Dear editor,
As we near the time to elect officials, it is a perfect time to become educated on facts. Our only opportunity to count our opinion is when we walk into the voting booth, hopefully as an informed voter. I encourage everyone to use their right to be informed and to vote accordingly.
My vote for sheriff will not be for Brian Murphy, based on my experience. In December 2013, our home was entered by a complete stranger, encountered by my husband in our kitchen. The young man stated he was lost. When my husband left the room to retrieve a map, the man fled, along with his friend who had been in our barn stealing tools. We immediately phoned the sheriff’s office.
Ours was not the first encounter, the two had already been spotted at Charlie and Debbie Kerr’s several miles away. A call was made to the sheriff’s office at that time also. One deputy was on duty, the sheriff was on paternity leave. This is a small community, word travels fast, and before the afternoon was over, we had a name and a picture of the person that the identity was confirmed. This was all reported to the sheriff’s office for further investigation. We called several times over the next several weeks and received no information, only promises they would get back with us. I mentioned it to a county commissioner and again, a “detective” came and I told him the same information that had already been given before. Again no results. To my knowledge, no arrests have ever been made.
Just to make sure my information was all correct for this letter, I asked for a copy of all of the reporting information from the sheriff’s office. In the information I received there was absolutely no mention of the suspect’s name, or even that we had given them that information. In addition, the personal data in the report for my husband was actually someone from a neighboring county with the same name. Evidently, whoever was putting the data together couldn’t figure out that a robbery at our HOME in Allen County shouldn’t include a personal address for the resident in Woodson County.
My concern with this entire issue is not what was materially taken but the fact that I no longer feel safe alone in my home unless the doors are locked. It concerns me very much that these two young men could possibly choose to be armed on their next venture after encountering someone at our home. This would not have a good outcome any way you look at it. It concerns me that the appropriate steps to find and arrest these two were never taken.
I grew up in this community and have always felt safe here. Over the years during my employment at Allen County Community College I reassured parents who brought their children to Allen to attend school that this was a safe community. I want it to be a safe community for everyone again by placing a competent person in the office of sheriff, someone who will hire competent people to do their jobs well and serve the people of Allen County.
Jared Froggatte is a competent, hardworking, and fair person. His background includes not only various positions in law enforcement but he is also a military veteran who proudly served our country. He will be a person who works for all residents of Allen County.
I urge you to be an informed voter and I think you will see that we need some changes.
Vicki Curry,
Iola, Kan.
Dear editor,
I was interested in the piece about Vickie Schmidt. We have been friends of her parents for years.
She is what she says she is. She believes in working for the good of Kansas. She and Sam (Brownback) have two things in common: they are both Republicans, and they both have an intense dislike for one other.
