ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

After being closed for a few months for remodel, Liberal’s Stepping Stone Shelter recently reopened with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.

SSS Board President Ty Lewick said the renovations were made possible from a one-time allocation from the State of Kansas for much needed infrastructure upgrades.

Lewick said Development Director Lindsay Bennett, Board Treasurer Scarlette Diseker and Liberal Area Coalition for Families Director Sarah Mersdorf-Foreman in 2025 went to Topeka to lobby for a line item in the state’s budget, and this resulted in just more than $600,000 for Stepping Stone.

Special to the Leader & Times

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host the 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at nearly 4,200 locations nationwide, including 70 sites across the St. Louis Field Division which includes Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Twice a year, DEA joins forces with local law enforcement and community groups to host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, giving the public a safe and anonymous way to dispose of expired and unused prescription medications. By getting rid of unnecessary medications in the home, families can help prevent prescription drug misuse and reduce the potential for accidental poisonings.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

A lawsuit between Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach regarding federal overreach has come to a conclusion, according to a release from the State of Kansas.

On March 27, the Kansas Supreme Court issued its ruling on Kelly v. Kobach. The ruling affirms the governor’s constitutional authority to protect Kansas from unlawful federal overreach, a State of Kansas release noted.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The need for protection of children while accessing social media sites and other parts of the Internet has long been a hot topic and soon, some changes could be coming regarding just that.

A jury found last Wednesday social media company Meta and video streaming service YouTube harmed a young user with design features that were addictive and led to her mental health distress, according to a recap of the case from the New York Times. The finding reinforces a legal theory of how social media sites or apps can cause personal injury and is likely to factor into similar cases expected to go to trial this year.