Jason Jolkowski: Case spotlighted during news conference

From The Daily Nonpareil:

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."

Jason's website: http://members.cox.net/prayersandposters/
Guestbook for messages to the Jolkowski family: http://pub36.bravenet.com/guestbook/show.php?usernum=3085091876
You can print a poster of Jason at http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200301135W.
Jason is also included in Project Jason's Adopt a Missing Person program. To learn more about how you can "adopt" Jason or someone else, visit http://www.projectjason.org/adopt.html.

Photo of Jason from his website.

The National Center for Missing Adults, which helps the families of Jason and other missing adults like him, has lately been threatened by financial difficulties. The situation has improved somewhat, but they still could use help! For the latest news on this, see http://while-here.blogspot.com/2006/07/little-good-news.html and http://fromwhisperstor.6.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=14381&highlight=ncma.