Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalOne In Four Kansas Public Defenders Quit Last Year, Leaving Agency 'In Crisis'
Ruslan Ivanov loved being a public defender. What he didn’t love was the way his work constantly followed him — at home, with friends and family, even on vacation.
On one trip to Colorado, he stood in front of a breathtaking mountain view. And started thinking about a case.
“I thought about, ‘I need to do something. Is there something that I forgot? Is there something that I’m missing?’” he said. “I still thought about the individuals that I encountered and their life situations … too much of that is maybe detrimental in one’s job as an attorney, but I still thought about it.”
From 2015 to 2018, Ivanov was an attorney for the Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services, the state agency that provides criminal defense to people who can’t afford their own lawyers. He worked in Wichita and Topeka, mostly handling drug cases, assaults, thefts and weapons possession.
https://www.kmuw.org/post/one-four-kansas-public-defenders-quit-last-year-leaving-agency-crisis
I recently joined the Hearing Aid Crowd
and have been going back for adjustments to get them tuned in and all seems to be going pretty well since yesterday. I have come across a place for batteries online and thought I would pass it along.
https://www.hearingdirect.com/us/
I got a batch of 60 Ray O Vac's for $20.00 and free shipping.
Might be worth a look as these rascals can add up over time. 
PNC Bank donates North Grand Branch to Urban League, Financial Empowerment Center will open in Colle
PNC Bank donated its North Grand Boulevard Branch building to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. The building in the College Hill neighborhood will become the site of the Urban League Financial Empowerment Center in partnership with Grace Hill, St. Louis Community Credit Union, the U.S. Small Business Administration, St. Louis Promise Zone and St. Louis Development Corporation.
“Too often when companies or schools vacate a property, little thought is given to how those assets can be best redeployed,” said Michael Scully, PNC regional president for St. Louis. “We believe that a thoughtful and timely repurposing of community assets can strengthen rather than diminish a neighborhood, which is why we are thrilled that our former branch building will serve a larger purpose with the Urban League.”
The new center will provide critical resources to the community of College Hill, including teaching people about loans, managing money and small business support. Together, with the newer PNC facility just up the street, the College Hill community will continue to have access to a full spectrum of financial services and resources.
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/pnc-bank-donates-north-grand-branch-to-urban-league-financial/article_b091f6fc-5a39-11e9-b87e-a31c0bbdf48a.html
Hutchinson Picked As Test Site For New Smart City System
The city of Hutchinson is set to become a test site for new technology that’s designed to improve public safety and city operations.
AT&T selected Hutchinson to try out its new Smart City program beginning this summer. The company will provide and install sensors, cameras and communication technology at no cost to the city.
Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper presented the proposal to city leaders at a council meeting last Tuesday.
He said AT&T leaders were in Reno County last week and announced their selection of Hutchinson to serve as a beta test site.
https://www.kmuw.org/post/hutchinson-picked-test-site-new-smart-city-system
On Chess: St. Louis Arch Bishops Return To PRO Chess League Final Four In San Francisco
The St. Louis Arch Bishops are going back to the Professional Rapid Online (PRO) Chess League final four in San Francisco.
To make it to the final rounds, they defeated their crosstown rivals, Webster Windmills, in a thrilling 9-7 victory that came down to the final round. International master (IM) Nikolas Theodorou’s triumphant rook sacrifice proved to be too much for his grandmaster (GM) opponent to handle.
The regular-season matches and playoffs of the PRO Chess League up to this point have all been played online with teammates and opponents spread across the globe. All four teams will converge at San Francisco's Folsom Street Foundry, a converted warehouse turned into an esports arena, to play against each other.
The competitors will sit across from each other but still be logged into chess.com to make their moves. While that may seem a little odd, there is yet one more exciting twist: The players will be wearing noise-canceling headphones. This makes for a tremendous atmosphere for the fans, as they can cheer for their favorite players and listen to the live commentary onsite.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/chess-st-louis-arch-bishops-return-pro-chess-league-final-four-san-francisco
Jury Sides With Police In Tasing Case Of Maryville, Missouri, Teen With Autism
The parents of a teenager with autism who was shot multiple times with a Taser after he stopped to tie his shoe on the lawn of a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper have lost their lawsuit against the city of Maryville, Missouri, and two police officers.
The parents had sued for wrongful detention and excessive use of force. On Thursday, after a two-day trial and about 10 hours of deliberation, a federal jury of four men and three women found in favor of the officers. The jury declined to speak afterward.
The lawsuit was filed more than two years ago by Ernest J. Kramer and Ellas I. Kramer, the parents and legal guardians of Christopher Kramer, who was 18 when the incident occurred. Their attorney, Arthur Benson, had asked the jury to award them $2 million.
Benson said he was considering filing a motion for a new trial. He declined to comment further on the verdict other than to say that the Kramers “were obviously disappointed.”
https://www.kcur.org/post/jury-sides-police-tasing-case-maryville-missouri-teen-autism
How Kansas City Recycling Companies Are Adapting To A Chinese Plastic Waste Import Ban
Kansas City recyclers take heart, for now.
Despite reports that some waste companies in the U.S. are burning recycled paper and plastic or sending it to landfills, processors in the metro are still finding ways to market recycled material.
This follows a move by China, which was the world's largest buyer of plastic waste in 2016, to stop importing more of the stuff. A years-long effort called Operation Green Fence was an effort to reduce that country's own environmental concerns.
"We got comfortable sending them all of our stuff over there, with a high percentage of trash," says Matt Riggs of the Mid-America Regional Council's Solid Waste Management District.
https://www.kcur.org/post/how-kansas-city-recycling-companies-are-adapting-chinese-plastic-waste-import-ban
Tony Thompson, president of Kwame Building Group gifts 89 Carnahan students $100 for perfect attenda
Students from Carnahan High School who maintained perfect attendance from January 28 to March 1 were awarded with a $100 bill thanks to a donation from Tony Thompson, president of Kwame Building Group and The Kwame Foundation. In total, $8,900 was awarded to 89 students. The incentive program was initiated because attendance is the number one priority for Carnahan High School and the Saint Louis Public School District. During the winter, overall attendance at Carnahan High School decreased 1.5 percent. During the attendance competition, attendance rose each week and led to an overall increase of 2 percent.
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/tony-thompson-president-of-kwame-building-group-gifts-carnahan-students/article_e9e04b0c-5ad4-11e9-bf0e-2fc67c9b5872.html
Fran Griffin, who beat Lezley McSpadden for City Council, wants Ferguson to change
Both of these things are true: Lezley McSpadden lost an election to represent the part of Ferguson where her son Michael Brown was killed, sparking an uprising that had national impact.
And the winner to represent Ward 3 on the Ferguson City Council was a young, black mother and activist – Fran Griffin – who was guided into the political process through the uprising.
Griffin’s winning message is directed to McSpadden as well – to anyone whose faith in the political system has been shattered.
“My main message I want to send to my people is to have some hope,” Griffin said. “I know you don’t trust the system. If I can show you that you can trust me, then we can work together. It’s little-by-little trust-building. People have no faith in leadership.”
http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/fran-griffin-who-beat-lezley-mcspadden-for-city-council-wants/article_a5232ecc-5beb-11e9-9721-bb9b85fb98e2.html
Senate Trying To Making Progress On Finding A Way To Fix Missouri's Bridges
Missouri senators believe they’re making some headway to finance repair of bridges throughout the state. But it’s not necessarily a slam dunk.
The sticking point is conservative antipathy toward taking out debt to pay for one of Gov. Mike Parson’s key priorities.
Parson announced during his State of the State speech a plan for selling $350 million in bonds that would repair 250 bridges. It was his way of trying to bolster the state’s transportation infrastructure after Missouri voters rejected a gas tax hike last year.
But Parson’s plan hasn’t been well received by some in his party. House Republicans are backing a proposal that would devote $100 million for several years to pay for bridge repairs. Some Senate Republicans, like Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, like that approach because it would save the state millions in interest payments.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/senate-trying-making-progress-finding-way-fix-missouri-s-bridges
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