Brenda Middleton, seventeen, is missing from Horton, Kansas. She disappeared sometime after 1:00 AM on Thursday, June 13. She is thought to be in the company of an adult man, and took her clothes and other belongings with her. If you have seen her or know where she is, please let law enforcement know. Hopefully, I will be updating this post soon, to state that Brenda has been found safe.
Here are some words
that appeared on this site a couple of years ago, and as it is almost
time for public schools in Kansas to open their seldom locked, unsecured
doors again, this message is appropriate for parents who do not wish to
pay more than they already pay, via their property taxes and mill
levies, for a substandard product. If your childrens' school is charging
these unlawful enrollment fees, you do not have to pay. Refuse to be
intimidated.
Some of the public schools in
Kansas have taken to the unlawful practice of charging "enrollment
fees". This is against federal law, and every time a case concerning
enrollment fees has gone to court, brought by either the school or
parents, the parents have won because the practice of charging for
public education is unlawful. The American Civil Liberties Union has gotten involved in a few cases involving this issue, as well.
It appears that the (ahem) school, and I use the word "school" very
loosely here, in Frankfort, Kansas is up to their usual unlawful stunts
again in regard to extorting money from parents. The "tuition" charged
this year for each student is $50.00. This does not include activity
fees. There is no information revealing the purpose of the fee, or what
is actually covered by it. Frankfort does, after all, garner state and
federal dollars, in order to pay staff to yak on their cell phones most
of the day, or surf the internet. Why is it all-encompassing to charge
money that is legally not allowed to be charged?
In the past, when yours truly sent children to school in Frankfort, she
refused to pay the "enrollment fees", stating emphatically that her
"fees" were already covered by the mill levy and property taxes she pays
each year. This would naturally bring on threats from the principal,
promising everything from refusal to admit students to crying to a
collection agency. The principal discovered that he cannot refuse to
enroll any student in his district, regardless of fees; and that
legitimate collection agencies are loth to intervene in matters wherein
the so-called obligor owes nothing.
This post is for someone specific, and that person will know exactly who she is when she sees it. To everyone else, thank you for indulging me, and please excuse the tone of this post. My outrage is only intended for one person.
You know, if you really cared about child abuse in Kansas, you would never have stolen that twenty dollar bill out of the wallet of a child, here in Kansas. That child actually worked for the money you stole from her, and you have never worked a day in your life. You can also stop lying about contact with Kyron Horman's family, because you have never had any; and you can explain exactly what you were doing in Kansas City when Lisa Irwin disappeared. Also, remember Kimberly Hakes, in Oregon? You never did explain your proximity to that crime scene. You also never told me what you were doing at the lighthouse in Umpqua State Park in the spring of 2013, when a woman your age got murdered. Remember how you called me and told me you were lost, and needed me to somehow help you, from Kansas, to get a ride out of there? I called the Coast Guard, because I didn't know who else could help you, and when I called to tell you that I had done that, you responded by shutting off your phone! You didn't really want help, did you? In fact, it appears that the only knowledge you have of these matters involves complicity, not a desire for justice.
I am not defending the way Kansas deals with child abuse cases or with missing persons cases, but geez....every time I've observed you, either in or out of Kansas, you have managed to become part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. There are many ways by which Kansas can better its responses to the needs of children, but none of them have been suggested or promoted by you, my oversized hitchhiker. Have you ever even stopped attempting to con people long enough to tape a poster of a missing child up on a bulletin board? It is a humble job, but many missing persons, both children and adults, are located by photo recognition, rather than by the likes of you, pretending that you know things you do not actually know. Yes, your statements were forwarded to the proper authorities, and we were assured that you are pointless and absurd. Another question for you, here: do you remember when that county attorney in Kansas; who paid you to testify falsely against an innocent person; allowed her own child to drive drunk, resulting in a crash? She passed us, en route to the scene, where her child was belching his boozy breath, after destroying someone's property. I would never have known that the speeding and red light-running SUV was hers, had you not informed me. Did you ever pick up your mobile phone and dial child protective services to report that Kansas county attorney who had allowed her child to drink, underage, and drive in that condition? I am going to remind you that you did not, thereby rendering you not only pointless and absurd, but also a hypocrite, when you condemn others for maltreatment of children. You've obstructed justice and contributed to abuses of children many times.
One more thing, you smelly thief; Lisa Irwin disappeared from Missouri, not from Kansas.
You may have been able to convince the local city council that your stupid dog isn't a pit bull, but if it attacks anyone else, particularly a child, I will furnish the victim and the media with a copy of the complaint I filed. That will show, in a civil lawsuit, that there is a history of complaints about your dog. If your dog's next victim is child walking home from school, how will your employer, USD 380, feel about it? As a parent, I prefer school employees who obey the laws, including leash laws. How come people such as yourself abuse animals, anyway? That's the only reason your dog would run off of your property to people walking on the other side of the street.
The Honorable Julie Robinson, of the Kansas Supreme Court, a George W. Bush appointee, has held the Kansas secretary of state, Kris Kobach, in contempt of court because he failed to allow some American citizens residing in Kansas to vote. Kris Kobach does not approve of voters who turn in their voter registration cards at local DMV stations, (actually, Kobach is merely worried that voters of races other than white will not be properly harassed and discouraged from voting if they register at DMV's or by mail, but his actions are unlawful for either reason) and prefers that the very same cards bearing the very same information be mailed to other government agencies, instead. He also maintains that a birth certificate is evidence of citizenship, even though citizenship can be changed without the issuance of new birth certificates. Judge Robinson ordered Kobach to mail postcards to all voters affected by his denial of the right to vote, and to register each one, but Kobach failed to obey her order. As of yesterday, he is in contempt of court. Kris Kobach is planning to run for governor of Kansas. Are the people in Kansas stupid enough to vote for someone with a criminal record, such as the one now enjoyed by Kris Kobach?
Hey Laura, when you have a defendant who has been summoned to court and is a no-show, you will generally not find him hanging about in the hallway of the courthouse. And the young man you wanted to detain was not the defendant, either. You owe him an apology for your dumbass mistake, and you owe his mother an apology for your filthy language. Once upon a time, obscene words and an unkempt appearance on the part of an officer of the court were both considered contempt of court. It appears that in Marshall County, Kansas, the prosecutor is permitted the liberty of using foul language in the courtroom. A bit similar to your son and his ongoing liberty to vandalize and destroy the property of others with no consequences, while those who are not so well connected do not enjoy the same rights to commit crimes, isn't it? You and your family have set a terrible example for the young people in Marshall County, Kansas, Laura. Your decorum and lack of manners is unbecoming to an officer of the court. If you insist upon dressing like a slob and using filthy language in court, the least you could do is impose the same laws on your children that govern the rest of the state.
Welcome to Kansas, Tyler Barriss! You now get to wake up in the land of tornados, flying monkeys, and the yellow brick road! You never thought it would happen, did you? Even if your mommy comes up with the money to pay your $500,000 bail and flies to Kansas to bail you out of jail in Sedgwick County, you'll just go to jail in Canada, where you called in a false police report on someone else you didn't like.
Today, inclement weather notwithstanding, Tyler Barriss, the California man who got angry with Andrew Finch, of Wichita, Kansas, and made a false report that sent a SWAT team to Finch's home; where a trigger happy cop shot and killed Finch; was picked up in Los Angeles and flown to Kansas. He is now in the Sedgwick County Detention Center, all 125 pounds of him, on charges of involuntary manslaughter, giving false alarm, and falsely reporting a felony.
While it is wonderful to see accountability in Barriss's case, the police officer who actually committed the murder of Andrew Finch still deserves to be held accountable, as well. We need this officer's name.
At a time when America has already heard too much about trigger happy police officers, a pig in Wichita, Kansas tips the scale, yet again. In response to an anonymous call that came in from California, phoning in a false police report, the cops in Wichita arrived at what they thought was the address indicated, (it wasn't) and opened fire when the door was answered. Andrew Finch heard noises near his home, and opened his front door; it was that simple. He had no idea that the police were outside his house with weapons drawn. In less than thirty seconds after he opened the door for them, they shot him. It almost appears that they had planned, in advance, to shoot whoever opened the door when they arrived. His children were forced to leave the house and stand outside in frigid weather with no shoes, while these public servants ripped through the house in a frenzied search for anything that might exonerate the pig who pulled the trigger. They ended up taking the screen door. A very important piece of information that has not been shared with the rest of us is the name of the cop who committed this murder. According to police in Wichita, the whole incident was the fault of a prankster in California, who has since been apprehended. As Wichita Police Chief Troy Livingston sees it, none of this was law enforcement's fault or responsibility. While making false statements to law enforcement is a terrible thing to do, no one should have to worry that a cop is going to knock on the door and shoot to kill over something he or she was told by someone else.
Kurt Kerns, the attorney who represents Andrew Finch's family, has given this statement: ..While the family is pleased an alleged swatter was detained, the
swatter did not shoot an unarmed man stepping out onto his porch.That
was a WPD Officer. While the WPD has attempted to deflect the cause of
death to a phone call- Andrew was killed by a bullet fired by an officer
who clearly had no cause to fire.
Prank or no prank- no officer
claimed to have seen a weapon before firing, and that fact alone makes
this shooting reckless at best. The family remains hopeful that all responsible are brought to justice including the shooter.
Eighteen year old Mikayla Norris was last seen on Sunday night,at around 8:30 PM, in Overland Park, Kansas. She did not return home from work. Her car is a black, four door, 2007 Toyota Camry, and the Kansas tag number is 566 FSB. As a twist to this situation, her car was spotted in Gladstone, Missouri, driven by the person in both photos to the right. Below is a picture of a black 2007 Toyota Camry, for reference. Anyone with information is asked to call the police in Overland Park, Kansas at 913-344-8721.
Sadly, Sidney Loofe, who went missing in the middle of November, was found deceased in Clay County, Nebraska. Two suspects, Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell, have been charged in her murder. Because they led investigators on a multi-state chase, they are both being held on federal charges. Both are also charged in a federal case involving theft of merchandise over $5,000 from an antique dealer in Hiawatha, Kansas and transporting it to Beatrice, Nebraska. It's very sad that Sidney ever made the acquaintance of either of these two suspects. Once again, if you have any information that might be helpful to those attempting to get justice in this case, please contact law enforcement at one of the numbers on the flyer.
It seems that Friday the thirteenth was very exciting, last week, in Junction City, Kansas. The FBI apprehended some folks who were doing what teachers and administration from USD 380, Vermillion, and what former Congresswoman Sharon Schwartz's husband have emphatically stated never happen in Kansas: sex trafficking of children. The thing that makes Kansas very different from other states is the size of the population. There are only about 3 million people in Kansas, making it one of the most sparsely populated states in America, especially for its size; yet one of its cities, Wichita, is in the top five recruiting cities in the entire country for finding and recruiting victims! It does not matter what congressional representatives in Kansas tell us or what school principals tell us: the problem, according to the FBI, is real.
I hope, Laura McNish, county attorney of Marshall County, Kansas, that you have been paying attention to recent events. Do you remember when you advised the principal of a public school here in Marshall County, Kansas to tell one of my children that she wasn't welcome in school because she might "ruin the culture"? Even though all the other children from my community ARE welcome there? My child, unlike most of the children who attend public schools in YOUR county, had no criminal history, had never used illegal drugs, and had never even tasted alcohol. You just wanted to hurt her feelings. She did not accept your monetary offer to render false information in court, like a couple of other people did, in that case that you LOST back in 2013, so you requested that she be the victim of discrimination.
Guess what? The nation is starting to see people like you more clearly. Not only are you racist; you favor bigots who offer you money over honesty and truth. The combination of modern technology and the First Amendment to our Constitution have conspired to make this a very awkward time in history for you to continue your crap. Your racist and white separatist goals were never good for any part of Kansas, and certainly have no place now. Equality and love are what I have always taught my children, and it looks as if I might not have been alone, after all.
I really hope you have noticed all the recent developments. Oh, by the way, was your son ever publicly held accountable for driving one of your vehicles over someone's cornfield in Marshall County, Kansas, in the summer of 2013? You know....the same way OTHER young people would have been held accountable? Or is accountability only for other people, and not your children?
Just resign, Laura. No one needs your racism, favoritism, and filth.
Here are some words that appeared on this site a couple of years ago, and as it is almost time for public schools in Kansas to open their seldom locked, unsecured doors again, this message is appropriate for parents who do not wish to pay more than they already pay, via their property taxes and mill levies, for a substandard product. If your childrens' school is charging these unlawful enrollment fees, you do not have to pay. Refuse to be intimidated.
Some of the public schools in
Kansas have taken to the unlawful practice of charging "enrollment
fees". This is against federal law, and every time a case concerning
enrollment fees has gone to court, brought by either the school or
parents, the parents have won because the practice of charging for
public education is unlawful. The American Civil Liberties Union has gotten involved in a few cases involving this issue, as well.
It appears that the (ahem) school, and I use the word "school" very
loosely here, in Frankfort, Kansas is up to their usual unlawful stunts
again in regard to extorting money from parents. The "tuition" charged
this year for each student is $50.00. This does not include activity
fees. There is no information revealing the purpose of the fee, or what
is actually covered by it. Frankfort does, after all, garner state and
federal dollars, in order to pay staff to yak on their cell phones most
of the day, or surf the internet. Why is it all-encompassing to charge
money that is legally not allowed to be charged?
In the past, when yours truly sent children to school in Frankfort, she
refused to pay the "enrollment fees", stating emphatically that her
"fees" were already covered by the mill levy and property taxes she pays
each year. This would naturally bring on threats from the principal,
promising everything from refusal to admit students to crying to a
collection agency. The principal discovered that he cannot refuse to
enroll any student in his district, regardless of fees; and that
legitimate collection agencies are loth to intervene in matters wherein
the so-called obligor owes nothing.
USD 380 Vermillion, which includes two public schools in Northeast Kansas, Frankfort and Centralia, attempted to get voters to vote for a 8.5 million dollar bond for them, this past Monday, August 1. Overwhelmingly, the people voted no; 698 to 263. That included about three fourths of registered voters in both towns. The school board is disappointed and the superintendent thinks that folks do not care about the schools, according to the Marysville Advocate. This is a little unfair; if the school board actually listened to constituents and analyzed data, perhaps such gross comments would not make their way into the newspaper.
The reasons given by the school board for desiring 8.5 million dollars were updates to the buildings, and a new gym at the Centralia locaction. USD 380 straddles three counties, Marshall, Nemaha, and Pottawatomie. Centralia is in Nemaha County. Should those who live in the other two counties see their mill levies and their property taxes increase for a gymnasium that their children will never get to use? Why is a school district with declining enrollment straddling three different counties in the first place?
The other reason given for such a large amount involved security measures. Frankfort and Centralia want keypad locks on their doors, rather than the traditional locks and keys. Not only is this an expensive initial option for a tiny school, it requires upkeep that the school district would not be able to fund, even with the bond. Every time a building with such a lock changes its schedule and itinerary, a technician must visit the building to change the pass-code information. This is at least two hundred dollars per visit, and both schools host sporting events and parent teacher conferences, which would necessitate many visits from a technician. In the case of USD 380, old fashioned locks and keys will still work as desired, if the building is actually locked when not occupied. Another item desired is a metal detector. The problem had by USD 380 concerning guns is mostly in Frankfort, and that involves a failure on the part of school administration to sanction those who bully and bring weapons into the building. If the proper reports are made to the FBI each time a child takes a weapon, drugs, or alcohol to school, even if it is the child or grandchild of someone who donates a lot of money via the booster club; and the child in question is sanctioned according to federal law, these problems will abate. Frankfort has not attempted to follow the law, and expects a metal detector to cover up that problem. Finally, both schools want cameras at all entrances, which is reasonable. Cameras for two tiny schools will not cost 8.5 million dollars. A word of caution, however; Frankfort has consistently rejected the use of a sign-in sheet in the office for adult visitors to the school. The staff does not wish to monitor those who enter and exit the building. A camera will do no more good than an unused sign-in sheet if the principal is truly unconcerned about what goes on inside the school. Also, as long as teachers are not held accountable when they "lose" students off of school property during the school day, key pads, metal detectors, and cameras will not accomplish anything. Tom Schroeder and Dean Dalinghaus, I'm looking at you, here!
The populations of Frankfort and USD 380 have been on the decline since 1910. At present, the population of Centralia is about 500 people and the population of Frankfort is about 690. That is fewer people, altogether, than attended your faithful blogger's alma mater at the time of her graduation. Why should taxpayers fund an 8.5 million dollar bond for schools that will probably shut down and consolidate with other, more viable schools, within the next ten years? The bond would take twenty-five years to pay off.
Donald Trump has decided to publicly insult the LGBT community; specifically, those who serve in all branches of the military. He announced a ban on transgender people serving, even after supporting gay marriage, over the years. So why the sudden shift? Has the Donald taken his "strong Christian" stance to Kansas, and joined one of the Christian congregations there, such as New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, Kansas, led by Reverend Curtis Knapp, or perhaps Westboro Baptist Church?
In other news, Donald Trump donated $130,000 to Faith Among Nations, a shell corporation created by the late Rev. Fred Phelps, of Westboro Baptist Church, suspected of quietly funneling money into the church to pay church salaries.
A sixteen year old young man named Andrew Sinclair is missing from Atchison, Kansas. He went missing on June 11. His picture appears below. If you know where he is, please call the Atchison Police Department at 913-367-4323.
Update: Andrew was found safe in Kansas City, Kansas.
Michael Melcher, of this post, was arrested in the fall of 2016 for sex crimes against children. This happened in Butler County, Kansas. Prior to living in that area, Melcher was a native of Marshall County, Kansas, and taught at Marysville High School, in Marshall County, Kansas. Many, many people in Marshall County thought he was not guilty, and insisted that the charges had been dismissed, when in fact, the case had been bound over for trial.
Later on, in March of this year, Melcher incurred a guilty verdict, at which point, his employer, USD 490, finally terminated his employment. Had he not had so many enablers, tax payers would not have been required to pay for an extended leave of absence for this criminal. Melcher's picture also graces the sex offender registries, both state and national. Last week, he was sentenced to thirty-two months in prison.
Mr. Melcher's enablers can rest assured that the verdict is correct for three reasons. First, he finally came forward with an admission of guilt. He also offered a makeshift apology, which was never offered to anyone, prior to his arrest and court proceedings. Second, there was not only eyewitness evidence and testimony in the case, but electronic evidence, supporting the claims of the victims. Third, there was a victim statement at the sentencing. This is encouraging, because victims of these well connected creeps are usually not encouraged to speak in Kansas.
One question that is left unanswered here concerns how Mr. Melcher got away with these abusive predilections in Marshall County, Kansas; and specifically, who may have been paid to overlook the abuse. Marshall County attorney, Laura McNish, stated, upon running for election in 2013, that she wanted to "continue to partner with law enforcement, courts, schools and parents to promote justice, protect children, and uphold the law." Turning a blind eye to crime and allowing abusers to quietly move to other communities when victims file reports is obviously one of the county attorney's methods of protecting children! Finding out that crime and abuse are not accepted or appreciated in the rest of the known universe is always a shock for those who find favor with the court in Marshall County, Kansas.
Not too long ago, it was brought to my attention, by a neighbor, that Laura Johnson-McNish, the county attorney of Marshall County, Kansas, cheats on her taxes. At first, I didn't believe it, because it is such a pedestrian and corrupt thing for an elected official to do, but my neighbor proved it by directing me to the appropriate website. McNish pays property taxes on a farm, which would not be a problem if McNish actually owned farmland and farmed. As it happens, farming and ranching are prohibited in the Keystone Addition, where she lives, so there is not a legal way her property could be considered a farm. All of her neighbors pay property taxes on residential properties.
Earlier this month, at a hearing that had nothing to do with anyone's property taxes, Ms. McNish expressed some angry feelings at the person who made her tax discrepancies public. Specifically, she wanted a judge to take what was written about her tax evasion into consideration during a sentencing hearing. While the judge probably did this, he asked her if she was "incensed". McNish may be incensed; but why isn't she paying a just and fair amount of property taxes to the community off of which she leaches? Everyone else pays the appropriate amount of property tax, and no one else "farms" on land where farming is not permitted. For that matter, no one has actually been able to find the McNish's farm! Her son drove drunk through a cornfield once, and was never sanctioned, but that was nowhere near Keystone Addition.
If Laura Johnson-McNish is angry or "incensed", perhaps she should remember that Marshall County actually has ample reason to be incensed with her.
In November of 2016, yours truly wrote this, for another publication, about a former Marysville, Kansas public school teacher who moved to the Wichita area and got arrested in Butler County, Kansas for sexual abuse of a child.
"A brilliant special education teacher and basketball coach by the name of Mike Melcher has been arrested in Butler County, Kansas for the electronic solicitation of a child under the age of fourteen, and for inappropriate physical contact with a child under the age of fourteen. Mr. Melcher was a special education teacher and basketball coach in Marysville, Kansas, from 2008 to 2014. His first appearance in court was November 28.
This is not the first time Kansas has run into problems through the lack of background checks for teachers. Since 2002, Kansas has required criminal background checks for teachers, but any teacher who was hired before 2002 is not required to undergo a background check. This effectively "grandfathers" any and all teachers with criminal records who were hired before 2002. According to KSN, a teacher named Mike Burgan in St. Johns, Kansas, who taught for USD 350, was found to have a criminal record for indecent solicitation of a child, dating back to 1988. It was determined that Mr. Burgan had lied, numerous times, to the school board and the Kansas Department of Education. Can anyone see how easy it is to teach in public schools in Kansas with a criminal record?
The other problem which afflicts Kansas is cronyism and cover-up. How many child predators have enjoyed lengthy criminal careers because others have failed to report crime? The fallout from Mr. Melcher's arrest and subsequent court dates will hopefully yield more information concerning background check procedures for the El Dorado School District and the Marysville School District."
There is now an update. Mike Melcher entered a guilty plea. He will be sentenced in May. While he has been on leave from his teaching position, he was still listed, on Monday, March 6, as an employee of the El Dorado school system. Hopefully, there will be no efforts among school boards in the state of Kansas to rehire him, because he has lived in Kansas all his life and has a lot of friends in Kansas.
You may have been able to convince the local city council that your stupid dog isn't a pit bull, but if it attacks anyone else, particularly a child, I will furnish the victim and the media with a copy of the complaint I filed. That will show, in a civil lawsuit, that there is a history of complaints about your dog. If your dog's next victim is child walking home from school, how will your employer, USD 380, feel about it? As a parent, I prefer school employees who obey the laws, including leash laws. How come people such as yourself abuse animals, anyway? That's the only reason your dog would run off of your property to people walking on the other side of the street. 
Michael Melcher, of this post, was arrested in the fall of 2016 for sex crimes against children. This happened in Butler County, Kansas. Prior to living in that area, Melcher was a native of Marshall County, Kansas, and taught at Marysville High School, in Marshall County, Kansas. Many, many people in Marshall County thought he was not guilty, and insisted that the charges had been dismissed, when in fact, the case had been bound over for trial.
