MANHATTAN, Kan. – The American Legion Boys State of Kansas is taking registrations for its 2023 session. The event is scheduled to be held Sunday, June 4, through Saturday, June 10, at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. This will be the program’s 31st consecutive session at KSU and 85th overall.

Traditionally, Kansas Boys State is for individuals who will complete their junior year of high school in the spring just prior to the start of each session. However, the ALBSK program will again expand the pool of registrants for this year’s session to include those who will complete their sophomore year of high school this spring.

The American Legion Boys State of Kansas program provides a relevant, interactive, problem-solving experience in leadership and teamwork that develops self-identity, promotes mutual respect and instills civic responsibility to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to community, state and nation. Boys State is a “learning by doing” political exercise that simulates elections, political parties and government at the state, county and local levels, providing opportunities to lead under pressure, showcasing character and working effectively within a team. It’s also an opportunity to gain pride and respect for government, and the price paid by members of the military to preserve democracy.

The cost to attend the Boys State of Kansas program is $350; however, in many instances, sponsors pay the majority of the fees, with the delegate or his family paying $50. Those wishing to attend the program should visit ksbstate.org to register. The deadline to register to guarantee a spot in the 2023 program is Sunday, April 30; registrations are accepted after that date on a space-available basis.

Potential sponsors, such as American Legion posts, civic organizations, businesses, clubs and interested individuals can visit ksbstate.org/sponsor-a-delegate. For more information, contact ALBSK at info@ksbstate.org or 785-550-6492.

EMPORIA, Kan. – January is Human Trafficking Prevention month – during this month SOS, Emporia, Kan., is joining the Department of Homeland Security and other organizations and government agencies to educate the public and give them the knowledge to help prevent trafficking. Human trafficking is defined by Kansas Law, KSA 21-5426(a) in part as, “The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjecting the person to involuntary servitude or forced labor.” Trafficking can include sex trafficking, forced labor, and domestic servitude.

Misconceptions about trafficking are common, and people often think about kidnapping and complex sex trafficking schemes when they think of trafficking, but the reality is that it is more common for a victim to be trafficked by someone they know and trust. According to data by Polaris, an organization that works to prevent trafficking, of the cases of trafficking reported in 2020, 58 percent of trafficking recruiters were someone close to the victim. This is particularly true for sex trafficking, where in 2020 42 percent of recruiters were a member of the victim’s family and 39 percent an intimate partner or marriage proposition. Together that is 81 percent of the recruiters for sex trafficking being close to the victim.

However, friends and family are also the most likely way for a victim of trafficking to connect to help. There are behaviors to watch for in teens , such as withdrawing from family and friends, receiving pornography or inappropriate photos or messages, being overly obsessed with being online, hiding their device screens from others, receiving expensive gifts from a friend that the parents or family doesn’t know, or becoming upset when they don’t have wi-fi access or cell service. It’s important to create a safe and non-judgmental space, and to work on building strong supportive relationships with teens.

SOS works with schools and parents to try to help kids stay safer online, and friends and family play an important role in keeping teens safe from trafficking. Parents can help keep their kids safe from trafficking by building and maintaining healthy relationships, talking to children early and often about relationships and healthy sexual development, knowing the signs of trafficking and staying educated on trafficking, and especially by being vigilant about online safety.

Agencies have learned that the pandemic did not decrease trafficking, but rather pushed it even further online. Numbers for trafficking stayed steady overall in 2020, for example, but online recruitment increased a significant 22 percent according to Polaris. Trafficking recruitment transferred from places like schools and foster homes to make the internet the top recruiting location for all forms of trafficking. Facebook and Instagram alone saw a 120 percent increase as points of recruitment, so it’s important to help children and teens know how to stay safe online.

SOS encourages everyone to remain vigilant of their surroundings, to engage in open, honest conversations with their children, and to report any suspicious behavior to authorities. Anyone who suspects human trafficking should contact law enforcement immediately.

For more information, contact SOS at 620-343-8799 or 24 hours a day at 800-825-1295, or see www.soskansas.com.

The Osage City Library will be delivering some love to all the senior living centers for Valentine’s Day. Those who would like to participate can purchase or make homemade valentines, write a note, and sign them. The library’s goal is to make sure each resident receives at least five or six valentines each. Between 750 to 900 valentines are needed.

AARP will be back at the Osage City Library in March to provide tax assistance to anyone free of charge, with a focus on taxpayers who are older than 50 and have low to moderate income. Sign up will begin Feb. 13, 2023.

Of interest to adult patrons: The library has monthly adult bingo and adult book club.

During the library’s after school program, 1,892 snacks were given to children, 18 years and younger, in the first semester of the school year. This is an increase of almost 480 from the same time span in 2021. Each snack is individually wrapped and the library provides a variety of choices. This program is supported from monetary donations as well as snack donations, and has been providing snacks after school for over four years. The library has also received a grant from Catholic Charities to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables to offer the youths who attend an after school program. After school activities are on Tuesdays and Thursdays for local youth. Lego Club is the second Wednesday of each month.