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The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas is arguing a state law allowing probation to be extended for the failure to pay fines and fees should be struck down as unconstitutional. A brief the ACLU filed Monday in state appeals court stems from the Johnson County case of Edwanda Garrett, who is appealing the continued punishment and extensions of probation that have resulted because of her inability to pay outstanding fines and fees.

During their June 15 meeting, Franklin County Commissioners received an update from Franklin County Development Council CEO Paul Bean about what his organization has been up to recently. Starting July 1, Bean said, Franklin County will be an entrepreneurship community through NetWork Kansas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping small businesses grow and expand.

During its June 15 meeting, the Ottawa City Commission read a proclamation declaring June 19 as Juneteenth. The holiday recognizes the day that slaves in Texas were informed slavery had been abolished in the United States. Former ECKAN CEO Richard Jackson and Donald Anderson of Ottawa University were present to accept the proclamation.

Foster children still regularly sleep in offices instead of homes despite the Kansas Department for Children and Families settling a lawsuit by agreeing to end the practice. In one case, an autistic child spent a month in an office because no foster home was available.

Khaki pants, a plain light blue shirt, and a navy-blue jacket are what I want to wear every day, but my cute wife says I need to mix it up a bit. She buys me patterned dress shirts and weird lined sports coats. I put on an ugly patterned shirt, and an ugly jacket only to get the ‘stink eye’ from her. She says, “you can’t have patterns going in different directions.” I go change and wonder why she won’t just buy me tan pants and blue shirts.