections of poetry. 

“I'm up here surrounded by the bookstore community, which is wonderful,” he said.

RELATED: <a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2021-10-09/a-lawrence-bookstore-tried-to-beat-amazon-at-its-own-game-and-survived-now-its-expanding" target="_blank">A Lawrence bookstore tried to beat Amazon at its own game, and survived. Now it's expanding</a>

Publishers Weekly <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/88765-pw-bookstore-rep-finalists-announced.html" target="_blank">announced the five finalists</a>
 in March, saying they “are not only beloved by writers and the 
publishing community but also play a significant role in their 
communities.”

During a virtual awards ceremony, Caine accepted the
 award on a split-screen with some of the Raven’s other co-owners in 
Lawrence, Kansas.

“This is the biggest book industry trade 
publication saying we're the country's bookstore of the year. That’s 
enough for us,” he said. “The real reward is getting to do this work 
with this team and trying to make our bookstore — and perhaps the world —
 a better place.”

According to Publishers Weekly, members of the 
book industry, including authors, publishing professionals, and other 
booksellers, stated that “with creativity and panache” the Raven 
“supported authors and books during the pandemic ... in fact, sustained 
the indie bookstore industry.”

The Raven (named after the <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven" target="_blank">Edgar Allan Poe poem</a>)
 first opened in 1987 in downtown Lawrence, specializing in mystery 
books. It morphed into a more general interest store after Caine bought 
it in 2017. Last year it moved into a larger space at 809 Massachusetts 
St.

Along with a new location, Caine also shares ownership of the store with his staff.

“In
 January, I sold about half the store to seven employees. So we’ve got 
seven employee-owners now in addition to me,” he said. “That's been 
really interesting and wonderful to try out the employee-owned model and
 just to try out a little bit more equitable of a structure for our 
business.”

He added, “It just feels like an exciting way to take 
the store into the future and try to retain employees and help people 
start a career in the book business if they want to. It’s been really 
meaningful and rewarding for me — and I’m sure for all the other new 
owners, too."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653587535773.png" alt="The Raven Book Store's new location, as of 2021, at 809 Massachusetts St. in Lawrence, Kansas, is nestled among the downtown's mix of restaurants, shops and galleries. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>The Raven Book Store's new location, as of 2021, at 809 Massachusetts St. in Lawrence, Kansas, is nestled among the downtown's mix of restaurants, shops and galleries. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURA SPENCER <a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2022-05-25/best-bookstore-in-america-the-raven-in-lawrence-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.dannycaine.com/" target="_blank">Danny Caine</a>
 was in Bayfield, Wisconsin, for a spring meeting of the Midwest 
Independent Booksellers when he heard the news: Publishers Weekly named 
the <a href="https://www.ravenbookstore.com/" target="_blank">Raven Book Store</a> as Bookstore of the Year.“It
 was a thrill,” said Caine, co-owner of the store and author of the book
 “How to Resist Amazon and Why” and three collections of poetry. “I'm up here surrounded by the bookstore community, which is wonderful,” he said.RELATED: <a href="https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2021-10-09/a-lawrence-bookstore-tried-to-beat-amazon-at-its-own-game-and-survived-now-its-expanding" target="_blank">A Lawrence bookstore tried to beat Amazon at its own game, and survived. Now it's expanding</a>Publishers Weekly <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/88765-pw-bookstore-rep-finalists-announced.html" target="_blank">announced the five finalists</a>
 in March, saying they “are not only beloved by writers and the 
publishing community but also play a significant role in their 
communities.”During a virtual awards ceremony, Caine accepted the
 award on a split-screen with some of the Raven’s other co-owners in 
Lawrence, Kansas.“This is the biggest book industry trade 
publication saying we're the country's bookstore of the year. That’s 
enough for us,” he said. “The real reward is getting to do this work 
with this team and trying to make our bookstore — and perhaps the world —
 a better place.”According to Publishers Weekly, members of the 
book industry, including authors, publishing professionals, and other 
booksellers, stated that “with creativity and panache” the Raven 
“supported authors and books during the pandemic ... in fact, sustained 
the indie bookstore industry.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653587602241.png" alt="In a virtual awards ceremony, Danny Caine shared a split-screen with other co-owners of the Raven Book Store to accept the bookstore of the year award from Publishers Weekly. " />
 <figcaption>In a virtual awards ceremony, Danny Caine shared a split-screen with other co-owners of the Raven Book Store to accept the bookstore of the year award from Publishers Weekly. </figcaption>
 </figure>The Raven (named after the <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven" target="_blank">Edgar Allan Poe poem</a>)
 first opened in 1987 in downtown Lawrence, specializing in mystery 
books. It morphed into a more general interest store after Caine bought 
it in 2017. Last year it moved into a larger space at 809 Massachusetts 
St.Along with a new location, Caine also shares ownership of the store with his staff.“In
 January, I sold about half the store to seven employees. So we’ve got 
seven employee-owners now in addition to me,” he said. “That's been 
really interesting and wonderful to try out the employee-owned model and
 just to try out a little bit more equitable of a structure for our 
business.”He added, “It just feels like an exciting way to take 
the store into the future and try to retain employees and help people 
start a career in the book business if they want to. It’s been really 
meaningful and rewarding for me — and I’m sure for all the other new 
owners, too."

Best bookstore in America? The Raven in Lawrence, Kansas

By JARED STRONG <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/26/usda-relaxes-conservation-program-rules-to-boost-crop-production/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>

Agricultural landowners who are not renewing their agreements this 
year with the federal government to keep their land out of production 
have the ability to put that land back to work earlier, a potential 
boost to wheat and other crop production amid global shortages, the U.S.
 Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.

Those who have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program now 
have the option to terminate their contract early if they are in the 
final year of the contract. Under normal circumstances, landowners would
 have to wait until October to put the CRP land back into production or 
would be required to repay the money they’ve received from the program.

“They can now voluntarily terminate without penalty for those acres 
that are coming out of that program,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom 
Vilsack told a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday, “so that they’d be in a
 position to do work now on that land, to either prepare it for a crop 
or to potentially think about other crops that can be grown during the 
course of the winter.”

He said the equivalent of about 1 million acres of agricultural land 
is leaving the program this year — the difference between the acres that
 are expiring and the newly enrolled acres this year. In March, about 
22.1 million acres were actively enrolled, according to USDA data.

President Joe Biden <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/11/biden-pledges-more-support-for-farmers-the-backbone-of-freedom/">has warned</a>
 that people “are going to starve to death” if millions of tons of wheat
 and corn in Ukraine is unable to be exported because of the ongoing 
Russian invasion, which began more than three months ago.

Ukraine is a significant producer and exporter of those crops, much 
of which is sold to African nations. Ukrainian officials have accused 
Russian troops of destroying farms and stealing grain and equipment. 
It’s not yet clear how much the war will affect Ukraine’s crop 
production this year.

Agriculture groups such as the American Farm Bureau Federation have 
been pining for months for the USDA to release CRP farmland back into 
production without penalty to help boost the global food supply.

In letters to CRP landowners this week, the USDA offered early terminations to those who hadn’t renewed their enrollment.

Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine 
has cut off a critical source of wheat, corn, barley, oilseeds and 
cooking oil, and we’ve heard from many producers who want to better 
understand their options to help respond to global food needs,” Zach 
Ducheneaux, administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, said in a press
 release Thursday. “This announcement will help producers make informed 
decisions about land use and conservation options.”

CRP contracts typically last for 10 to 15 years. Landowners set aside
 the land to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality and wildlife 
habitat, and the government pays them per acre. Those rental payments 
vary widely, depending on where the land is located.

Payments for Iowa land have the highest average at about $234 per 
acre, according to a recent USDA report. Payments for Nevada land were 
the lowest at about $10 per acre.

Landowners can end those contracts whenever they chose, but they must
 repay the rental payments with interest and face a potential additional
 penalty. The USDA periodically offers early termination without 
repayment or penalty. In 2017, the department offered it to certain 
landowners to encourage land sales to new farmers and ranchers.

“I think it’s a great step in the right direction, but I believe that
 we can do more,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, told Vilsack 
during a Senate agriculture committee meeting Thursday, which was 
convened to address the challenges facing farmers and rural communities.

Boozman said early terminations should be more broadly offered to CRP
 participants to “allow potentially millions of acres to return to food 
production.”

Vilsack said the USDA is seeking to balance short-term and long-term 
global food concerns — especially as they pertain to climate change — 
and that CRP’s emphasis is on less desirable agricultural land.

“We basically have been focusing on highly erodible areas,” Vilsack said, “areas that are not particularly productive.”

Senator calls for supplemental crop insurance&nbsp;

Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, said the USDA should offer to 
supplement potential crop insurance payments to farmers who are late to 
plant this year.

Corn planting in North Dakota has been severely delayed this year by 
wet weather. Just 20% of the state’s corn had been planted as of Sunday,
 compared to the five-year average of 66%, according to a recent USDA 
report.

Wednesday was the final planting day to get full crop insurance 
coverage for most of the state’s counties. Hoeven worries that some 
farmers might not plant because it’s too financially risky.

“In a time of food inflation, we want as many of them as possible planting a crop,” he said.

Vilsack said he would consider the proposal.

USDA data show that corn planting in at least 11 states is behind the
 five-year average, including most of the top-producing states. Iowa 
leads the country in corn production and, thanks to a stretch of 
favorable weather, <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/23/farmers-planting-crops-are-close-to-caught-up/">was close to catching up</a> with the five-year average on Sunday. Still, there are concerns that early planting delays will affect yield potential.

Minnesota, a major corn producer, had planted 60% of its corn 
compared with the five-year average of 86% as of Sunday. Soybean 
planting was also significantly delayed in that state and in North 
Dakota.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653658789976.png" alt="Certain landowners are paid by the government to remove their land from agricultural production (Photo courtesy of the Farm Service Agency)." />
 <figcaption>Certain landowners are paid by the government to remove their land from agricultural production (Photo courtesy of the Farm Service Agency).</figcaption>
 </figure>By JARED STRONG <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/26/usda-relaxes-conservation-program-rules-to-boost-crop-production/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>Agricultural landowners who are not renewing their agreements this 
year with the federal government to keep their land out of production 
have the ability to put that land back to work earlier, a potential 
boost to wheat and other crop production amid global shortages, the U.S.
 Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.Those who have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program now 
have the option to terminate their contract early if they are in the 
final year of the contract. Under normal circumstances, landowners would
 have to wait until October to put the CRP land back into production or 
would be required to repay the money they’ve received from the program.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653658875639.jpeg" alt="U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on May 26, 2022. (Screenshot from U.S. Senate livestream)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on May 26, 2022. (Screenshot from U.S. Senate livestream)</figcaption>
 </figure>“They can now voluntarily terminate without penalty for those acres 
that are coming out of that program,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom 
Vilsack told a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday, “so that they’d be in a
 position to do work now on that land, to either prepare it for a crop 
or to potentially think about other crops that can be grown during the 
course of the winter.”He said the equivalent of about 1 million acres of agricultural land 
is leaving the program this year — the difference between the acres that
 are expiring and the newly enrolled acres this year. In March, about 
22.1 million acres were actively enrolled, according to USDA data.President Joe Biden <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/11/biden-pledges-more-support-for-farmers-the-backbone-of-freedom/">has warned</a>
 that people “are going to starve to death” if millions of tons of wheat
 and corn in Ukraine is unable to be exported because of the ongoing 
Russian invasion, which began more than three months ago.Ukraine is a significant producer and exporter of those crops, much 
of which is sold to African nations. Ukrainian officials have accused 
Russian troops of destroying farms and stealing grain and equipment. 
It’s not yet clear how much the war will affect Ukraine’s crop 
production this year.Agriculture groups such as the American Farm Bureau Federation have 
been pining for months for the USDA to release CRP farmland back into 
production without penalty to help boost the global food supply.In letters to CRP landowners this week, the USDA offered early terminations to those who hadn’t renewed their enrollment.Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine 
has cut off a critical source of wheat, corn, barley, oilseeds and 
cooking oil, and we’ve heard from many producers who want to better 
understand their options to help respond to global food needs,” Zach 
Ducheneaux, administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, said in a press
 release Thursday. “This announcement will help producers make informed 
decisions about land use and conservation options.”CRP contracts typically last for 10 to 15 years. Landowners set aside
 the land to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality and wildlife 
habitat, and the government pays them per acre. Those rental payments 
vary widely, depending on where the land is located.Payments for Iowa land have the highest average at about $234 per 
acre, according to a recent USDA report. Payments for Nevada land were 
the lowest at about $10 per acre.Landowners can end those contracts whenever they chose, but they must
 repay the rental payments with interest and face a potential additional
 penalty. The USDA periodically offers early termination without 
repayment or penalty. In 2017, the department offered it to certain 
landowners to encourage land sales to new farmers and ranchers.“I think it’s a great step in the right direction, but I believe that
 we can do more,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, told Vilsack 
during a Senate agriculture committee meeting Thursday, which was 
convened to address the challenges facing farmers and rural communities.Boozman said early terminations should be more broadly offered to CRP
 participants to “allow potentially millions of acres to return to food 
production.”Vilsack said the USDA is seeking to balance short-term and long-term 
global food concerns — especially as they pertain to climate change — 
and that CRP’s emphasis is on less desirable agricultural land.“We basically have been focusing on highly erodible areas,” Vilsack said, “areas that are not particularly productive.”<h2>Senator calls for supplemental crop insurance&nbsp;</h2>Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, said the USDA should offer to 
supplement potential crop insurance payments to farmers who are late to 
plant this year.Corn planting in North Dakota has been severely delayed this year by 
wet weather. Just 20% of the state’s corn had been planted as of Sunday,
 compared to the five-year average of 66%, according to a recent USDA 
report.Wednesday was the final planting day to get full crop insurance 
coverage for most of the state’s counties. Hoeven worries that some 
farmers might not plant because it’s too financially risky.“In a time of food inflation, we want as many of them as possible planting a crop,” he said.Vilsack said he would consider the proposal.USDA data show that corn planting in at least 11 states is behind the
 five-year average, including most of the top-producing states. Iowa 
leads the country in corn production and, thanks to a stretch of 
favorable weather, <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/23/farmers-planting-crops-are-close-to-caught-up/">was close to catching up</a> with the five-year average on Sunday. Still, there are concerns that early planting delays will affect yield potential.Minnesota, a major corn producer, had planted 60% of its corn 
compared with the five-year average of 86% as of Sunday. Soybean 
planting was also significantly delayed in that state and in North 
Dakota.

USDA relaxes conservation program rules to boost crop production

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. — Chris Hund is one of the youngest technicians in his profession.

At the beginning of the year, he and his wife bought Hays Organ Service from Steve Demuth, who had owned and operated the business for 48 years.

Demuth said organ technicians are a vanishing breed. Many are aging, have retired or passed away.

As this has happened, Hund's service area has expanded significantly. He services organs across Kansas and much of Nebraska. He and his wife, Laura, recently logged 1,200 miles in just two weeks of work.

When Demuth, 68, started the business, he was mostly working on home organs. Most organists had organs in their homes on which they practiced.

Today Hund's work primarily focuses on digital pianos and church organs, both traditional pipe organs and electronic instruments. Some of the pipe organs are as much as 100 years old.

Hund said maintaining the organs is essential to church culture.

"If you don't have music, you don't have a service, not in the same way," he said.

Hund took an unlikely path into the music world. He has a degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and worked for Midwest Energy for a time.

However, he said he was interested in finding another career path that included more flexibility.

Demuth's daughter married Hund's brother and the two happened to discuss Demuth's impending retirement.

Demuth said he wasn't quite ready to retire, but a bout of COVID resulted in the loss of his high-range hearing, which is essential when tuning an organ.

Hund agreed to shadow Demuth on a job to see what the business was all about. That turned into about six months, and on Jan. 1, Hund and his wife officially assumed control over the business. Demuth has remained on with the business as a consultant.

"In this field, you have to have an electronic background, be mechanically capable and you've got to have some music skills," Demuth said. ... "And you have to like to travel because they don't bring the organs to you."

Pipe organs can be unique to the church or building into which they are installed with no manuals or training that can prepare you for that specific instrument.

This is why Demuth's continued assistance has been invaluable, Hund said.

The organ chests control the airflow with a rubber cloth or leather. Those can wear out over about 80 years and result in the instrument needing to be rebuilt, Demuth said.

For most churches, any type of replacement of an organ would be far too cost restrictive. Even the tuning of an organ takes hours of what Demuth explained as stretching and contortion to reach into the tight spaces that hold the pipes.

Tuning can greatly affect the sound of the music. Demuth said masters, such as Bach, composed for organs with different tuning than is generally used today. Modern organs can be adjusted to fit that tuning so the music matches the composer's intent.

Mice often make mischief in organs, especially those in older, rural churches. Demuth was once called to a church to repair an organ at a rural church near Larned. He suspected mice had damaged the organ based on the instrument's symptoms.

Demuth fixed the organ, but in two weeks, church officials called him complaining about problems with the organ.

He returned to find mice, in that short time, had filled one of the organ's boxes, which was about a cubic foot, with milo. Curiously, one of the church members told Demuth the nearest milo field was three-quarters of a mile away.

Not only is there a dwindling number of organ technicians, but there is also a lack of organists. Demuth said many churches are now sharing organists to keep up with the demand.

Playing the organ is similar, but yet different and more complex than playing the piano.

Organs have two keyboards plus pedals, whereas a piano only has damper pedals. Organs can have much larger ranges than pianos, and the sheet music is different.

"There are stops on an organ that are strictly an organ stop," Demuth said. "They are not borrowed from any other type of instrument. A trumpet stop is obviously a trumpet or oboe or anything like that. ... "The pipes are tailored to meet that tonal quality."

Hund said, "I can't think of any other instrument that you can play so many unique sounds all together by the press of a key. It is really a unique instrument, and I would hate to see it go away."

As the Hunds move forward with with the business, Chris said he hopes to work with churches to do preventive maintenance to reduce the number of hours and miles the couple is on the road.

The Hunds work out of a home office. Hays Organ Service can be reached at 785-261-1890 or by email at&nbsp;service@haysorganservice.org.&nbsp;You can also learn more on their website&nbsp;<a href="http://haysorganservice.com/">haysorganservice.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysOrganService/">@haysorganservice</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653504985520.jpeg" alt="Chris and Laura Hund are the new owners of Hays Organ Service. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Chris and Laura Hund are the new owners of Hays Organ Service. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHAYS, Kan. — Chris Hund is one of the youngest technicians in his profession.At the beginning of the year, he and his wife bought Hays Organ Service from Steve Demuth, who had owned and operated the business for 48 years.Demuth said organ technicians are a vanishing breed. Many are aging, have retired or passed away.As this has happened, Hund's service area has expanded significantly. He services organs across Kansas and much of Nebraska. He and his wife, Laura, recently logged 1,200 miles in just two weeks of work.When Demuth, 68, started the business, he was mostly working on home organs. Most organists had organs in their homes on which they practiced.Today Hund's work primarily focuses on digital pianos and church organs, both traditional pipe organs and electronic instruments. Some of the pipe organs are as much as 100 years old.Hund said maintaining the organs is essential to church culture. "If you don't have music, you don't have a service, not in the same way," he said. Hund took an unlikely path into the music world. He has a degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and worked for Midwest Energy for a time.However, he said he was interested in finding another career path that included more flexibility.Demuth's daughter married Hund's brother and the two happened to discuss Demuth's impending retirement.Demuth said he wasn't quite ready to retire, but a bout of COVID resulted in the loss of his high-range hearing, which is essential when tuning an organ.Hund agreed to shadow Demuth on a job to see what the business was all about. That turned into about six months, and on Jan. 1, Hund and his wife officially assumed control over the business. Demuth has remained on with the business as a consultant."In this field, you have to have an electronic background, be mechanically capable and you've got to have some music skills," Demuth said. ... "And you have to like to travel because they don't bring the organs to you." Pipe organs can be unique to the church or building into which they are installed with no manuals or training that can prepare you for that specific instrument.This is why Demuth's continued assistance has been invaluable, Hund said.The organ chests control the airflow with a rubber cloth or leather. Those can wear out over about 80 years and result in the instrument needing to be rebuilt, Demuth said.For most churches, any type of replacement of an organ would be far too cost restrictive. Even the tuning of an organ takes hours of what Demuth explained as stretching and contortion to reach into the tight spaces that hold the pipes.Tuning can greatly affect the sound of the music. Demuth said masters, such as Bach, composed for organs with different tuning than is generally used today. Modern organs can be adjusted to fit that tuning so the music matches the composer's intent. Mice often make mischief in organs, especially those in older, rural churches. Demuth was once called to a church to repair an organ at a rural church near Larned. He suspected mice had damaged the organ based on the instrument's symptoms.Demuth fixed the organ, but in two weeks, church officials called him complaining about problems with the organ.He returned to find mice, in that short time, had filled one of the organ's boxes, which was about a cubic foot, with milo. Curiously, one of the church members told Demuth the nearest milo field was three-quarters of a mile away.Not only is there a dwindling number of organ technicians, but there is also a lack of organists. Demuth said many churches are now sharing organists to keep up with the demand.Playing the organ is similar, but yet different and more complex than playing the piano.Organs have two keyboards plus pedals, whereas a piano only has damper pedals. Organs can have much larger ranges than pianos, and the sheet music is different."There are stops on an organ that are strictly an organ stop," Demuth said. "They are not borrowed from any other type of instrument. A trumpet stop is obviously a trumpet or oboe or anything like that. ... "The pipes are tailored to meet that tonal quality."Hund said, "I can't think of any other instrument that you can play so many unique sounds all together by the press of a key. It is really a unique instrument, and I would hate to see it go away." As the Hunds move forward with with the business, Chris said he hopes to work with churches to do preventive maintenance to reduce the number of hours and miles the couple is on the road.The Hunds work out of a home office. Hays Organ Service can be reached at 785-261-1890 or by email at&nbsp;service@haysorganservice.org.&nbsp;You can also learn more on their website&nbsp;<a href="http://haysorganservice.com/">haysorganservice.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysOrganService/">@haysorganservice</a>.

New owners of organ repair business serve wide swath of Kan., Neb.

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/27/immigrants-face-new-reality-and-old-fears-under-a-kansas-law-banning-sanctuary-cities/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Alejandro Rangel-Lopez says fear is a given in a mixed-status household.

Growing up in Dodge City with an undocumented parent, Rangel-Lopez 
constantly feared his father coming home with news that immigration 
agents had detained his mother.

And he says fear of deportation kept his mother from reporting an 
abusive ex-husband who fled with their two oldest children to Mexico in 
2001.

“That’s what delayed her justice and cost her the right to see my two
 older siblings grow up,” Rangel-Lopez said. “She couldn’t see them 
until she got her green card this year, 21 years later.”

The fear of law enforcement or other government authorities that many
 immigrants experience is corrosive to a community, said Rangel-Lopez, 
the lead coordinator for New Frontiers Project, a southwest Kansas group
 working to civically empower people of color. And that’s why the 
21-year-old University of Kansas student supports city ordinances like 
the short-lived Safe and Welcoming Act in Wyandotte County that limit or
 prohibit how much city officials can cooperate with federal immigration
 enforcement.

The policy also provided immigrants a municipal identification card 
without fear of information going to U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement. But a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/30/kansas-senate-quickly-endorses-legislation-banning-sanctuary-cities/">new state law passed with haste</a> earlier this year in response to the Wyandotte County ordinance.

Immigrants are reeling from the law and the far reaching effects it 
could have on their communities, even beyond those with welcoming 
ordinances. With a growing immigrant population, advocates warn of 
economic and criminal fallout from the legislative action.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/HB2717/">The law</a>
 prohibits local governments from taking action to prevent law 
enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities. 
Municipality ID cards are invalid when used instead of state 
identification for purposes like voter ID.

The state law undercuts not only the Wyandotte County ordinance but 
similar ones in Lawrence and Roeland Park. Immigration advocates say the
 law will have a chilling effect on the state’s economy and create 
several legal dilemmas.

A coalition of Wyandotte County organizations, including the mayor of
 Kansas City, Kansas, urged Gov. Laura Kelly to reject the measure. But <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/11/kelly-signs-bill-spiking-wyandotte-countys-adoption-of-sanctuary-city-policy/">in signing the law</a>,
 Kelly said immigration reform “cannot be resolved at the municipal 
level” and that the responsibility to address a “broken” system “rests 
with Congress.”

Judy Ancel, president of the Cross Border Network, a Kansas City 
organization that supports workers across borders and who cross borders,
 acknowledged the bill had enough support in the Legislature to override
 a veto, but said the governor’s action sent the wrong message to her 
immigrant supporters, many of whom are law-abiding citizens.

<a target="_blank" href="https://dashboards.mysidewalk.com/aclu-ks/immigration">Data compiled</a>
 from 2011 to 2019 by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas shows
 more than 4,000 people arrested or removed by ICE during that time, 
many of whom have not been convicted of a crime. During that time, the 
state’s population grew by more than 60,000 — driven predominantly by 
immigrants, according to the ACLU data.

ICE detainers are not arrest warrants, and immigration law is civil, not criminal, Ancel said.

“What (the new state law) says is that Kansas is really ignorant and 
backward,” Ancel said. “To families who might be thinking of moving 
here, who may or may not have undocumented people but who are 
immigrants, it says Kansas is unsafe and unwelcome to immigrant labor.”

Ancel was among the people who <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/10/why-wont-mayor-alvey-put-safe-and-welcoming-wyandotte-on-the-agenda/">spent years working to pass</a> the Safe and Welcoming Act in Wyandotte County.

For Ancel, the effort began in 2007 but did not catch the attention 
of the local government until about five years ago. Since then, Ancel 
and a coalition of community organizations knocked on doors and worked 
to create an ordinance they said would ensure a more cohesive community.

Finally, in February, Wyandotte County commissioners approved the ordinance.

“A lot of people in Wyandotte County were set to benefit from it when we passed it,” Ancel said. “Hopes were raised.”

According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wycoid.org/wyandotte-county">Safe and Welcoming Wyandotte</a>,
 as many as 30,000 people in Wyandotte County have difficulty accessing a
 government-issued ID card. That is approximately 1 in 5 people who live
 in the county, including foster children, immigrants, people without 
housing and the elderly.

Yazmin Bruno Valdez, a community organizer for Advocates for 
Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, said with the law in place and the 
information potentially liable to be used in other ways, she is advising
 against the ID.

Valdez, 21, is an immigrant, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.uscis.gov/DACA">DACA recipient</a>,
 and lived without identification for more than 20 years. She says 
lacking an ID made her feel like she was not part of society and kept 
her from doing many of the things she wanted to do.

She was even denied entrance at first to her senior prom because she 
did not have a driver’s license or state-issued ID. Safe and Welcoming 
was an opportunity to include a community working hard but often unseen,
 Valdez said.

“To turn back around a month later and tell those same people that 
those protections we promised, that you worked hard for, were ripped 
away because of a law that passed in less than a month,” Valdez said. 
“It will completely change people’s lives — I can guarantee that.”

The law allows the attorney general, a county or district attorney to
 bring a court action to compel a municipality or person to comply with 
provisions of the law.

Wyandotte County was not the first local government to become a 
so-called “sanctuary city.” Lawrence took the initiative in 2020, 
passing an ordinance that prohibits collecting immigration-related 
information for people to access city services and limiting local law 
enforcement’s cooperation with ICE agents.

Mariel Ferreiro, co-founder and organizer with Sanctuary Alliance 
Lawrence, said incidents involving immigration enforcement agents 
driving up and down Iowa Street in town, and eventually detaining 
someone, caused a big stir that started the conversation.

Then in January 2018, ICE agents detained Syed Jamal in front of his 
home as he was preparing to take his children to school. Jamal’s case 
became <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43034784">a matter of international interest</a> amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants whose legal status in the country was in doubt.

Jamal eventually walked free, but the incident was enough to push the
 Lawrence community to enact a protective ordinance for immigrants.

“It was this idea that all citizens and community members should have
 access to city resources and immigration not be something that’s a 
barrier to them,” Ferreiro said. “Unfortunately, this (state law) 
definitely put a huge pause and now we’re kind of trying to figure out 
what we can do.”

The new law also largely negates a Roeland Park ordinance that said 
city officials can decline to use funds or resources to help federal 
immigration agencies or to share information on an individual’s 
immigration status. Police were required to alert residents of any 
federal immigration enforcement action within 48 hours, except in cases 
where a crime had occurred.

Yeni Telles said this could fracture trust built between the 
immigrant community and law enforcement beyond eastern Kansas. Telles 
was born in Mexico but came to the U.S. in 1999, eventually moving to 
Kansas to fulfill her dream of becoming a homeowner and graduating from a
 university.

“As a social worker working directly with victims of crime, 
especially victims of domestic violence, there is already fear within 
the immigrant community contacting law enforcement to report a crime 
committed against them,” Telles said. “Immigrants are not strangers. 
They are our neighbors, the family of our children’s classmates, our 
coworkers.”

While testimony provided to the Legislature on the law banning sanctuary jurisdictions was <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/15/ag-backed-bill-prohibiting-sanctuary-cities-brings-heavy-opposition-to-kansas-statehouse/">predominantly in opposition</a> to the measure, a handful of elected state officials argued a patchwork of local ordinances presented several issues.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-attorney-general-files-bill-banning-sanctuary-cities-issuance-of-ids/">proposed the legislation</a> in February, shortly after Wyandotte County approved its act.

“Citizens throughout our state deserve to know that wherever they may
 travel in Kansas, law enforcement officials are cooperating with 
federal and state agencies to fairly enforce applicable law and are not 
obliged to turn a blind eye to some unlawful conduct merely because of 
local politics,” Schmidt said in a statement upon filing the bill.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/15/ag-backed-bill-prohibiting-sanctuary-cities-brings-heavy-opposition-to-kansas-statehouse/">Testifying before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee</a>,
 the Republican candidate for governor said Kansas required such a law 
to ensure the entire state can be safe and welcoming to immigrants.

Bryan Caskey, the state election director, followed Schmidt’s 
testimony and said the Secretary of State’s office supported the bill to
 ensure proper voting protocol.

“It is the firm position of the Kansas Secretary of State that only 
United States citizens may vote in an election,” Caskey said. “Requiring
 voter identification to cast a ballot ensures the protection of voters’
 rights and the integrity of the electoral process.”

Opponents said this was a misplaced concern because immigrants would 
need to register to vote, which only citizens can do, before casting a 
ballot.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/20/kansas-republican-attorney-general-candidates-wrangle-over-experience-electability/">At a recent debate</a>
 among Republican candidates for attorney general, all three 
participants agreed outlawing sanctuary cities was the best course for 
the state. Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said the 
legislation did not go far enough.

“I propose one that would take away all state money from any city or any company that has a sanctuary policy,” Kobach said.

While Schmidt and Republican legislators argued different policies in
 various parts of the state would create confusion, Genevra Alberti said
 the new law is the real source of uncertainty.

Alberti, the vice-chairwoman of the Missouri-Kansas Chapter of the 
American Immigration Lawyers Association, told legislators during a 
hearing on the matter that immigration law is incredibly complicated, 
even for those who practice it daily. She said immigration law 
enforcement falls under the purview of the federal government, but the 
new state law would “deputize” any law enforcement officer to enforce 
immigration law without limit or oversight.

Other parts of the bill were concerningly vague, Alberti added in her
 testimony on the law. She said nowhere in the law is it explicitly 
established what actions local jurisdictions are required or permitted 
to take.

“In effect, this legislation permits, even encourages, any law 
enforcement person or office to take any action, no matter what 
overreach, and prohibits any commonsense policy or limitation from being
 placed on any act construed to be ‘cooperation’ — just so long as it, 
ostensibly, is related to immigration,” Alberti said.

Alberti also said the new state law strips Kansas communities of 
their right to oversight of their police departments. Coordinating with 
ICE activities has frequently been found to be illegal and 
unconstitutional, leaving law enforcement vulnerable to potential 
complaints and lawsuits.

The ripples of the bill will be felt in businesses across Kansas, 
said Martin Rosas, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local Two 
President.

Rosas, who also serves as vice president of the UFCW International 
Union, testified during the legislature’s hearing on the bill on behalf 
of more than 11,000 workers in the food-supply industry in Kansas. He 
said the measure would impact agricultural and food processing 
industries.

Rosas, citing a recent analysis of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-1year.html">American Community Survey</a>,
 said foreign-born workers make up 34.5% of the employees working in the
 food processing industry in the state and 25.6% of those work in the 
agricultural industry.

“The most recent public health crisis is a proof of this statement,” 
Rosas said. “Thousands of immigrants, considered essentials to the state
 infrastructure, stood up through the pandemic to keep the food supply 
in all Kansas’ tables.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-effects-of-sanctuary-policies-on-crime-and-the-economy/">According to a recent study</a>
 on the effects of sanctuary policies, welcoming counties had median 
household incomes that were $4,353 higher, 2.3% lower poverty rates and 
1.1% lower unemployment rates.

“(The law) will make our state less inclusive, less prosperous and 
less safe,” said Caleb Smith of Kansas Appleseed. “Our state’s future 
and the well-being of our communities is at stake.”

With the law enrolled, immigration reform advocates and stakeholders 
involved in passing their city or county sanctuary ordinances are 
asking: “What next?”

Karla Juarez, executive director of the Advocates for Immigrant 
Rights and Reconciliation, and a member of the Safe and Welcoming 
Wyandotte Coalition, said step one was to analyze what parts of their 
ordinance might be salvageable. In addition, Juarez was hopeful there 
would be some sort of statewide education initiative.

“So, focusing on the individual and communities, give them the facts 
about how this is going to affect you because there is lots of fear 
mongering,” Juarez said.

Juarez also agreed with the governor’s assertion that Congress should
 address federal immigration. Unfortunately, she said the law put 
community organizers in a tight spot where making meaningful policy 
changes to protect immigrants was now in question.

Other members of the coalition echoed Kelly’s request for a trailer 
bill to ensure individuals who rely on local government IDs to vote, 
like veterans, the elderly and Kansans with disabilities, are not 
adversely affected.

Ferreiro, of Sanctuary Alliance Lawrence, is looking at ways to 
ensure legislation like this does not pass in the future. For her, the 
best way to do that is to mobilize different communities to vote in 
droves.

“We saw those shifts on a smaller level. We saw it in Lawrence. You 
saw them in Roeland Park and in Wyandotte County,” Ferreiro said. “What 
would it look like if we grew that, and we tried to do that statewide? 
Could we shift the power politically back to the people?”

Immigrants face new reality, old fears under Kan. law banning ‘sanctuary’ cities

TAFT, Okla. (AP) — Authorities said a 26-year-old man was in custody after one person was killed and seven people were injured in a shooting early Sunday at an outdoor festival in eastern Oklahoma, where witnesses described frantic people running for cover amid gunfire.

An arrest warrant was issued for Skyler Buckner and he turned himself in to the Muskogee County sheriff’s office Sunday, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. OSBI said that those shot at the Memorial Day event in Taft, located about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa, ranged in age from 9 to 56.

A 39-year-old woman was killed, OSBI said. The injuries of those wounded were considered non-life-threatening.

Witnesses said an argument preceded the gunfire just after midnight, the agency said.

“We heard a lot of shots and we thought it was firecrackers at first,” said Sylvia Wilson, an owner of Taft’s Boots Cafe, which was open at the time to serve a surge of visitors to the small town for the gathering. “Then people start running and ducking. And we were yelling at everyone... ’Get down! Get down!” Wilson said to The Associated Press by telephone from the café on Sunday morning.

About 1,500 people attended the event in Taft, which usually has a population of just a few hundred people. Members of the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office were in attendance and immediately began rendering aid, OSBI said.

“Bullets were literally flying everywhere,” Jasmayne Hill, who was working at a food truck during the event, told the&nbsp;<a href="https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/1-dead-7-injured-in-muskogee-county-shooting-authorities-seek-suspect-info/article_f624ada6-df5e-11ec-a2aa-9fb3e165e043.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">Tulsa World.</a>

Hill said she and Tiffany Walton, the owner of the food truck, dove to the truck’s floor to avoid the bullets.

“We’re thinking we’re safe and the bullets are like going through the bottom of the food truck,” Hill said. “They didn’t hit us, thank God.”

Neicy Bates and her husband were operating another food truck when the shots rang out. She told the Tulsa World that most people “were just going to the ground trying to get out of the way.”

“People were just screaming. Some were trying to run away. There were cars leaving, trying not to hit each other,” she said.

Walton, who lives in Taft, said for decades the town has held a multi-day festival over Memorial Day weekend.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/govstitt/status/1530999823347945472" target="_blank">said on Twitter</a>&nbsp;that he was grateful for the OSBI’s “swift response to assist local police.”

Wilson estimated her café is about 100 feet (30 meters) from where the shooting broke out. She said law enforcement had been on the scene to help with security earlier and that officers reacted quickly to the shooting.

“We are upset,” Wilson said, adding: “But everything is getting back to normal... The danger has passed.”

Buckner was being held Sunday in Muskogee County jail. Jail records did not have an attorney listed for him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653911874163.png" alt="Buckner-photo OSBI" />
 <figcaption>Buckner-photo OSBI</figcaption>
 </figure>TAFT, Okla. (AP) — Authorities said a 26-year-old man was in custody after one person was killed and seven people were injured in a shooting early Sunday at an outdoor festival in eastern Oklahoma, where witnesses described frantic people running for cover amid gunfire.An arrest warrant was issued for Skyler Buckner and he turned himself in to the Muskogee County sheriff’s office Sunday, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. OSBI said that those shot at the Memorial Day event in Taft, located about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa, ranged in age from 9 to 56.A 39-year-old woman was killed, OSBI said. The injuries of those wounded were considered non-life-threatening.Witnesses said an argument preceded the gunfire just after midnight, the agency said.“We heard a lot of shots and we thought it was firecrackers at first,” said Sylvia Wilson, an owner of Taft’s Boots Cafe, which was open at the time to serve a surge of visitors to the small town for the gathering. “Then people start running and ducking. And we were yelling at everyone... ’Get down! Get down!” Wilson said to The Associated Press by telephone from the café on Sunday morning.About 1,500 people attended the event in Taft, which usually has a population of just a few hundred people. Members of the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office were in attendance and immediately began rendering aid, OSBI said.“Bullets were literally flying everywhere,” Jasmayne Hill, who was working at a food truck during the event, told the&nbsp;<a href="https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/1-dead-7-injured-in-muskogee-county-shooting-authorities-seek-suspect-info/article_f624ada6-df5e-11ec-a2aa-9fb3e165e043.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">Tulsa World.</a>Hill said she and Tiffany Walton, the owner of the food truck, dove to the truck’s floor to avoid the bullets.“We’re thinking we’re safe and the bullets are like going through the bottom of the food truck,” Hill said. “They didn’t hit us, thank God.”Neicy Bates and her husband were operating another food truck when the shots rang out. She told the Tulsa World that most people “were just going to the ground trying to get out of the way.”“People were just screaming. Some were trying to run away. There were cars leaving, trying not to hit each other,” she said.Walton, who lives in Taft, said for decades the town has held a multi-day festival over Memorial Day weekend.Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/govstitt/status/1530999823347945472" target="_blank">said on Twitter</a>&nbsp;that he was grateful for the OSBI’s “swift response to assist local police.”Wilson estimated her café is about 100 feet (30 meters) from where the shooting broke out. She said law enforcement had been on the scene to help with security earlier and that officers reacted quickly to the shooting.“We are upset,” Wilson said, adding: “But everything is getting back to normal... The danger has passed.”Buckner was being held Sunday in Muskogee County jail. Jail records did not have an attorney listed for him.

1 dead, 7 injured during shooting at Oklahoma Memorial Day festival

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating two separate, but believed to be related, aggravated robbery incidents that occurred Saturday&nbsp; have arrested 24-year-old Paris Birdlong and 20-year-old Ta’Corey Lewis, both of Topeka. On Sunday, police asked the public for help to locate them.

Just before 5 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the Gas n Shop, 1900 NW Lyman Road on a report of an aggravated robbery in which a suspect armed with a handgun entered the store and demanded money from the clerk, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.

Approximately 20 minutes later,  officers responded to the Kwik Shop, 746 NE Wabash Avenue on a report of an aggravated robbery. A suspect with a similar description entered the store armed with a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. He then left the store on foot.

At around 6:44 a.m. TPD officers located the grey Hyundai Sonata parked unoccupied at 1015 SW Garfield Avenue. This is the same vehicle that is believed to be involved in the aggravated robberies reported on May 27th, that occurred at 3724 SW 29th street and 102 SW 37th Street, according to Stanley.

Lewis and Birdlong are being held on requested charges of aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and theft of a motor vehicle, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two separate, but believed to be related, aggravated robbery incidents that occurred Saturday in Topeka. Police have identified two individuals Paris Birdlong and Ta’Corey Lewis, both ofTopeka,&nbsp; they want to question as part of their investigation.

Just before 5 a.m.,  officers responded to the Gas n Shop, 1900 NW Lyman Road on a report of an aggravated robbery in which a suspect armed with a handgun entered the store and demanded money from the clerk, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.

The suspect was described as an adult male wearing a black hoodie, grey sweatpants and black sneakers. He then left the store in a grey Hyundai Sonata.

Approximately 20 minutes later,&nbsp; officers responded to the Kwik Shop, 746 NE Wabash Avenue on a report of an aggravated robbery. A suspect with a similar description entered the store armed with a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. He then left the store on foot.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two separate, but believed to be related, aggravated robbery incidents that occurred Saturday in Topeka.

Just before 5 a.m.,&nbsp; officers responded to the Gas n Shop, 1900 NW Lyman Road on a report of an aggravated robbery in which a suspect armed with a handgun entered the store and demanded money from the clerk, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653786330227.png" alt="Security camera image Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating two separate, but believed to be related, aggravated robbery incidents that occurred Saturday&nbsp; have arrested 24-year-old Paris Birdlong and 20-year-old Ta’Corey Lewis, both of Topeka. On Sunday, police asked the public for help to locate them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653910795168.png" alt="Lewis-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lewis-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 5 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the Gas n Shop, 1900 NW Lyman Road on a report of an aggravated robbery in which a suspect armed with a handgun entered the store and demanded money from the clerk, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.Approximately 20 minutes later, officers responded to the Kwik Shop, 746 NE Wabash Avenue on a report of an aggravated robbery. A suspect with a similar description entered the store armed with a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. He then left the store on foot.At around 6:44 a.m. TPD officers located the grey Hyundai Sonata parked unoccupied at 1015 SW Garfield Avenue. This is the same vehicle that is believed to be involved in the aggravated robberies reported on May 27th, that occurred at 3724 SW 29th street and 102 SW 37th Street, according to Stanley.Lewis and Birdlong are being held on requested charges of aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm and theft of a motor vehicle, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.--------SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two separate, but believed to be related, aggravated robbery incidents that occurred Saturday in Topeka. Police have identified two individuals Paris Birdlong and Ta’Corey Lewis, both ofTopeka,&nbsp; they want to question as part of their investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653857832890.png" alt="Lewis-photo Topeka PD" />
 <figcaption>Lewis-photo Topeka PD</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 5 a.m., officers responded to the Gas n Shop, 1900 NW Lyman Road on a report of an aggravated robbery in which a suspect armed with a handgun entered the store and demanded money from the clerk, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653857784777.png" alt="BIrdlong-photo -Topeka&nbsp; PD" />
 <figcaption>BIrdlong-photo -Topeka&nbsp; PD</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect was described as an adult male wearing a black hoodie, grey sweatpants and black sneakers. He then left the store in a grey Hyundai Sonata.Approximately 20 minutes later,&nbsp; officers responded to the Kwik Shop, 746 NE Wabash Avenue on a report of an aggravated robbery. A suspect with a similar description entered the store armed with a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. He then left the store on foot.At around 6:44 a.m. TPD officers located the grey Hyundai Sonata parked unoccupied at 1015 SW Garfield Avenue. This is the same vehicle that is believed to be involved in the aggravated robberies reported on May 27th, that occurred at 3724 SW 29th street and 102 SW 37th Street, according to Stanley.-----SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two separate, but believed to be related, aggravated robbery incidents that occurred Saturday in Topeka.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653786330227.png" alt="Security camera image of the armed robbery suspect- Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image of the armed robbery suspect- Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 5 a.m.,&nbsp; officers responded to the Gas n Shop, 1900 NW Lyman Road on a report of an aggravated robbery in which a suspect armed with a handgun entered the store and demanded money from the clerk, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. The suspect was described as an adult male wearing a black hoodie, grey sweatpants and black sneakers. He then left the store in a grey Hyundai Sonata.Approximately 20 minutes later,&nbsp; officers responded to the Kwik Shop, 746 NE Wabash Avenue on a report of an aggravated robbery. A suspect with a similar description entered the store armed with a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. He then left the store on foot.At around 6:44 a.m. TPD officers located the grey Hyundai Sonata parked unoccupied at 1015 SW Garfield Avenue. This is the same vehicle that is believed to be involved in the aggravated robberies reported on May 27th, that occurred at 3724 SW 29th street and 102 SW 37th Street, according to Stanley.

Police capture 2 suspects in series of Kan. armed robberies

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department said Sunday it will review the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-timeline-6069b0cf01e5f732ef55f9fd0b7109d7">law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to the Texas school shooting, an unusual federal look back prompted by questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">the shifting and at times contradictory information</a>&nbsp;from authorities that have enraged a community in shock and sorrow.

Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the review would be conducted in a fair, impartial and independent manner and the findings would be made public. The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-biden-visits-uvalde-5602203ec1088223e3b6aaed3d219136">President Joe Biden was visiting Uvalde</a>, where he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a memorial to the 19 students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday.

The goal of the review, which the mayor requested, is “to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” Coley said in a statement.

Handling the review is the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. It was not immediately clear how the review would be conducted, whether law enforcement officials could be compelled to cooperate in the review and when it might be completed.

Such a review is somewhat rare and most after-action reports that come after a mass shooting are generally compiled by local law enforcement agencies or outside groups. The Justice Department conducted similar reviews after 14 people were killed in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, in 2015, and after the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history that left 49 people dead and 53 people wounded.

The frustration, anger and questions about the response from police grew deeper on Friday after authorities revealed that despite repeated 911 calls from students and teachers, the school district’s police chief had told more than a dozen officers to wait in a school hallway. Officials said he believed the suspect was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms and that there was no longer an active attack.

The revelation caused more grief and raised new questions about whether more lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was ultimately killed by Border Patrol tactical officers.

Biden has not spoken publicly about the police response to the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653425371872.png" alt="First responders outside the school the afternoon of the shooting-photo courtesy KSAT TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders outside the school the afternoon of the shooting-photo courtesy KSAT TV</figcaption>
 </figure>UVALDE, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department said Sunday it will review the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-timeline-6069b0cf01e5f732ef55f9fd0b7109d7">law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to the Texas school shooting, an unusual federal look back prompted by questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">the shifting and at times contradictory information</a>&nbsp;from authorities that have enraged a community in shock and sorrow.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To everyone impacted by the horrific elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: We grieve with you. We pray with you. We stand with you. And we’re committed to turning this pain into action. <a href="https://t.co/TIYjdmfKVP">pic.twitter.com/TIYjdmfKVP</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1531041177977372679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the review would be conducted in a fair, impartial and independent manner and the findings would be made public. The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-biden-visits-uvalde-5602203ec1088223e3b6aaed3d219136">President Joe Biden was visiting Uvalde</a>, where he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a memorial to the 19 students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday.The goal of the review, which the mayor requested, is “to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” Coley said in a statement.Handling the review is the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. It was not immediately clear how the review would be conducted, whether law enforcement officials could be compelled to cooperate in the review and when it might be completed.Such a review is somewhat rare and most after-action reports that come after a mass shooting are generally compiled by local law enforcement agencies or outside groups. The Justice Department conducted similar reviews after 14 people were killed in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, in 2015, and after the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history that left 49 people dead and 53 people wounded.The frustration, anger and questions about the response from police grew deeper on Friday after authorities revealed that despite repeated 911 calls from students and teachers, the school district’s police chief had told more than a dozen officers to wait in a school hallway. Officials said he believed the suspect was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms and that there was no longer an active attack.The revelation caused more grief and raised new questions about whether more lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was ultimately killed by Border Patrol tactical officers.Biden has not spoken publicly about the police response to the shooting.

Justice Dept. to review police response to Texas school shooting

Program aims to help soldiers transition from military to civilian life

By RICK MCNARY <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2022/05/13/veterans-and-farmers-come-together-on-save-farm">Kansas Living</a>

When standing on a hill overlooking a timber-lined valley of the 
Flint Hills, you hear nothing but nature: a meadowlark singing from a 
fencepost, the breeze blowing through prairie grass and an occasional 
“moo” from a herd of Hereford cattle grazing on a distant hill.

“That’s what makes this a healing place,” retired Maj. Gen. Tod 
Bunting says. “This land looks like it did 150 years ago, and our 
veterans love to get out here and enjoy nature and learn how agriculture
 works. This place is a pathway to farming and healing.”

Bunting is referring to the Servicemember Agricultural Vocation 
Education (SAVE) Farm northwest of Manhattan. SAVE Farm is a program for
 servicemembers to transition from military service to civilian life. 
Thanks to strategic partnerships with organizations like the Nature 
Conservancy and the Conservation Fund, along with corporate support like
 John Deere’s donations to date of $380,000, the organization was able 
to purchase a 308-acre farm in 2020.

There, nestled in the tallgrass prairie and rich farmland, two of the
 great pillars of America — soldiers and farmers — join ranks to provide
 solutions that benefit both groups.

“The original idea came about 10 years ago to Col. Gary LaGrange,” 
Bunting, CEO of SAVE Farm, says. “He was the Garrison Commander at Fort 
Riley and he and his daughter Shari were involved in beekeeping.

She was a clinical psychologist and suggested they start a program 
that combined beekeeping with therapy for veterans with post-traumatic 
stress disorder. They saw the success of their program for soldiers, so 
they formed a group to start a nonprofit.”

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a variety of 
veteran agencies and organizations are increasing the number of 
resources for veterans to engage in agriculture. They believe few 
relationships align more closely than that of veterans and farmers. The 
skills learned in military service are the same ones needed to be 
successful on a farm: a sense of duty, being organized, adhering to 
rules, working under tight schedules, problem solving and a strong work 
ethic.

Recent census data reveals the number of U.S. farms has declined 4 
percent since 2007 and the average age of the owner/operator, or CEO, of
 a family farm is 58 years old. Family farms make up 97 percent of the 
2.2 million farms in America and many of them are fourth- and 
fifth-generation family farms often dating back to original parcels of 
land in the Homestead Act signed by President Lincoln. However, 
according to the USDA, an estimated 70 percent of U.S. farmland will 
change hands in the next 20 years, and many family operations do not 
have a next generation with the skills or desire to continue farming. 
Meanwhile, labor shortages on the farm are increasing, which leaves 
farms faced with the challenge of finding and retaining a dependable, 
knowledgeable workforce.

There are approximately 19 million veterans in America, 89 percent of
 whom are men. Projections indicate there will be a declining population
 of veterans by 2046, and the veteran population will become slightly 
younger, with 33 percent of veterans being younger than 50 in 2046 
compared with 27 percent in 2021, even as the overall U.S. population 
continues to age.

SAVE Farm addresses both needs: soldiers seeking a healing 
occupation, and farmers needing a new generation of successors and 
trained farm hands. &nbsp;

SAVE Farm works closely with Kansas State University’s College of 
Agriculture and its broad spectrum of studies and disciplines. A 440- 
hour Kansas Board of Regents certification program spans 12 months and 
is designed to give an overall view of the agricultural industry with a 
focus on plant and animal science.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653577766692.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Program aims to help soldiers transition from military to civilian life</h2>By RICK MCNARY <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2022/05/13/veterans-and-farmers-come-together-on-save-farm">Kansas Living</a>When standing on a hill overlooking a timber-lined valley of the 
Flint Hills, you hear nothing but nature: a meadowlark singing from a 
fencepost, the breeze blowing through prairie grass and an occasional 
“moo” from a herd of Hereford cattle grazing on a distant hill.“That’s what makes this a healing place,” retired Maj. Gen. Tod 
Bunting says. “This land looks like it did 150 years ago, and our 
veterans love to get out here and enjoy nature and learn how agriculture
 works. This place is a pathway to farming and healing.”Bunting is referring to the Servicemember Agricultural Vocation 
Education (SAVE) Farm northwest of Manhattan. SAVE Farm is a program for
 servicemembers to transition from military service to civilian life. 
Thanks to strategic partnerships with organizations like the Nature 
Conservancy and the Conservation Fund, along with corporate support like
 John Deere’s donations to date of $380,000, the organization was able 
to purchase a 308-acre farm in 2020.<h2>CONNECTING VETERANS AND FARMERS</h2>There, nestled in the tallgrass prairie and rich farmland, two of the
 great pillars of America — soldiers and farmers — join ranks to provide
 solutions that benefit both groups.“The original idea came about 10 years ago to Col. Gary LaGrange,” 
Bunting, CEO of SAVE Farm, says. “He was the Garrison Commander at Fort 
Riley and he and his daughter Shari were involved in beekeeping.She was a clinical psychologist and suggested they start a program 
that combined beekeeping with therapy for veterans with post-traumatic 
stress disorder. They saw the success of their program for soldiers, so 
they formed a group to start a nonprofit.”The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a variety of 
veteran agencies and organizations are increasing the number of 
resources for veterans to engage in agriculture. They believe few 
relationships align more closely than that of veterans and farmers. The 
skills learned in military service are the same ones needed to be 
successful on a farm: a sense of duty, being organized, adhering to 
rules, working under tight schedules, problem solving and a strong work 
ethic.Recent census data reveals the number of U.S. farms has declined 4 
percent since 2007 and the average age of the owner/operator, or CEO, of
 a family farm is 58 years old. Family farms make up 97 percent of the 
2.2 million farms in America and many of them are fourth- and 
fifth-generation family farms often dating back to original parcels of 
land in the Homestead Act signed by President Lincoln. However, 
according to the USDA, an estimated 70 percent of U.S. farmland will 
change hands in the next 20 years, and many family operations do not 
have a next generation with the skills or desire to continue farming. 
Meanwhile, labor shortages on the farm are increasing, which leaves 
farms faced with the challenge of finding and retaining a dependable, 
knowledgeable workforce.There are approximately 19 million veterans in America, 89 percent of
 whom are men. Projections indicate there will be a declining population
 of veterans by 2046, and the veteran population will become slightly 
younger, with 33 percent of veterans being younger than 50 in 2046 
compared with 27 percent in 2021, even as the overall U.S. population 
continues to age.SAVE Farm addresses both needs: soldiers seeking a healing 
occupation, and farmers needing a new generation of successors and 
trained farm hands. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653577845722.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>EXPOSURE TO THE BUSINESS OF FARMING</h2>SAVE Farm works closely with Kansas State University’s College of 
Agriculture and its broad spectrum of studies and disciplines. A 440- 
hour Kansas Board of Regents certification program spans 12 months and 
is designed to give an overall view of the agricultural industry with a 
focus on plant and animal science.SAVE board member and retired Brig. Gen. Eric Peck builds on this idea of diversification.“We want to expose them to the broad spectrum of agribusiness and the
 farming industry,” Peck says. “We introduce them to farming, and to the
 vast industry it takes to support farming. Part of the curriculum is to
 create a business plan, which they must do to graduate; we teach them 
the business of farming.”In addition to providing a well-rounded overview of farming, the 
intent of SAVE leaders is to ignite a spark within each veteran that 
connects them to a particular part of farming. To the leaders’ surprise,
 they are finding more interest in plant science than animal science, 
evidence that the lack of access to large tracts of land causes veterans
 to think more about small scale, even urban gardening and vertical 
farming. Another reason is many enjoy the simplicity of working in soil 
to grow something useful.One such student, Karl Reid, who was born in Florida but grew up on 
his grandmother’s small farm in Jamaica, is interested in growing 
microgreens in vertical gardening using hydroponics.“You get a good sense here for how all of the parts of farming fit 
together,” Reid says. “Then they help you find what interests you and 
build a plan around it. I’m learning to write a business plan, which is 
part of the curriculum; it must make good business sense for it to be 
sustainable.”“We are here to help our members figure out what they want to do,” 
Bunting says. “We’re kind of like Old MacDonald’s farm; we have a 
variety of plant and animal programs available and, if a new member is 
interested in something we don’t have, we figure out ways to help them 
connect to those who do. We take them on farm tours around the region to
 introduce them to things we don’t or can’t do here at SAVE.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653577876420.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>PROTECTING AMERICA’S FARMS AND COUNTRY</h2>People in the military have a unique sense of belonging few civilians
 understand. From their first moments in boot camp until the day they 
retire or are discharged, they are taught to belong to each other and to
 a noble cause — protecting America. They are united through shared 
experiences, shared risks and shared purpose. They share a unique and 
noble trait that sets them apart: they risk their lives to protect 
America’s freedoms.However, once they leave active service, for many — especially 
wounded soldiers and those with PTSD — that sense of belonging 
disappears and creates a void that leaves many struggling.Virgil Williams is a veteran and the operation manager for SAVE.“When you’re in the military, you build a sense of belonging with 
people and their families no matter where you go,” Williams says. “The 
hard part is, you know that at a moment’s notice, any of you can get 
reassigned somewhere else in the world or get deployed and put in harm’s
 way; you might never see them again. That sense of unease is always 
there. But here at SAVE, we can get that sense of family again and no 
one must leave because they’re being deployed.”In addition to providing access to veterans, SAVE opens the doors to 
their spouses and family. One such family is Joe and Jen Graham and 
their 8-year-old son, Alex. Joe did two tours in Afghanistan.“Coming from a military background, there’s a lot of things we 
endure, and it makes it hard to come back to society and fit in,” Joe 
says. “This is a great place to find the purpose in your life and for 
your life. It’s also a great place to spend time with my wife and son 
and do it together. This place has helped my anxiety and depression. 
It’s a good place to start a new life.”&nbsp;Although SAVE Farm is a new concept, it is based on two great 
traditions that built, and maintain, our country: farming and service. 
Early Americans, even our first president, George Washington, were first
 farmers, then soldiers, then farmers again. We continue to depend on 
these groups of people today, for our freedom and for our food.