Chamber adopts ‘our-fiscal-policy-stinks’ motion for 2% budget cut

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/30/house-gop-kills-off-another-medicaid-expansion-attempt-by-democrats/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Republican 
majority in the Kansas House stiff-armed Tuesday the latest in a long 
series of attempts by Democrats to expand eligibility for Medicaid to at
 least 120,000 lower-income Kansans.

The minority party 
attempted to amend expansion into a state budget bill because GOP 
leadership in the House had successfully blocked bills in committee that
 would commit the state to a bigger Medicaid program under the 2010 
Affordable Care Act. The amendment offered by Overland Park Rep. Brett 
Parker was rejected 46-78, after Republicans tried to avoid the public 
vote through a procedural maneuver.

Democratic Gov. Laura 
Kelly has made Medicaid expansion a top policy priority. She also 
proposed the state’s share of expansion costs could be covered by 
revenue from passage of a medicinal marijuana law.

Thirty-eight states have 
implemented Medicaid expansion or passed expansion measures, including 
Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska. At this point, the federal 
government would cover 90% of a state’s cost of increasing coverage 
under Medicaid. In addition, the federal stimulus law would deliver to 
Kansas approximately $450 million in additional funding over the next 
two years if it went ahead with Medicaid reform.

Proponents of expansion 
said the amendment would draw to Kansas a projected $460 million 
annually in federal funding to serve 120,000 to 160,000 people at 
clinics and hospitals statewide. By stopping adoption of Medicaid 
growth, Kansas lawmakers have turned away $4.6 billion in federal aid 
for preventative health care.

“I’ve been here for five 
years now,” said Parker, the Overland Park Democrat. “I don’t think 
we’ve worked an expansion bill in the health committee in those five 
years. Medicaid expansion is the right thing to do. It’s been available 
for too long. We’ve not taken action for too long.”

Rep. Susan Humphries, 
R-Wichita, urged her colleagues to oppose the amendment because Medicaid
 would be available to pay for abortions. However, the state Medicaid 
director said federal funding could be relied upon for abortions under 
expanded Medicaid only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of 
the woman.

After the dust settled on 
Medicaid, Rep. Troy Waymaster, the House budget committee chairman, 
continued to battle through debate on the budget blueprint. A reduction 
of about $20 in the state fee for a concealed firearm license was 
adopted by House members. An amendment lifting a moratorium on filling 
more beds at the Osawatomie state hospital was defeated.

Then, Rep. Henry 
Helgerson, D-Wichita, proposed an amendment slashing the state general 
fund budget by 2%, or $161 million, across the board except for debt 
service. His cut would take no prisoners — it would even hammer the K-12
 education budget. Shockingly, it passed on a voice vote.

He said the state of 
Kansas was prepared to spend $650 million more annually than it took in 
through tax revenue, producing a $35 million shortfall by the end of 
June. It is unconstitutional for the state to operate with a deficit.

“I really haven’t heard 
anybody talking about doing anything,” said Helgerson, who referred to 
himself a “flaming” fiscal conservative while pointing to Republican and
 Democratic incompetence that wasted millions of dollars in state tax 
dollars. “Our fiscal policy stinks. We spend money like drunken sailors,
 except that it does a disservice to sailors. Financially, we’re out of 
whack.”

Helgerson’s subsequent 
motion to send the House budget bill back to the House Appropriations 
Committee to deal with the spending rollback was soundly rejected. In 
the end, the massive reduction in state spending will likely be removed 
in negotiations with the Senate.

Before adjourning for the evening, the House approved the budget bill — House Bill 2397 — on a vote of 71-52.

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617197834568.png" alt="Overland Park Democratic Rep. Brett Parker, at center in glasses, failed in an attempt to convince the Kansas House to pass an amendment on Medicaid expansion extending health care to 120,000 to 160,000 Kansans. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Overland Park Democratic Rep. Brett Parker, at center in glasses, failed in an attempt to convince the Kansas House to pass an amendment on Medicaid expansion extending health care to 120,000 to 160,000 Kansans. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Chamber adopts ‘our-fiscal-policy-stinks’ motion for 2% budget cut</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/30/house-gop-kills-off-another-medicaid-expansion-attempt-by-democrats/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Republican 
majority in the Kansas House stiff-armed Tuesday the latest in a long 
series of attempts by Democrats to expand eligibility for Medicaid to at
 least 120,000 lower-income Kansans.The minority party 
attempted to amend expansion into a state budget bill because GOP 
leadership in the House had successfully blocked bills in committee that
 would commit the state to a bigger Medicaid program under the 2010 
Affordable Care Act. The amendment offered by Overland Park Rep. Brett 
Parker was rejected 46-78, after Republicans tried to avoid the public 
vote through a procedural maneuver.Democratic Gov. Laura 
Kelly has made Medicaid expansion a top policy priority. She also 
proposed the state’s share of expansion costs could be covered by 
revenue from passage of a medicinal marijuana law.Thirty-eight states have 
implemented Medicaid expansion or passed expansion measures, including 
Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska. At this point, the federal 
government would cover 90% of a state’s cost of increasing coverage 
under Medicaid. In addition, the federal stimulus law would deliver to 
Kansas approximately $450 million in additional funding over the next 
two years if it went ahead with Medicaid reform.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617197889941.jpeg" alt="Wichita Democratic Rep. Henry Helgerson, left, chatting with Rep. Shannon Francis, R-Liberal, gained House approval of an amendment making a 2% or $161 million across-the-board reduction in the state budget. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Wichita Democratic Rep. Henry Helgerson, left, chatting with Rep. Shannon Francis, R-Liberal, gained House approval of an amendment making a 2% or $161 million across-the-board reduction in the state budget. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Proponents of expansion 
said the amendment would draw to Kansas a projected $460 million 
annually in federal funding to serve 120,000 to 160,000 people at 
clinics and hospitals statewide. By stopping adoption of Medicaid 
growth, Kansas lawmakers have turned away $4.6 billion in federal aid 
for preventative health care.“I’ve been here for five 
years now,” said Parker, the Overland Park Democrat. “I don’t think 
we’ve worked an expansion bill in the health committee in those five 
years. Medicaid expansion is the right thing to do. It’s been available 
for too long. We’ve not taken action for too long.”Rep. Susan Humphries, 
R-Wichita, urged her colleagues to oppose the amendment because Medicaid
 would be available to pay for abortions. However, the state Medicaid 
director said federal funding could be relied upon for abortions under 
expanded Medicaid only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of 
the woman.After the dust settled on 
Medicaid, Rep. Troy Waymaster, the House budget committee chairman, 
continued to battle through debate on the budget blueprint. A reduction 
of about $20 in the state fee for a concealed firearm license was 
adopted by House members. An amendment lifting a moratorium on filling 
more beds at the Osawatomie state hospital was defeated.Then, Rep. Henry 
Helgerson, D-Wichita, proposed an amendment slashing the state general 
fund budget by 2%, or $161 million, across the board except for debt 
service. His cut would take no prisoners — it would even hammer the K-12
 education budget. Shockingly, it passed on a voice vote.He said the state of 
Kansas was prepared to spend $650 million more annually than it took in 
through tax revenue, producing a $35 million shortfall by the end of 
June. It is unconstitutional for the state to operate with a deficit.“I really haven’t heard 
anybody talking about doing anything,” said Helgerson, who referred to 
himself a “flaming” fiscal conservative while pointing to Republican and
 Democratic incompetence that wasted millions of dollars in state tax 
dollars. “Our fiscal policy stinks. We spend money like drunken sailors,
 except that it does a disservice to sailors. Financially, we’re out of 
whack.”Helgerson’s subsequent 
motion to send the House budget bill back to the House Appropriations 
Committee to deal with the spending rollback was soundly rejected. In 
the end, the massive reduction in state spending will likely be removed 
in negotiations with the Senate.Before adjourning for the evening, the House approved the budget bill — House Bill 2397 — on a vote of 71-52.Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

House GOP kills off another Kan. Medicaid expansion attempt

Pfizer announced Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12, a step toward possibly beginning shots in this age group before they head back to school in the fall.

Most COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out worldwide are for adults, who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized for ages 16 and older. But vaccinating children of all ages will be critical to stopping the pandemic — and helping schools, at least the upper grades, start to look a little more normal after months of disruption.

In a study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15, preliminary data showed there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared to 18 among those given dummy shots, Pfizer reported.

It’s a small study, that hasn’t yet been published, so another important piece of evidence is how well the shots revved up the kids’ immune systems. Researchers reported high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, somewhat higher than were seen in studies of young adults.

Kids had side effects similar to young adults, the company said. The main side effects are pain, fever, chills and fatigue, particularly after the second dose. The study will continue to track participants for two years for more information about long-term protection and safety.

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in the coming weeks plan to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European regulators to allow emergency use of the shots starting at age 12.

“We share the urgency to expand the use of our vaccine,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. He expressed “the hope of starting to vaccinate this age group before the start of the next school year” in the United States.

Pfizer isn’t the only company seeking to lower the age limit for its vaccine. Results also are expected soon from a U.S. study of Moderna’s vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds.

But in a sign that the findings were promising, the FDA already allowed both companies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-3c2490cd1bef6221c9b33146fee0fe4c">begin U.S. studies&nbsp;</a>in children 11 and younger, working their way to as young as 6-month-old.

AstraZeneca last month began a study of its vaccine among 6- to 17-year-olds in Britain. Johnson &amp; Johnson is planning its own pediatric studies. And in China, Sinovac recently announced it has submitted preliminary data to Chinese regulators showing its vaccine is safe in children as young as 3.

While most COVID-19 vaccines being used globally were first tested in tens of thousands of adults, pediatric studies won’t need to be nearly as large. Scientists have safety information from those studies and from subsequent vaccinations in millions more adults.

One key question is the dosage: Pfizer gave the 12-and-older participants the same dose adults receive, while testing different doses in younger children.

It’s not clear how quickly the FDA would act on Pfizer’s request to allow vaccination starting at age 12. Another question is when the country would have enough supply of shots — and people to get them into adolescents’ arms — to let kids start getting in line.

Supplies are set to steadily increase over the spring and summer, at the same time states are opening vaccinations to younger, healthier adults who until now haven’t had a turn.

Children represent about 13% of COVID-19 cases documented in the U.S. And while children are far less likely than adults to get seriously ill, at least 268 have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. alone and more than 13,500 have been hospitalized, according to a tally by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That’s more than die from the flu in an average year. Additionally, a small number have developed a serious inflammatory condition linked to the coronavirus.

Caleb Chung, who turns 13 later this week, agreed to volunteer after his father, a Duke University pediatrician, presented the option. He doesn’t know if he received the vaccine or a placebo.

“Usually I’m just at home doing online school and there’s not much I can really do to fight back against the virus,” Caleb said in a recent interview. The study “was really somewhere that I could actually help out.”

His father, Dr. Richard Chung, said he’s proud of his son and all the other children volunteering for the needle pricks, blood tests and other tasks a study entails.

“We need kids to do these trials so that kids can get protected. Adults can’t do that for them,” Chung said.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated PressPfizer announced Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12, a step toward possibly beginning shots in this age group before they head back to school in the fall.Most COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out worldwide are for adults, who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized for ages 16 and older. But vaccinating children of all ages will be critical to stopping the pandemic — and helping schools, at least the upper grades, start to look a little more normal after months of disruption.In a study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15, preliminary data showed there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared to 18 among those given dummy shots, Pfizer reported.It’s a small study, that hasn’t yet been published, so another important piece of evidence is how well the shots revved up the kids’ immune systems. Researchers reported high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, somewhat higher than were seen in studies of young adults.Kids had side effects similar to young adults, the company said. The main side effects are pain, fever, chills and fatigue, particularly after the second dose. The study will continue to track participants for two years for more information about long-term protection and safety.Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in the coming weeks plan to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European regulators to allow emergency use of the shots starting at age 12.“We share the urgency to expand the use of our vaccine,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. He expressed “the hope of starting to vaccinate this age group before the start of the next school year” in the United States.Pfizer isn’t the only company seeking to lower the age limit for its vaccine. Results also are expected soon from a U.S. study of Moderna’s vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds.But in a sign that the findings were promising, the FDA already allowed both companies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-3c2490cd1bef6221c9b33146fee0fe4c">begin U.S. studies&nbsp;</a>in children 11 and younger, working their way to as young as 6-month-old.AstraZeneca last month began a study of its vaccine among 6- to 17-year-olds in Britain. Johnson &amp; Johnson is planning its own pediatric studies. And in China, Sinovac recently announced it has submitted preliminary data to Chinese regulators showing its vaccine is safe in children as young as 3.ADVERTISEMENTWhile most COVID-19 vaccines being used globally were first tested in tens of thousands of adults, pediatric studies won’t need to be nearly as large. Scientists have safety information from those studies and from subsequent vaccinations in millions more adults.One key question is the dosage: Pfizer gave the 12-and-older participants the same dose adults receive, while testing different doses in younger children.It’s not clear how quickly the FDA would act on Pfizer’s request to allow vaccination starting at age 12. Another question is when the country would have enough supply of shots — and people to get them into adolescents’ arms — to let kids start getting in line.Supplies are set to steadily increase over the spring and summer, at the same time states are opening vaccinations to younger, healthier adults who until now haven’t had a turn.Children represent about 13% of COVID-19 cases documented in the U.S. And while children are far less likely than adults to get seriously ill, at least 268 have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. alone and more than 13,500 have been hospitalized, according to a tally by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That’s more than die from the flu in an average year. Additionally, a small number have developed a serious inflammatory condition linked to the coronavirus.Caleb Chung, who turns 13 later this week, agreed to volunteer after his father, a Duke University pediatrician, presented the option. He doesn’t know if he received the vaccine or a placebo.“Usually I’m just at home doing online school and there’s not much I can really do to fight back against the virus,” Caleb said in a recent interview. The study “was really somewhere that I could actually help out.”His father, Dr. Richard Chung, said he’s proud of his son and all the other children volunteering for the needle pricks, blood tests and other tasks a study entails.“We need kids to do these trials so that kids can get protected. Adults can’t do that for them,” Chung said.___

Pfizer: COVID-19 vaccine effective in kids ages 12 to 15

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — One of the Kansas Legislature’s most powerful lawmakers is eligible to be paid nearly $500 every two weeks he remains in leadership while he fights charges of driving under the influence and trying to elude law enforcement.

The payments can continue even though Kansas Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop turned over the bulk of his duties before he was charged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/53d21c4172c5cd87cbeaec02c0dcb882" target="_blank">Friday</a>&nbsp;in the March 16 incident in Topeka. But he has given no indication he plans to resign or give up his prestigious leadership position, meaning he continues to hold powers that can’t be delegated and remains influential.

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican and business partner of Suellentrop, has made clear he doesn’t plan to pressure the senator to step down.

As majority leader, Suellentrop receives an allowance of $487. 14 every two weeks during his term of office. The sum is in addition to up to about $200 a day in pay and allowances lawmakers receive during session.

Suellentrop’s chief of staff, Eric Rucker, didn’t respond to questions on Tuesday, including whether the senator is still accepting compensation paid to the majority leader. Suellentrop himself was absent from the Senate on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616963978358.jpeg" alt="Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop was booked March 26 into Shawnee County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond. photo -Shawnee County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop was booked March 26 into Shawnee County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond. photo -Shawnee County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — One of the Kansas Legislature’s most powerful lawmakers is eligible to be paid nearly $500 every two weeks he remains in leadership while he fights charges of driving under the influence and trying to elude law enforcement.The payments can continue even though Kansas Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop turned over the bulk of his duties before he was charged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/53d21c4172c5cd87cbeaec02c0dcb882" target="_blank">Friday</a>&nbsp;in the March 16 incident in Topeka. But he has given no indication he plans to resign or give up his prestigious leadership position, meaning he continues to hold powers that can’t be delegated and remains influential.Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican and business partner of Suellentrop, has made clear he doesn’t plan to pressure the senator to step down.As majority leader, Suellentrop receives an allowance of $487. 14 every two weeks during his term of office. The sum is in addition to up to about $200 a day in pay and allowances lawmakers receive during session.Suellentrop’s chief of staff, Eric Rucker, didn’t respond to questions on Tuesday, including whether the senator is still accepting compensation paid to the majority leader. Suellentrop himself was absent from the Senate on Monday.

GOP leader retains pay, influence despite felony charge

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans in the GOP-controlled Kansas House are formally registering their opposition to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan for encouraging counties to keep mask mandates in place as a potentially more infectious strain of coronavirus becomes more widespread in the state.

The House gave first-round approval Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hr6015_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;telling legislative leaders to revoke any order from Kelly for a statewide mask policy. Kelly issued such an order&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/EO-20-68-Face-Coverings-protocol-Executed-2.pdf" target="_blank">in November</a>&nbsp;that is due to expire Wednesday, and she has said she will issue a new order Thursday.

Given their majority, Republicans expect the resolution to pass when the House takes a final vote by Wednesday. The measure is sponsored by House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., of Olathe; Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch, of Ottawa, and Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, of Wichita, who’ve all publicly said they will oppose Kelly’s planned order.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb40_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">A law&nbsp;</a>that took effect last week extends a state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic from March 31 until May 28, but it also allows eight top legislative leaders, including Ryckman, Finch and Hawkins, to revoke orders the governor issues during a state of emergency.

The state has seen a sharp decline in new COVID-19 cases in recent months, and they’re now at levels seen last summer. Finch said during a brief House debate Tuesday on the resolution that no circumstances justify an “overreaching” order on masks from Kelly.

“What we do not need are more statewide mandates,” Finch said.

The new law also leaves the final decision about mask mandates and restrictions on businesses and public gatherings to counties. But Kelly’s planned order would require their elected county commissions to take a specific public vote to opt out of a statewide policy requiring people to wear masks in indoor businesses and public spaces.

Kelly said in a statement that the resolution is “unnecessary” because counties can opt out her planned order and said Republicans are engaged in “political games.”

Fellow Democrats noted concerns about coronavirus variants. One potentially more infectious variant first identified in the United Kingdom is responsible for 64 cases in 11 of the state’s 105 counties so far, the state health department said.

“We’re not at the end of the pandemic yet,” said Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, a Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat. “I do absolutely agree that things are getting better, but let’s not put all the sacrifices that we’ve all made at risk.”

In Shawnee County, home to Topeka, officials on Tuesday confirmed the county’s first three cases of the United Kingdom variant. Neighboring Douglas County confirmed a cases of the variant last week.

Two counties in the Kansas City area, Wyandotte and Leavenworth, have had cases of the variant, as has Sedgwick County, home to the state’s largest city of Wichita. Finney and Ford counties in southwest Kansas and Ellis County in northwest Kansas have had cases, and so have Crawford, Labette and Neosho counties in southeast Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617151479056.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly during a tour of the Prairie Band Health Center this week" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly during a tour of the Prairie Band Health Center this week</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans in the GOP-controlled Kansas House are formally registering their opposition to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan for encouraging counties to keep mask mandates in place as a potentially more infectious strain of coronavirus becomes more widespread in the state.The House gave first-round approval Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hr6015_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;telling legislative leaders to revoke any order from Kelly for a statewide mask policy. Kelly issued such an order&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/EO-20-68-Face-Coverings-protocol-Executed-2.pdf" target="_blank">in November</a>&nbsp;that is due to expire Wednesday, and she has said she will issue a new order Thursday.Given their majority, Republicans expect the resolution to pass when the House takes a final vote by Wednesday. The measure is sponsored by House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., of Olathe; Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch, of Ottawa, and Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, of Wichita, who’ve all publicly said they will oppose Kelly’s planned order.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/ccrb_sb40_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">A law&nbsp;</a>that took effect last week extends a state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic from March 31 until May 28, but it also allows eight top legislative leaders, including Ryckman, Finch and Hawkins, to revoke orders the governor issues during a state of emergency.The state has seen a sharp decline in new COVID-19 cases in recent months, and they’re now at levels seen last summer. Finch said during a brief House debate Tuesday on the resolution that no circumstances justify an “overreaching” order on masks from Kelly.“What we do not need are more statewide mandates,” Finch said.The new law also leaves the final decision about mask mandates and restrictions on businesses and public gatherings to counties. But Kelly’s planned order would require their elected county commissions to take a specific public vote to opt out of a statewide policy requiring people to wear masks in indoor businesses and public spaces.Kelly said in a statement that the resolution is “unnecessary” because counties can opt out her planned order and said Republicans are engaged in “political games.”Fellow Democrats noted concerns about coronavirus variants. One potentially more infectious variant first identified in the United Kingdom is responsible for 64 cases in 11 of the state’s 105 counties so far, the state health department said.“We’re not at the end of the pandemic yet,” said Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, a Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat. “I do absolutely agree that things are getting better, but let’s not put all the sacrifices that we’ve all made at risk.”In Shawnee County, home to Topeka, officials on Tuesday confirmed the county’s first three cases of the United Kingdom variant. Neighboring Douglas County confirmed a cases of the variant last week.Two counties in the Kansas City area, Wyandotte and Leavenworth, have had cases of the variant, as has Sedgwick County, home to the state’s largest city of Wichita. Finney and Ford counties in southwest Kansas and Ellis County in northwest Kansas have had cases, and so have Crawford, Labette and Neosho counties in southeast Kansas.___

Kansas legislators continue fight over governor's mask policy 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a 2-year-old girl and have made an arrest.

On January 5, police were dispatched to 3501 SW 10th Avenue in Topeka on a report of an unresponsive girl, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

 Medical personnel arrived on scene a short time later and the girl later identified as Aurora M. Exon, 2 of Topeka was pronounced deceased.

In late March, the Shawnee County Coroner’s Office determined the manner of death to be homicide.

As a result of an extensive investigation, police on Tuesday arrested&nbsp; 45-year-old Jeffrey J. Exon of Topeka and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for the requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated Endangering A Child and Failure to report the death of a child, according to Spiker.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617140051622.png" alt="Exon photo Shawnee County Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Exon photo Shawnee County Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a 2-year-old girl and have made an arrest.On January 5, police were dispatched to 3501 SW 10th Avenue in Topeka on a report of an unresponsive girl, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker. Medical personnel arrived on scene a short time later and the girl later identified as Aurora M. Exon, 2 of Topeka was pronounced deceased.In late March, the Shawnee County Coroner’s Office determined the manner of death to be homicide.As a result of an extensive investigation, police on Tuesday arrested&nbsp; 45-year-old Jeffrey J. Exon of Topeka and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for the requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated Endangering A Child and Failure to report the death of a child, according to Spiker.

Coroner: Death of 2-year-old Kan. girl was homicide

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A troubled Kansas foster care management provider has reached an agreement with the state to repay $9.4 million in unspent grant funds.

The deal that the Kansas Department for Children and Families announced it had reached Tuesday with St. Francis Ministries comes on the heels of earlier controversies.

In January,&nbsp;Nebraska&nbsp;agreed to pay millions more to St. Francis after it significantly underbid the company that used to provide child welfare services in the Omaha area. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salina-kansas-topeka-1b3b0e420e470e18a7dec207441ad8f7">Kansas officials announced in December&nbsp;</a>that St. Francis employees had falsified documents to show visits with families that never took place.

DCF spokesman Mike Deines said the grant repayment agreement is unrelated to the falsified document claims. A state audit is pending.

The agency said in a news release that the repayment stems from a requirement that case management providers come up with a plan to reinvest unspent funds into their child welfare programming. The release said St. Francis provided a preliminary plan, but it was never finalized and sent to DCF for approval.

St. Francis Interim CEO William Clark said in a statement that the goal is “always to do what is best for children and families, while also being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A troubled Kansas foster care management provider has reached an agreement with the state to repay $9.4 million in unspent grant funds.The deal that the Kansas Department for Children and Families announced it had reached Tuesday with St. Francis Ministries comes on the heels of earlier controversies.In January,&nbsp;Nebraska&nbsp;agreed to pay millions more to St. Francis after it significantly underbid the company that used to provide child welfare services in the Omaha area. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/salina-kansas-topeka-1b3b0e420e470e18a7dec207441ad8f7">Kansas officials announced in December&nbsp;</a>that St. Francis employees had falsified documents to show visits with families that never took place.DCF spokesman Mike Deines said the grant repayment agreement is unrelated to the falsified document claims. A state audit is pending.The agency said in a news release that the repayment stems from a requirement that case management providers come up with a plan to reinvest unspent funds into their child welfare programming. The release said St. Francis provided a preliminary plan, but it was never finalized and sent to DCF for approval.St. Francis Interim CEO William Clark said in a statement that the goal is “always to do what is best for children and families, while also being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.”

Troubled Kan. foster care agency agrees to repay $9.4M

TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for a series of burglaries.&nbsp;

Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, police received a call for service reference a suspicious person in the 1800 block of SW Wanamaker in Topeka, according to Lt. Shane Hilton. 

As officers arrived and were checking the area, they noticed someone matching the description of the suspect.&nbsp; 

The suspect later identified as 32-year-old Brian Wells of Meriden had items reported taken from a series of car burglaries along Wanamaker earlier in the evening in his possession.

Police arrested Wells and transported him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Burglary and&nbsp;Theft, according to Hilton.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617112201928.png" alt="Wells remains jailed in Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Wells remains jailed in Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for a series of burglaries.&nbsp;Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, police received a call for service reference a suspicious person in the 1800 block of SW Wanamaker in Topeka, according to Lt. Shane Hilton. As officers arrived and were checking the area, they noticed someone matching the description of the suspect.&nbsp; The suspect later identified as 32-year-old Brian Wells of Meriden had items reported taken from a series of car burglaries along Wanamaker earlier in the evening in his possession.Police arrested Wells and transported him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Burglary and&nbsp;Theft, according to Hilton.

Police catch Kan. man with items taken in burglaries

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a 21-year-old woman has been arrested in a Jan. 1 killing near downtown Wichita. 

Isabel Diane Leeann Martin was arrested Monday on suspicion of first-degree murder. She is the third person arrested in the death of 22-year-old Gabriel Campos-Torres. 

He was found shot early Jan. 1 and died at the scene. Martin also was arrested in an unrelated case of recruiting gang members. Police had previously arrested her brother 19-year-old Noah Martin of Wichita and a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of second-degree murder in the killing. 

Police spokesperson Charley Davidson said investigators developed new information that implicated Isabel Martin in the shooting.&nbsp;

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have made two arrests.

Just after 12:05 a.m. Friday, officers responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of South Ida in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson..&nbsp; A citizen called and reported hearing shots and a man lying on the sidewalk.

Upon officers arriving, they located 22-year-old Gabriel Campos-Torres, who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene, according to Davidson.

Through the investigation, an additional crime scene was located at a home in the 1200 block of South Laura, where Campos-Torres was shot.&nbsp; Investigators also learned that 18-year-old Noah Martin and a 16-year-old were involved in the shooting.&nbsp; They were located at the home on Laura and arrested.&nbsp; Officers also recovered a firearms inside of the home.

Martin of Wichita is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20065752">held on a requested</a> charge of 2nd-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm.&nbsp; The 16-year-old boy is being held a requested charge of 2nd-degree murder, according to Davidson.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617135091618.png" alt="Martin photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Martin photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a 21-year-old woman has been arrested in a Jan. 1 killing near downtown Wichita. Isabel Diane Leeann Martin was arrested Monday on suspicion of first-degree murder. She is the third person arrested in the death of 22-year-old Gabriel Campos-Torres. He was found shot early Jan. 1 and died at the scene. Martin also was arrested in an unrelated case of recruiting gang members. Police had previously arrested her brother 19-year-old Noah Martin of Wichita and a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of second-degree murder in the killing. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609538313369.png" alt="Martin photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Martin photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Police spokesperson Charley Davidson said investigators developed new information that implicated Isabel Martin in the shooting.&nbsp;----------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have made two arrests.Just after 12:05 a.m. Friday, officers responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of South Ida in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson..&nbsp; A citizen called and reported hearing shots and a man lying on the sidewalk.Upon officers arriving, they located 22-year-old Gabriel Campos-Torres, who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene, according to Davidson.Through the investigation, an additional crime scene was located at a home in the 1200 block of South Laura, where Campos-Torres was shot.&nbsp; Investigators also learned that 18-year-old Noah Martin and a 16-year-old were involved in the shooting.&nbsp; They were located at the home on Laura and arrested.&nbsp; Officers also recovered a firearms inside of the home.Martin of Wichita is being <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20065752">held on a requested</a> charge of 2nd-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm.&nbsp; The 16-year-old boy is being held a requested charge of 2nd-degree murder, according to Davidson.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Sister of Kan. murder suspect also jailed for the crime

JEWELL COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Tuesday in Jewell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Volvo semi driven by Rodney Brown, 55, Salina, was westbound on U.S. 36 just east of 300 Road.

&nbsp;A pedestrian identified as Gabriel Rupp, 18, Hays, was near the westbound roadway on the north shoulder of U.S. 36 loading traffic control equipment into a trailer which was in the roadway pulled by a 2015 GMC Sierra.

The semi failed to stop in time and hit Rupp. The semi came to rest in the north ditch. Rupp was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Melby Mortuary.

Brown was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

JEWELL COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Tuesday in Jewell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Volvo semi driven by Rodney Brown, 55, Salina, was westbound on U.S. 36 just east of 300 Road.&nbsp;A pedestrian identified as Gabriel Rupp, 18, Hays, was near the westbound roadway on the north shoulder of U.S. 36 loading traffic control equipment into a trailer which was in the roadway pulled by a 2015 GMC Sierra.The semi failed to stop in time and hit Rupp. The semi came to rest in the north ditch. Rupp was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Melby Mortuary.Brown was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kan. teen dies after struck by semi while working on highway

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two Kansas men found driving a stolen pickup.

Just after noon March 27, a sheriff’s deputy initiated a traffic stop on a 2002 Chevy Silverado pickup truck that was southbound on E. Road from 142nd Road in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The deputy determined that the vehicle was allegedly exceeding the speed limit and displaying a license plate not assigned to the vehicle. 

After further investigation, the deputy discovered the truck had been reported stolen out of Topeka. The driver identified as David W. Brooks, 55, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges of possession of stolen property and driving while suspended. 

The passenger Earl Thomas Kuhn III, 58, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement and he had an outstanding warrant for a parole violation, according to Morse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617109014740.png" alt="Kuhn photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Kuhn photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two Kansas men found driving a stolen pickup.Just after noon March 27, a sheriff’s deputy initiated a traffic stop on a 2002 Chevy Silverado pickup truck that was southbound on E. Road from 142nd Road in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The deputy determined that the vehicle was allegedly exceeding the speed limit and displaying a license plate not assigned to the vehicle. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617108984189.png" alt="Brooks-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Brooks-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>After further investigation, the deputy discovered the truck had been reported stolen out of Topeka. The driver identified as David W. Brooks, 55, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges of possession of stolen property and driving while suspended. The passenger Earl Thomas Kuhn III, 58, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement and he had an outstanding warrant for a parole violation, according to Morse.

Sheriff: 2 Kan. men caught speeding in stolen pickup

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Republicans on Tuesday downsized their ambitions for cutting Kansas income taxes and advanced a narrower proposal in the GOP-controlled Legislature in hopes of overcoming Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s resistance to reducing revenues.

The House voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210330104717_254085/" target="_blank">81-43</a>&nbsp;to approve a bill that would save taxpayers $284 million over three years. Top GOP legislators started with a goal of providing relief to businesses and individuals whose state income taxes have risen because of changes in federal income tax laws at the end of 2017. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb50_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">measure</a>&nbsp;also includes a modest increase in the standard deduction for all individual filers.

The Senate last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-personal-taxes-kansas-state-taxes-topeka-8f9530c660e97e6a59be53d0658cba7a">approved a package of cuts</a>&nbsp;that would cost the state $1.3 billion over three years and go far beyond Republican leaders’ stated goal of returning the unanticipated state revenue “windfall” tied to federal tax changes.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb22_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">The Senate’s measure</a>&nbsp;revived memories of a notorious tax-cutting experiment in 2012 and 2013 under GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, which was followed by large and persistent budget shortfalls until lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e4f794cd96cb488cb04ab1cd48b1458d">reversed most of it</a>&nbsp;in 2017.

The House’s vote sent its plan to the Senate, which can approve it or launch negotiations with the House to draft another proposal. Senate tax committee Chair Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican, said she wants to approve the House’s narrower plan and send it to Kelly.

Tyson said parts of the broader Senate plan might make GOP senators “feel good,” but, “It’s another thing to get it into law. We need it into law.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/02d4aa92788e4ef09d187211d949e2be">Kelly vetoed two</a>&nbsp;GOP tax-cutting plans in 2019 after winning the governor’s office the year before largely by running against Brownback’s legacy. She said earlier this month than Kansas is still “digging out” from the experiment and shouldn’t cut taxes because it is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

Some Republicans had hoped to pass a plan with the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a Kelly veto. But supporters fell three votes shy in Tuesday’s vote in the House and were short of a supermajority in the Senate last month.

The governor has been open to increasing the standard income tax deduction but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-personal-taxes-legislature-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-5382b51cadf728207a979823614f799b">has proposed&nbsp;</a>offsetting the cost of that policy by imposing the state’s 6.5% sales tax on online music and movies and digital streaming services. That idea is a non-starter for Republicans, who derided it as the “Netflix tax.”

The federal tax changes in 2017 were championed by former President Donald Trump and discouraged people from claiming itemized deductions on their federal returns. Kansas law does not allow people to itemize on their state returns if they don’t on their federal returns, resulting in larger state tax bills for some. Both the House and Senate plans would allow people to itemize on their state returns even if they don’t on their federal returns.

Democrats have attacked GOP tax proposals for providing relief to large corporations. House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, decried the narrower plan approved Tuesday as a corporate giveaway.

It also wasn’t clear how much support Tyson would have among GOP conservatives who control the Senate to approve the House plan. The Senate bill was far more aggressive on increasing standard income tax deductions and would include provisions to exempt Social Security and other retirement income from taxes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617135700695.png" alt="The House voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210330104717_254085/" target="_blank">81-43</a>&nbsp;to approve a bill that would save taxpayers $284 million over three years.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The House voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210330104717_254085/" target="_blank">81-43</a>&nbsp;to approve a bill that would save taxpayers $284 million over three years.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Republicans on Tuesday downsized their ambitions for cutting Kansas income taxes and advanced a narrower proposal in the GOP-controlled Legislature in hopes of overcoming Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s resistance to reducing revenues.The House voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210330104717_254085/" target="_blank">81-43</a>&nbsp;to approve a bill that would save taxpayers $284 million over three years. Top GOP legislators started with a goal of providing relief to businesses and individuals whose state income taxes have risen because of changes in federal income tax laws at the end of 2017. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb50_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">measure</a>&nbsp;also includes a modest increase in the standard deduction for all individual filers.The Senate last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-personal-taxes-kansas-state-taxes-topeka-8f9530c660e97e6a59be53d0658cba7a">approved a package of cuts</a>&nbsp;that would cost the state $1.3 billion over three years and go far beyond Republican leaders’ stated goal of returning the unanticipated state revenue “windfall” tied to federal tax changes.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb22_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">The Senate’s measure</a>&nbsp;revived memories of a notorious tax-cutting experiment in 2012 and 2013 under GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, which was followed by large and persistent budget shortfalls until lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e4f794cd96cb488cb04ab1cd48b1458d">reversed most of it</a>&nbsp;in 2017.The House’s vote sent its plan to the Senate, which can approve it or launch negotiations with the House to draft another proposal. Senate tax committee Chair Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican, said she wants to approve the House’s narrower plan and send it to Kelly.Tyson said parts of the broader Senate plan might make GOP senators “feel good,” but, “It’s another thing to get it into law. We need it into law.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/02d4aa92788e4ef09d187211d949e2be">Kelly vetoed two</a>&nbsp;GOP tax-cutting plans in 2019 after winning the governor’s office the year before largely by running against Brownback’s legacy. She said earlier this month than Kansas is still “digging out” from the experiment and shouldn’t cut taxes because it is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.Some Republicans had hoped to pass a plan with the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a Kelly veto. But supporters fell three votes shy in Tuesday’s vote in the House and were short of a supermajority in the Senate last month.The governor has been open to increasing the standard income tax deduction but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-personal-taxes-legislature-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-5382b51cadf728207a979823614f799b">has proposed&nbsp;</a>offsetting the cost of that policy by imposing the state’s 6.5% sales tax on online music and movies and digital streaming services. That idea is a non-starter for Republicans, who derided it as the “Netflix tax.”The federal tax changes in 2017 were championed by former President Donald Trump and discouraged people from claiming itemized deductions on their federal returns. Kansas law does not allow people to itemize on their state returns if they don’t on their federal returns, resulting in larger state tax bills for some. Both the House and Senate plans would allow people to itemize on their state returns even if they don’t on their federal returns.Democrats have attacked GOP tax proposals for providing relief to large corporations. House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, decried the narrower plan approved Tuesday as a corporate giveaway.It also wasn’t clear how much support Tyson would have among GOP conservatives who control the Senate to approve the House plan. The Senate bill was far more aggressive on increasing standard income tax deductions and would include provisions to exempt Social Security and other retirement income from taxes.

GOP advances smaller plan for cutting Kan. income taxes

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/latino-leaders-southwestern-kansas-fight-overcome-myths-and-hesitancy-about-covid-19-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>

LIBERAL — One woman thinks the COVID-19 pandemic was planned, man-made.

A man won’t get inoculated because he suspects other countries are using Americans as test subjects for their vaccines.

Three-fourths
 of this focus group gathered at a Liberal community center had heard 
the shots might contain microchips so the government can track people, 
even if most said they don’t buy that myth anymore.

The worries 
are bogus, but they’re worries all the same. And overcoming dangerously 
misinformed rumors about the vaccine could go a long way to getting more
 people vaccinated in this community of about 20,000.

The 
overwhelming concern in the room revolves around a lack of clear 
information that would build trust in COVID-19 vaccinations.

“I still keep asking questions,” said Edgar Galindo.

Rodrigo
 Calderon said he worries the shots were developed too quickly. He 
thinks seeing more people get vaccinated might change his mind, but for 
now, he said: “I don’t plan on taking it.”

Indeed, of the 16 people in the room, just two want a vaccination.&nbsp;

Even
 as much of the country thrills at the prospect of getting their 
COVID-19 shots, sizable pockets need convincing. In the immigrant and 
refugee communities of southwestern Kansas, cultural barriers and access
 to the shots could leave those hit hardest by the pandemic in ongoing 
peril.

So town by town, county by county, public health officials
 find themselves shooting down unfounded fears about the shots that 
could finally beat back a virus that has killed hundreds of thousands of
 people in the United States and millions around the world.

“COVID has been very challenging for a lot of people,” said Janeth 
Vazquez, the marketing director at Southwest Medical Center in Liberal. 
She convened the focus group. “And so hearing rumors about the vaccine 
just terrifies and scares them more.”

Vazquez has been promoting <a href="https://fb.watch/4pIK8E3ne5/" target="_blank">social</a> <a href="https://fb.watch/4pIZJrwMQD/" target="_blank">media</a> <a href="https://fb.watch/4pI-9URU57/" target="_blank">videos</a>
 with Hispanic doctors, posters with vaccine facts in Spanish and 
anything else that might help more people understand the facts about the
 vaccination process.

Not all of the vaccine myths she’s heard 
are as easily pushed aside as the conspiracy theory about microchips. 
Some of the people Vazquez has talked with are afraid the state is 
working in conjunction with immigration officials.

“So, they’re scared,” Vazquez said. “They’re scared to go get the vaccine because of their undocumented status.”

Among people of color nationwide, there’s also some justified <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/for-americans-of-color-considering-the-covid-19-vaccine-heres-why-trust-is-so-important">mistrust</a> of how the government has cared for their health over the past several decades — from the <a href="https://www.tuskegee.edu/about-us/centers-of-excellence/bioethics-center/about-the-usphs-syphilis-study" target="_blank">Tuskegee syphilis study</a> that withheld medical information and treatment from hundreds of Black men in rural Georgia to the Indian Health Service’s <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1185911?mag=the-little-known-history-of-the-forced-sterilization-of-native-american-women&amp;seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents" target="_blank">forced sterilization</a> of thousands of Native American women.

Even
 during the current pandemic, public health agencies have often 
struggled to close the gap in caring for people of color. The latest 
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that 
American Latinos are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-race-ethnicity.html" target="_blank">2.3 times more likely</a> to die from COVID-19 than their white, non-Hispanic neighbors.

Vazquez
 is starting to see some of her vaccine-hesitant relatives change their 
minds as she talks with them. But she thinks it’s going to take time to 
overcome the many barriers that might keep people in her community from 
getting a shot.

“It’s working,” Vazquez said. “We just need to continue that community effort, that communication.”

Vaccine hesitancy isn’t unique to Latino communities. A recent <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/12/976172586/little-difference-in-vaccine-hesitancy-among-white-and-black-americans-poll-find" target="_blank">NPR/PBS/Marist poll</a>
 found that 37% of Latinos said they would not choose to be vaccinated. 
That’s seven points higher than the average among all American adults. 
But in the same poll, even higher rates of white evangelicals (38%) and 
Republican men (49%) said they didn’t want the vaccine.

The 
challenge in southwestern Kansas is that boilerplate public health 
messages are unlikely to reach many Latinos in a meaningful way.

It’ll
 take more than merely translating information from English to Spanish. 
Ernestor De La Rosa, chairman of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American
 Affairs Commission, said the messages need to meet people where they 
are.

“And I don’t necessarily mean by place,” De La Rosa said. “I
 mean by their thoughts, their culture, how they go on with their 
everyday life.”

De La Rosa, who lives in Dodge City, said it 
could be as simple as featuring the voices of native Spanish speakers or
 playing Latin cumbia music under an ad — anything that lets Latinos 
know this message is for them.

“It’s not 100% buy-in,” De La Rosa said. “But most importantly, we get their attention and we at least get them to think.”

For towns like Liberal and Dodge City, which are more than <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/liberalcitykansas,dodgecitycitykansas/PST045219" target="_blank">60% Latino</a>,
 the stakes are high. If messages about the vaccine don’t speak to 
Hispanic residents in ways that they’ll take to heart, pockets of 
unvaccinated people could incubate future outbreaks.

In 
particularly vulnerable populations like Dodge City’s Guatemalan 
community, the person delivering the message can be just as important as
 the message itself.

The Rev. Daniel Armenta has been the pastor 
of Iglesia Bautista Emanuel in Dodge City for more than 30 years. It’s a
 Spanish-speaking congregation of roughly 100 people. Half are 
Guatemalan, a group that Armenta said is particularly difficult for 
outsiders to reach.

“I’ve found that they are very reserved, 
cautious people,” Armenta said. “They do not want to learn more than 
what they bring from their land, from their culture, and that makes them
 very fearful.”

On top of that, he said Guatemalan culture 
teaches that they should live without vaccinations. So, with help from 
local government and community leaders, Armenta recently began sharing 
vaccination information during Sunday services.

“It’s too soon to tell the full story,” Armenta said. “But I think it can work if we give them education.”

Another trusted figure in 
these parts is Enrique Rodríguez Franz. He’s the on-air host and general
 manager of La Mexicana, southwestern Kansas’s largest Spanish language 
radio station.

When the National Beef meatpacking plant wanted to
 get more people to line up at its vaccine clinic in Liberal, they 
invited him to come by and get his shot. On the same day the vaccine 
focus group met, Franz live-streamed his vaccination to over 20,000 
Facebook followers.

But Franz knows that the challenges he and other Latino leaders face 
in their communities won’t be solved by one social media video.

After getting his vaccination, he went to visit his mother.

“And she was like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” said Franz, “‘you know that you’re going to have consequences.’”

His
 mother doesn’t want to get vaccinated because she’s afraid of 
fictitious side effects she’s heard about from one bogus source or 
another.

“How can you fight all this garbage?” Franz said. “I don’t have the answer.”

But
 Franz plans to keep delivering this message in as many different ways 
as he can. The same week he got his vaccination, he hosted an interview 
with an Hispanic doctor, live-streamed from a church that was handing 
out COVID-19 safety kits and went back to National Beef’s vaccination 
site for three more Facebook Live videos.

“How can we connect better?” Franz said. “That’s the challenge every day. That’s my challenge every day.”

And after he goes back for his second dose, he plans to pay another visit to his mother.

“I ain’t giving up on this lady,” Franz said. “She’s my mom.”

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617043954570.png" alt="The families of National Beef meatpacking plant employees wait in line for COVID-19 vaccinations in Liberal, Kansas. Courtesy, Enrique Rodríguez Franz" />
 <figcaption>The families of National Beef meatpacking plant employees wait in line for COVID-19 vaccinations in Liberal, Kansas. Courtesy, Enrique Rodríguez Franz</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/latino-leaders-southwestern-kansas-fight-overcome-myths-and-hesitancy-about-covid-19-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>LIBERAL — One woman thinks the COVID-19 pandemic was planned, man-made.A man won’t get inoculated because he suspects other countries are using Americans as test subjects for their vaccines.Three-fourths
 of this focus group gathered at a Liberal community center had heard 
the shots might contain microchips so the government can track people, 
even if most said they don’t buy that myth anymore.The worries 
are bogus, but they’re worries all the same. And overcoming dangerously 
misinformed rumors about the vaccine could go a long way to getting more
 people vaccinated in this community of about 20,000.The 
overwhelming concern in the room revolves around a lack of clear 
information that would build trust in COVID-19 vaccinations.“I still keep asking questions,” said Edgar Galindo.Rodrigo
 Calderon said he worries the shots were developed too quickly. He 
thinks seeing more people get vaccinated might change his mind, but for 
now, he said: “I don’t plan on taking it.”Indeed, of the 16 people in the room, just two want a vaccination.&nbsp;<h2>Fear and mistrust</h2>Even
 as much of the country thrills at the prospect of getting their 
COVID-19 shots, sizable pockets need convincing. In the immigrant and 
refugee communities of southwestern Kansas, cultural barriers and access
 to the shots could leave those hit hardest by the pandemic in ongoing 
peril.So town by town, county by county, public health officials
 find themselves shooting down unfounded fears about the shots that 
could finally beat back a virus that has killed hundreds of thousands of
 people in the United States and millions around the world.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617044033354.png" alt=" Janeth Vazquez of Southwest Medical Center in Liberal, Kansas. Credit Bethany Wood / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Janeth Vazquez of Southwest Medical Center in Liberal, Kansas. Credit Bethany Wood / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>“COVID has been very challenging for a lot of people,” said Janeth 
Vazquez, the marketing director at Southwest Medical Center in Liberal. 
She convened the focus group. “And so hearing rumors about the vaccine 
just terrifies and scares them more.”Vazquez has been promoting <a href="https://fb.watch/4pIK8E3ne5/" target="_blank">social</a> <a href="https://fb.watch/4pIZJrwMQD/" target="_blank">media</a> <a href="https://fb.watch/4pI-9URU57/" target="_blank">videos</a>
 with Hispanic doctors, posters with vaccine facts in Spanish and 
anything else that might help more people understand the facts about the
 vaccination process.Not all of the vaccine myths she’s heard 
are as easily pushed aside as the conspiracy theory about microchips. 
Some of the people Vazquez has talked with are afraid the state is 
working in conjunction with immigration officials.“So, they’re scared,” Vazquez said. “They’re scared to go get the vaccine because of their undocumented status.”Among people of color nationwide, there’s also some justified <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/for-americans-of-color-considering-the-covid-19-vaccine-heres-why-trust-is-so-important">mistrust</a> of how the government has cared for their health over the past several decades — from the <a href="https://www.tuskegee.edu/about-us/centers-of-excellence/bioethics-center/about-the-usphs-syphilis-study" target="_blank">Tuskegee syphilis study</a> that withheld medical information and treatment from hundreds of Black men in rural Georgia to the Indian Health Service’s <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1185911?mag=the-little-known-history-of-the-forced-sterilization-of-native-american-women&amp;seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents" target="_blank">forced sterilization</a> of thousands of Native American women.Even
 during the current pandemic, public health agencies have often 
struggled to close the gap in caring for people of color. The latest 
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that 
American Latinos are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-race-ethnicity.html" target="_blank">2.3 times more likely</a> to die from COVID-19 than their white, non-Hispanic neighbors.Vazquez
 is starting to see some of her vaccine-hesitant relatives change their 
minds as she talks with them. But she thinks it’s going to take time to 
overcome the many barriers that might keep people in her community from 
getting a shot.“It’s working,” Vazquez said. “We just need to continue that community effort, that communication.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617044088604.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Tailoring the message</h2>Vaccine hesitancy isn’t unique to Latino communities. A recent <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/12/976172586/little-difference-in-vaccine-hesitancy-among-white-and-black-americans-poll-find" target="_blank">NPR/PBS/Marist poll</a>
 found that 37% of Latinos said they would not choose to be vaccinated. 
That’s seven points higher than the average among all American adults. 
But in the same poll, even higher rates of white evangelicals (38%) and 
Republican men (49%) said they didn’t want the vaccine.The 
challenge in southwestern Kansas is that boilerplate public health 
messages are unlikely to reach many Latinos in a meaningful way.It’ll
 take more than merely translating information from English to Spanish. 
Ernestor De La Rosa, chairman of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American
 Affairs Commission, said the messages need to meet people where they 
are.“And I don’t necessarily mean by place,” De La Rosa said. “I
 mean by their thoughts, their culture, how they go on with their 
everyday life.”De La Rosa, who lives in Dodge City, said it 
could be as simple as featuring the voices of native Spanish speakers or
 playing Latin cumbia music under an ad — anything that lets Latinos 
know this message is for them.“It’s not 100% buy-in,” De La Rosa said. “But most importantly, we get their attention and we at least get them to think.”For towns like Liberal and Dodge City, which are more than <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/liberalcitykansas,dodgecitycitykansas/PST045219" target="_blank">60% Latino</a>,
 the stakes are high. If messages about the vaccine don’t speak to 
Hispanic residents in ways that they’ll take to heart, pockets of 
unvaccinated people could incubate future outbreaks.In 
particularly vulnerable populations like Dodge City’s Guatemalan 
community, the person delivering the message can be just as important as
 the message itself.The Rev. Daniel Armenta has been the pastor 
of Iglesia Bautista Emanuel in Dodge City for more than 30 years. It’s a
 Spanish-speaking congregation of roughly 100 people. Half are 
Guatemalan, a group that Armenta said is particularly difficult for 
outsiders to reach.“I’ve found that they are very reserved, 
cautious people,” Armenta said. “They do not want to learn more than 
what they bring from their land, from their culture, and that makes them
 very fearful.”On top of that, he said Guatemalan culture 
teaches that they should live without vaccinations. So, with help from 
local government and community leaders, Armenta recently began sharing 
vaccination information during Sunday services.“It’s too soon to tell the full story,” Armenta said. “But I think it can work if we give them education.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617044124426.png" alt=" Employees of the National Beef meatpacking plant get their COVID-19 vaccinations at the Dodge City Civic Center. Credit Courtesy, Blanca Soto" />
 <figcaption> Employees of the National Beef meatpacking plant get their COVID-19 vaccinations at the Dodge City Civic Center. Credit Courtesy, Blanca Soto</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘All this garbage’</h2>Another trusted figure in 
these parts is Enrique Rodríguez Franz. He’s the on-air host and general
 manager of La Mexicana, southwestern Kansas’s largest Spanish language 
radio station.When the National Beef meatpacking plant wanted to
 get more people to line up at its vaccine clinic in Liberal, they 
invited him to come by and get his shot. On the same day the vaccine 
focus group met, Franz live-streamed his vaccination to over 20,000 
Facebook followers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617044169100.jpeg" alt=" Radio host Enrique Rodríguez Franz live-streams his vaccination to La Mexicana's Facebook followers. Credit La Mexicana's Facebook Page" />
 <figcaption> Radio host Enrique Rodríguez Franz live-streams his vaccination to La Mexicana's Facebook followers. Credit La Mexicana's Facebook Page</figcaption>
 </figure>But Franz knows that the challenges he and other Latino leaders face 
in their communities won’t be solved by one social media video.After getting his vaccination, he went to visit his mother.“And she was like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” said Franz, “‘you know that you’re going to have consequences.’”His
 mother doesn’t want to get vaccinated because she’s afraid of 
fictitious side effects she’s heard about from one bogus source or 
another.“How can you fight all this garbage?” Franz said. “I don’t have the answer.”But
 Franz plans to keep delivering this message in as many different ways 
as he can. The same week he got his vaccination, he hosted an interview 
with an Hispanic doctor, live-streamed from a church that was handing 
out COVID-19 safety kits and went back to National Beef’s vaccination 
site for three more Facebook Live videos.“How can we connect better?” Franz said. “That’s the challenge every day. That’s my challenge every day.”And after he goes back for his second dose, he plans to pay another visit to his mother.“I ain’t giving up on this lady,” Franz said. “She’s my mom.”David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.

Latino leaders in Kan. fight to overcome myths about COVID vaccine

TOPEKA –&nbsp;Three cases of the B.1.1.7 variant that causes COVID-19 have been identified in Shawnee County and confirmed via whole genome sequencing conducted through the laboratories at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), according to a media release from the Shawnee County Health Department.

Shawnee County received confirmation of these three cases Tuesday morning. These are the first cases of this variant to be identified in Shawnee County and among more than 30 cases of this variant identified across Kansas.

Variant strains are mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that cause COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies variants in three categories: Variant of Interest, Variant of Concern and Variant of High Consequences. The CDC has classified B.1.1.7, also known as the U.K. Variant, as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info.html#Concern" target="_blank">Variant of Concern</a>&nbsp;because of the increased likelihood of severe disease and increased level of transmission.

The Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) urges residents to continue being vigilant about wearing their masks, watching their distance, and washing their hands among other preventative hygiene measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 in our community.

Additionally, it continues to be important to get tested for COVID-19 should an individual begin exhibiting symptoms related to COVID-19 or come in contact with a confirmed positive case. Testing continues to be available and free to Shawnee County residents. To find a location near you, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.gogettested.com%2fkansas&amp;c=E,1,c5Se3Lkx1Z1k5TKwIDs7SPf3yIDpfePh81GHe-mIXQ8KjCXmnpPxcwehYlpwQQVHX9WXsKdg-6cgyfkGNNesXvDOKLWHS3OIk3E0D8WaVf6IwwD_&amp;typo=1" target="_blank">www.gogettested.com/kansas</a>

“With the confirmation of the B.1.1.7 variant in Shawnee County and the recent uptick of COVID-19 cases in Shawnee County and across the nation, it is important that we as a community continue to do what we can to limit the spread of the virus,” said Dr. Erin Locke, Shawnee County Health Officer. 

“It’s important to not get complacent; we continue to promote proper mask wear and encourage all eligible Shawnee County residents to get vaccinated when they are able.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608566572342.png" alt="Variant image courtesy GISAID" />
 <figcaption>Variant image courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –&nbsp;Three cases of the B.1.1.7 variant that causes COVID-19 have been identified in Shawnee County and confirmed via whole genome sequencing conducted through the laboratories at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), according to a media release from the Shawnee County Health Department.Shawnee County received confirmation of these three cases Tuesday morning. These are the first cases of this variant to be identified in Shawnee County and among more than 30 cases of this variant identified across Kansas.Variant strains are mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that cause COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies variants in three categories: Variant of Interest, Variant of Concern and Variant of High Consequences. The CDC has classified B.1.1.7, also known as the U.K. Variant, as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info.html#Concern" target="_blank">Variant of Concern</a>&nbsp;because of the increased likelihood of severe disease and increased level of transmission.The Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) urges residents to continue being vigilant about wearing their masks, watching their distance, and washing their hands among other preventative hygiene measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 in our community.Additionally, it continues to be important to get tested for COVID-19 should an individual begin exhibiting symptoms related to COVID-19 or come in contact with a confirmed positive case. Testing continues to be available and free to Shawnee County residents. To find a location near you, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.gogettested.com%2fkansas&amp;c=E,1,c5Se3Lkx1Z1k5TKwIDs7SPf3yIDpfePh81GHe-mIXQ8KjCXmnpPxcwehYlpwQQVHX9WXsKdg-6cgyfkGNNesXvDOKLWHS3OIk3E0D8WaVf6IwwD_&amp;typo=1" target="_blank">www.gogettested.com/kansas</a>“With the confirmation of the B.1.1.7 variant in Shawnee County and the recent uptick of COVID-19 cases in Shawnee County and across the nation, it is important that we as a community continue to do what we can to limit the spread of the virus,” said Dr. Erin Locke, Shawnee County Health Officer. “It’s important to not get complacent; we continue to promote proper mask wear and encourage all eligible Shawnee County residents to get vaccinated when they are able.”

More COVID-19 variant confirmed in Kansas

FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a teen suspect in custody.

Just before 4 p.m. Tuesday, police received a 911 call from an individual who identified himself as 15-year-old Reese Hernandez who told dispatchers he had shot his mother inside their residence, according to Garden City Police Sergeant Tanya Bradley.

Officers were dispatched to the 800 block of East Price Street in Garden City, where Reese immediately surrendered to them in the front yard and was taken into custody without incident. 

 Officers located a woman later identified as Mallory Hernandez, 34,&nbsp; inside the residence suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported her to St. Catherine Hospital, where she later died, according to Bradley. 

The boy is being held in the Southwest Kansas Regional Detention Center on a requested charge of first-degree murder, according to Bradley.

FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a teen suspect in custody.Just before 4 p.m. Tuesday, police received a 911 call from an individual who identified himself as 15-year-old Reese Hernandez who told dispatchers he had shot his mother inside their residence, according to Garden City Police Sergeant Tanya Bradley.Officers were dispatched to the 800 block of East Price Street in Garden City, where Reese immediately surrendered to them in the front yard and was taken into custody without incident. Officers located a woman later identified as Mallory Hernandez, 34,&nbsp; inside the residence suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported her to St. Catherine Hospital, where she later died, according to Bradley. The boy is being held in the Southwest Kansas Regional Detention Center on a requested charge of first-degree murder, according to Bradley.

SW Kan. teen surrenders to police after shooting his mother

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man with previous convictions for rape and theft was charged with new sex crimes involving children.

Stacy Munsell, 56 of Wellington, was charged March 26 with 5 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 9 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, criminal sodomy, attempted criminal sodomy, 2 counts of indecent liberties with a child, and furnishing alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage to a minor, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; All 20 crimes are felonies.

Following an investigation by the Exploited and Missing Children Unit of the Wichita Police Department involving incidents of sex abuse against five juveniles, police arrested Munsell March 23, according to officer Paul Cruz.

He remains jailed on a bond of $250,000. His next court date is April 8, according to the district attorney.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.

Following an investigation by the Exploited and Missing Children Unit of the Wichita Police Department involving incidents of sex abuse against five juveniles, police made an arrest, according to a media release.

Just before 11p.m. Tuesday, police <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=75347">booked 56-year-old Stacy Alan Munsell</a> into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, and aggravated indecent liberties.

&nbsp;The crimes occurred over a period of six years, according to police. The case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616619505936.png" alt="Munsell-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Munsell-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man with previous convictions for rape and theft was charged with new sex crimes involving children.Stacy Munsell, 56 of Wellington, was charged March 26 with 5 counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, 9 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, criminal sodomy, attempted criminal sodomy, 2 counts of indecent liberties with a child, and furnishing alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage to a minor, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.&nbsp; All 20 crimes are felonies.Following an investigation by the Exploited and Missing Children Unit of the Wichita Police Department involving incidents of sex abuse against five juveniles, police arrested Munsell March 23, according to officer Paul Cruz.He remains jailed on a bond of $250,000. His next court date is April 8, according to the district attorney.------------SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.Following an investigation by the Exploited and Missing Children Unit of the Wichita Police Department involving incidents of sex abuse against five juveniles, police made an arrest, according to a media release.Just before 11p.m. Tuesday, police <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=75347">booked 56-year-old Stacy Alan Munsell</a> into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, and aggravated indecent liberties.&nbsp;The crimes occurred over a period of six years, according to police. The case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office.

Kan. man charged with sex crimes involving 5 children

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and USD 336 authorities are investigating threats on social media towards students at the Holton High School and have made an arrest.

The threats that were generated over the weekend and Monday evening,&nbsp;according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just before midnight Monday, police officers and deputies served a search warrant on a residence in the City of Holton. During the search warrant, the suspect, a 15-year-old boy was placed into custody. A number of electronic devices were seized from the residence.

It is believed that the suspect was the sole person involved in making the threats.&nbsp; There was a strong law enforcement presence at the school on Monday and also Tuesday, according to Morse.

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and USD 336 authorities are investigating threats on social media towards students at the Holton High School and have made an arrest.The threats that were generated over the weekend and Monday evening,&nbsp;according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just before midnight Monday, police officers and deputies served a search warrant on a residence in the City of Holton. During the search warrant, the suspect, a 15-year-old boy was placed into custody. A number of electronic devices were seized from the residence.It is believed that the suspect was the sole person involved in making the threats.&nbsp; There was a strong law enforcement presence at the school on Monday and also Tuesday, according to Morse.

Sheriff: Kan. boy accused of social media threat against school

SALINE COUNTY —Multiple fire units were called in for a grass fire that started in far western Saline County late Monday afternoon.

Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning that the fire started near the intersection of Sunnyside Road and Rollman Road. That intersection is located along the west side of the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range, southwest of Brookville.

The initial call came in at 5 p.m. and the fire was reported to be out at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Soldan said. Firefighters from Saline County Rural Fire Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7, as well as those from Marquette and Ellsworth County responded to the blaze, he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617117991306.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Multiple fire units were called in for a grass fire that started in far western Saline County late Monday afternoon.Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning that the fire started near the intersection of Sunnyside Road and Rollman Road. That intersection is located along the west side of the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range, southwest of Brookville.The initial call came in at 5 p.m. and the fire was reported to be out at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Soldan said. Firefighters from Saline County Rural Fire Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7, as well as those from Marquette and Ellsworth County responded to the blaze, he said.At the time, Saline County was under a red flag warning for grassland fire danger. According to reports from the Salina Regional Airport, winds were from the south at 24 to 35 mph, with gusts from 36 to 56 mph during the time of the fire.A shed was burned, as was a large area of pasture grass, Soldan said.Because of smoke, Kansas Highway 140 from Brookville west to Kansas Highway 141 in Ellsworth County was close for a time during the fire. The Kansas Department of Transportation reported that the highway had been reopened just before 9 p.m. Monday.