http://www.ketv.com/news/7055771/detail.html

Web Site Aims To Bring Missing Home
Patrol Creates Missing Persons' Clearinghouse

POSTED: 5:11 pm CST February 14, 2006
UPDATED: 5:24 pm CST February 14, 2006


OMAHA, Neb. -- The Nebraska State Patrol is working to make it easier to bring missing persons home with a missing persons clearinghouse Web site that went online last month. Now, weekly updates go out from the patrol to the media on new cases in the state.

Investigators said the Web site is still a work in progress, but they believe it's one more way to help the missing.

"We update the Web site as soon as we get the information," said the patrol's Lt. John Shelton.

Shelton said the site has all the current missing persons in the state. Some include a photo. All of them give a physical description of the person, their age and other data.


"It's going to give basic information as to the events on the disappearance of the person," Shelton said.

Included on the site are some names ripped from the headlines, including Brendan Gonzalez, Amber Harris and Jason Jolkowski. Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother, was instrumental in making sure the need for the clearinghouse was clear to Nebraska lawmakers. She helped push through LB 111.

"Once the law went into effect, that gave us some resources to create all this," Shelton said.

The patrol is working with families of the missing to get more photos online. The tool has high hopes behind it as families work to bring loved ones home.

"Anytime you get more eyes on from the public, it can help us get that information out better, and that many more eyes looking for that person may lead to a resolution to the case," Shelton said.

The Nebraska State Patrol had a missing persons clearinghouse before LB 111, but it contained just children, and the public did not have access.

3/11/2006

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/2446227.html

Amber Search Escalates
New tools put to use


Pictures of Amber Harris have been all over television, newspapers and the Internet. Now her picture and her story are going on the road.

Semi trucks make up a lot of the traffic we see on the interstate. Now, along with their cargo, truck drivers can take Amber's story and picture with them.

Project Jason teamed with Through the Gears, a free magazine for truck drivers, to make this possible.

Each month they put a missing person on the cover hoping truck drivers will spread the story. This is Amber's month on the front cover. Inside, there is a page devoted to information about the missing 12-year-old from Omaha.

Kelly Jolkowski has been working with the Harris family since the week Amber disappeared. She's the driving force behind Project Jason named for her son who disappeared as an adult five years ago.

On Friday night, Jolkowski and the Harris family announced several new initiatives to keep the search for the missing girl moving forward.

Aside from the magazine there's Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person campaign. They'll send Amber's bio and her picture on a pin to anyone who wants it. They're also encouraging people to Download amber's poster and keep putting it up.

Jolkowski says, "The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a poster campaign. Their stats are very good for having the person be found because of seeing the person on a poster. I believe they're running about 60%, which is very high."

Amber's father, Michael Harris says, "We're just trying to use every resource we can to bring our daughter home."

Amber's mother, Melissa Harris adds that, "I want her face embedded in people's minds; her pretty face. We don't want anyone to forget her face. Even after she's found, I'm going to work with Kelly. I'm not going to stop."

While still searching for their children, Harris and Jolkowski want the state to keep doing more for the hundreds of people listed as missing in Nebraska.

Jolkowski was instrumental in passing a law that created the state's new missing person clearing house Web site. They both want to know why there are only a handful of pictures on the site.

Jolkowski says, "That was never the intent of the law - just some text. It was photos too. I just don't understand why it would take so long to get the photos."

According to the state patrol's Web site, 168 people are listed as missing in Omaha alone. That includes Amber Harris. There is a substantial reward for information leading to Amber.

3/11/2006


http://www.kptm.com/news/local/2446217.html

The Search Continues
More help for the family of missing 12 year-old Amber Harris.

And it comes from someone that can relate to their experience.

Kelly Jolkowski heads up “Project Jason” in memory of her son.

Jason Jolkowski disappeared back in 2001.

The Jolkowski's and Harris’s have teamed up to give Amber more attention by getting her picture and story out across the nation.

This is the face that the Harris' never want you to forget.

“I'm glad she's out there I want her embedded in people's mind,” says Amber’s mother Melissa Harris.

The first way is through the 18 Wheel Angel Program where posters are printed from the Project Jason’s website at projectjason.org.

“The program is geared towards truck drivers but we also highly encourage anyone and everyone to come to our website,” says Kelly Jolkowski of Project Jason.

So far, in it's first two years, this program has helped post over 40,000 posters of missing people.

Another place you'll find Amber's photo is in this month's “Through the Gears Magazine,” which reaches over 150,000 people.

Project Jason is also helping to find Amber and others through its Adopt a Missing Person Program.

If people want to adopt a person they can visit the project Jason website and click on the “adopt a missing person” link.

Once they submit their information they'll receive a button and biography telling the missing persons story.

“We ask them to pledge to wear there button whether its on their coat their blouse their purse their backpack,” Jolkowski says.

Kelly Jolkowski says the adoption program helps keep the missing cases fresh in peoples minds.

“They will take ownership they will want to continue to wear that button they will want to find out what's going on,” adds Jolkowski.

According to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, this type of publicity is quite successful.

“Their stats are very good for the person having been found because of seeing their face on a poster, I believe they're running at about 60 percent,” says Jolkowski.

The Harris' are just thankful to have such a helpful resource in Omaha.

“We want to use every resource we can to bring our daughter back home,” Amber’s father Michael Harris says.

Another vigil is planned for Amber this Tuesday at Trinty Church at 156th and Dodge Street starting at 7 p.m.

And Amber’s case will get more national exposure. America's Most Wanted is planning a trip to Omaha sometime this month to produce a story about the missing teen.

3/11/2006

http://www.kmtv.com/NewsArticle/tabi...1/Default.aspx

SEARCHING FOR AMBER
The parents of Amber Harris are getting more help in their fight to find their daughter. Harris vanished back in November. A group called Project Jason is working with the Harris family. Project Jason was started by Kelly Jolkowski. Jolkowski's son, Jason, disappeared in 2001 and has never been found. The group put Amber's picture in a magazine that's distributed to truckers around the country. Project Jason is offering buttons with Amber's face on them on its website. It's also offering pictures of Amber people can download and pass around. Amber's parents say they appreciate the help, and hope it will help bring their daughter home. For more information on Project Jason, you can call (402) 932-0095.

4/4/2006

http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/20...-missingpeople

Tracing missing Americans moves to the Internet

By Craig LeMoult


A mentally ill husband goes missing for eight weeks until flyers created online by an organization for missing adults leads to someone spotting him on the street and notifying police.

A boy is abducted from his birthday party near Albany, N.Y., by his noncustodial parents, but an online nonprofit dedicated to finding missing people arranges for his picture to appear on the news in Florida, prompting a motel maid to identify the missing child.
And a teenage runaway is stopped by police, who check his ID and find his information entered into an online national database for missing youth.

It used to be that the faces of missing people showed up primarily on milk cartons and the occasional poster stapled to a telephone pole. But today Internet sites are proving to be an increasingly valuable resource for family members desperate to locate a loved one.

The FBI estimates that there are nearly 50,000 active missing adult cases in the United States. And according to the Department of Justice, nearly 800,000 children are currently missing. Today, with the help of technology like the Internet, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates the recovery rate for missing children at 94 percent, up from 62 percent 15 years ago.

When 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski took out the trash at his parent’s Omaha, Neb., home one June morning in 2001 and disappeared, the police thought he had probably run away, but his parents were confident something else had happened.

“We didn’t know what to do,” said Jason’s mother, Kelly Jolkowski. “We wasted valuable time at the beginning. Time is the huge enemy for a missing person’s family.”

Kelly Jolkowski went online and discovered that her home state did not list missing people on its Web site, and there was little information available to guide people on what to do when a loved one goes missing. Out of frustration and a desire to help others in the same situation, the family founded the nonprofit organization Project Jason.

The group’s Web site features photos of missing people with information about their disappearances, links to resources for families and a section that allows people to “adopt” a missing person by wearing buttons with their photos. Project Jason also started a program in which truck drivers can download and print out posters of the missing to post as they cross the country. Jolkowski estimates that at least 40,000 posters have been distributed since January.

“I consider our success to be the things we do to give the families of missing hope to keep going on,” she said. “It lets them know people care, and that people are taking action for their missing loved one.”

When a loved one goes missing, Jolkowski says, many people incorrectly assume that law enforcement officials will take care of distributing posters, contacting media and spreading the word nationally.

“That’s not their job,” Jolkowski said. “It seems unfair that you’re going through this horrible thing and you have to do all these other steps, but you do.”

Another nonprofit dedicated to guiding people through this process, the Center for Hope, was founded by the parents of Suzanne Lyall, who disappeared in 1998 on the way back from work to her dorm room at the University at Albany.

“For us the Internet has really been quite a wonderful tool,” said Suzanne’s mother, Mary Lyall. “It’s also a great tool for people who now currently have a missing loved one and had no other place to turn to.”

When a child disappears, law enforcement authorities are required to notify the National Crime Information Center, the FBI’s national computerized index of criminal justice information.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children lists more than 2,000 missing kids on its Web site. In addition to serving as an online database of profiles, the center coordinates searches of public records and other databases, offers computer imaging age enhancement and distributes flyers by e-mail and fax to thousands of addresses across the country.

In the case of missing adults, it’s up to the family or police to reach out to the National Center for Missing Adults. But the group has only been recognized by the government for six years and lacks the resources of its counterpart for children. That is where groups like Project Jason and the Center for Hope step in to help.

The promise of the Internet in connecting families with missing loved ones was tested on a grand scale following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. With families separated by the storm and moving from shelter to shelter, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children used the Web to track searches.
“We had amateur people reviewing the list and comparing it with postings from other Web sites,” said Bob O’Brien, a senior director at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “This was the first time there was so much of an opportunity for citizens to help in that regard.”

In March, the center used computer databases to reunite 4-year-old Cortez Stewart with her mother in Houston, closing the last of the 5,192 reported cases of children separated from their parents by the storm.

Thousands of adults went missing during the storms as well, and other online resources were used to make connections. The popular Web site Craigslist was overloaded with missing person postings. Jon Donley, the editor of NOLA.com, an Internet outlet for news and information about New Orleans, rushed to develop a Web page on which people could post updates about where they were and inquiries about others. Donley had lost contact with his own daughter, who had been at their home along Lake Pontchartrain in an area that had an 18-foot storm surge.
“I spent like three days just assuming she was dead, but some friends found my post on the forums and the database,” said Donley, who heard back from people who had information about his daughter. “They found her and her boyfriend cooking sausage over a candle in our garage.”

Despite all the success that modern technology has had in tracking down people, many remain missing. The Center for Hope is working to develop a “remorial”--a place where the missing are honored. But unlike memorials that honor the dead with engraved names, it will list the names of the missing in computer kiosks at the Albany “remorial” site, to be removed when they return home.

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/2759506.html



Miles For The Missing

Bike ride keeps memories of missing children alive


An annual bike ride called "Miles For The Missing" is making sure missing children will never be forgotten.

Grief brought on by the mysterious disappearance of three teens is why family members, and supporters gathered in Council Bluffs Sunday.

November of 2005 is the last time anyone saw 12-year-old Amber Harris.

"Without these extra resources, we wouldn't have known to do anything but just put out fliers and just look all the time," said Melissa Harris, Amber's mom.

July of 2004 is the last time anyone saw 17-year-old Ashley Martinez of Saint Joseph Missouri.

"We have not heard a word. It's been a nightmare," said Tammy Navinsky. "I don't know how you want to describe it. We spend every day trying to get on the Web sites, trying to find organizations to help."

Jason Jolkowski, 19, of Omaha vanished in June of 2001.

"It's an ongoing trauma. It's also a process of grief that you get stuck in because you don't really know," said Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's mother. "What am I grieving for? Am I grieving because someone's deceased? Am I grieving because they went away from us?"

Project Jason, a support system for families of missing children, sponsors the event in which bikers ride from one to 44 miles.

Kelly Jolkowski, the founder of Project Jason set up Sunday's bike ride.

http://www.kptm.com/news/local/2759786.html

Goin' the Miles for the Missing

As Tracy Tribble's family continues their search, a group dedicated to missing persons held an event today to raise awareness.

The third annual Miles for the Missing Family Bike Ride kicked off at the Wabash Trace Nature Trail.

Bicyclists met up with the families of missing persons along the way, listening to their stories.

Organizers say people are never prepared when someone they love disappears.

“People prepare for disasters and other situations in their life that we expect. But we just don't expect somebody to just be gone one day. And so one of the things that we ask people to do is keep a personal ID kit for every member of their family,” bike ride organizer Dan Buck says.

Those ID kits can help law enforcement to act quickly when someone goes missing.

ID kits were handed out to everyone who turned out for the bike ride.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1636&u_sid=2174939

Published Sunday
May 21, 2006

There are more people than you'd think

BY JENNIFER GREFF AND CHRISTOPHER BURBACH

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERS


Every time she hears that another family is searching for a suddenly missing loved one, Kelly Jolkowski's heart breaks once more.

Most recently, it was the relatives of Jessica O'Grady, an Omaha college student who was last heard from May 10, whose public heartache made Jolkowski want to reach out and help.

Before that, it was relatives of 12-year-old Amber Harris, and before that, others. Jolkowski tries to contact the families, feeling compelled to offer empathy and support to strangers to whom she feels an instant bond.

She knows the pain of not knowing.

Her son, 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski, disappeared in Benson on his way to work June 13, 2001.

"You are always haunted by 'Are they safe?'" Jolkowski said. "'Did something horrible happen to them?'"

An unusual two weeks in metropolitan Omaha have put missing people in the forefront of Omaha's consciousness. The discoveries of two bodies and the disappearances of two women were rare because they occurred so close together in time, but authorities see no connections among the cases.

"It's freakish," said Chief Deputy Jim Matthai of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office. "But they have nothing in common with each other except the timing."

Hundreds of people are currently missing in the area.

In Nebraska, 329 people were listed as of last week on the Nebraska Missing Persons Web site, which is maintained by the Nebraska State Patrol. Of those, 129 were reported missing to the Omaha Police Department. As of last week, 299 people were listed on Iowa's Web site.

The Amber Harris case is not typical.

Most missing people cases are resolved quickly - in Iowa, almost half are found safe within one day.

Only 30 of those in Nebraska have been missing as long as or longer than Jason Jolkowski. Only 22 of Nebraska's missing people cases are more than a decade old.

Rare is the case, said a woman who works on Nebraska's list, that goes on for years without answers, or that ends with the tragic news Amber's family received Friday, that a loved one was found dead.

"There's a very small percentage there," said Chris Price from the criminal identification intelligence division of the Nebraska State Patrol. "Unfortunately, it happens. Look at Amber. This is going to hit everybody hard."

Not having closure also hurts, but in a different way.

"It's a grieving process where you are stuck in the middle. You don't really know what you're grieving for," Kelly Jolkowski said.

She established Project Jason to communicate with other families of the missing. She also played a large part last year in establishing the missing people clearinghouse through the Nebraska Legislature.

It was a start, she said, but more needs to be done. The Web site needs more specific information on each missing person and pictures of each one.

She plans to ask the Legislature for another law requiring law enforcement to give families of missing people a national hot line number where they can find resources. She also is helping to bring a missing people training session to Omaha this fall for law enforcement personnel.

"Families don't realize they can't sit at home on the phone and someone else will do everything for them. Often, they have to fight for attention. . . . They have to fight to get investigations," she said.

Police say they take all missing people cases seriously and follow national and agency protocols on investigations.

Most of the time, a missing person is a chronic runaway or a juvenile who is at the home of a girlfriend or boyfriend, Matthai said, and this could be an issue in how cases are handled. He compared it to a business that has consistent false alarms; after awhile, it's natural to assume any alarm there is false.

If the missing person is a child, deputies immediately search in and around the home. But if the parents have no idea where the missing person has gone, there's not much the deputies can do, Matthai said.

"We can't knock on every door," he said. "But we would certainly hope it's not just rubber-stamped and ignored."

Many people believe they have to wait 24 hours before a person can be reported missing, but that is not true, Matthai said.

Family advocacy efforts such as Jolkowski's have helped to raise the public profile of missing people cases, said Barbara Nelson. She is program manager for the Criminal Justice Center for Innovation, which offers law enforcement training led by veteran investigators from missing people cases. The center is a part of Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wis.

When Jannel Rap's sister, Gina Bos, disappeared nearly six years ago in Lincoln, Rap spent a year struggling to get the amount of attention for the case that she felt any missing person case deserved.

Bos - a 40-year-old singer, songwriter and single mother of three - disappeared Oct. 17, 2000, after an open-mike night at a pub in Lincoln. Police assumed she was dead from the beginning, Rap said.

Rap, who lives in California, formed an organization called Gina for Missing Persons.

That led to a Web site, monthly webcasts and more than 100 benefit concerts highlighting missing people.



More than 600 people are officially listed as missing in the Midlands, with 329 from Nebraska and 299 from Iowa. Here is a sampling of those cases. Rows are numbered from top to bottom here; photos are listed from left to right. Row 1: Jason Jolkowski, 19, Omaha, June 14, 2001; Mariecia Parker, 16, Lincoln, July 26, 2005; Mary Howland, 19, Omaha, Nov. 30, 2003; Michael Ashby, 23, Omaha, Jan. 6, 1993; Melissa Schmidt, 15, Lincoln, Sept. 7, 1995; Diana Ibarra-Suarez, 4, Omaha, June 26, 2001; Mark Goode, 16, Papillion, June 29, 2005; Katie Bevins, 17, Lincoln, March 26, 2005; Marilyn Alexander, 39, Hastings, Neb., Sept. 20, 2001; Mary Hoesing, 19, Stanton, Neb., March 7, 2005; Robert Pearson, 23, Norfolk, Neb., Jan. 17, 2002. Row 2: Jillian Cutshall, 9, Norfolk, Neb., Aug. 13, 1987; Brittany Jackson, 15, Beatrice, Neb., Nov. 9, 2005; Juan Cruz-Torres, 16, Norfolk, Neb., March 27, 2006; Jason Bevins, 21, Gering, Neb., April 24, 1993; Karyl Condon, 27, Omaha, April 29, 2005; Eugene McGuire, 57, Lincoln, March 30, 2004; Regina Bos, 40, Lincoln, Oct. 18, 2000; Thomas Braniff, 17, Papillion, March 9, 2006; Cassandra Flynn, 18, Omaha, June 25, 2005; Brenda Ibarra-Suarez, 6, Omaha, June 26, 2001; Lucretia Bryson, 17, Omaha, June 22, 2005. Row 3: Teri Hansen, 35, Omaha, April 19, 2006; Steven Garrison, 17, Norfolk, Neb., Jan. 13, 2006; Anthony Newson, 17, Omaha, July 22, 2005; Samantha Albertson, 26, Lexington, Neb., March 14, 2006; Damon Rocky Mountain, 14, Papillion, Jan. 27, 2006; Alexander Mejia, 18, Omaha, Nov. 21, 2005; Jerry Braxton, 16, Lincoln, Jan. 17, 2006; Christopher Gause, 48, Omaha, Oct. 26, 2005; Jessica OGrady, 19, Omaha, May 10, 2006; Dana Johnson, 17, Omaha, Aug. 27, 2004; Joan West, 17, Omaha, April 22, 2006.
 [/hr]Last edited by Kelly : 05-21-2006 at 09:39 PM.

Press Release from the Omaha branch of the United States Postal Service:

"OMAHA POST OFFICE RAISES AWARENESS OF AMBER ALERT WITH POSTAGE STAMP AND FINGERPRINTING EVENT

EVENT: The Omaha Post Office teams up with Project Jason to raise awareness of the AMBER Alert, 2006 social awareness stamp.

WHO: Omaha Post Office and board members/volunteers for Project Jason

WHAT: Volunteers will offer free fingerprinting to children and adults in the lobby of the Omaha Main Post Office lobby.

WHEN: Thursday, May 25, 2006 from 1:00 pm through 6:00 pm

WHERE: Omaha Main Office located at 1124 Pacific Street, Omaha NE 68108

BACKGROUND: With this new stamp, the U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of drawing attention to important social causes. AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. Following the tragic death of Amber Hagerman, this program was created to broadcast emergency messages that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger as determined by a law enforcement agency. This program has successfully helped in the recovery of more than 265 children. The stamp which will be dedicated in Arlington, TX and Washington, DC, May 25, and will be available for sale at all Omaha stations and branches.

Kelly Jolkowski, Founder and President of Project Jason, will be on hand at the Omaha Post Office to assist in the finger printing process. She believes that every person should have a completed Personal ID Kit , provided free though Project Jason. The information provided is invaluable to law enforcement, should a family member go missing.

The Project Jason Mission Statement:

“Our mission as a non profit organization is to create and increase public awareness of missing people through a variety of educational activities. Project Jason seeks to bring hope and assistance to families of the missing by providing resources and support.”

CONTACT: Roger Humphries, Customer Relations Coordinator @ 402-xxx-xxxx
Kelly Jolkowski, President of Project Jason @ 402-xxx-xxxx"

http://www.wowt.com/...es/2874601.html

Missing Children's Day

Spreading the message


Ironically, the memorial service for Amber Harris was held on National Missing Children's Day, a day to draw attention to the issue of missing and abducted children.

A new Amber Alert postage stamp was unveiled in Omaha. The message: Amber Alert Saves Missing Children is prominently displayed.

Part of Thursday's program included fingerprinting of children and other precautions parents can take to protect their kids.

Kelly Jolkowski, with Project Jason says, "They have all that critical data that they can immediately hand to law enforcement to start that search and also a photo which is very, very important."

Kelly's son Jason is among the missing. On June 13th, 2001, Jason was planning to walk a few blocks and catch a ride to work with a friend. He hasn’t been heard from since.

For readers in the Omaha area:

The Project Jason Board of Directors invites interested persons to attend the Project Jason Recognition Dinner to be held on Sunday, June 11th, at 6:30pm in downtown Omaha. The dinner will take place at a new and popular Cajun-style restaraurant in a historic building.

At the dinner, persons in the community will be honored for their contributions to Project Jason. In addition to the awards, the Board of Directors will present to attendees the history of the organization, current programs, community and national impact, goals, plus volunteer and other needs.

Seating is limited, so reservations are required in advance. Please call 402-932-0095 or email dinner@projectjason.org to reserve your place. The dinner costs $15 per person.

Project Jason is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. The Mission Statement is:

“Our mission as a non profit organization is to create and increase public awareness of missing people through a variety of outreach and educational activities. Project Jason seeks to bring hope and assistance to families of the missing by providing resources and support.”

Here are just two of many comments made by families of the missing about the work we are doing. We need your help and support in order to continue and improve our services.

Thank you.

Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
http://www.projectjason.org
Read our Voice for the Missing Blog
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/


“Project Jason assisted me with the case of my missing daughter, Katlyn, by distributing posters, leading me to other organizations that also help in finding missing loved ones. They also set up a group distribution where they alerted all of the TV stations in Omaha, NE. All of the TV stations came and filmed everyone hanging posters and interviewed me as a worried mother along with other family members and some of my daughter’s friends.

Last but not least, Project Jason has a very strong support system and Kelly never, ever lets you lose hope. She is an angel from above!! My daughter Katlyn has since returned home on August 30th, safe and sound. I would have never made it through an experience like this without the help of Project Jason. I can never re-pay Project Jason for all they did for me and my family not to mention Katlyn herself.”
Shelly Mlnarik, Mother of Katlyn


“Project Jason assisted me with the case of my missing son, Marc. I had filed a police report and they told me to sit back and wait. I couldn't wait. Fortunately, I have an online friend who told me about Project Jason.

Project Jason told me all the other things I could do like contacting the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Project Jason gave me several resources for help in finding my son AND they listened to me when I felt like everybody else I spoke to thought I was crazy for worrying since "he is 17".

They designed a "Missing" poster for me that I had copies made of and these resulted in us finding our son. I can't fully describe the impact that Project Jason had on us, but they changed our lives forever. We have our child home and there is no greater gift that can be given.”
Cecelia Medbery, mother of former missing child Marc Medbery, Bellevue, Nebraska

http://www.reformer.com/Letters

Letter to the editor:

"Phony psychics should be exposed

Editor of the Reformer:

Nearly three years ago, the Reformer ran two front-page stories about self-proclaimed "psychic investigator" Carla Baron and her involvement with the case of two missing local women, Tina and Bethany Sinclair. Both stories were very positive and uncritical toward Ms. Baron; the only skeptical comment in either piece was a short quote from a local law officer, who said in effect that his department doesn't place much credibility in psychics.

I'm now curious as to whether the Reformer might consider publishing a followup article, updating the public about what help, if any, Ms. Baron's "evidence" has provided in solving the Sinclair case. I realize that an article along the lines of "Psychic fails again" may possess the dog-bites-man quality that newspapers usually try to avoid. But it might serve to provide a more balanced and realistic picture. And it would give you another opportunity to mention Ms. Baron's long history of exaggerated claims and self-serving statements, as documented here: www.iigwest.com/carla_report.html.

You could also note that despite what TV shows such as Medium might like you to believe, no crime in history has ever been solved by evidence provided through psychic means.

You could also mention the experience of Kelly Jolkowski, whose son Jason went missing in 2001 (see www.projectjason.org/). Since that time, Ms. Jolkowski has been contacted by a number of self-described psychics offering their services, often in exchange for money. Through her work on behalf of families of missing people, Ms. Jolkowski learned that many other parents had also received unsolicited offers from psychics.

She discovered that psychics are often very aggressive when contacting the family of the missing. For instance, if their offer is initially declined, they sometimes accuse parents of not loving their child enough to do everything possible to get them back. The "evidence" these psychics provide is contradictory, terrifying, depressing and ultimately, totally useless.

They sometimes accuse innocent people of being responsible. They waste valuable law enforcement time and effort tracking down bogus leads. And none has ever provided a single clue that helped locate a missing person. In an effort to prevent others from being similarly preyed upon, Ms. Jolkowski created a Web site (http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com...chics-and.html) to help warn the friends and family of missing people about these "psychic predators."

A followup article might help others from falling victim to Ms. Baron and her ilk, who shamelessly take advantage of families with missing loved ones, at a time when they are most vulnerable and desperate to try anything, however implausible. And it might determine whether the Reformer is truly interested in serving as a responsible source of information, or whether it prefers to pander to trendy and popular delusions.

Dick McCarrick

Athens, June 2"

http://www.kptm.com/...al/3239911.html

New Alert Could Help In Search For Missing Persons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scott Lea - KPTM FOX 42 News

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A local group is doing its part to help find missing people more quickly.

Project Jason, named in memory of Jason Jolkowski, the Omaha teenager who went missing in June, 2001 wants a law enforcement to create a new classification of a missing person. The group says they hope this new classification will save lives.

The plan is in police hands as of today, and it is already getting results.

Clicking through the Project Jason website, Kelly Jolkowski say she sees proof that more needs to be done to find missing people. "We need to do something, and this is the perfect thing to do," she says.

What Project Jason has come up with is a proposal to Omaha media outlets and area law enforcement.

It essentially gets television and radio station more actively involved with more missing persons cases.

"n the case of a TV station, they will start a crawl or a ticker at the bottom of the screen to give information about the person who is missing," Kelly says.

It's called a Project Jason Alert, modeled after a program used in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Right now, an Amber Alert can only be issued when there is proof that a missing child is danger. Under Project Jason, age doesn't matter.

Police would also only contact the media when the family and authorities are concerned about that missing person.

"It's something in between, too often nothing gets done," Kelly says. "We want to save lives."

The plan is already getting a good response. Omaha police say they are interested in the idea and will research how Cedar Rapids works. The Sarpy County Sheriff's Office says they talk about it on Wednesday.

"It makes us very happy we all want to cooperate together," says Melissa Harris, who spent the day taking the plan's details to rural police.

Project Jason leaders hope the special alert will keep recent tragedies like Amber Harris, Tracy Tribble and Jessica O'Grady from happening again.

"Even if it just saves one life, that's enough," Melissa says.

The Harrison County Iowa Sheriff's Department has also agreed to be part of the plan. In October, nationwide missing person experts will come to Omaha to train police.


*Watch for more news about the proposed Project Jason Alert tomorrow.*

For Omaha area readers:

BOWLING FUN RAISER

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 1:30 P.M.
Plaza Bowl, Hwy 30 Fremont, NE

Omaha based nonprofit organization, Project Jason, which assists families of missing persons and provides educational materials, will be hosting a bowling “fun raiser”. Bowlers can play up to three games for $10. Door and other prizes will be given away throughout the afternoon. Space is limited, so bowlers will need to sign up ahead of time. To sign up, or to get additional information, please email bowling@projectjason.org or call 402-932-0095.

www.projectjason.org
Sponsored by Project Jason

Project Jason is pleased to announce that we won our first grant! While it's not a huge one, ($500) it's big and important to us. We were also the only organization in the state of Nebraska to win this.

Here is the official press release from Radio Shack:

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Nonprofit Receives Grant from RadioShack Corporation

Project Jason among 80 agencies nationwide chosen to receive grant money from the Company's StreetSentz Community Grants program.


Fort Worth, Texas ‑ May 19, 2006 ‑ As part of its continuing effort to improve the quality of life for America's families, RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) has awarded Project Jason a StreetSentz Community Grants. Project Jason is one of 80 agencies and the only one in Nebraska to receive grant money in the latest quarterly cycle of RadioShack's StreetSentz Community Grants program. The program funds worthy causes that help families protect children from abduction, violence and abuse.

"Through the StreetSentz Community Grants program, RadioShack has the ability to support programs in local communities that aim to help keep children safe," said Laura Moore, senior vice president and chief communications officer for RadioShack Corporation. "We believe our contributions to agencies like Project Jason will positively impact families across the nation, reinforcing RadioShack's commitment to the safety and security of the American family."

StreetSentz Community Grants are accepted year‑round and are evaluated quarterly by local review councils coordinated through RadioShack district offices. Grants are awarded quarterly in February, May, August and November.

To be considered for a StreetSentz Community Grants, an organization must be a tax exempt nonprofit designated as a 501 ©(3) by the Internal Revenue Service, offer solutions to help prevent family violence/abuse and/or child abduction, and directly impact or benefit, through programs or services, a RadioShack community. Grant requests should be limited to $500 or less.

Local Nonprofit Receives Grant from RadioShack Corporation

StreetSentz Community Grants guidelines and the application form are available online at the RadioShack corporate Web site (www.RadioShackCorporation.com), click on Corporate Citizenship, then StreetSentz Community Grant or at www.StreetSentz.com.

A list of this quarter’s winners can be found at http://www.radioshackcorporation.com...nts2006Q1.html

About RadioShack Corporation

Fort Worth, Texas-based RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) is one of the most trusted consumer electronics specialty retailers in the U.S. and a growing provider of a variety of retail support services. The company operates a vast network of sales channels, including: nearly 7,000 company-owned and dealer stores; over 100 RadioShack locations in Mexico; and more than 600 wireless kiosks. RadioShack's knowledgeable and helpful sales associates deliver convenlent product and service solutions within an estimated five minutes of where 94 percent of all Americans either live or work.

For more information on RadioShack Corporation, visit www.RadioShackCorporation.com. To learn more about RadioShack products and services or to purchase items online, visit www.RadioShack.com." [/hr]Last edited by Kelly : 07-16-2006 at 05:33 PM.

The Project Jason Voice for the Missing blog is a year old. We share highlights from the past year and specific stories of things that happened because of the blog in today's edition. We thank our readers for making the blog a success!

The link: http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com...r-missing.html

Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
www.projectjason.org
Read our blog about missing persons:
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/

http://www.omaha.com...8&u_sid=2213061


Published Wednesday
July 26, 2006

Relatives of missing urged to submit photos

BY LESLIE REED

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN - Although a photograph probably is the key aid to tracking down many missing people, fewer than one in three listings on Nebraska's missing persons database includes a picture.

"Can you find a missing person from that?" asked Kelly Jolkowski of Omaha, pointing to a missing persons poster that featured only a blue square labeled "photo unavailable."

Jolkowski, who became a missing persons advocate after her son Jason, disappeared five years ago at age 19, today enlisted the aid of Gov. Dave Heineman in urging families of missing Nebraskans to be sure authorities have a photograph of their loved ones - as recent and as good quality as possible.

"Those of us who have experienced this have the face of our loved ones etched on our minds and our hearts," Jolkowski said.

The photos are needed so others can help in the search.

"Any picture is better than no picture, it helps put a face to the name," she said.

Heineman added, "We need more leads, more photographs and more eyes in the field."

Jolkowski was accompanied to a press conference with Heineman by Melissa Harris, mother of Amber Harris, the 12-year-old Omaha girl who was missing for more than five months before her body was found in May. Harris said her daughter's disappearance has compelled her to help other families in similar situations.

As of today, Nebraska listed 379 people on its Missing Persons' Clearinghouse Web site, 139 of them juveniles.

Chris Price, clearinghouse manager, said about 350 names are added to the list each week - and about 350 are removed as people are located.

The clearinghouse, an online searchable database run by the Nebraska State Patrol, was created last year through legislation sponsored by State Sen. Pat Bourne of Omaha at Jolkowski's request.

http://www.ketv.com/...169/detail.html

State Asks For Everyone's Help Finding Missing Persons
Many Missing People Lack Photo On State Site

POSTED: 4:47 pm CDT July 26, 2006
UPDATED: 5:06 pm CDT July 26, 2006


LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska state officials are asking for help in tracking down missing persons.

Of the 379 listed on the State Patrol Web site, less than half have pictures to identify them. Some have been gone for decades, and others just a few hours.

Chris Rice helps run the online tool. She said the photos are needed to help get the missing persons' families closure, or bring them home.

"We're really relying on a person's name. It doesn't have the same impact, which the picture would have," Rice said.

That's why state leaders and family members of the missing are asking for help.

"Go to the Web site, look at the pictures, the information. It might strike a chord," said Gov. Dave Heineman.

Kelly Jolkowski's son, Jason, has been missing since 1991. She wants anyone who has pictures of those missing to submit them to the clearinghouse.

"One in every six children whose face is featured in various places, like a Web site, are recovered as a direct result of the public's direct exposure to that photograph," Jolkowski said.

Jolkowski told the story of a 30-year-old woman recently reunited with loved ones after being abducted by her grandmother 25 years ago.

"Even with a great passage of time, anything is possible. We can always have that hope until we know the truth," Jolkowski said.

The state patrol said 19 people listed on the site have been found since the beginning of the year.

http://www.kolnkgin....es/3431871.html

Solving Missing Persons Cases

Lincoln
Updated: 6:50 PM Jul 26, 2006
Kelly Jordan


Hope hasn't faded for Sherry Schmidt. Her daughter Melissa went missing in September of 1995. She says it's hard to handle the uncertainty.

"Not knowing, not knowing what happened to her not knowing if she's okay missing all these years," said Sherry Schmidt of Lincoln.


Melissa is on a list with more than 300 other missing Nebraskans.

The Legislature helped establish the Missing Persons Clearinghouse to get the word out about missing Nebraskans. Kelly Jolkowski's son Jason disappeared in 2001. She says the Clearinghouse website can make a difference.

"Working together we can accomplish this goal to bring them home," said Kelly Jolkowski.

The website, which can be accessed through the Nebraska State Patrol site, includes information on the missing. The Governor says, more people need to check out the site.

"We need your help to raise the awareness of the website and the good it can do. Our investigators cannot solve these cases without input from their eyes and ears in the field, ordinary Nebraskans," said Governor Dave Heineman.

Elizabeth Schmidt agrees, she was only 11-years old when her sister, Melissa went missing. She says more awareness is a long time coming. Especially when it comes to solving Melissa's case.

"If you have a heart you're going to check out a missing child and atleast try to remember their face, or feel something for that family," said Elizabeth Schmidt.

http://www.klkntv.co...y.asp?S=5201704

Missing Persons Investigations



The State of Nebraska has launched a valuable tool to help the families of missing people.

But, you probably haven't heard about it.

The State Legislature passed "Jason's Law" during the 2005 legislative session.

Now, Governor Dave Heineman is helping get the word out about a web site that will help find missing loved ones.

Kelly Jolkowski says her shy 19 year-old son Jason was last seen on a beautiful summer day on his way to work.

It's been over five years with no a clue as to what happened.

Jolkowski says police don't believe her son is a runaway.

After years of trying to cope with Jason's disappearance, Jolkowski helped the State Legislature establish the Nebraska missing persons clearinghouse, now known as Jason's Law.

Early this year, a web site was created to post information on missing children and adults.

It lists about 350 missing Nebraskans at any given time.

Since the site's creation at the beginning of this year, 19 individuals have been found, and 25-hundred missing person reports have been canceled.

Kelly Jolkowski says one in six children who's pictures are posted in public are recovered.

Her son's case still remains active, but has no new leads.

For more information you can log onto www.projectjason.org.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/...c644720467.txt

Missing person site is missing pictures

BY NANCY HICKS / Lincoln Journal Star

Print from a digital camera: 29 cents. Photos from a wedding: $700. Picture on missing person Web site: Priceless.

More than half of the people listed on Nebraska’s missing person Web site have a blue spot where a picture should be — no image available.

Yet photos are a vital part of finding missing people, said Kelly Jolkowski, who was instrumental in pushing through a state law that set up the Web site.

Nationally, one of every six missing children whose pictures are featured in some way are recovered as a direct result of the exposure of the photograph, said Jolkowski, whose 19-year-old son disappeared in 2001.

Putting a face to the name helps find missing people, she said during a Wednesday news conference at which Gov. Dave Heineman focused on the missing person Web site.

Awareness of the Web site is key, Heineman said.

He asked Nebraskans to take a look at it to help in the search for missing persons and to provide pictures of missing persons. A relative, a neighbor, a former school friend may have a photograph, he said.

Police work and public involvement are important in finding missing people, he said.

Police closed a case this year in which a 34-year-old woman kidnapped when she was 4 in South Sioux City by her grandmother was reunited with her parents, Heineman said. The grandmother was sentenced to three years of probation on a conviction of false imprisonment.

The Web site, launched in December, is the latest tool in finding missing people. It lists about 350 people at any given time. Most are juvenile runaways, but some have been missing for years.

About 2,900 people have been listed as newly missing since the start of this year. Nineteen have been found, and more than 2,500 reports have been canceled, many because runaways were found.

Nebraska is one of few states to have a public searchable data base for missing children and adults, said Jolkowski.

“We are leading the way.”

Many Web sites only post missing persons when they have all the data, which can take 30 to 60 days. Others won’t post a case at all unless a photo is available.

Nebraska posts information as soon as it is available, said Chris Price, State Patrol staff member.

“These efforts can only succeed with public involvement, public interaction and public scrutiny ,” said Heineman. “We need more leads, more names, more photographs and more eyes in the field.”

On the Web

To look at the state’s missing person list go to the Nebraska State Patrol home page at www.nsp.state.ne.us

http://www.swnebr.net/newspaper/cgi-...iver.pl?158844

Article Posted: 07/27/2006 9:44:29 AM
Gov. Heineman & State Patrol Seek Help in Solving Missing Persons Cases

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today joined with the Nebraska State Patrol in promoting the state’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse, an Internet Web site dedicated to helping Nebraskans find missing friends and family members.

“Finding someone who has gone missing is a complex and multifaceted process,” Gov. Heineman said. “Investigators know that the more information that can be gathered on a missing person, the greater the chance for their recovery. Putting a face with a name is one of the most valuable tools we have when it comes to these kinds of cases, which can range from a criminal investigation into the abduction of a child by a stranger or family member, to an investigation into the whereabouts of a runaway, and the Missing Persons Clearinghouse is a resource that provides Nebraskans with a way to help in the search.”

The Legislature established the Nebraska Missing Persons Clearinghouse with the passage of LB 111, known as Jason’s Law during the 2005 legislative session, which was introduced by Sen. Patrick Bourne of Omaha. The law was created on behalf of the family of Jason Jolkowski of Omaha. Jason was 19 years old when he disappeared from the front of his home on June 13, 2001. The listing with his picture and descriptive information were among the first adult information posted on the site when it was launched last December. His case remains active.

As the state’s law enforcement agency, the Nebraska State Patrol serves as the central repository for information on missing children and adults and as a result of Jason’s Law, created and maintained a Web site, which lists approximately 350 people at any given time.

The site has received nearly 7,800 hits since it’s creation. More than 2,900 individuals have been listed as newly missing since the start of the year. Nineteen individuals have been recovered, and more than 2,500 of the missing person reports have been canceled.

Col. Bryan Tuma, Superintendent of the State Patrol, said, “Information is the key ingredient when it comes to missing persons cases. We need the public to partner with families and law enforcement to find Nebraska’s missing, and the Nebraska State Patrol is dedicated to providing the public with access to as much information as possible to help accomplish that goal.”

There are currently 143 photos accompanying the 379 persons listed as missing on the Clearinghouse Web site. Families are encouraged to include a current picture and as much detailed information as possible when providing missing person reports to law enforcement agencies.

Law enforcement agencies, parents and relatives of the missing are encouraged to contact the Missing Persons Clearinghouse toll-free at (877) 441-LOST (5678), or 402-479-4986 to add or update a listing. The Nebraska Missing Persons Clearinghouse is available online at http://www.nsp.state.ne.us/missingpersons/index.cfm.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n... 555107&rfi=6

Missing IWCC student's case highlighted
PHIL ROONEY, Staff Writer
07/27/2006


The case of missing Iowa Western Community College student Jason Jolkowski was highlighted during a Wednesday news conference in Lincoln, Neb.

Jolkowski disappeared on June 13, 2001. He was last seen walking to Benson High School in Omaha to meet a coworker for a ride to work. Then 19, Jolkowski was a student at IWCC and a disc jockey at 89.7 The River, the college's radio station.

His mother, Kelly Jolkowski, appeared with Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and members of the Nebraska State Patrol to promote that state's Missing Person's Clearinghouse, which was created on May 25, 2005, when the Nebraska Legislature passed Jason's Law.

Heineman praised Kelly Jolkowski and Omaha State Sen. Patrick Bourne for their efforts in passing the bill and said more pictures are needed on the Web site that generally lists around 350 missing people, many of them runaways.

"We need your help to raise the awareness of the Web site and the good it can do," Heineman said.

Jolkowski said her son's case remains active, and the family recently distributed posters at a park near their Omaha home to mark the fifth anniversary of the disappearance. She also stressed the role the public can play and the pain felt by the families who are missing a loved one.

"There's an empty place at the dinner table, one that longs to be filled again," she said. "We need your help."

To access the Nebraska Missing Person's Clearinghouse, go to the Nebraska State Patrol's Web site at nsp.state.ne.us and click the missing person's link or contact the hotline by calling 1 (877) 441-LOST.

The Omaha Police Department has announced that a $5,000 reward will be paid for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any suspects involved in the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at (402) 444-STOP (7867) or the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5600.

Jason Jolkowski is described as a white male, 6-feet tall and weighing 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Heineman encouraged the public to the Web site and become aware of the numbers of missing people.

"We need more names, more leads, more photographs, more eyes in the field," Heineman said. "There are eyes and ears in the field. The patrol can't do this alone."

Hello all,

Melissa Harris (mother of Amber Harris) and I are going to the state capital in Lincoln tommorrow afternoon.

I have arranged a meeting with my state senator, who helped us push through Jason's Law, and another senator. My senator is in his last year there, so we will be meeting to discuss possible sponsorship by the other senator for the new bill we will be pushing in 2007.

While Jason's Law focused on awareness and communication, the new law encompasses procedures for LE for both missing persons and the unidentified deceased. (UID's) There are also sections that deal with the capture of DNA from the missing person or his/her family members for the federal database.

This law will be called Amber's Law in memory of Amber Harris, who was missing and was then found brutally murdered here in Omaha. It is important to Amber's family that her death serve some purpose, so we asked the Harrises to help us pass this bill.

This is a part of Project Jason's national Campaign for the Missing in which we are working on passing this legislation in each and every state. We have already achieved bill sponsorship in several states with many more in progress.

You can learn more about the Campaign for the Missing and the proposed law here.

Thank you.

Kelly Jolkowski, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
http://www.projectjason.org
Read our Voice for the Missing Blog
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/

http://www.ketv.com/news/9703002/detail.html


Mother Of Missing Man Proposes New Alert System

Project Jason Alert Would Be Less Restrictive Than Amber Alert

POSTED: 4:46 pm CDT August 18, 2006
UPDATED: 4:54 pm CDT August 18, 2006


OMAHA, Neb. -- The mother of a missing man met with local law enforcement officials on Friday to press for the creation of an alert system less restrictive than the Amber Alert.

Kelly Jolkowski's son, Jason, disappeared five years ago. She formed a nonprofit foundation in his name called "Project Jason."

Jolkowski said an Amber Alert isn't activated for most missing children because law enforcement can only activate one when investigators know a child is kidnapped or in immediate danger.

Read more at the link.......