TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 3262 to a total of 272,517, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3718 an increase of 96

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 3262 to a total of 272,517, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3718 an increase of 96<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611771570799.png" alt="Wednesday Jan. 27, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Jan. 27, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

KANSAS CITY —The FBI is seeking the public’s assistance across the nation with obtaining identifying information regarding an unknown girl who may have critical information pertaining to the identity of a child victim in an ongoing sexual exploitation investigation, according to a release from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Kansas City.

Operation Rescue Me represents a strategic partnership between the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Violent Crime Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Operation Rescue Me began in 2008, and is an aggressive program which focuses on utilizing image analysis to determine the identities of child victims depicted in child exploitation material.

Image analysis methods used by Operation Rescue Me concentrate on items seen in the backgrounds of child pornography videos or images. Analysts attempt to answer four basic questions that will hopefully lead to the identification and rescue of child victims:

1) What useful clues are there in the background? (What’s visible on the walls, are there distinct clothes or commercial labels visible?)

2) Can a time frame for when the pictures were taken be determined?

3) What is the physical location of the children in the photos? (Country, state, hotel room, etc.)

The FBI utilizes many clues to identify where a child may be held. The identification of items sold exclusively in certain areas, or at certain stores which can be seen in the background of various images has led to the successful rescue of numerous child victims. Additional techniques, such as isolating audio clips from videos to identify any names which can be heard, or even the dialect of language which is being spoken, have also led to the eventual rescue of abused children. Through the careful scrutiny of child pornography images, the FBI has been able to use clues as small as a glimpse of a vehicle’s color seen in a reflection of one of its mirrors to rescue children from dangerous child predators.

Since inception, Operation Rescue Me has led to the identification of over 800 child victims. The program continues to attempt to rescue those still in need

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611766448647.png" alt="Image courtesy FBI Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy FBI Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The FBI is seeking the public’s assistance across the nation with obtaining identifying information regarding an unknown girl who may have critical information pertaining to the identity of a child victim in an ongoing sexual exploitation investigation, according to a release from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611766324614.png" alt="Image FBI" />
 <figcaption>Image FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Operation Rescue Me represents a strategic partnership between the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Violent Crime Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Operation Rescue Me began in 2008, and is an aggressive program which focuses on utilizing image analysis to determine the identities of child victims depicted in child exploitation material.Image analysis methods used by Operation Rescue Me concentrate on items seen in the backgrounds of child pornography videos or images. Analysts attempt to answer four basic questions that will hopefully lead to the identification and rescue of child victims:1) What useful clues are there in the background? (What’s visible on the walls, are there distinct clothes or commercial labels visible?)2) Can a time frame for when the pictures were taken be determined?3) What is the physical location of the children in the photos? (Country, state, hotel room, etc.)4) Who are the children in the photos?No clue is too small.The FBI utilizes many clues to identify where a child may be held. The identification of items sold exclusively in certain areas, or at certain stores which can be seen in the background of various images has led to the successful rescue of numerous child victims. Additional techniques, such as isolating audio clips from videos to identify any names which can be heard, or even the dialect of language which is being spoken, have also led to the eventual rescue of abused children. Through the careful scrutiny of child pornography images, the FBI has been able to use clues as small as a glimpse of a vehicle’s color seen in a reflection of one of its mirrors to rescue children from dangerous child predators.Since inception, Operation Rescue Me has led to the identification of over 800 child victims. The program continues to attempt to rescue those still in need

FBI: Girl may know child victim of sexual exploitation 

SALINE COUNTY —Fire destroyed a business building in rural Saline County Tuesday night.

Just before 11:30p.m., sheriff's deputies and firefighters from Rural Fire District 7 were sent to a fire at 1334 West North Street west of Salina, according to Sheriff Roger Soldan. 

The building rented by Gerald Teet, 48, of Salina, was for a firewood business and contained a&nbsp;wood-burning stove.

Teed had left it burning after leaving for the day, according to Soldan. The fire got out of the stove and spread throughout the building.

In addition to the building, a $4,000 New Holland skid loader and $3,000 John Deere Gator were destroyed in the fire. Soldan did not have a total dollar loss as a result of the blaze. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611764481964.jpeg" alt="Fire destroyed a building at a rural Saline Co. business Tuesday night-photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Fire destroyed a building at a rural Saline Co. business Tuesday night-photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Fire destroyed a business building in rural Saline County Tuesday night.Just before 11:30p.m., sheriff's deputies and firefighters from Rural Fire District 7 were sent to a fire at 1334 West North Street west of Salina, according to Sheriff Roger Soldan. The building rented by Gerald Teet, 48, of Salina, was for a firewood business and contained a&nbsp;wood-burning stove.Teed had left it burning after leaving for the day, according to Soldan. The fire got out of the stove and spread throughout the building.In addition to the building, a $4,000 New Holland skid loader and $3,000 John Deere Gator were destroyed in the fire. Soldan did not have a total dollar loss as a result of the blaze. There were no injuries reported.

Sheriff: Fire destroys building at rural Kansas business

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators suggested Tuesday that mistakes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration are making it more difficult for older Kansas residents to get COVID-19 vaccine shots.

But Dr. Lee Norman, the head of the state health department and Kelly’s top public health administrator, said the biggest problem Kansas faces in administering the vaccines is “there’s just not enough.” He acknowledged during a joint meeting of the House and Senate health committees that he can’t predict how long it will take for the state to inoculate enough people to say it no longer faces a pandemic emergency.

Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature have grown increasingly critical of Kelly and the state Department of Health and Environment, peppering Norman with pointed questions during Tuesday’s meeting. One GOP lawmaker even argued that Kansas was wrong to focus on vaccinating health care workers first, rather than people 65 and older.

“I’ve never felt like our leadership, the Kelly administration, the KDHE, has learned lessons from this virus and adapted strategies to it,” said freshman Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican and a physician, who didn’t wear a mask at Tuesday’s socially distanced meeting and said he doubts the effectiveness of mask wearing, despite a growing scientific consensus that masks provide protection for others as well as those wearing them.

The Democratic governor and Republican legislators have been sparring for months over the state’s response to the pandemic, but GOP lawmakers have recently focused on what they see as a slow and rocky vaccine distribution.

Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, said he wants to see the state get to the point where there are enough people who have been vaccinated or had COVID-19 and developed immunity to “getting our economy back in shape.” Norman said those two groups would have to cover at least 85% of the population — close to 2.5 million people, or nearly 10 times the 255,550 vaccine does the state says it has received so far.

“I understand that there are supply chain issues, but I think we need to get the access out to the people as fast as possible,” said Thompson, who declines to wear a mask because, he says, he suffers from asthma.

Norman, who testified by WebEx, said Kansas has received its full allotment of vaccine doses from the federal government but just doesn’t have enough to gives shots as quickly as people want them.

Kelly announced last week that Kansas was entering its second phase of vaccine distribution, where anyone 65 and older, people in group living situations and “critical” workers are eligible for inoculations. Norman said that could be about 800,000 of the state’s 2.9 million residents, or 27%.

“We are ordering everything that is allocated to us, and here in recent weeks we’ve been getting everything we’ve ordered,” Norman said. “But there’s no way on the planet that that’s enough vaccine.”

Republican legislators have cited U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showing Kansas lagging behind other states in vaccination rates.&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">A CDC report Tuesday&nbsp;</a>showed Kansas ranking 47th for doses administered per 100,000 residents, ahead of only Alabama, Idaho and Nevada.

The state health department reported that nearly 158,000 vaccine doses had been administered as of Monday; the CDC’s figure is slightly higher.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data" target="_blank">Kansas reports</a>&nbsp;that it has administered almost 62% of the vaccine doses it has received so far — something Norman touted as a sign that the administration of inoculations is on track.

However, the CDC said the state actually has received about 348,000 doses, which would put the percentage administered at roughly 45%. State officials said the CDC figures include doses shipped to pharmacies but not received for nursing home workers and residents.

House health committee Chair Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, questioned a state health department policy allowing residents of one county to go to another to get vaccinated, suggesting it sows confusion. Norman defended it, saying it has allowed counties to keep administering shots to health care workers so they weren’t without protections.

Kelly and other state officials have said repeatedly that Kansas is following CDC guidelines in deciding when people are eligible for inoculations. But Steffen argued that Kansas should have put a priority on vaccinating older residents even ahead of health care workers.

About 25% of the people vaccinated have been 65 or older. While that group accounted for about 15% of the state’s more than 269,000 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases through Monday, it had nearly 86% of the state’s 3,622 deaths, with one death for every 13 reported cases.

“If you give it to a bunch of health care workers and you’re just protecting them from flu symptoms, rather than giving it to people who you could save their life, that’s questionable,” Steffen said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611752735957.png" alt="Total doses administered <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations__">reported to the </a>CDC by State per 100,000-CDC image" />
 <figcaption>Total doses administered <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations__">reported to the </a>CDC by State per 100,000-CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators suggested Tuesday that mistakes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration are making it more difficult for older Kansas residents to get COVID-19 vaccine shots.(Watch Tuesday's hearing below)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o9XyAclr57w" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>But Dr. Lee Norman, the head of the state health department and Kelly’s top public health administrator, said the biggest problem Kansas faces in administering the vaccines is “there’s just not enough.” He acknowledged during a joint meeting of the House and Senate health committees that he can’t predict how long it will take for the state to inoculate enough people to say it no longer faces a pandemic emergency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611753536468.png" alt="Dr. Lee Norman testified Tuesday by WebEx" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Lee Norman testified Tuesday by WebEx</figcaption>
 </figure>Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature have grown increasingly critical of Kelly and the state Department of Health and Environment, peppering Norman with pointed questions during Tuesday’s meeting. One GOP lawmaker even argued that Kansas was wrong to focus on vaccinating health care workers first, rather than people 65 and older.“I’ve never felt like our leadership, the Kelly administration, the KDHE, has learned lessons from this virus and adapted strategies to it,” said freshman Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican and a physician, who didn’t wear a mask at Tuesday’s socially distanced meeting and said he doubts the effectiveness of mask wearing, despite a growing scientific consensus that masks provide protection for others as well as those wearing them.The Democratic governor and Republican legislators have been sparring for months over the state’s response to the pandemic, but GOP lawmakers have recently focused on what they see as a slow and rocky vaccine distribution.Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, said he wants to see the state get to the point where there are enough people who have been vaccinated or had COVID-19 and developed immunity to “getting our economy back in shape.” Norman said those two groups would have to cover at least 85% of the population — close to 2.5 million people, or nearly 10 times the 255,550 vaccine does the state says it has received so far.“I understand that there are supply chain issues, but I think we need to get the access out to the people as fast as possible,” said Thompson, who declines to wear a mask because, he says, he suffers from asthma.Norman, who testified by WebEx, said Kansas has received its full allotment of vaccine doses from the federal government but just doesn’t have enough to gives shots as quickly as people want them.Kelly announced last week that Kansas was entering its second phase of vaccine distribution, where anyone 65 and older, people in group living situations and “critical” workers are eligible for inoculations. Norman said that could be about 800,000 of the state’s 2.9 million residents, or 27%.“We are ordering everything that is allocated to us, and here in recent weeks we’ve been getting everything we’ve ordered,” Norman said. “But there’s no way on the planet that that’s enough vaccine.”Republican legislators have cited U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showing Kansas lagging behind other states in vaccination rates.&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">A CDC report Tuesday&nbsp;</a>showed Kansas ranking 47th for doses administered per 100,000 residents, ahead of only Alabama, Idaho and Nevada.The state health department reported that nearly 158,000 vaccine doses had been administered as of Monday; the CDC’s figure is slightly higher.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data" target="_blank">Kansas reports</a>&nbsp;that it has administered almost 62% of the vaccine doses it has received so far — something Norman touted as a sign that the administration of inoculations is on track.However, the CDC said the state actually has received about 348,000 doses, which would put the percentage administered at roughly 45%. State officials said the CDC figures include doses shipped to pharmacies but not received for nursing home workers and residents.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611753419734.png" alt="Rep. Brenda Landwher during Tuesday's hearing" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Brenda Landwher during Tuesday's hearing</figcaption>
 </figure>House health committee Chair Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, questioned a state health department policy allowing residents of one county to go to another to get vaccinated, suggesting it sows confusion. Norman defended it, saying it has allowed counties to keep administering shots to health care workers so they weren’t without protections.Kelly and other state officials have said repeatedly that Kansas is following CDC guidelines in deciding when people are eligible for inoculations. But Steffen argued that Kansas should have put a priority on vaccinating older residents even ahead of health care workers.About 25% of the people vaccinated have been 65 or older. While that group accounted for about 15% of the state’s more than 269,000 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases through Monday, it had nearly 86% of the state’s 3,622 deaths, with one death for every 13 reported cases.“If you give it to a bunch of health care workers and you’re just protecting them from flu symptoms, rather than giving it to people who you could save their life, that’s questionable,” Steffen said.___

🎥  Kan. lawmakers push for answers on COVID-19, vaccine reporting

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured two in Topeka.

Just after&nbsp;7:00 p.m.Tuesday, police were dispatched to a Sonic Restaurant, 636 NW US 24 Highway in regards to two individuals suffering from non-life threatening gunshot wounds, according to Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

One victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with minor injuries and the other was treated and released at the scene. 

It was discovered that the shooting occurred at a separate location, and then the victims drove to the Sonic restaurant and reported the incident, according to Stanley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611749052208.png" alt="Police at the scene of the Topeka shooting investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the Topeka shooting investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured two in Topeka.Just after&nbsp;7:00 p.m.Tuesday, police were dispatched to a Sonic Restaurant, 636 NW US 24 Highway in regards to two individuals suffering from non-life threatening gunshot wounds, according to Topeka Police Lt. Edward Stanley.One victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with minor injuries and the other was treated and released at the scene. It was discovered that the shooting occurred at a separate location, and then the victims drove to the Sonic restaurant and reported the incident, according to Stanley.Police have not reported an arrest.

Police find 2 Kan. shooting victims at fast food restaurant

WINFIELD, Kan. (AP) — Public health officials are trying to determine whether a coronavirus variant is fueling a new outbreak at a Kansas prison.

Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said there had been no cases for weeks at Winfield Correctional Facility before a “whole cluster of cases broke out.”

“We did the epidemiologic tracking and found it came in through the community through the food service workers, and then went from there to some other places.,” Norman said Tuesday during a virtual media briefing hosted by the University of Kansas Health System. “But it was very fast spread, and we’re going to test every one of those positive individuals with genomic sequencing.”

The Kansas Department of Corrections reported that Winfield’s prison currently had eight staff cases and 69 inmates cases as of Monday. Statewide, there have been 5,628 inmates and 1,174 staff members infected since the pandemic began.

Norman said the outbreak shows why it is important to vaccinate inmates early. They are part of the second phase, along with those over the age of 65 and essential workers.

But that has been controversial, with the Kansas Republican Party tweeting earlier this month: “Prioritize law-abiding Kansans first!”

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611755621273.png" alt=" KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said the outbreak shows why it is important to vaccinate inmates early." />
 <figcaption> KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said the outbreak shows why it is important to vaccinate inmates early.</figcaption>
 </figure>WINFIELD, Kan. (AP) — Public health officials are trying to determine whether a coronavirus variant is fueling a new outbreak at a Kansas prison.Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said there had been no cases for weeks at Winfield Correctional Facility before a “whole cluster of cases broke out.”“We did the epidemiologic tracking and found it came in through the community through the food service workers, and then went from there to some other places.,” Norman said Tuesday during a virtual media briefing hosted by the University of Kansas Health System. “But it was very fast spread, and we’re going to test every one of those positive individuals with genomic sequencing.”The Kansas Department of Corrections reported that Winfield’s prison currently had eight staff cases and 69 inmates cases as of Monday. Statewide, there have been 5,628 inmates and 1,174 staff members infected since the pandemic began.Norman said the outbreak shows why it is important to vaccinate inmates early. They are part of the second phase, along with those over the age of 65 and essential workers.But that has been controversial, with the Kansas Republican Party tweeting earlier this month: “Prioritize law-abiding Kansans first!”<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

New COVID-19 strain investigated at Kansas prison

WASHINGTON (AP) —Answering growing frustration over vaccine shortages, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the U.S. is ramping up deliveries to hard-pressed states over the next three weeks and expects to provide enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall.

Biden, calling the push a “wartime effort,” said the administration was working to buy an additional 100 million doses of each of the two approved coronavirus vaccines. He acknowledged that states in recent weeks have been left guessing how much vaccine they will have from one week to the next.

Shortages have been so severe that some vaccination sites around the U.S. had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people seeking their first shot.

“This is unacceptable,” Biden said. “Lives are at stake.”

He promised a roughly 16% boost in deliveries to states over the next three weeks.

The administration said it plans to buy another 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to ensure it has enough vaccine for the long term. Even more vaccine could be available if federal scientists approve a single-dose shot from Johnson &amp; Johnson, which is expected to seek emergency authorization in the coming weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the government plans to make about 10.1 million first and second doses available next week, up from this week’s allotment of 8.6 million. The figures represent doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. It was not immediately clear how long the surge of doses could be sustained.

Governors and top health officials have been increasingly raising the alarm about inadequate supplies and the need for earlier and more reliable estimates of how much vaccine is on the way so that they can plan.

Biden’s team held its first virus-related call with the nation’s governors on Tuesday and pledged to provide states with firm vaccine allocations three weeks ahead of delivery.

Biden’s announcement came a day after he grew more bullish about exceeding his vaccine pledge to deliver 100 million injections in his first 100 days in office, suggesting that a rate of 1.5 million doses per day could soon be achieved.

The administration has also promised more openness and said it will hold news briefings three times a week, beginning Wednesday, about the outbreak that has killed over 420,000 Americans.

“We appreciate the administration stating that it will provide states with slightly higher allocations for the next few weeks, but we are going to need much more supply,” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican.

The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf.

Officials in West Virginia, which has had one of the best rates of administering vaccine, said they have fewer than 11,000 first doses on hand even after this week’s shipment.

“I’m screaming my head off” for more, Republican Gov. Jim Justice said.

California, which has faced criticism over a slow vaccine rollout, announced Tuesday that it is centralizing its hodgepodge of county systems and streamlining appointment sign-up, notification and eligibility. Residents have been baffled by the varying rules in different counties.

And in Colorado, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said that the limited supply of vaccine from the federal government is prompting the state to repurpose second doses as first doses, though he expects that people scheduled for their second shot will still be able to keep their appointments.

The weekly allocation cycle for first doses begins on Monday nights, when federal officials review data on vaccine availability from manufacturers to determine how much each state can have. Allocations are based on each jurisdiction’s population of people 18 and older.

States are notified on Tuesdays of their allocations through a computer network called Tiberius and other channels, after which they can specify where they want doses shipped. Deliveries start the following Monday.

A similar but separate process for ordering second doses, which must be given three to four weeks after the first, begins each week on Sunday night.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms. That is well short of the hundreds of millions of doses that experts say will need to be administered to achieve herd immunity and conquer the outbreak.

The U.S. ranks fifth in the world in the number of doses administered relative to the country’s population, behind No. 1 Israel, United Arab Emirates, Britain and Bahrain, according to the University of Oxford.

The reason more of the available shots in the U.S. haven’t been dispensed isn’t entirely clear. But many vaccination sites are apparently holding large quantities of vaccine in reserve to make sure people who have already gotten their first shot receive the required second one on schedule.

Also, some state officials have complained of a lag between when they report their vaccination numbers to the government and when the figures are posted on the CDC website.

In the New Orleans area, Ochsner Health said Monday that inadequate supply forced the cancellation last week of 21,400 first-dose appointments but that second-dose appointments aren’t affected.

In North Carolina, Greensboro-based Cone Health announced it is canceling first-dose appointments for 10,000 people and moving them to a waiting list because of supply problems.

Jesse Williams, 81, of Reidsville, North Carolina, said his appointment Thursday with Cone Health was scratched, and he is waiting to hear when it might be rescheduled. The former volunteer firefighter had hoped the vaccine would enable him to resume attending church, playing golf and seeing friends.

“It’s just a frustration that we were expecting to be having our shots and being a little more resilient to COVID-19,” he said.

The vaccine rollout across the 27-nation European Union has also run into roadblocks and has likewise been criticized as too slow. Pfizer is delaying deliveries while it upgrades its plant in Belgium to increase capacity. And AstraZeneca disclosed that its initial shipment will be smaller than expected.

The EU, with 450 million citizens, is demanding that the pharmaceutical companies meet their commitments on schedule.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611700674264.png" alt="President Biden during a Tuesday news conference promised a roughly 16% boost in vaccine deliveries to states over the next three weeks-Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during a Tuesday news conference promised a roughly 16% boost in vaccine deliveries to states over the next three weeks-Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Answering growing frustration over vaccine shortages, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the U.S. is ramping up deliveries to hard-pressed states over the next three weeks and expects to provide enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall.Biden, calling the push a “wartime effort,” said the administration was working to buy an additional 100 million doses of each of the two approved coronavirus vaccines. He acknowledged that states in recent weeks have been left guessing how much vaccine they will have from one week to the next.Shortages have been so severe that some vaccination sites around the U.S. had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people seeking their first shot.“This is unacceptable,” Biden said. “Lives are at stake.”He promised a roughly 16% boost in deliveries to states over the next three weeks.The administration said it plans to buy another 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to ensure it has enough vaccine for the long term. Even more vaccine could be available if federal scientists approve a single-dose shot from Johnson &amp; Johnson, which is expected to seek emergency authorization in the coming weeks.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the government plans to make about 10.1 million first and second doses available next week, up from this week’s allotment of 8.6 million. The figures represent doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. It was not immediately clear how long the surge of doses could be sustained.Governors and top health officials have been increasingly raising the alarm about inadequate supplies and the need for earlier and more reliable estimates of how much vaccine is on the way so that they can plan.Biden’s team held its first virus-related call with the nation’s governors on Tuesday and pledged to provide states with firm vaccine allocations three weeks ahead of delivery.Biden’s announcement came a day after he grew more bullish about exceeding his vaccine pledge to deliver 100 million injections in his first 100 days in office, suggesting that a rate of 1.5 million doses per day could soon be achieved.The administration has also promised more openness and said it will hold news briefings three times a week, beginning Wednesday, about the outbreak that has killed over 420,000 Americans.“We appreciate the administration stating that it will provide states with slightly higher allocations for the next few weeks, but we are going to need much more supply,” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican.The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf.Officials in West Virginia, which has had one of the best rates of administering vaccine, said they have fewer than 11,000 first doses on hand even after this week’s shipment.“I’m screaming my head off” for more, Republican Gov. Jim Justice said.California, which has faced criticism over a slow vaccine rollout, announced Tuesday that it is centralizing its hodgepodge of county systems and streamlining appointment sign-up, notification and eligibility. Residents have been baffled by the varying rules in different counties.And in Colorado, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said that the limited supply of vaccine from the federal government is prompting the state to repurpose second doses as first doses, though he expects that people scheduled for their second shot will still be able to keep their appointments.The weekly allocation cycle for first doses begins on Monday nights, when federal officials review data on vaccine availability from manufacturers to determine how much each state can have. Allocations are based on each jurisdiction’s population of people 18 and older.States are notified on Tuesdays of their allocations through a computer network called Tiberius and other channels, after which they can specify where they want doses shipped. Deliveries start the following Monday.A similar but separate process for ordering second doses, which must be given three to four weeks after the first, begins each week on Sunday night.As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms. That is well short of the hundreds of millions of doses that experts say will need to be administered to achieve herd immunity and conquer the outbreak.The U.S. ranks fifth in the world in the number of doses administered relative to the country’s population, behind No. 1 Israel, United Arab Emirates, Britain and Bahrain, according to the University of Oxford.The reason more of the available shots in the U.S. haven’t been dispensed isn’t entirely clear. But many vaccination sites are apparently holding large quantities of vaccine in reserve to make sure people who have already gotten their first shot receive the required second one on schedule.Also, some state officials have complained of a lag between when they report their vaccination numbers to the government and when the figures are posted on the CDC website.In the New Orleans area, Ochsner Health said Monday that inadequate supply forced the cancellation last week of 21,400 first-dose appointments but that second-dose appointments aren’t affected.In North Carolina, Greensboro-based Cone Health announced it is canceling first-dose appointments for 10,000 people and moving them to a waiting list because of supply problems.Jesse Williams, 81, of Reidsville, North Carolina, said his appointment Thursday with Cone Health was scratched, and he is waiting to hear when it might be rescheduled. The former volunteer firefighter had hoped the vaccine would enable him to resume attending church, playing golf and seeing friends.“It’s just a frustration that we were expecting to be having our shots and being a little more resilient to COVID-19,” he said.The vaccine rollout across the 27-nation European Union has also run into roadblocks and has likewise been criticized as too slow. Pfizer is delaying deliveries while it upgrades its plant in Belgium to increase capacity. And AstraZeneca disclosed that its initial shipment will be smaller than expected.The EU, with 450 million citizens, is demanding that the pharmaceutical companies meet their commitments on schedule.___

Biden: More vaccine is on the way

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Tracey Mann announced his new assignment to the House Veterans Affairs Committee, according to a media release from his office.

Representative Mann will work with members on the committee to address veterans’ issues and ensure our nation’s heroes have the care and support they deserve.

“I am a proud supporter of the men and women serving in our military. Our nation would not be standing today if it were not for their sacrifices,” said Rep. Mann. “I am honored to have been selected to serve on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and will be a strong voice for our Kansas veterans.”

“I am so happy to have Rep. Mann serving on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs this Congress,” said Ranking Member Mike Bost (Ill-12). “He brings a wealth of experience in business and politics to the table, along with a passion for rural America. I have no doubt he will serve veterans in Kansas and across the country well over the next two years.”

Kansas is home to 200,000 veterans, and the “Big First” is the proud home of the U.S. Army First Infantry Division (Big Red 1), at Fort Riley. As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Mann will prioritize workforce transition programs and telehealth services for veterans. Over 900,000 veterans used the Veterans Health Administration’s telehealth services last year alone; ensuring that veterans in rural Kansas have access to these services is vital. Advocating for top quality education assistance, housing services, and financial benefits for Kansas veterans will also be a priority.

“Our servicemembers deserve health and job security following their service to our country,” said Rep. Mann. “I vow to be a champion for them in Congress.”

Representative Mann also announced yesterday that he will also be serving on the House Agriculture Committee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611747599085.png" alt="First District Rep. Tracey Mann" />
 <figcaption>First District Rep. Tracey Mann</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Tracey Mann announced his new assignment to the House Veterans Affairs Committee, according to a media release from his office.Representative Mann will work with members on the committee to address veterans’ issues and ensure our nation’s heroes have the care and support they deserve.“I am a proud supporter of the men and women serving in our military. Our nation would not be standing today if it were not for their sacrifices,” said Rep. Mann. “I am honored to have been selected to serve on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and will be a strong voice for our Kansas veterans.”“I am so happy to have Rep. Mann serving on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs this Congress,” said Ranking Member Mike Bost (Ill-12). “He brings a wealth of experience in business and politics to the table, along with a passion for rural America. I have no doubt he will serve veterans in Kansas and across the country well over the next two years.”Kansas is home to 200,000 veterans, and the “Big First” is the proud home of the U.S. Army First Infantry Division (Big Red 1), at Fort Riley. As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Mann will prioritize workforce transition programs and telehealth services for veterans. Over 900,000 veterans used the Veterans Health Administration’s telehealth services last year alone; ensuring that veterans in rural Kansas have access to these services is vital. Advocating for top quality education assistance, housing services, and financial benefits for Kansas veterans will also be a priority.“Our servicemembers deserve health and job security following their service to our country,” said Rep. Mann. “I vow to be a champion for them in Congress.”Representative Mann also announced yesterday that he will also be serving on the House Agriculture Committee.

First District Rep.assigned to Veterans Affairs Committee

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations.

Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson issued the new memo to federal prosecutors across the nation, saying the department would return to its longstanding previous policy and instructing prosecutors to act on the merits of individual cases.

“Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote.

Wilkinson said the department’s principles have “long emphasized that decisions about bringing criminal charges should involve not only a determination that a federal offense has been committed and that the admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction, but should also take into account other individualized factors, including personal circumstances and criminal history, the seriousness of the offense, and the probable sentence or other consequences that would result from a conviction.”

The “zero tolerance” policy meant that any adult caught crossing the border illegally would be prosecuted for illegal entry. Because children cannot be jailed with their family members,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/63e7e47666914bf79eff7366e8eb411b">families were separated</a>&nbsp;and children were taken into custody by Health and Human Services, which manages unaccompanied children at the border.

While the rescinding of “zero tolerance” is in part symbolic, it undoes the Trump administration’s massively unpopular policy responsible for the separation of more than 5,500 children from their parents at the U.S-Mexico border. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. Practically, the ending of the policy will affect mostly single men who have entered the country illegally. Prosecutions had dropped sharply after the Trump administration declared a pandemic-related health emergency that allows them to immediately expel Mexicans and many Central Americans without applying immigration laws.

“While policies may change, our mission always remains the same: to seek justice under the law,” Wilkinson wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

President Joe Biden has issued an executive order to undo some of Trump’s restrictive policies, but the previous administration has so altered the immigration landscape that it will take quite a while to untangle all the major changes. Some of the parents separated from their children were deported. Advocates for the families have called on Biden to allow those families to reunite in the United States.

Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, along with Trump and other top leaders in his administration, were bent on curbing immigration. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f11e70e3d8c7424d8c0a01ae41ca15a7">“zero tolerance” policy&nbsp;</a>was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border. Trump’s administration also vastly reduced the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. and all but halted asylum at the border, through a combination of executive orders and regulation changes.

The policy was a disaster; there was no system created to reunite children with their families. A report from the Justice Department’s inspector general,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aclu-doj-zero-tolerance-policy-failure-b8e6e0a189f5752697335f51d57b1628">released earlier this month</a>, found that the policy led to a $227 million funding shortfall. Children suffered lasting emotional damage from the separations, and the policy was criticized as grossly inhumane by world leaders.

The policy began April 6, 2018, under an executive order that was issued without warning to other federal agencies that would have to manage the policy, including the U.S. Marshals Service and Health and Human Services. It was halted June 20, 2018. A federal judge ordered the families to be reunited.

The watchdog report also found that Sessions and other top officials knew the children would be separated under the policy and encouraged it. Justice officials ignored concerns from staff about the rollout and did not bother to set up a system to track families in order to reunite them. Some children are still separated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1565991611783.png" alt="Near McAllen, TX, migrants who crossed the Rio Grande surrender to U.S. Border Patrol agents near an area known as Rincon on June 5, 2019 From here, they are transported to a processing center. photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection" />
 <figcaption>Near McAllen, TX, migrants who crossed the Rio Grande surrender to U.S. Border Patrol agents near an area known as Rincon on June 5, 2019 From here, they are transported to a processing center. photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations.Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson issued the new memo to federal prosecutors across the nation, saying the department would return to its longstanding previous policy and instructing prosecutors to act on the merits of individual cases.“Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote.Wilkinson said the department’s principles have “long emphasized that decisions about bringing criminal charges should involve not only a determination that a federal offense has been committed and that the admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction, but should also take into account other individualized factors, including personal circumstances and criminal history, the seriousness of the offense, and the probable sentence or other consequences that would result from a conviction.”The “zero tolerance” policy meant that any adult caught crossing the border illegally would be prosecuted for illegal entry. Because children cannot be jailed with their family members,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/63e7e47666914bf79eff7366e8eb411b">families were separated</a>&nbsp;and children were taken into custody by Health and Human Services, which manages unaccompanied children at the border.While the rescinding of “zero tolerance” is in part symbolic, it undoes the Trump administration’s massively unpopular policy responsible for the separation of more than 5,500 children from their parents at the U.S-Mexico border. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. Practically, the ending of the policy will affect mostly single men who have entered the country illegally. Prosecutions had dropped sharply after the Trump administration declared a pandemic-related health emergency that allows them to immediately expel Mexicans and many Central Americans without applying immigration laws.“While policies may change, our mission always remains the same: to seek justice under the law,” Wilkinson wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The Associated Press.President Joe Biden has issued an executive order to undo some of Trump’s restrictive policies, but the previous administration has so altered the immigration landscape that it will take quite a while to untangle all the major changes. Some of the parents separated from their children were deported. Advocates for the families have called on Biden to allow those families to reunite in the United States.Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, along with Trump and other top leaders in his administration, were bent on curbing immigration. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f11e70e3d8c7424d8c0a01ae41ca15a7">“zero tolerance” policy&nbsp;</a>was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border. Trump’s administration also vastly reduced the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. and all but halted asylum at the border, through a combination of executive orders and regulation changes.The policy was a disaster; there was no system created to reunite children with their families. A report from the Justice Department’s inspector general,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aclu-doj-zero-tolerance-policy-failure-b8e6e0a189f5752697335f51d57b1628">released earlier this month</a>, found that the policy led to a $227 million funding shortfall. Children suffered lasting emotional damage from the separations, and the policy was criticized as grossly inhumane by world leaders.The policy began April 6, 2018, under an executive order that was issued without warning to other federal agencies that would have to manage the policy, including the U.S. Marshals Service and Health and Human Services. It was halted June 20, 2018. A federal judge ordered the families to be reunited.The watchdog report also found that Sessions and other top officials knew the children would be separated under the policy and encouraged it. Justice officials ignored concerns from staff about the rollout and did not bother to set up a system to track families in order to reunite them. Some children are still separated.

DOJ rescinds ‘zero tolerance’ immigration rule

KANSAS CITY— A former captain in the Kansas City Fire Department was sentenced in federal court Monday for illegally selling dozens of firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons, according to the United State's Attorney.

James Samuels, 55, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Samuels to pay a fine of $11,282, which is the amount of cash seized by law enforcement officers at the time of his arrest.

On Aug. 31, 2020, Samuels pleaded guilty to seven counts of a federal indictment, including one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018.

Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.

Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.

Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.

Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.

The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in Samuels’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582215629955.png" alt="Former Kansas City Fire Captain James Samuels (L) admitted&nbsp; illegally buying and selling guns. One was used in a 2016 murder. Photo shows Samuels during a recognition event courtesy Greater Kansas City Firefighter's Assn.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Former Kansas City Fire Captain James Samuels (L) admitted&nbsp; illegally buying and selling guns. One was used in a 2016 murder. Photo shows Samuels during a recognition event courtesy Greater Kansas City Firefighter's Assn.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— A former captain in the Kansas City Fire Department was sentenced in federal court Monday for illegally selling dozens of firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons, according to the United State's Attorney.James Samuels, 55, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Samuels to pay a fine of $11,282, which is the amount of cash seized by law enforcement officers at the time of his arrest.On Aug. 31, 2020, Samuels pleaded guilty to seven counts of a federal indictment, including one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018.Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in Samuels’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.

Former KC fire captain sentenced for selling guns to felons

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 4p.m. Jan. 24,&nbsp;a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a silver Mazda in the 4800 block of SE US 40 Highway, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. 

During the investigation, a K9 unit was deployed and narcotics were located. Deputies arrested the passenger identified as&nbsp; William L. Jamerson Jr., 45, of Topeka, and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

The driver, Alisha D. Swiger, 34, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a warrant out of Shawnee County, according to Christian.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611601091047.png" alt="Swiger photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Swiger photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just after 4p.m. Jan. 24,&nbsp;a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a silver Mazda in the 4800 block of SE US 40 Highway, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611601058391.png" alt="Jamerson-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Jamerson-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>During the investigation, a K9 unit was deployed and narcotics were located. Deputies arrested the passenger identified as&nbsp; William L. Jamerson Jr., 45, of Topeka, and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. The driver, Alisha D. Swiger, 34, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a warrant out of Shawnee County, according to Christian.

Sheriff's K9 helps Kan. deputies make drug arrest

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, officials with the Chiefs and the Kansas City Sports Commission issued a joint statement Monday confirming there would be no parade if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl. Last year's parade drew hundreds of thousands of red-clad fans.

“We hope that this journey ends with a victory in Tampa and if that’s the case, we will continue to work with the experts to celebrate safely when the time is appropriate,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a statement.

A county near Kansas City is offering to host a parade even though the team says it doesn’t plan to have one. Cass County commissioners said in a statement that they are “proud members of Chiefs Kingdom” and offered to host the celebration. Not everyone thought this was a good idea.

Email messages left with the Cass County commission on Tuesday were not immediately returned.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580929297396.jpeg" alt="The February 2020 Chiefs Super Bowl Parade" />
 <figcaption>The February 2020 Chiefs Super Bowl Parade</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, officials with the Chiefs and the Kansas City Sports Commission issued a joint statement Monday confirming there would be no parade if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl. Last year's parade drew hundreds of thousands of red-clad fans.“We hope that this journey ends with a victory in Tampa and if that’s the case, we will continue to work with the experts to celebrate safely when the time is appropriate,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a statement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My coworkers and I are tired of putting bodies in bags, but yeah go off Cass County. <a href="https://t.co/3PRpELBFMI">pic.twitter.com/3PRpELBFMI</a>&mdash; Kayti Vernier (@KaytiVernier) <a href="https://twitter.com/KaytiVernier/status/1353439234703683584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A county near Kansas City is offering to host a parade even though the team says it doesn’t plan to have one. Cass County commissioners said in a statement that they are “proud members of Chiefs Kingdom” and offered to host the celebration. Not everyone thought this was a good idea.Email messages left with the Cass County commission on Tuesday were not immediately returned.

COVID-19 prompts debate over Super Bowl parade for Chiefs

WASHINGTON— (AP) President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies.

In remarks before signing the order, Biden said the U.S. government needs to change “its whole approach” on the issue of racial equity. He added that the nation is less prosperous and secure because of the scourge of systemic racism.

“We must change now,” the president said. “I know it’s going to take time, but I know we can do it. And I firmly believe the nation is ready to change. But government has to change as well.”

Biden rose to the presidency during a year of intense reckoning on institutional racism in the U.S. The moves announced on Tuesday reflect his efforts to follow through with campaign pledges to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/racial-injustice">racial injustice.</a>

Beyond calling on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons and address housing discrimination, the new orders will recommit the federal government to respect tribal sovereignty and disavow discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community over the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development in a memorandum to take steps to promote equitable housing policy. The memorandum calls for HUD to examine the effects of Trump regulatory actions that may have undermined fair housing policies and laws.

Months before the November election, the Trump administration rolled back an Obama-era rule that required communities that wanted to receive HUD funding to document and report patterns of racial bias.

The order to end the reliance on privately-run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration.

“This is a first step to stop corporations from profiting off of incarceration,” Biden said.

The more than 14,000 federal inmates housed at privately-managed facilities represent a fraction of the nearly 152,000 federal inmates currently incarcerated.

The federal Bureau of Prisons had already opted not to renew some private prison contracts in recent months as the number of inmates dwindled and thousands were released to home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic.

GEO Group, a private company that operates federal prisons, called the Biden order “a solution in search of a problem. ”

“Given the steps the BOP had already announced, today’s Executive Order merely represents a political statement, which could carry serious negative unintended consequences, including the loss of hundreds of jobs and negative economic impact for the communities where our facilities are located, which are already struggling economically due to the COVID pandemic,” a GEO Group spokesperson said in a statement.

David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, noted that the order does not end the federal government’s reliance on privately-run immigration detention centers.

“The order signed today is an important first step toward acknowledging the harm that has been caused and taking actions to repair it, but President Biden has an obligation to do more, especially given his history and promises,” Fathi said.

The memorandum highlighting xenophobia against Asian Americans is in large part a reaction to what White House officials say was offensive and dangerous rhetoric from the Trump administration. Trump, throughout the pandemic, repeatedly used&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">xenophobic language</a>&nbsp;in public comments when referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus</a>.

This memorandum will direct Health and Human Services officials to consider issuing guidance describing best practices to advance cultural competency and sensitivity toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the federal government’s COVID-19 response. It also directs the Department of Justice to partner with AAPI communities to prevent hate crimes and harassment.

The latest executive actions come after Biden signed an order Monday reversing a Trump-era Pentagon policy that largely barred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-reverse-ban-transgender-military-f0ace4f9866e0ca0df021eba75b3af20">transgender people</a>&nbsp;from serving in the military. Last week, he signed an order reversing Trump’s ban on travelers from several predominantly Muslim and African countries.

Biden last week also directed law enforcement and intelligence officials in his administration to study the threat of domestic violent extremism in the United States, an undertaking launched weeks after a mob of insurgents loyal to Trump, including some connected to white supremacist groups, stormed the U.S. Capitol.

White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice said Biden sees addressing equity issues as also good for the nation’s bottom line. She cited a Citigroup study from last year that U.S. gross domestic product lost $16 trillion over the last 20 years as a result of discriminatory practices in a range of areas, including in education and access to business loans. The same study finds the U.S. economy would be boosted by $5 trillion over the next five years if it addressed issues of discrimination in areas such as education and access to business loans.

“Building a more equitable economy is essential if Americans are going to compete and thrive in the 21st century,” Rice added.

Biden’s victory over Trump in several battleground states, including Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, was fueled by strong Black voter turnout.

Throughout his campaign and transition, Biden promised that his administration would keep issues of equity — as well as climate change, another issue he views as an existential crisis — in the shaping of all policy considerations.

Biden, who followed through on early promise to pick a woman to serve as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">vice president</a>, has also sought to spotlight the diversity of his Cabinet selections.

On Monday, the Senate confirmed Biden’s pick for treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, who is the first woman to lead the department. Last week, the Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the nation’s first Black defense secretary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611700794973.png" alt="President Biden sees addressing equity issues as also good for the nation’s bottom line. -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden sees addressing equity issues as also good for the nation’s bottom line. -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON— (AP) President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies.In remarks before signing the order, Biden said the U.S. government needs to change “its whole approach” on the issue of racial equity. He added that the nation is less prosperous and secure because of the scourge of systemic racism.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611700891419.png" alt="Image Courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>“We must change now,” the president said. “I know it’s going to take time, but I know we can do it. And I firmly believe the nation is ready to change. But government has to change as well.”Biden rose to the presidency during a year of intense reckoning on institutional racism in the U.S. The moves announced on Tuesday reflect his efforts to follow through with campaign pledges to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/racial-injustice">racial injustice.</a>Beyond calling on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons and address housing discrimination, the new orders will recommit the federal government to respect tribal sovereignty and disavow discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community over the coronavirus pandemic.Biden directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development in a memorandum to take steps to promote equitable housing policy. The memorandum calls for HUD to examine the effects of Trump regulatory actions that may have undermined fair housing policies and laws.Months before the November election, the Trump administration rolled back an Obama-era rule that required communities that wanted to receive HUD funding to document and report patterns of racial bias.The order to end the reliance on privately-run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration.“This is a first step to stop corporations from profiting off of incarceration,” Biden said.The more than 14,000 federal inmates housed at privately-managed facilities represent a fraction of the nearly 152,000 federal inmates currently incarcerated.The federal Bureau of Prisons had already opted not to renew some private prison contracts in recent months as the number of inmates dwindled and thousands were released to home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic.GEO Group, a private company that operates federal prisons, called the Biden order “a solution in search of a problem. ”“Given the steps the BOP had already announced, today’s Executive Order merely represents a political statement, which could carry serious negative unintended consequences, including the loss of hundreds of jobs and negative economic impact for the communities where our facilities are located, which are already struggling economically due to the COVID pandemic,” a GEO Group spokesperson said in a statement.David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, noted that the order does not end the federal government’s reliance on privately-run immigration detention centers.“The order signed today is an important first step toward acknowledging the harm that has been caused and taking actions to repair it, but President Biden has an obligation to do more, especially given his history and promises,” Fathi said.The memorandum highlighting xenophobia against Asian Americans is in large part a reaction to what White House officials say was offensive and dangerous rhetoric from the Trump administration. Trump, throughout the pandemic, repeatedly used&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">xenophobic language</a>&nbsp;in public comments when referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus</a>.This memorandum will direct Health and Human Services officials to consider issuing guidance describing best practices to advance cultural competency and sensitivity toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the federal government’s COVID-19 response. It also directs the Department of Justice to partner with AAPI communities to prevent hate crimes and harassment.The latest executive actions come after Biden signed an order Monday reversing a Trump-era Pentagon policy that largely barred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-reverse-ban-transgender-military-f0ace4f9866e0ca0df021eba75b3af20">transgender people</a>&nbsp;from serving in the military. Last week, he signed an order reversing Trump’s ban on travelers from several predominantly Muslim and African countries.Biden last week also directed law enforcement and intelligence officials in his administration to study the threat of domestic violent extremism in the United States, an undertaking launched weeks after a mob of insurgents loyal to Trump, including some connected to white supremacist groups, stormed the U.S. Capitol.White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice said Biden sees addressing equity issues as also good for the nation’s bottom line. She cited a Citigroup study from last year that U.S. gross domestic product lost $16 trillion over the last 20 years as a result of discriminatory practices in a range of areas, including in education and access to business loans. The same study finds the U.S. economy would be boosted by $5 trillion over the next five years if it addressed issues of discrimination in areas such as education and access to business loans.“Building a more equitable economy is essential if Americans are going to compete and thrive in the 21st century,” Rice added.Biden’s victory over Trump in several battleground states, including Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, was fueled by strong Black voter turnout.Throughout his campaign and transition, Biden promised that his administration would keep issues of equity — as well as climate change, another issue he views as an existential crisis — in the shaping of all policy considerations.Biden, who followed through on early promise to pick a woman to serve as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">vice president</a>, has also sought to spotlight the diversity of his Cabinet selections.On Monday, the Senate confirmed Biden’s pick for treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, who is the first woman to lead the department. Last week, the Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the nation’s first Black defense secretary.___

President Biden takes action to advance racial equality 

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death in Douglas County.

Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 100 block of Ames Street in Baldwin City in reference to a disturbance with weapons, according to a media release.

 While Baldwin City Police Officers and Douglas County Sheriff Deputies responded to the area, a 25-year-old female victim provided information that her 31-year-old boyfriend had fired a shotgun at her during an argument.

 The victim was able to leave the duplex and seek help at a neighbor’s residence.&nbsp; Officers and deputies tried to contact her boyfriend at the residence and received no response. 

 With the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office K9, officers entered the residence and found the boyfriend dead of an apparent gunshot wound, according to the release.&nbsp; A full investigation is underway to determine all the circumstances surrounding the incident. Police have not released the name of the man who died.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death in Douglas County.Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 100 block of Ames Street in Baldwin City in reference to a disturbance with weapons, according to a media release. While Baldwin City Police Officers and Douglas County Sheriff Deputies responded to the area, a 25-year-old female victim provided information that her 31-year-old boyfriend had fired a shotgun at her during an argument. The victim was able to leave the duplex and seek help at a neighbor’s residence.&nbsp; Officers and deputies tried to contact her boyfriend at the residence and received no response. With the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office K9, officers entered the residence and found the boyfriend dead of an apparent gunshot wound, according to the release.&nbsp; A full investigation is underway to determine all the circumstances surrounding the incident. Police have not released the name of the man who died.

Police: Kan. man who fired shotgun at girlfriend found dead

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that county allocation data is now available on Kansas’ COVID-19 <a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">vaccine dashboard.</a> A collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the COVID-19 dashboard will be updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 12:30 PM.

“I am pleased to announce county-specific allocation data is now available on our <a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">vaccine dashboard,</a>” said Governor Laura Kelly. “My administration is prioritizing transparency and communication with public health officials and Kansans to deliver vaccines quickly and efficiently. As we progress through Phase 2 of our vaccination framework, I encourage Kansans to visit KansasVaccine.Gov or contact their local public health departments to learn more about signing up for the vaccine.”

As of January 25, Kansas has reported 132,145, people vaccinated, 157,520 total vaccine doses administered and 255, 550 vaccine doses distributed.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here </a>to view the vaccine data

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that county allocation data is now available on Kansas’ COVID-19 <a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">vaccine dashboard.</a> A collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the COVID-19 dashboard will be updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 12:30 PM.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My administration has prioritized transparency and communication with public health officials and Kansans to deliver vaccines quickly and efficiently. To further this effort, you may now view county-specific allocation data on our vaccine dashboard. <a href="https://t.co/HwbkZ5fQj9">https://t.co/HwbkZ5fQj9</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1354124014311116800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I am pleased to announce county-specific allocation data is now available on our <a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">vaccine dashboard,</a>” said Governor Laura Kelly. “My administration is prioritizing transparency and communication with public health officials and Kansans to deliver vaccines quickly and efficiently. As we progress through Phase 2 of our vaccination framework, I encourage Kansans to visit KansasVaccine.Gov or contact their local public health departments to learn more about signing up for the vaccine.”As of January 25, Kansas has reported 132,145, people vaccinated, 157,520 total vaccine doses administered and 255, 550 vaccine doses distributed.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here </a>to view the vaccine data

Vaccine data for your county available on Kansas website

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused a church’s request to enter a legal battle over the government’s authority to limit the size of religious gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic — after the church won an appeals court ruling last month that found Nevada’s restrictions unconstitutional.

Attorneys general from 19 other states had recently joined in support of the unusual request from Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley east of Reno.

They were urging the Supreme Court to rule on the merits of the Nevada case to help bring uniformity to various standards courts across the country have used to balance the interests of public safety and freedom of religion.

The church’s lawyers said in a court filing last Thursday they wanted the high court to “clarify for all that the First Amendment does not allow government officials to use COVID-19 as an excuse to treat churches and their worshippers worse than secular establishments and their patrons.”

In a 5-4 decision in June, the Supreme Court refused Calvary Chapel’s request for an emergency injunction blocking enforcement of Nevada’s attendance limit at houses of worship.

But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled in favor of the church last month, finding it was unconstitutional for Nevada to treat casinos and other businesses more favorably than churches.

The church’s latest plea for relief from the Supreme Court was in the form of a petition for a review of the case on its merits. Such petitions are rare and their approval is even rarer, even though they require approval by only four justices.

The justices denied the request without explanation on Monday.

The 9th Circuit ruling sent the case back to the district court to determine how to proceed but in the meantime prevented the state from enforcing any church attendance limit more stringent than the current 25% of capacity limit on most businesses.

Judge Richard Boulware put the case on hold pending the Supreme Court’s ruling on the church’s petition. He instructed lawyers on both sides to provide an update on the status of any future filings planned within seven days of such a ruling.

Lawyers for the church said Monday they were disappointed in the high court’s refusal to review the case. But they said the appellate court has made it clear government responses to COVID-19 “cannot treat churches worse than similarly situated businesses,” at least in the 9th Circuit, which also includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana.

“We asked the Supreme Court to hear the case so there would be a national ruling confirming what the 9th Circuit held in December: government officials certainly have the authority to protect health and public safety, but the First Amendment — including the free exercise of religion — is never suspended,” said David Cortman, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom.

“Although this victory for religious liberty remains a 9th Circuit matter, we are confident that Nevada will agree to a permanent injunction on the terms that the 9th Circuit unanimously announced, and we look forward to resolving this case soon,” he said Monday in a statement emailed to AP.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford had argued the justices should let the federal court in Reno sort out the details before taking the extraordinary step of wading into the case. He wrote in court documents submitted last week the case “is a poor vehicle for addressing questions beyond those the Ninth Circuit already resolved in Calvary’s favor.”

Ashley Forest, a spokeswoman for Ford’s office, said in an email on Monday that “while the Supreme Court won’t hear the church’s COVID case regarding attendance limits, Nevada heard the 9th Circuit clearly and appreciates the guidance on how best to protect this constitutional right.”

Indoor religious gatherings in Nevada most recently had been subject to a hard cap of 50 churchgoers while attendance limits at many businesses including casinos were based on a percentage of the buildings’ fire-code capacities.

Nevada currently imposes the 25% occupancy limit on all gathering places — including casinos, restaurants, bars, amusement and theme parks, gyms and fitness facilities and movie theaters.

The church’s latest court filings argued that an attendance limit of 25% for houses of worship is prohibited under the First Amendment. It wants to be treated the same as essential businesses — like manufacturing facilities and professional offices, which currently have no capacity limits other than social distancing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused a church’s request to enter a legal battle over the government’s authority to limit the size of religious gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic — after the church won an appeals court ruling last month that found Nevada’s restrictions unconstitutional.Attorneys general from 19 other states had recently joined in support of the unusual request from Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley east of Reno.They were urging the Supreme Court to rule on the merits of the Nevada case to help bring uniformity to various standards courts across the country have used to balance the interests of public safety and freedom of religion.The church’s lawyers said in a court filing last Thursday they wanted the high court to “clarify for all that the First Amendment does not allow government officials to use COVID-19 as an excuse to treat churches and their worshippers worse than secular establishments and their patrons.”In a 5-4 decision in June, the Supreme Court refused Calvary Chapel’s request for an emergency injunction blocking enforcement of Nevada’s attendance limit at houses of worship.But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled in favor of the church last month, finding it was unconstitutional for Nevada to treat casinos and other businesses more favorably than churches.The church’s latest plea for relief from the Supreme Court was in the form of a petition for a review of the case on its merits. Such petitions are rare and their approval is even rarer, even though they require approval by only four justices.The justices denied the request without explanation on Monday.The 9th Circuit ruling sent the case back to the district court to determine how to proceed but in the meantime prevented the state from enforcing any church attendance limit more stringent than the current 25% of capacity limit on most businesses.Judge Richard Boulware put the case on hold pending the Supreme Court’s ruling on the church’s petition. He instructed lawyers on both sides to provide an update on the status of any future filings planned within seven days of such a ruling.Lawyers for the church said Monday they were disappointed in the high court’s refusal to review the case. But they said the appellate court has made it clear government responses to COVID-19 “cannot treat churches worse than similarly situated businesses,” at least in the 9th Circuit, which also includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana.“We asked the Supreme Court to hear the case so there would be a national ruling confirming what the 9th Circuit held in December: government officials certainly have the authority to protect health and public safety, but the First Amendment — including the free exercise of religion — is never suspended,” said David Cortman, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom.“Although this victory for religious liberty remains a 9th Circuit matter, we are confident that Nevada will agree to a permanent injunction on the terms that the 9th Circuit unanimously announced, and we look forward to resolving this case soon,” he said Monday in a statement emailed to AP.Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford had argued the justices should let the federal court in Reno sort out the details before taking the extraordinary step of wading into the case. He wrote in court documents submitted last week the case “is a poor vehicle for addressing questions beyond those the Ninth Circuit already resolved in Calvary’s favor.”Ashley Forest, a spokeswoman for Ford’s office, said in an email on Monday that “while the Supreme Court won’t hear the church’s COVID case regarding attendance limits, Nevada heard the 9th Circuit clearly and appreciates the guidance on how best to protect this constitutional right.”Indoor religious gatherings in Nevada most recently had been subject to a hard cap of 50 churchgoers while attendance limits at many businesses including casinos were based on a percentage of the buildings’ fire-code capacities.Nevada currently imposes the 25% occupancy limit on all gathering places — including casinos, restaurants, bars, amusement and theme parks, gyms and fitness facilities and movie theaters.The church’s latest court filings argued that an attendance limit of 25% for houses of worship is prohibited under the First Amendment. It wants to be treated the same as essential businesses — like manufacturing facilities and professional offices, which currently have no capacity limits other than social distancing.

Supreme Court refuses to hear church's COVID-19 case

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A large Kansas City area school district is ditching the Braves and Indians mascots that four of its schools use.

The board for the Shawnee Mission district, which is the state’s third-largest with about 27,000 students, voted 7-0 Monday to make a change that requires mascots to be culturally and racially sensitive and appropriate.

The board then decided that the mascots at Shawnee Mission North High School and Belinder, Shawanoe, Ruston elementary schools violated that policy and will need to be replaced.

Calls for such changes have grown more insistent across the country in recent years, leading schools and professional sports teams to make changes. Thousands signed an online petition&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-native-americans-3e172e37add48eb15a772afbef11eaff">last year&nbsp;</a>urging the district to drop the Indian mascot at Shawnee Mission North.NT

Kate Raglow, co-chair of the Roeland Park Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee, spoke in favor of the policy change, saying “ethnicities are not mascots."

“They are communities with rich and diverse histories to be celebrated, not made into characters to be used as logos,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606753229800.png" alt="Image courtesy Shawnee Mission North" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Shawnee Mission North</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A large Kansas City area school district is ditching the Braves and Indians mascots that four of its schools use.The board for the Shawnee Mission district, which is the state’s third-largest with about 27,000 students, voted 7-0 Monday to make a change that requires mascots to be culturally and racially sensitive and appropriate.The board then decided that the mascots at Shawnee Mission North High School and Belinder, Shawanoe, Ruston elementary schools violated that policy and will need to be replaced.Calls for such changes have grown more insistent across the country in recent years, leading schools and professional sports teams to make changes. Thousands signed an online petition&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-native-americans-3e172e37add48eb15a772afbef11eaff">last year&nbsp;</a>urging the district to drop the Indian mascot at Shawnee Mission North.NTKate Raglow, co-chair of the Roeland Park Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee, spoke in favor of the policy change, saying “ethnicities are not mascots."“They are communities with rich and diverse histories to be celebrated, not made into characters to be used as logos,” she said.Emmit Monslow, however, urged the district against making the change.“There is a difference between Indian imagery and the Ku Klux Klan,” Monslow said. “And you are treating these images as the same as the swastika.”