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Work on improvements to Fourth Street is scheduled to begin Monday, which will result in detours in the downtown area.

The calendar may still say July, but patrons of the Basehor Community Library got into a fall spooky mood with a presentation last week by paranormal investigator Becky Ray. Part of the Ghost-a-Go-Go paranormal investigation team, Ray discussed the basics of performing a paranormal investigation and how to properly review evidence. Working in the paranormal field and performing investigations since the 1980s, her current team has been together since 2003.“It is fun work. We always go in with an open mind and begin digging into history. We also dig into the history of where we are investigating to see if something historical has happened there such as a battle or any untimely deaths,” she said.Librarian by day and ghost hunter by night, Ray began her presentation by discussing the history of the paranormal field. She noted that the very first paranormal investigator was Catherine Crowe, who began scientific documentation in the 1840s. Some of the ideas and tools she used then are still being used today, although in advanced forms. Ray noted that bells on strings were initially used to detect movement and today lasers are used for that same purpose.Effective paranormal investigators are levelheaded and always look for a reasonable explanation for any perceived paranormal activity, she said. Ray noted that once her team investigated a house that had strange shadows. She quickly noted that live bugs had made their home in the light fixture which caused those shadows. Investigators must also be calm under pressure, be able to perform historical research, and obviously not scare easily.Ray approaches paranormal investigations with an open mind and much work is done prior to ever performing the actual in-person investigation.“I don’t get scared, I get startled. Being a skeptic is a good thing because not every strange thing we encounter is a ghost. Someone who goes into a situation with their mind already made up is a debunker. A skeptic goes in with an open mind and tries to figure out why something may have happened,” said Ray.Discussing the various types of hauntings, Ray said that intelligent hauntings are the most common ones portrayed on television. These types of hauntings occur when the spirit responds in some way such as knocking when prompted to do so. A residual haunt is something that involves energy left behind and is also a common occurrence. This happens most often on staircases and at a certain time of day or day of the week. A transient haunt is where spirits seem to travel from place to place such as Marilyn Monroe, whose ghost has been seen at a number of locations and hotels around the United States. A poltergeist, German for "noisy ghost," happens when energy manifests and items move around the room.Signs of ghostly activity include unexplained noises, doors that seem to open and close on their own, unexplained shadows, strange animal behavior, feelings of being watched, hot and cold spots of more than 10 degrees and cries or smells. Ray discussed one particular investigation that her team worked on because every morning around 7:30, all of the cabinet doors in the kitchen opened up. After being at the house at that time one morning, they realized that a trash truck went behind their house at 7:30 a.m. and the vibration caused the cabinet doors to open. Regardless of what is shown on television or in the movies, there are some paranormal activities that are extremely rare, including levitation of objects, physical assault, writing appearing on paper or on a wall and apparitions. Those things make great entertainment, but rarely happen.Because there are so many popular television shows and movies centered around investigating ghosts, the field of paranormal investigations has grown significantly over the past several decades. Doing investigations can quickly become an expensive and time-consuming hobby. Ray’s team always sets out to prove something is or isn’t happening and says the most important piece of equipment they use is the power of observation. They also utilize flashlights, quality camera equipment and recorders to attempt to capture noises or voices.“We always start our investigation with contact from the home or property owner. We talk to them, get their statement and the statements of any other witnesses and we document everything. Then we do historical background research about the area, all before we step foot into the building. We conduct our research and then review the hours of video and audio evidence before presenting our findings,” Ray said.In the Midwest, Atchison’s "Sallie House” has garnered much attention over the past 30 years. Many urban legends and false information have been told and retold over the years about a doctor who performed an emergency appendectomy in the house on a little girl named Sallie. Legend goes that she died during the surgery. Ray and her team did a deep dive into historical records and found no little girl named Sallie ever lived in the house and a doctor actually lived next door. She and her team have investigated the house and reported there was a lot of activity, including the spirit of a little girl. Ray and her team feel that while the Sallie House is indeed haunted, the house is also filled with black mold.

A World War II pilot, who was declared missing in action more than 80 years ago, will be laid to rest next week at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, according to a news release from the Army installation.

A flooded Missouri River continued to rise Wednesday in the Leavenworth area.

Leavenworth is now under a flood warning as the Missouri River has entered into a minor flood stage.

Donations made to the Leavenworth County government for repairs to the courthouse can be tax deductible.