WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 90% of federal workers received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Monday’s deadline set by President Joe Biden.

Biden announced in September that more than 3.5 million federal workers were required to undergo vaccination, with no with option to get regularly tested instead, unless they secured an approved medical or religious exemption. A U.S. official said the vast majority of federal workers are fully vaccinated, and that a smaller number have pending or approved exceptions to the mandate.

In all, more than 95% of federal workers are in compliance with the Biden mandate, the official said, either by being vaccinated or having requested an exemption. Workers who are not in compliance are set to begin a “counseling” process that could ultimately result in their termination if they don’t get a shot or secure an approved exception to vaccination.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the statistics because the official wasn’t authorized to speak on the record before their official release later Monday.

The deadline is a major test of Biden’s push to compel people across the country to get vaccinated, as his administration has emphasized that vaccination is the nation’s surest way out from the pandemic. Beyond the federal worker rule, his administration is looking to compel large businesses to institute vaccinate-or-testing requirements that would cover more than 84 million workers, though plans for January enforcement have been on hold pending litigation.

There was considerable concern over whether federal employees would follow the mandate, particularly in law enforcement and intelligence agencies where there was vocal resistance, and among federal workers involved in the travel sector heading into the busy holiday travel season

The White House says they don’t anticipate any federal disruptions from the mandate. At the Federal Aviation Administration, 99% of employees are in compliance with Biden’s order, at the Transportation Security Administration, 93% are in compliance, and 98% of Customs and Border Protection workers are in compliance.

The official said that on Wednesday the Office of Management and Budget would release a breakdown of agency compliance rates.

According to the official, nearly 25% of the Internal Revenue Service’s employees started getting vaccinated after Biden’s announcement, and 98% of its employees are now in compliance with the requirement.

Just about two weeks ago, several intelligence agencies had at least 20% of their workforce unvaccinated as of late October, said U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who is a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association President Larry Cosme said around the same time that there are about 31,000 members from 65 federal law enforcement agencies in the association and he estimated 60% of them have been vaccinated.

The White House is now aiming to use the federal vaccination mandate as a model for private businesses to implement their own mandates even before litigation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s is resolved.

Since Biden announced the first federal mandates earlier this summer, the number of unvaccinated Americans aged 12 and over has dropped from about 100 million to under 60 million. Health officials emphasize that the overwhelming majority of instances of serious illness and death from COVID-19 now occur among those who haven’t received a vaccine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632773278988.png" alt="President Biden received his COVID booster earlier this month-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden received his COVID booster earlier this month-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 90% of federal workers received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Monday’s deadline set by President Joe Biden.Biden announced in September that more than 3.5 million federal workers were required to undergo vaccination, with no with option to get regularly tested instead, unless they secured an approved medical or religious exemption. A U.S. official said the vast majority of federal workers are fully vaccinated, and that a smaller number have pending or approved exceptions to the mandate.In all, more than 95% of federal workers are in compliance with the Biden mandate, the official said, either by being vaccinated or having requested an exemption. Workers who are not in compliance are set to begin a “counseling” process that could ultimately result in their termination if they don’t get a shot or secure an approved exception to vaccination.The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the statistics because the official wasn’t authorized to speak on the record before their official release later Monday.The deadline is a major test of Biden’s push to compel people across the country to get vaccinated, as his administration has emphasized that vaccination is the nation’s surest way out from the pandemic. Beyond the federal worker rule, his administration is looking to compel large businesses to institute vaccinate-or-testing requirements that would cover more than 84 million workers, though plans for January enforcement have been on hold pending litigation.There was considerable concern over whether federal employees would follow the mandate, particularly in law enforcement and intelligence agencies where there was vocal resistance, and among federal workers involved in the travel sector heading into the busy holiday travel seasonThe White House says they don’t anticipate any federal disruptions from the mandate. At the Federal Aviation Administration, 99% of employees are in compliance with Biden’s order, at the Transportation Security Administration, 93% are in compliance, and 98% of Customs and Border Protection workers are in compliance.The official said that on Wednesday the Office of Management and Budget would release a breakdown of agency compliance rates.According to the official, nearly 25% of the Internal Revenue Service’s employees started getting vaccinated after Biden’s announcement, and 98% of its employees are now in compliance with the requirement.Just about two weeks ago, several intelligence agencies had at least 20% of their workforce unvaccinated as of late October, said U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who is a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association President Larry Cosme said around the same time that there are about 31,000 members from 65 federal law enforcement agencies in the association and he estimated 60% of them have been vaccinated.The White House is now aiming to use the federal vaccination mandate as a model for private businesses to implement their own mandates even before litigation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s is resolved.Since Biden announced the first federal mandates earlier this summer, the number of unvaccinated Americans aged 12 and over has dropped from about 100 million to under 60 million. Health officials emphasize that the overwhelming majority of instances of serious illness and death from COVID-19 now occur among those who haven’t received a vaccine.—

Official: More than 90% of fed workers got shots by deadline

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — Police say the suspect in a deadly Christmas parade crash in suburban Milwaukee was in a domestic disturbance just minutes before he killed five people and injured 48. 

Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said Monday there is no evidence of terrorism in the event. He says police were preparing five charges of intentional homicide against Darrell Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee. 

Thompson identified those killed as four women including 71-year-old&nbsp; LeAnna Owen, 52-year-old&nbsp;Tamara Durand,  52-year-old&nbsp;Jane Kulich,  79-year-old Virginia Sorenson, and 81-year-old&nbsp;Wilhelm Hospel. The women were members of the “Dancing Grannies” club. One victim was an employee of Citizens Bank.

Police also asked for video footage of the suspect vehicle in the parade route or fleeing from the scene, and&nbsp; contact information here&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2FxVKV6n9JbwUNjwvC8%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR13auXRfLNUfRcHbQoUcYfn4B1IFUV4h1iT3Ie5Vqzunfas8jCnV9GjLRA&amp;h=AT28TAPqZPihnp52yENNCzSj5vQvCys-BgyykyIxvOnaI6tUuKTBGuHYZ7yHmjcd1srEmohI5OoLdBk9TKC7iYo7dm5osh5YNAs1hmFfSLIswdOk5iamYd-QhSMWXBvOzcI2VNQ&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1LbqzdggqSJeQqQG_iCkHYASPrRkKaFA51uDoKTxK7bUmKePuPW-Tog56U46qQ6Asf84vnlR7eyCP2a8mC5hDIqVFMfW5DCbVP6dbJq3UVccxQ6ji8JGlZTO7fmNEHGrpfd8Xgih3ot73LGrjd4LjQYn_q9wzNhsp9y1dW" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/xVKV6n9JbwUNjwvC8</a>. Police are looking for video that a person captured themselves – not video they saw on someone’s social media page.

Police were&nbsp; only looking for footage of the incident, not the aftermath of the event. We know that members of the community want to help out and help the victims. 

The Waukesha County Community Foundation, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee &amp; Waukesha County have joined together to create the “United for Waukesha Community Fund.” This fund will support the needs of the families impacted. You can donate at: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.waukeshafoundation.org%2Fparade%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR13auXRfLNUfRcHbQoUcYfn4B1IFUV4h1iT3Ie5Vqzunfas8jCnV9GjLRA&amp;h=AT0vPdb2ej3cTm6ebcFaexXTTLgibJPw_XgcStSi-Hceb6lez1ee6gFcTpi-DvnjJEvMzJjsxJf4sZFsptUIsXzl-wT1H1odLPQpIoEjAJiBH3bCajr7KcYXJQWtlckgB5WbqoI&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1LbqzdggqSJeQqQG_iCkHYASPrRkKaFA51uDoKTxK7bUmKePuPW-Tog56U46qQ6Asf84vnlR7eyCP2a8mC5hDIqVFMfW5DCbVP6dbJq3UVccxQ6ji8JGlZTO7fmNEHGrpfd8Xgih3ot73LGrjd4LjQYn_q9wzNhsp9y1dW" target="_blank">www.waukeshafoundation.org/parade</a>.

Many people witnessed traumatic events last evening. If you need to talk to someone, you can call or text 800-985-5990 to be connected to a trained, caring counselor - they are available 24/7. Please only call 911 for emergencies. There will be a Friends and Family Resource Center set up at Carroll University in the Campus Center ballroom for all the victims from 2pm-6pm on Tuesday and 9am-1pm on Wednesday. The District Attorney Victim Assistance Program is also available to assist. You can email help4victims@da.wi.gov

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A person taken into custody after an SUV plowed into holiday parade in Wisconsin, killing at least five people, has been identified as 39-year-old Darrell Brooks.

Police haven’t yet identified the “person of interest” they are holding. But two law enforcement officials briefed on the matter provided the identification to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Online court records showed a person named Darrell Brooks, with an birthdate making him 39, has two open criminal cases in Milwaukee County. In one case, filed Nov. 5, he is charged with resisting or obstructing an officer, reckless homicide, disorderly conduct, bail jumping and battery. Records show $500 cash bond was posted Nov. 19.

In the other case, filed in July 2020, Brooks is charged with reckless endangering and illegal possession of a firearm.

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP)— A joyous scene of marching bands and children dancing in Santa hats and waving pompoms turned deadly in an instant, as an SUV sped through barricades and into a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee, killing at least five people and injuring more than 40 others.

One video showed a woman screaming, “Oh my God!” repeatedly as a group of young dancers was struck Sunday. A father talked of going “from one crumpled body to the other” in search of his daughter. Members of a “Dancing Grannies” club were among those hit.

The city of Waukesha posted on its social media accounts late Sunday that it could confirm at least five died and more than 40 were injured, while noting that it was still collecting information. The city's statement also noted that many people took themselves to hospitals. The city did not release any additional information about those who died.

A “person of interest” was in custody, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said, but he gave no details about the person or any possible motive. The investigation was ongoing, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

“What took place in Waukesha today is sickening, and I have every confidence that those responsible will be brought to justice,” Attorney General Josh Kaul, the state’s top law enforcement officer, tweeted.

The horror was recorded by the city’s livestream and onlookers' cellphones. One video shows the moment the SUV broke through the barricades and the sound of what appears to be several gunshots. Thompson said a Waukesha police officer fired his gun to try to stop the vehicle. No bystanders were injured by the gunfire, and Thompson said he did not know if the driver was struck by the officer’s bullets.

Another video shows a young child dancing in the street as the SUV speeds by, just a few feet from her, before it hurtles into parade participants a few hundred feet ahead. One video, of dancers with pompoms, ends with a group of people tending to a girl on the ground.

“There were pompoms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter,” Corey Montiho, a Waukesha school district board member, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “My wife and two daughters were almost hit. Please pray for everybody. Please pray.”

The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies posted on its Facebook page that “members of the group and volunteers were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions.” The group’s profile describes them as a “group of grannies that meet once a week to practice routines for summer and winter parades.”

A Catholic priest, multiple parishioners and Waukesha Catholic schoolchildren were among those injured, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee spokeswoman Sandra Peterson said.

Chris Germain, co-owner of the Aspire Dance Center studio, had about 70 people in the parade ranging from as young as 2 being pulled in wagons to age 18. Germain, whose 3-year-old daughter was in the parade, said he was driving at the head of their entry when he saw a maroon SUV that “just blazed right past us.” A police officer ran past in chase. Germain said he jumped out of his own SUV and gathered the girls who were with him to safety.

Then he walked forward to see the damage.

“There were small children laying all over the road, there were police officers and EMTs doing CPR on multiple members of the parade,” he said.

Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, said he was watching the parade with his family when they saw the SUV come speeding into the area.

“Then we heard a loud bang,” Tenorio said. “And after that, we just heard deafening cries and screams from the crowd, from the people at the parade. And people started rushing, running away with tears in their eyes, crying.”

The Waukesha school district canceled classes Monday and said in a notice on its website that extra counselors would be on hand for students and staff. The parade’s list of entries included cheer, dance and band entries associated with district schools.

Gov. Tony Evers said he and his wife, Kathy, were “praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.”

The parade, held each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, is sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This year’s, the 59th, had the theme of “comfort and joy.”

Waukesha is a western suburb of Milwaukee, and about 55 miles north of Kenosha, where Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted Friday of charges stemming from the shooting of three men during unrest in that city in August 2020.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637579510864.png" alt="photo courtesy city of Waukesha&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy city of Waukesha&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — Police say the suspect in a deadly Christmas parade crash in suburban Milwaukee was in a domestic disturbance just minutes before he killed five people and injured 48. Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said Monday there is no evidence of terrorism in the event. He says police were preparing five charges of intentional homicide against Darrell Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee. Thompson identified those killed as four women including 71-year-old&nbsp; LeAnna Owen, 52-year-old&nbsp;Tamara Durand, 52-year-old&nbsp;Jane Kulich, 79-year-old Virginia Sorenson, and 81-year-old&nbsp;Wilhelm Hospel. The women were members of the “Dancing Grannies” club. One victim was an employee of Citizens Bank.Police also asked for video footage of the suspect vehicle in the parade route or fleeing from the scene, and&nbsp; contact information here&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2FxVKV6n9JbwUNjwvC8%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR13auXRfLNUfRcHbQoUcYfn4B1IFUV4h1iT3Ie5Vqzunfas8jCnV9GjLRA&amp;h=AT28TAPqZPihnp52yENNCzSj5vQvCys-BgyykyIxvOnaI6tUuKTBGuHYZ7yHmjcd1srEmohI5OoLdBk9TKC7iYo7dm5osh5YNAs1hmFfSLIswdOk5iamYd-QhSMWXBvOzcI2VNQ&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1LbqzdggqSJeQqQG_iCkHYASPrRkKaFA51uDoKTxK7bUmKePuPW-Tog56U46qQ6Asf84vnlR7eyCP2a8mC5hDIqVFMfW5DCbVP6dbJq3UVccxQ6ji8JGlZTO7fmNEHGrpfd8Xgih3ot73LGrjd4LjQYn_q9wzNhsp9y1dW" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/xVKV6n9JbwUNjwvC8</a>. Police are looking for video that a person captured themselves – not video they saw on someone’s social media page. Police were&nbsp; only looking for footage of the incident, not the aftermath of the event. We know that members of the community want to help out and help the victims. The Waukesha County Community Foundation, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee &amp; Waukesha County have joined together to create the “United for Waukesha Community Fund.” This fund will support the needs of the families impacted. You can donate at: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.waukeshafoundation.org%2Fparade%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR13auXRfLNUfRcHbQoUcYfn4B1IFUV4h1iT3Ie5Vqzunfas8jCnV9GjLRA&amp;h=AT0vPdb2ej3cTm6ebcFaexXTTLgibJPw_XgcStSi-Hceb6lez1ee6gFcTpi-DvnjJEvMzJjsxJf4sZFsptUIsXzl-wT1H1odLPQpIoEjAJiBH3bCajr7KcYXJQWtlckgB5WbqoI&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1LbqzdggqSJeQqQG_iCkHYASPrRkKaFA51uDoKTxK7bUmKePuPW-Tog56U46qQ6Asf84vnlR7eyCP2a8mC5hDIqVFMfW5DCbVP6dbJq3UVccxQ6ji8JGlZTO7fmNEHGrpfd8Xgih3ot73LGrjd4LjQYn_q9wzNhsp9y1dW" target="_blank">www.waukeshafoundation.org/parade</a>. Many people witnessed traumatic events last evening. If you need to talk to someone, you can call or text 800-985-5990 to be connected to a trained, caring counselor - they are available 24/7. Please only call 911 for emergencies. There will be a Friends and Family Resource Center set up at Carroll University in the Campus Center ballroom for all the victims from 2pm-6pm on Tuesday and 9am-1pm on Wednesday. The District Attorney Victim Assistance Program is also available to assist. You can email help4victims@da.wi.gov<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637624207281.png" alt="Brooks photo Waukesha Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Brooks photo Waukesha Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A person taken into custody after an SUV plowed into holiday parade in Wisconsin, killing at least five people, has been identified as 39-year-old Darrell Brooks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637581922928.png" alt="Darrell Brooks-photo Nevada Sex offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Darrell Brooks-photo Nevada Sex offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>Police haven’t yet identified the “person of interest” they are holding. But two law enforcement officials briefed on the matter provided the identification to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.Online court records showed a person named Darrell Brooks, with an birthdate making him 39, has two open criminal cases in Milwaukee County. In one case, filed Nov. 5, he is charged with resisting or obstructing an officer, reckless homicide, disorderly conduct, bail jumping and battery. Records show $500 cash bond was posted Nov. 19.In the other case, filed in July 2020, Brooks is charged with reckless endangering and illegal possession of a firearm.-----------WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP)— A joyous scene of marching bands and children dancing in Santa hats and waving pompoms turned deadly in an instant, as an SUV sped through barricades and into a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee, killing at least five people and injuring more than 40 others.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637579510864.png" alt="Photo courtesy city of Waukesha, Wisconsin&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy city of Waukesha, Wisconsin&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>One video showed a woman screaming, “Oh my God!” repeatedly as a group of young dancers was struck Sunday. A father talked of going “from one crumpled body to the other” in search of his daughter. Members of a “Dancing Grannies” club were among those hit.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At this time, we can confirm that 5 people are deceased and over 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information. Many people have self-transported to area hospitals. The Police Department has the person of interest in custody.&mdash; cityofwaukesha (@CityofWaukesha) <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofWaukesha/status/1462659959544594433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The city of Waukesha posted on its social media accounts late Sunday that it could confirm at least five died and more than 40 were injured, while noting that it was still collecting information. The city's statement also noted that many people took themselves to hospitals. The city did not release any additional information about those who died.A “person of interest” was in custody, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said, but he gave no details about the person or any possible motive. The investigation was ongoing, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.“What took place in Waukesha today is sickening, and I have every confidence that those responsible will be brought to justice,” Attorney General Josh Kaul, the state’s top law enforcement officer, tweeted.The horror was recorded by the city’s livestream and onlookers' cellphones. One video shows the moment the SUV broke through the barricades and the sound of what appears to be several gunshots. Thompson said a Waukesha police officer fired his gun to try to stop the vehicle. No bystanders were injured by the gunfire, and Thompson said he did not know if the driver was struck by the officer’s bullets.Another video shows a young child dancing in the street as the SUV speeds by, just a few feet from her, before it hurtles into parade participants a few hundred feet ahead. One video, of dancers with pompoms, ends with a group of people tending to a girl on the ground.“There were pompoms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter,” Corey Montiho, a Waukesha school district board member, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “My wife and two daughters were almost hit. Please pray for everybody. Please pray.”The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies posted on its Facebook page that “members of the group and volunteers were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions.” The group’s profile describes them as a “group of grannies that meet once a week to practice routines for summer and winter parades.”A Catholic priest, multiple parishioners and Waukesha Catholic schoolchildren were among those injured, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee spokeswoman Sandra Peterson said.Chris Germain, co-owner of the Aspire Dance Center studio, had about 70 people in the parade ranging from as young as 2 being pulled in wagons to age 18. Germain, whose 3-year-old daughter was in the parade, said he was driving at the head of their entry when he saw a maroon SUV that “just blazed right past us.” A police officer ran past in chase. Germain said he jumped out of his own SUV and gathered the girls who were with him to safety.Then he walked forward to see the damage.“There were small children laying all over the road, there were police officers and EMTs doing CPR on multiple members of the parade,” he said.Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, said he was watching the parade with his family when they saw the SUV come speeding into the area.“Then we heard a loud bang,” Tenorio said. “And after that, we just heard deafening cries and screams from the crowd, from the people at the parade. And people started rushing, running away with tears in their eyes, crying.”The Waukesha school district canceled classes Monday and said in a notice on its website that extra counselors would be on hand for students and staff. The parade’s list of entries included cheer, dance and band entries associated with district schools.Gov. Tony Evers said he and his wife, Kathy, were “praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.”The parade, held each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, is sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This year’s, the 59th, had the theme of “comfort and joy.”Waukesha is a western suburb of Milwaukee, and about 55 miles north of Kenosha, where Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted Friday of charges stemming from the shooting of three men during unrest in that city in August 2020.

Police ID 5 who died in Christmas parade crash 

KANSAS CITY— The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department&nbsp; investigating a homicide in the 1500 block of Walker Avenue have identified the victim as 24-year-old Emileigh N. Wilson of Atchison, according to a media release from police.

Just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday police were dispatched to the 1600 block of Walker Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas on the report of a shooting.

When they arrived, officers discovered an adult male with apparent gunshot wounds outside a residence, according to police. The man was then transported to an area hospital. He remains in critical but stable condition.

Police located Wilson who was deceased outside of a vehicle near 15th and Waverly. Police asked anyone with information to call the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-8477.

KANSAS CITY— The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department&nbsp; investigating a homicide in the 1500 block of Walker Avenue have identified the victim as 24-year-old Emileigh N. Wilson of Atchison, according to a media release from police.Just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday police were dispatched to the 1600 block of Walker Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas on the report of a shooting.When they arrived, officers discovered an adult male with apparent gunshot wounds outside a residence, according to police. The man was then transported to an area hospital. He remains in critical but stable condition.Police located Wilson who was deceased outside of a vehicle near 15th and Waverly. Police asked anyone with information to call the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-8477.

Police ID Kansas woman who died in Kansas City shooting

CHEROKEE COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 8a.m. Monday in Cherokee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Brian T. Nicholas, 53, Indianapolis, IN., was northbound on Kansas 7 at Cherokee, Kansas.

The semi rear-ended a 2016 Freightliner school bus driven by Debra Sue Smith, 63, Cherokee, that had slowed to make a right turn on Magnolia Street.

There were 23 passengers in the school bus. including 2 adults and 21 minor children. EMS transported one passenger identified as Jamee&nbsp;Shierk, 43, Cherokee, to the hospital in Pittsburg. There were not other injuries reported.

CHEROKEE COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 8a.m. Monday in Cherokee County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Brian T. Nicholas, 53, Indianapolis, IN., was northbound on Kansas 7 at Cherokee, Kansas.The semi rear-ended a 2016 Freightliner school bus driven by Debra Sue Smith, 63, Cherokee, that had slowed to make a right turn on Magnolia Street.There were 23 passengers in the school bus. including 2 adults and 21 minor children. EMS transported one passenger identified as Jamee&nbsp;Shierk, 43, Cherokee, to the hospital in Pittsburg. There were not other injuries reported.

1 injured after semi rear-ends Kan. school bus with 23 on board

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators are moving to make it easy in Kansas for workers to claim religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates. But GOP leaders were divided Monday over whether they also needed to promise unemployment benefits for people refusing the shots. sider ways for Kansas to push back against Biden’s vaccine mandates.

Republican leaders also faced a push by some conservatives to prohibit private employers from imposing their own vaccine mandates whether or not federal mandates from President Joe Biden survive federal lawsuits challenging them. That proposal emerged from a debate in the state Senate. The GOP-controlled Legislature forced Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to convene a special session to consider the issue.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators are moving to make it easy in Kansas for workers to claim religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates. But GOP leaders were divided Monday over whether they also needed to promise unemployment benefits for people refusing the shots. sider ways for Kansas to push back against Biden’s vaccine mandates.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KUbMd1qHHG4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Republican leaders also faced a push by some conservatives to prohibit private employers from imposing their own vaccine mandates whether or not federal mandates from President Joe Biden survive federal lawsuits challenging them. That proposal emerged from a debate in the state Senate. The GOP-controlled Legislature forced Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to convene a special session to consider the issue.

🎥 Kansas moves against COVID mandates; employers may face ban

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas are treating Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s opposition to federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates as a political bluff and are forcing policy choices upon her that could complicate her already difficult bid for reelection.

The GOP-controlled Legislature forced Kelly to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-religion-legislature-2f5d833228a712538a1c55de34bc3b6e">call a special session</a>&nbsp;that was underway&nbsp; Monday to consider two proposals for helping workers who refuse to get inoculated despite mandates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-26bace6485d88ad1ae3ef2aea60fbb65">announced in September</a>&nbsp;by President Joe Biden. One measure would require employers to exempt workers who say they have a religious objection to the shots without questioning them. The other would provide unemployment benefits to people who lose their jobs because they didn’t get vaccinated.

The proposals appeal to Republicans’ conservative base, and if Kelly vetoes them, that GOP base would remain energized ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, more liberal voters in Kelly’s base back the mandates as a way to finally end the pandemic, and she could face criticism if she signs Republican measures or brokers a compromise in an effort to keep the support of the moderate GOP and independent voters who helped her win in 2018.

“She’s walking a tightrope just like everybody is, but hers — hers is a little higher and a little more difficult,” said Joan Wagnon, a former Kansas House member, ex-Topeka mayor and former Kansas Democratic Party chair.

Kelly already faced a difficult reelection because Kansas is a Republican-leaning state in which no Democratic governor has won reelection under a Democratic president since 1968.

Also, in 2018, Kelly’s general election foe was Kris Kobach, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c51d18affef34e919d63c19612d767f2">take-no-prisoners style</a>&nbsp;alienated some GOP moderates, independent voters and some business groups. The presumed Republican nominee for 2022, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, is on track to avoid a contentious primary race.

To be sure, Republicans face political perils, too, in forcing the Legislature back into session when it wasn’t set to reconvene until January. Influential business groups have strong misgivings about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-topeka-kansas-legislature-da3b571d0554e0ca350fa6fdf3a6c029">their proposals.</a>&nbsp;Those groups fear that the unemployment measure will prove costly, raising the state taxes on businesses that help finance the benefits.

A messy special session could raise questions about how effectively the Republicans govern, and there’s a risk of being associated with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-bf71306f4f6aafb8175e38838c624d32">the anti-vaccine fringe</a>&nbsp;or being accused of allowing the pandemic to linger.

Yet Republicans also have reasons to feel bullish. Several GOP leaders quickly noted that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-kansas-topeka-86d570bbf1eb4376a5e7b519c4cb4903">Kelly’s public opposition</a>&nbsp;to Biden’s mandates came two days after victory in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-virginia-election-2020-phil-murphy-ea5d582e30d526a946319d64c97605f1">the Virginia governor’s race</a>&nbsp;and a closer-than-expected loss in New Jersey’s gubernatorial contest. They chided her for not making a statement for weeks.

“I hope her words are not hollow,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican and the author of the proposals before lawmakers.

Schmidt has sought political points on the right by bringing Kansas into federal lawsuits against vaccine mandates covering health care workers, employees of federal government contractors and workers for companies with 100 or more employees.

And Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s tougher-than-expected race in New Jersey provides lessons for his party across the U.S., said Brendan Gill, a consultant and Murphy adviser. Murphy saw his margin shrink by more than 10 percentage points from 2017 — in a state that Biden carried by almost 16 percentage points.

Gill said New Jersey saw a “red surge,” with larger turnout increases in more GOP areas that more than compensated for Murphy turning out more voters.

“There are headwinds that I think we have to wrap our heads around pretty quickly,” Gill said.

Kelly’s office declined to make her available for an interview or to comment about how the special session might affect her reelection bid.

Schmidt also wasn’t available Friday for an interview but spokesman C.J. Grover said in an email earlier in the week that Schmidt had opposed the federal mandates since they were announced and welcomes the Legislature’s efforts.

University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said Kelly must both be attentive to her Democratic political base while keeping the support of GOP moderates. He said centrist voters want the coronavirus pandemic to end but aren’t “particularly worked up at the moment.”

Wagnon and other Democrats said they understand Kelly’s opposition to Biden’s vaccine mandate, given the political climate. But Wagnon said progressives are disappointed by it, seeing the mandates as public health measures that will save lives and prevent serious illnesses.

Chris Reeves, a Leavenworth consultant and former Democratic National Committee member, said voters in Kelly’s base “don’t want anybody around them to not be vaccinated” and have been eager to get their children inoculated now that vaccines have been authorized for those aged 5 through 11.

“She came across as a little bit too political by half, you know — an effort to say, ’Well, you know, I don’t want to turn off potential voters I have in the west and the southeast and so on,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636550088740.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly shopping and promoting a plan to eliminate the state tax on groceries." />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly shopping and promoting a plan to eliminate the state tax on groceries.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas are treating Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s opposition to federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates as a political bluff and are forcing policy choices upon her that could complicate her already difficult bid for reelection.The GOP-controlled Legislature forced Kelly to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-religion-legislature-2f5d833228a712538a1c55de34bc3b6e">call a special session</a>&nbsp;that was underway&nbsp; Monday to consider two proposals for helping workers who refuse to get inoculated despite mandates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-26bace6485d88ad1ae3ef2aea60fbb65">announced in September</a>&nbsp;by President Joe Biden. One measure would require employers to exempt workers who say they have a religious objection to the shots without questioning them. The other would provide unemployment benefits to people who lose their jobs because they didn’t get vaccinated.The proposals appeal to Republicans’ conservative base, and if Kelly vetoes them, that GOP base would remain energized ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, more liberal voters in Kelly’s base back the mandates as a way to finally end the pandemic, and she could face criticism if she signs Republican measures or brokers a compromise in an effort to keep the support of the moderate GOP and independent voters who helped her win in 2018.“She’s walking a tightrope just like everybody is, but hers — hers is a little higher and a little more difficult,” said Joan Wagnon, a former Kansas House member, ex-Topeka mayor and former Kansas Democratic Party chair.Kelly already faced a difficult reelection because Kansas is a Republican-leaning state in which no Democratic governor has won reelection under a Democratic president since 1968.Also, in 2018, Kelly’s general election foe was Kris Kobach, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c51d18affef34e919d63c19612d767f2">take-no-prisoners style</a>&nbsp;alienated some GOP moderates, independent voters and some business groups. The presumed Republican nominee for 2022, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, is on track to avoid a contentious primary race.To be sure, Republicans face political perils, too, in forcing the Legislature back into session when it wasn’t set to reconvene until January. Influential business groups have strong misgivings about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-topeka-kansas-legislature-da3b571d0554e0ca350fa6fdf3a6c029">their proposals.</a>&nbsp;Those groups fear that the unemployment measure will prove costly, raising the state taxes on businesses that help finance the benefits.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637597709385.png" alt="Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab opened Monday's special legislative session in the Kansas House- photo courtesy Kan. Legislative YouTube" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab opened Monday's special legislative session in the Kansas House- photo courtesy Kan. Legislative YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>A messy special session could raise questions about how effectively the Republicans govern, and there’s a risk of being associated with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-bf71306f4f6aafb8175e38838c624d32">the anti-vaccine fringe</a>&nbsp;or being accused of allowing the pandemic to linger.Yet Republicans also have reasons to feel bullish. Several GOP leaders quickly noted that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-kansas-topeka-86d570bbf1eb4376a5e7b519c4cb4903">Kelly’s public opposition</a>&nbsp;to Biden’s mandates came two days after victory in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-virginia-election-2020-phil-murphy-ea5d582e30d526a946319d64c97605f1">the Virginia governor’s race</a>&nbsp;and a closer-than-expected loss in New Jersey’s gubernatorial contest. They chided her for not making a statement for weeks.“I hope her words are not hollow,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican and the author of the proposals before lawmakers.Schmidt has sought political points on the right by bringing Kansas into federal lawsuits against vaccine mandates covering health care workers, employees of federal government contractors and workers for companies with 100 or more employees.And Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s tougher-than-expected race in New Jersey provides lessons for his party across the U.S., said Brendan Gill, a consultant and Murphy adviser. Murphy saw his margin shrink by more than 10 percentage points from 2017 — in a state that Biden carried by almost 16 percentage points.Gill said New Jersey saw a “red surge,” with larger turnout increases in more GOP areas that more than compensated for Murphy turning out more voters.“There are headwinds that I think we have to wrap our heads around pretty quickly,” Gill said.Kelly’s office declined to make her available for an interview or to comment about how the special session might affect her reelection bid.Schmidt also wasn’t available Friday for an interview but spokesman C.J. Grover said in an email earlier in the week that Schmidt had opposed the federal mandates since they were announced and welcomes the Legislature’s efforts.University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said Kelly must both be attentive to her Democratic political base while keeping the support of GOP moderates. He said centrist voters want the coronavirus pandemic to end but aren’t “particularly worked up at the moment.”Wagnon and other Democrats said they understand Kelly’s opposition to Biden’s vaccine mandate, given the political climate. But Wagnon said progressives are disappointed by it, seeing the mandates as public health measures that will save lives and prevent serious illnesses.Chris Reeves, a Leavenworth consultant and former Democratic National Committee member, said voters in Kelly’s base “don’t want anybody around them to not be vaccinated” and have been eager to get their children inoculated now that vaccines have been authorized for those aged 5 through 11.“She came across as a little bit too political by half, you know — an effort to say, ’Well, you know, I don’t want to turn off potential voters I have in the west and the southeast and so on,” he said.

Kansas push to defy COVID rules complicates governor's race

TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,431 to a total of 458,221, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 9 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,643.

<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.

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,431 to a total of 458,221, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 9 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,643.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637604038481.png" alt="Monday November 22, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday November 22, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><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.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: 2,400 new cases, 9 more COVID deaths

SEWARD COUNTY— Friends and family attended a funeral mass for a 5-year-old Kansas boy who died in an accident near his elementary school in Liberal.

The service for&nbsp; Nathaniel Garro Rivera was held Monday morning at&nbsp; St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Liberal, according to&nbsp;Brenneman Funeral Home. Friends <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-with-little-nathaniels-funeral-costs?member=15377267&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=sms&amp;utm_source=customer">established a fundraiser t</a>o assist the family.

Just before 8a.m. Wednesday, emergency crews responded to report of an accident involving a juvenile near Prairie View Elementary in the 600 Block of Warren in Liberal, according to a media release from police.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 GMC Sierra driven by Lizeth Michelle&nbsp;Hernandez-Ibarra, 25, Liberal,&nbsp;was northbound on Warren Street and made a left turn onto Hickory Avenue.&nbsp; The pickup struck 5-year-old Nathaniel Garro&nbsp;Rivera of Liberal in the cross walk.

EMS transported the boy to Southwest Kansas Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637358986406.png" alt="Nathaniel Garro Rivera&nbsp;photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Nathaniel Garro Rivera&nbsp;photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY— Friends and family attended a funeral mass for a 5-year-old Kansas boy who died in an accident near his elementary school in Liberal.The service for&nbsp; Nathaniel Garro Rivera was held Monday morning at&nbsp; St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Liberal, according to&nbsp;Brenneman Funeral Home. Friends <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-with-little-nathaniels-funeral-costs?member=15377267&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=sms&amp;utm_source=customer">established a fundraiser t</a>o assist the family.Just before 8a.m. Wednesday, emergency crews responded to report of an accident involving a juvenile near Prairie View Elementary in the 600 Block of Warren in Liberal, according to a media release from police.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 GMC Sierra driven by Lizeth Michelle&nbsp;Hernandez-Ibarra, 25, Liberal,&nbsp;was northbound on Warren Street and made a left turn onto Hickory Avenue.&nbsp; The pickup struck 5-year-old Nathaniel Garro&nbsp;Rivera of Liberal in the cross walk.EMS transported the boy to Southwest Kansas Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Authorities released no additional details.

Funeral mass for Kan. boy who died in accident near his school

TOPEKA —A special session of the Kansas legislature begins at 10a.m. Monday challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates&nbsp;from President Joe Biden covering more than 100 million American workers

Among proposals, one would&nbsp; make it easier for workers to claim religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.&nbsp;

TOPEKA —A special session of the Kansas legislature begins at 10a.m. Monday challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates&nbsp;from President Joe Biden covering more than 100 million American workers<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KUbMd1qHHG4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Among proposals, one would&nbsp; make it easier for workers to claim religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.&nbsp;

🎥 Kansas legislature special session on COVID mandates

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637581922928.png" alt="Darrell Brooks-photo Nevada Sex offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Darrell Brooks-photo Nevada Sex offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A person taken into custody after an SUV plowed into holiday parade in Wisconsin, killing at least five people, has been identified as 39-year-old Darrell Brooks.Police haven’t yet identified the “person of interest” they are holding. But two law enforcement officials briefed on the matter provided the identification to The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.Online court records showed a person named Darrell Brooks, with an birthdate making him 39, has two open criminal cases in Milwaukee County. In one case, filed Nov. 5, he is charged with resisting or obstructing an officer, reckless homicide, disorderly conduct, bail jumping and battery. Records show $500 cash bond was posted Nov. 19.In the other case, filed in July 2020, Brooks is charged with reckless endangering and illegal possession of a firearm.-----------WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP)— A joyous scene of marching bands and children dancing in Santa hats and waving pompoms turned deadly in an instant, as an SUV sped through barricades and into a Christmas parade in suburban Milwaukee, killing at least five people and injuring more than 40 others.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637579510864.png" alt="Photo courtesy city of Waukesha, Wisconsin&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy city of Waukesha, Wisconsin&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>One video showed a woman screaming, “Oh my God!” repeatedly as a group of young dancers was struck Sunday. A father talked of going “from one crumpled body to the other” in search of his daughter. Members of a “Dancing Grannies” club were among those hit.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At this time, we can confirm that 5 people are deceased and over 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information. Many people have self-transported to area hospitals. The Police Department has the person of interest in custody.&mdash; cityofwaukesha (@CityofWaukesha) <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofWaukesha/status/1462659959544594433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The city of Waukesha posted on its social media accounts late Sunday that it could confirm at least five died and more than 40 were injured, while noting that it was still collecting information. The city's statement also noted that many people took themselves to hospitals. The city did not release any additional information about those who died.A “person of interest” was in custody, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said, but he gave no details about the person or any possible motive. The investigation was ongoing, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.“What took place in Waukesha today is sickening, and I have every confidence that those responsible will be brought to justice,” Attorney General Josh Kaul, the state’s top law enforcement officer, tweeted.The horror was recorded by the city’s livestream and onlookers' cellphones. One video shows the moment the SUV broke through the barricades and the sound of what appears to be several gunshots. Thompson said a Waukesha police officer fired his gun to try to stop the vehicle. No bystanders were injured by the gunfire, and Thompson said he did not know if the driver was struck by the officer’s bullets.Another video shows a young child dancing in the street as the SUV speeds by, just a few feet from her, before it hurtles into parade participants a few hundred feet ahead. One video, of dancers with pompoms, ends with a group of people tending to a girl on the ground.“There were pompoms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter,” Corey Montiho, a Waukesha school district board member, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “My wife and two daughters were almost hit. Please pray for everybody. Please pray.”The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies posted on its Facebook page that “members of the group and volunteers were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions.” The group’s profile describes them as a “group of grannies that meet once a week to practice routines for summer and winter parades.”A Catholic priest, multiple parishioners and Waukesha Catholic schoolchildren were among those injured, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee spokeswoman Sandra Peterson said.Chris Germain, co-owner of the Aspire Dance Center studio, had about 70 people in the parade ranging from as young as 2 being pulled in wagons to age 18. Germain, whose 3-year-old daughter was in the parade, said he was driving at the head of their entry when he saw a maroon SUV that “just blazed right past us.” A police officer ran past in chase. Germain said he jumped out of his own SUV and gathered the girls who were with him to safety.Then he walked forward to see the damage.“There were small children laying all over the road, there were police officers and EMTs doing CPR on multiple members of the parade,” he said.Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, said he was watching the parade with his family when they saw the SUV come speeding into the area.“Then we heard a loud bang,” Tenorio said. “And after that, we just heard deafening cries and screams from the crowd, from the people at the parade. And people started rushing, running away with tears in their eyes, crying.”The Waukesha school district canceled classes Monday and said in a notice on its website that extra counselors would be on hand for students and staff. The parade’s list of entries included cheer, dance and band entries associated with district schools.Gov. Tony Evers said he and his wife, Kathy, were “praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.”The parade, held each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, is sponsored by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This year’s, the 59th, had the theme of “comfort and joy.”Waukesha is a western suburb of Milwaukee, and about 55 miles north of Kenosha, where Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted Friday of charges stemming from the shooting of three men during unrest in that city in August 2020.

SUV driver ID'd in Christmas parade crash that killed 5

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 49-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, is hospitalized in critical condition after being struck while crossing a road on the Truman Sports Complex property in Kansas City, Missouri, during a Chiefs game. 

Police say the man was struck by a Chrysler Sedan Sunday afternoon, about 25 minutes after the start of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The driver stopped at the scene. Last month, 66-year-old Steven Hickle of Wichita, Kansas, was killed when he was struck by two hit-and-run drivers near Arrowhead Stadium. His death prompted a bicycle and pedestrian safety advocacy group to renew calls to make the area safer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637589620835.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the accident-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the accident-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 49-year-old man from Omaha, Nebraska, is hospitalized in critical condition after being struck while crossing a road on the Truman Sports Complex property in Kansas City, Missouri, during a Chiefs game. Police say the man was struck by a Chrysler Sedan Sunday afternoon, about 25 minutes after the start of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs. The driver stopped at the scene. Last month, 66-year-old Steven Hickle of Wichita, Kansas, was killed when he was struck by two hit-and-run drivers near Arrowhead Stadium. His death prompted a bicycle and pedestrian safety advocacy group to renew calls to make the area safer.

Man critically injured after being struck near Chiefs game

KANSAS CITY (AP) — No one was injured in a suburban Kansas City bank robbery Saturday morning,

FBI spokesman Dixon Land said the suspect demanded cash from a Commerce Bank in Gladstone, Missouri. He fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

The FBI described the suspect as a roughly 50-year-old man with light brown skin. He wore jeans, a dark blue coat, red Kansas City baseball hat, black shoes, blue latex gloves and a COVID-19 mask while robbing the bank.

The FBI and Gladstone police are investigating.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637580412860.png" alt="The FBI is investigating a Saturday morning bank robbery at the Commerce Bank at 6334 N. Antioch Road-Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>The FBI is investigating a Saturday morning bank robbery at the Commerce Bank at 6334 N. Antioch Road-Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — No one was injured in a suburban Kansas City bank robbery Saturday morning,FBI spokesman Dixon Land said the suspect demanded cash from a Commerce Bank in Gladstone, Missouri. He fled with an undisclosed amount of money.The FBI described the suspect as a roughly 50-year-old man with light brown skin. He wore jeans, a dark blue coat, red Kansas City baseball hat, black shoes, blue latex gloves and a COVID-19 mask while robbing the bank.The FBI and Gladstone police are investigating.

Suspect escapes with cash from Kansas City-area bank robbery

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative Kansas legislators are trying to tamp down fears about the cost and other potential problems with their proposal to provide unemployment benefits to workers who lose their jobs for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.

The GOP-controlled Legislature is expected to consider the measure during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-kansas-legislature-848501fa7ee73b3ef8e9626233109dee">a special session</a>&nbsp;that convenes Monday, along with another proposal that would make it easier for workers to claim religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The measures are responses to vaccine mandates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-26bace6485d88ad1ae3ef2aea60fbb65">from President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;covering more than 100 million American workers.

The push for unemployment benefits for vaccine-refusing workers comes after GOP lawmakers worried for months that the depletion of funds to pay claims last year during the pandemic would force an increase in the state tax that finances the benefits. There’s bipartisan concern that the unemployment proposal before lawmakers now could lead to such a tax increase.

“I certainly don’t want to see increased unemployment taxes or that type of thing because of our actions,” Republican state Sen. Jeff Longbine of Emporia said.

Kansas’ special legislative session comes as Republican governors, state attorneys general and lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-states-suing-employer-vaccine-mandates-f4300ed015ed716a1054949cf199a25a">are pursuing ways</a>&nbsp;to push back against the Biden mandates.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-iowa-legislature-kim-reynolds-4846ae980cd6727c82cd8ee8b30a082d">Iowa enacted a law</a>&nbsp;last month extending unemployment benefits to workers who refuse to get vaccinated.

Although vaccine mandates from private companies and local officials have boosted inoculation rates, GOP officials across the U.S. see Biden’s mandates as violating personal liberties.

“No American should lose their livelihood because their personal health care decisions differ from the preferences of the president of the United States,” said C.J. Grover, a spokesperson for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican running for governor next year. He endorsed the legislative proposals.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-kansas-topeka-86d570bbf1eb4376a5e7b519c4cb4903">opposes Biden’s mandates</a>&nbsp;but didn’t publicly embrace specific proposals ahead of the special session. Her administration is handling questions about whether unvaccinated workers receive unemployment benefits case by case.

Lawmakers have no good estimates of how much the GOP unemployment proposal might cost the state. Business groups have suggested it could be hundreds of millions of dollars, but backers of the measure insist it will be close to zero.

They said that’s because of the companion proposal on religious exemptions. It says workers asking for exemptions must get them without having their belief scrutinized — and employers could face tens of thousands of dollars in state fines if exemptions are rejected. Conservative Republicans said workers will seek exemptions knowing they’ll be granted and that people won’t lose their jobs, so unemployment benefits won’t be needed.

“If we were to only pass the unemployment piece and not the other part, then we could have some real issues, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” said Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican.

Critics predict abuses. Rabbi Moti Rieber, the executive director of Kansas Interfaith Action, said the policy would allow people with political objections to falsely claim religious ones.

“Opposition to the public health is the religion,” he said. “Trumpism is the religion.”

One question is whether such a state law can be enforced because federal law is supreme.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.501" target="_blank">A mandate</a>&nbsp;from Biden for workers at companies with 100 or more employees allows workers to opt for regular COVID-19 testing instead, and it permits “reasonable accommodations” for “sincerely held” religious beliefs.

Owens and other Republicans argue that the Kansas measure on religious exemptions wouldn’t conflict with Biden’s mandate and would withstand a possible court challenge. They argue that the proposal merely gives more guidance to businesses.

“If they just stick to that and accept the exemptions, we will protect the unemployment fund,” said Republican Rep. Sean Tarwater, of Stilwell.

But the influential Kansas Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business had strong doubts.

They fear businesses would face a choice: Comply with state law and face federal government fines or follow the federal mandate and get sued in state court.

“It certainly is a very tough place to be,” said Chuck Grier, president and CEO of UCI, an industrial construction company. “And it’s also a very tough place to be when you think that you could potentially lose employees who are good employees because they refuse to follow a government mandate.”

Some Democrats argue that the proposals are being rushed. Lawrence Rep. Boog Highberger dismisses them as “political theater” signaling a refusal by Republicans to sacrifice for the public good.

“If the people in the Kansas Legislature were running our country in the 40s and 50s, we would have lost World War II and we’d still have polio,” Highberger said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599526970466.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative Kansas legislators are trying to tamp down fears about the cost and other potential problems with their proposal to provide unemployment benefits to workers who lose their jobs for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.The GOP-controlled Legislature is expected to consider the measure during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-kansas-legislature-848501fa7ee73b3ef8e9626233109dee">a special session</a>&nbsp;that convenes Monday, along with another proposal that would make it easier for workers to claim religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The measures are responses to vaccine mandates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-26bace6485d88ad1ae3ef2aea60fbb65">from President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;covering more than 100 million American workers.The push for unemployment benefits for vaccine-refusing workers comes after GOP lawmakers worried for months that the depletion of funds to pay claims last year during the pandemic would force an increase in the state tax that finances the benefits. There’s bipartisan concern that the unemployment proposal before lawmakers now could lead to such a tax increase.“I certainly don’t want to see increased unemployment taxes or that type of thing because of our actions,” Republican state Sen. Jeff Longbine of Emporia said.Kansas’ special legislative session comes as Republican governors, state attorneys general and lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-states-suing-employer-vaccine-mandates-f4300ed015ed716a1054949cf199a25a">are pursuing ways</a>&nbsp;to push back against the Biden mandates.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-iowa-legislature-kim-reynolds-4846ae980cd6727c82cd8ee8b30a082d">Iowa enacted a law</a>&nbsp;last month extending unemployment benefits to workers who refuse to get vaccinated.Although vaccine mandates from private companies and local officials have boosted inoculation rates, GOP officials across the U.S. see Biden’s mandates as violating personal liberties.“No American should lose their livelihood because their personal health care decisions differ from the preferences of the president of the United States,” said C.J. Grover, a spokesperson for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican running for governor next year. He endorsed the legislative proposals.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-kansas-topeka-86d570bbf1eb4376a5e7b519c4cb4903">opposes Biden’s mandates</a>&nbsp;but didn’t publicly embrace specific proposals ahead of the special session. Her administration is handling questions about whether unvaccinated workers receive unemployment benefits case by case.Lawmakers have no good estimates of how much the GOP unemployment proposal might cost the state. Business groups have suggested it could be hundreds of millions of dollars, but backers of the measure insist it will be close to zero.They said that’s because of the companion proposal on religious exemptions. It says workers asking for exemptions must get them without having their belief scrutinized — and employers could face tens of thousands of dollars in state fines if exemptions are rejected. Conservative Republicans said workers will seek exemptions knowing they’ll be granted and that people won’t lose their jobs, so unemployment benefits won’t be needed.“If we were to only pass the unemployment piece and not the other part, then we could have some real issues, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” said Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican.Critics predict abuses. Rabbi Moti Rieber, the executive director of Kansas Interfaith Action, said the policy would allow people with political objections to falsely claim religious ones.“Opposition to the public health is the religion,” he said. “Trumpism is the religion.”One question is whether such a state law can be enforced because federal law is supreme.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.501" target="_blank">A mandate</a>&nbsp;from Biden for workers at companies with 100 or more employees allows workers to opt for regular COVID-19 testing instead, and it permits “reasonable accommodations” for “sincerely held” religious beliefs.Owens and other Republicans argue that the Kansas measure on religious exemptions wouldn’t conflict with Biden’s mandate and would withstand a possible court challenge. They argue that the proposal merely gives more guidance to businesses.“If they just stick to that and accept the exemptions, we will protect the unemployment fund,” said Republican Rep. Sean Tarwater, of Stilwell.But the influential Kansas Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business had strong doubts.They fear businesses would face a choice: Comply with state law and face federal government fines or follow the federal mandate and get sued in state court.“It certainly is a very tough place to be,” said Chuck Grier, president and CEO of UCI, an industrial construction company. “And it’s also a very tough place to be when you think that you could potentially lose employees who are good employees because they refuse to follow a government mandate.”Some Democrats argue that the proposals are being rushed. Lawrence Rep. Boog Highberger dismisses them as “political theater” signaling a refusal by Republicans to sacrifice for the public good.“If the people in the Kansas Legislature were running our country in the 40s and 50s, we would have lost World War II and we’d still have polio,” Highberger said.___

Special Session: Kan. plan on COVID mandates faces bipartisan skepticism

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people were injured in a shooting that Wichita police said may have been motivated by road rage. Wichita police Lt. Roderick Miller said the shooting between two vehicles happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday in north Wichita. 

Both vehicles were driving south on Woodlawn when the shooting happened. When officers arrived, they found two people wounded inside a Ford Fusion that had veered off the road and crashed into a fence surrounding a home. 

A 25-year-old woman in the car had been shot several times, and a 30-year-old man had been shot once. The woman was taken to a hospital in serious condition while the man refused to be transported.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people were injured in a shooting that Wichita police said may have been motivated by road rage. Wichita police Lt. Roderick Miller said the shooting between two vehicles happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday in north Wichita. Both vehicles were driving south on Woodlawn when the shooting happened. When officers arrived, they found two people wounded inside a Ford Fusion that had veered off the road and crashed into a fence surrounding a home. A 25-year-old woman in the car had been shot several times, and a 30-year-old man had been shot once. The woman was taken to a hospital in serious condition while the man refused to be transported.

Police: 2 hurt in shooting between two vehicles in Kansas

WASHINGTON — In an advisory issued today, the Office of Inspector General of the Federal Communications Commission alerted EBB providers, beneficiaries, and the public to improper and abusive EBB program enrollments made in connection with the USDA National School Lunch Program’s Community Eligibility Provision.      

Providers’ sales agents are enrolling households in the EBB program by falsely claiming the household includes a dependent child who attends a CEP school.  The Advisory provides examples where the number of EBB households enrolled based on CEP school participation vastly outnumber the students actually enrolled in those schools.  OIG reminds all EBB providers that they are required to implement policies and procedures for ensuring their EBB households are eligible for program support and they will be held liable for their agents’ rule violations.   

OIG notes that as of today, USAC has implemented some controls in response to concerns we shared with the Commission regarding this ongoing fraud. 

Inspector General David L. Hunt said, “Our office is committed to using every tool at our disposal to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in the EBB program.  Advisories such as this play an important role in alerting program stakeholders that we will scrutinize carefully compliance with all program rules to identify and deter fraudulent practices.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1569445831519.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — In an advisory issued today, the Office of Inspector General of the Federal Communications Commission alerted EBB providers, beneficiaries, and the public to improper and abusive EBB program enrollments made in connection with the USDA National School Lunch Program’s Community Eligibility Provision. Providers’ sales agents are enrolling households in the EBB program by falsely claiming the household includes a dependent child who attends a CEP school. The Advisory provides examples where the number of EBB households enrolled based on CEP school participation vastly outnumber the students actually enrolled in those schools. OIG reminds all EBB providers that they are required to implement policies and procedures for ensuring their EBB households are eligible for program support and they will be held liable for their agents’ rule violations. OIG notes that as of today, USAC has implemented some controls in response to concerns we shared with the Commission regarding this ongoing fraud. Inspector General David L. Hunt said, “Our office is committed to using every tool at our disposal to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in the EBB program. Advisories such as this play an important role in alerting program stakeholders that we will scrutinize carefully compliance with all program rules to identify and deter fraudulent practices.”Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Feds issue warning over school lunch program fraud


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said the bankers he surveys for the Rural Mainstreet Index aren't that enthusiastic about the infrastructure bill that has made it through Congress.

"30 percent of them, almost one-third said, no, they'd rather not have it, it's not going to have much of an impact for agriculture," Goss said. "More than one-fourth, 26.8%, said the broadband impact, the impact of that broadband connectivity portion of it, that's $65 billion, not a small amount, that will have the biggest impact on the agricultural sector of rural Main Street."

Goss said it will still be a long time before we're back to normal in both the supply chain in general and the overall money supply.

"We're saying the second half of 2022," Goss said. "In other words, six months out, we'll see things get back to normal. That would be the supply chain disruptions. That's an important part of the rural Main Street economy, too. The bankers report that farmers are having difficulty shipping out and getting in."

These are part of the forces that are causing agricultural input costs to outstrip the growth in revenue that has come from increasing commodity prices.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620071466817.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said the bankers he surveys for the Rural Mainstreet Index aren't that enthusiastic about the infrastructure bill that has made it through Congress."30 percent of them, almost one-third said, no, they'd rather not have it, it's not going to have much of an impact for agriculture," Goss said. "More than one-fourth, 26.8%, said the broadband impact, the impact of that broadband connectivity portion of it, that's $65 billion, not a small amount, that will have the biggest impact on the agricultural sector of rural Main Street."Goss said it will still be a long time before we're back to normal in both the supply chain in general and the overall money supply."We're saying the second half of 2022," Goss said. "In other words, six months out, we'll see things get back to normal. That would be the supply chain disruptions. That's an important part of the rural Main Street economy, too. The bankers report that farmers are having difficulty shipping out and getting in."These are part of the forces that are causing agricultural input costs to outstrip the growth in revenue that has come from increasing commodity prices.

Economist: Rural bankers not impressed with infrastructure bill

Planning to stay in a hotel soon? Scammers consider tourists and 
business travelers easy targets, so always stay aware and protect your 
personal information. Learn about hotel scams and stop the scammers from
 separating you from your cash.

Here are five common hotel scams to be aware of:

When making online hotel reservations, make certain the website is 
legitimate. A common tactic for scammers is to create look-alike web 
pages to lure consumers into providing credit card information.

The <a href="https://www.ahla.com/" target="_blank">American Hotel and Lodging Association</a> is a BBB National Partner. They provided some <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14155-bbb-tip-booking-a-hotel-room" target="_blank">tips to follow before booking a hotel room</a>.

Make sure the menus left in the hotel room are authentic. Dining-in 
can be a tempting option, especially after a day of traveling or 
exploration, but you could end up ordering from a restaurant that 
doesn’t even exist. Scammers will distribute fake menus to rooms with 
phone numbers that connect the caller to them instead of the hotel or a 
real business. They will collect the caller's credit card information 
over the phone but never deliver food. Before deciding to order out, <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/ways-to-avoid-restaurant-scams-3259996" target="_blank">do some research</a> and make sure the business exists, and check their BBB rating. Confirm with the front desk for restaurant recommendations.

Hotel guests may receive a late night phone call from someone 
impersonating the front desk. The caller asks for credit card 
information claiming there’s a problem with the credit card on file. 
They may say it was declined, they need to re-verify payment information
 or that they lost all of the financial information and need to run an 
audit by a certain time. The scammer will offer to take your credit card
 information over the phone, so that you’re not inconvenienced. However,
 a real hotel staff member will never ask for your credit card 
information over the phone at odd hours of the night. They will always 
ask to settle up any charges at the front desk.

Always notify the hotel management of any calls of this nature.

When staying at a hotel, free internet access is often touted as a 
benefit of being a guest. However, this also provides scammers an “in." 
Wireless internet “skimming” targets travelers with the promise of free 
internet access. This usually appears in the common areas of the hotel. 
The connection is free to access but it’s not safe. Most of the time a 
hotel scam artist is controlling the connection through their computer, 
collecting all the data the traveler transmits - websites accessed, 
passwords used, credit card information, etc.

Before joining a network, make sure the Wi-Fi connection is secure 
and hosted through the hotel. Many secured connections require a 
two-step verification process. You can also consider using your 
cellphone provider network and use your phone as a hotspot -- just check
 the data useage allowed first.

When checking into a hotel, the front desk always asks for a credit 
or debit card to keep on file for incidentals. However, at check-out 
guests can decide to pay with another method, such as cash.

No matter what payment method is used, get a receipt. This provides a
 record of all charges during the stay, whether you use your original 
payment method or switch to cash. If there are any unexpected charges to
 the credit card on file, you'll have a record to dispute them.&nbsp;

The best way to prevent being scammed at checkout is to use the form 
of payment that you put on file when checking in. Consider using a 
credit card versus a debit card. If your number is compromised, using 
your debit card provides access to the checking account and a 
potentially challenging situation in correcting the situation with the 
bank.

If you encounter a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker at <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us" target="_blank">BBB.org/scamtracker</a>.

For more information and information on businesses you can trust, visit <a href="https://www.bbb.org/" target="_blank">BBB.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637598279914.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>BBBPlanning to stay in a hotel soon? Scammers consider tourists and 
business travelers easy targets, so always stay aware and protect your 
personal information. Learn about hotel scams and stop the scammers from
 separating you from your cash.Here are five common hotel scams to be aware of:<h2>Fake Website</h2>When making online hotel reservations, make certain the website is 
legitimate. A common tactic for scammers is to create look-alike web 
pages to lure consumers into providing credit card information.The <a href="https://www.ahla.com/" target="_blank">American Hotel and Lodging Association</a> is a BBB National Partner. They provided some <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14155-bbb-tip-booking-a-hotel-room" target="_blank">tips to follow before booking a hotel room</a>.<h2>Fake Food Delivery</h2>Make sure the menus left in the hotel room are authentic. Dining-in 
can be a tempting option, especially after a day of traveling or 
exploration, but you could end up ordering from a restaurant that 
doesn’t even exist. Scammers will distribute fake menus to rooms with 
phone numbers that connect the caller to them instead of the hotel or a 
real business. They will collect the caller's credit card information 
over the phone but never deliver food. Before deciding to order out, <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/ways-to-avoid-restaurant-scams-3259996" target="_blank">do some research</a> and make sure the business exists, and check their BBB rating. Confirm with the front desk for restaurant recommendations.<h2>Fake Front Desk Calls</h2>Hotel guests may receive a late night phone call from someone 
impersonating the front desk. The caller asks for credit card 
information claiming there’s a problem with the credit card on file. 
They may say it was declined, they need to re-verify payment information
 or that they lost all of the financial information and need to run an 
audit by a certain time. The scammer will offer to take your credit card
 information over the phone, so that you’re not inconvenienced. However,
 a real hotel staff member will never ask for your credit card 
information over the phone at odd hours of the night. They will always 
ask to settle up any charges at the front desk.Always notify the hotel management of any calls of this nature.<h2>'Free' Wi-Fi Connections</h2>When staying at a hotel, free internet access is often touted as a 
benefit of being a guest. However, this also provides scammers an “in." 
Wireless internet “skimming” targets travelers with the promise of free 
internet access. This usually appears in the common areas of the hotel. 
The connection is free to access but it’s not safe. Most of the time a 
hotel scam artist is controlling the connection through their computer, 
collecting all the data the traveler transmits - websites accessed, 
passwords used, credit card information, etc.Before joining a network, make sure the Wi-Fi connection is secure 
and hosted through the hotel. Many secured connections require a 
two-step verification process. You can also consider using your 
cellphone provider network and use your phone as a hotspot -- just check
 the data useage allowed first.<h2>Checkout Scam</h2>When checking into a hotel, the front desk always asks for a credit 
or debit card to keep on file for incidentals. However, at check-out 
guests can decide to pay with another method, such as cash.No matter what payment method is used, get a receipt. This provides a
 record of all charges during the stay, whether you use your original 
payment method or switch to cash. If there are any unexpected charges to
 the credit card on file, you'll have a record to dispute them.&nbsp;The best way to prevent being scammed at checkout is to use the form 
of payment that you put on file when checking in. Consider using a 
credit card versus a debit card. If your number is compromised, using 
your debit card provides access to the checking account and a 
potentially challenging situation in correcting the situation with the 
bank.If you encounter a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker at <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us" target="_blank">BBB.org/scamtracker</a>.For more information and information on businesses you can trust, visit <a href="https://www.bbb.org/" target="_blank">BBB.org</a>.

Scam alert: Sleep easier by protecting yourself against hotel scams

LANSING, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old man who escaped from the Lansing Correctional Facility for about nine hours has been sentenced to nearly 11 additional years in prison. 

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said Dustin Frank Robinson escaped from the prison in July 2019 by climbing over a 20-foot fence that had two sections of barbed wire. KCTV reports he cut himself on the wire and called 911 after feeling “woozy” from the cut. 

Investigators later found him at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Thompson said authorities need to send the message that people who escape will face serious consequences.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637276079374.png" alt="Robinson has previous convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, DUI and flee or attempt to elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Robinson has previous convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, DUI and flee or attempt to elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old man who escaped from the Lansing Correctional Facility for about nine hours has been sentenced to nearly 11 additional years in prison. Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said Dustin Frank Robinson escaped from the prison in July 2019 by climbing over a 20-foot fence that had two sections of barbed wire. KCTV reports he cut himself on the wire and called 911 after feeling “woozy” from the cut. Investigators later found him at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Thompson said authorities need to send the message that people who escape will face serious consequences.

Inmate called 911 after injured during escape from Kan. prison

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two of 17 members of a missionary group who were kidnapped more than a month ago have been freed in Haiti and are safe, “in good spirits and being cared for,” their Ohio-based church organization announced Sunday.

Christian Aid Ministries issued a statement saying it could not give the names of those released, why they were freed or other information.

“While we rejoice at this release, our hearts are with the 15 people who are still being held,” the group said.

The spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, Gary Desrosiers, confirmed to The Associated Press that two hostages were released on Sunday.

The missionaries were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang on Oct. 16. There are five children in the group of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, including an 8-month-old. Their Haitian driver also was abducted, according to a local human rights organization.

The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has threatened to kill the hostages unless his demands are met. Authorities have said the gang was demanding $1 million per person, although it wasn’t immediately clear that included the children in the group.

The release comes as Haiti struggles with a spike in gang-related violence and kidnappings, with the U.S. government recently urging U.S. citizens to leave Haiti amid deepening insecurity and a severe lack of fuel blamed on gangs blocking gas distribution terminals. On Friday, Canada announced it was pulling all but essential personnel from its embassy.

The fuel shortage has forced hospitals to turn away patients and paralyzed public transportation, with some schools closing and businesses shortening their work hours.

Haiti also is trying to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck in mid-August, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two of 17 members of a missionary group who were kidnapped more than a month ago have been freed in Haiti and are safe, “in good spirits and being cared for,” their Ohio-based church organization announced Sunday.Christian Aid Ministries issued a statement saying it could not give the names of those released, why they were freed or other information.“While we rejoice at this release, our hearts are with the 15 people who are still being held,” the group said.The spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, Gary Desrosiers, confirmed to The Associated Press that two hostages were released on Sunday.The missionaries were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang on Oct. 16. There are five children in the group of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, including an 8-month-old. Their Haitian driver also was abducted, according to a local human rights organization.The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has threatened to kill the hostages unless his demands are met. Authorities have said the gang was demanding $1 million per person, although it wasn’t immediately clear that included the children in the group.The release comes as Haiti struggles with a spike in gang-related violence and kidnappings, with the U.S. government recently urging U.S. citizens to leave Haiti amid deepening insecurity and a severe lack of fuel blamed on gangs blocking gas distribution terminals. On Friday, Canada announced it was pulling all but essential personnel from its embassy.The fuel shortage has forced hospitals to turn away patients and paralyzed public transportation, with some schools closing and businesses shortening their work hours.Haiti also is trying to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck in mid-August, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes.

US missionaries say 2 of 17 abductees freed in Haiti

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Police have released the names of the man and woman who were found shot to death in a car in Olathe, Kansas. The two victims were both from Tonganoxie, Kansas, which is a small town about 25 miles west of Kansas City. Olathe police identified them Sunday as Angela Santiago, 45, and Jose Arellano-Rascon, 42. 

Police have said that officers found the man and woman inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds early Saturday. Police are looking for four or five males who were in a dark gray Ford F-150 pickup truck and are suspected of being involved.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Police say a man and woman were found dead with gunshot wounds in a car in Olathe, Kansas. 

Gunshots were reported Saturday morning in Olathe. Police found two people inside a car with apparent gunshot wounds. A police spokesman says the two were pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not yet identified the victims but say they were in their early 40s.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637449540395.png" alt="Scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Police have released the names of the man and woman who were found shot to death in a car in Olathe, Kansas. The two victims were both from Tonganoxie, Kansas, which is a small town about 25 miles west of Kansas City. Olathe police identified them Sunday as Angela Santiago, 45, and Jose Arellano-Rascon, 42. Police have said that officers found the man and woman inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds early Saturday. Police are looking for four or five males who were in a dark gray Ford F-150 pickup truck and are suspected of being involved.-----------OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Police say a man and woman were found dead with gunshot wounds in a car in Olathe, Kansas. Gunshots were reported Saturday morning in Olathe. Police found two people inside a car with apparent gunshot wounds. A police spokesman says the two were pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not yet identified the victims but say they were in their early 40s.

Police in Kan. ID man and woman found dead in vehicle

By MARKIAN HAWRYLUK <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2021-11-16/how-rural-communities-in-kansas-and-across-the-u-s-are-losing-their-pharmacies">Kaiser Health News</a>

Julie Perkins, pharmacist and owner of Batson’s, graduated from the 
local high school and returned after pharmacy school to buy the 
drugstore more than two decades ago. She and her husband bought the 
grocery store next door in 2006 to help diversify revenue and put the 
pharmacy on firmer footing.

But with the pandemic exacerbating the
 competitive pressures from large retail chains, which can operate at 
lower prices, and from pharmaceutical intermediaries, which can impose 
high fees retroactively, Perkins wonders how long her business can 
remain viable.

She worries about what will happen to her customers
 if she can’t keep the pharmacy running. Elk County, with a population 
of 2,500, has no hospital and only a couple of doctors, so residents 
must travel more than an hour to Wichita for anything beyond primary 
care.

“That’s why I hang on,” Perkins said. “These people have relied on the store from way before I was even here.”

Corner
 pharmacies, once widespread in large cities and rural hamlets alike, 
are disappearing from many areas of the country, leaving an estimated 41
 million Americans in what are known as drugstore deserts, without easy 
access to pharmacies. An <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.goodrx.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GoodRx_Healthcare_Deserts_White_Paper.pdf__;!!M9LbjjnYNg9jBDflsQ!SjB5Bj6GByAskNP92GtFwZC2V9LJYjJXki7dBNLvrCvBLKAxLnX4RWsMjsfleUoE-1FYxdl9$" target="_blank">analysis</a>
 by GoodRx, an online drug price comparison tool, found that 12% of 
Americans have to drive more than 15 minutes to reach the closest 
pharmacy or don’t have enough pharmacies nearby to meet demand. That 
includes majorities of people in more than 40% of counties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637088000625.png" alt="Julie Perkins bought Batson’s — the only drugstore in Elk County, Kansas — after graduating from pharmacy school. As a lifelong resident of county seat Howard, population 650, Perkins knows pretty much everyone there. Gavin Peters / KHN" />
 <figcaption>Julie Perkins bought Batson’s — the only drugstore in Elk County, Kansas — after graduating from pharmacy school. As a lifelong resident of county seat Howard, population 650, Perkins knows pretty much everyone there. Gavin Peters / KHN</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARKIAN HAWRYLUK <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2021-11-16/how-rural-communities-in-kansas-and-across-the-u-s-are-losing-their-pharmacies">Kaiser Health News</a>Julie Perkins, pharmacist and owner of Batson’s, graduated from the 
local high school and returned after pharmacy school to buy the 
drugstore more than two decades ago. She and her husband bought the 
grocery store next door in 2006 to help diversify revenue and put the 
pharmacy on firmer footing.But with the pandemic exacerbating the
 competitive pressures from large retail chains, which can operate at 
lower prices, and from pharmaceutical intermediaries, which can impose 
high fees retroactively, Perkins wonders how long her business can 
remain viable.She worries about what will happen to her customers
 if she can’t keep the pharmacy running. Elk County, with a population 
of 2,500, has no hospital and only a couple of doctors, so residents 
must travel more than an hour to Wichita for anything beyond primary 
care.“That’s why I hang on,” Perkins said. “These people have relied on the store from way before I was even here.”Corner
 pharmacies, once widespread in large cities and rural hamlets alike, 
are disappearing from many areas of the country, leaving an estimated 41
 million Americans in what are known as drugstore deserts, without easy 
access to pharmacies. An <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.goodrx.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GoodRx_Healthcare_Deserts_White_Paper.pdf__;!!M9LbjjnYNg9jBDflsQ!SjB5Bj6GByAskNP92GtFwZC2V9LJYjJXki7dBNLvrCvBLKAxLnX4RWsMjsfleUoE-1FYxdl9$" target="_blank">analysis</a>
 by GoodRx, an online drug price comparison tool, found that 12% of 
Americans have to drive more than 15 minutes to reach the closest 
pharmacy or don’t have enough pharmacies nearby to meet demand. That 
includes majorities of people in more than 40% of counties.From 2003 to 2018, <a href="https://rupri.public-health.uiowa.edu/publications/policybriefs/2018/2018%20Pharmacy%20Closures.pdf" target="_blank">1,231 of the nation’s 7,624 independent rural pharmacies closed</a>, according to the University of Iowa’s <a href="https://rupri.org/" target="_blank">Rural Policy Research Institute</a>, leaving 630 communities with no independent or chain retail drugstore.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637088085017.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Independent pharmacies are struggling due to the vertical integration
 among drugstore chains, insurance companies and pharmaceutical benefit 
managers, which gives those companies market power that community 
drugstores can’t match.Insurers also have ratcheted down what 
they will pay for prescription drugs, squeezing margins to levels that 
pharmacists call unsustainable. As the insurers’ drug plans steered 
patients to their affiliated drugstores, independent shops watched their
 customers drift away. They find themselves at the mercy of 
pharmaceutical intermediaries, which <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/rural-pharmacies-audit-burdens-threaten-their-existence-the-last-drugstore/" target="_blank">claw back pharmacy revenue through retroactive fees and aggressive audits</a>, leaving local pharmacists unsure if they’ll end the year in the black.That
 has a direct impact on customers, particularly older ones, who face 
higher copays for prescription medications if they have a drug plan, and
 higher list prices if they don’t. If their local pharmacy can’t 
survive, they may be forced to travel long distances to the nearest 
drugstore or endure waits to get their prescriptions from understaffed 
pharmacies serving more and more patients.“Living in an area with
 low pharmacy density could increase wait times, decrease supply, and 
make it harder to shop around for prescription medications,” said <a href="https://www.goodrx.com/about/tori-marsh" target="_blank">Tori Marsh</a>, GoodRx’s lead researcher on the drugstore desert study.The
 financial pressures on independent drugstores began mounting two 
decades ago when Medicare instituted its Part D program using private 
insurance plans: Pharmacies’ most frequent customers went from paying 
cash for list prices to using insurance coverage that paid lower 
negotiated rates.“A market clearance occurred, a big bolus of pharmacy closures,” said <a href="https://rupri.org/about-rupri/leadership/mueller/" target="_blank">Keith Mueller</a>, director of the Rural Policy Research Institute.Independent
 pharmacies saw their margins shrink. On average, a pharmacy’s cost of 
dispensing a single prescription, factoring in labor, rent, utilities 
and other overhead, ranges from <a href="https://www.nacds.org/pdfs/pharmacy/2020/NACDS-NASP-NCPA-COD-Report-01-31-2020-Final.pdf" target="_blank">$9 to $15</a>. But the reimbursement is often far less.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637088130858.png" alt="Julie Perkins bought Batson’s — the only drugstore in Elk County, Kansas — after graduating from pharmacy school. As a lifelong resident of county seat Howard, population 650, Perkins knows pretty much everyone there. Gavin Peters" />
 <figcaption>Julie Perkins bought Batson’s — the only drugstore in Elk County, Kansas — after graduating from pharmacy school. As a lifelong resident of county seat Howard, population 650, Perkins knows pretty much everyone there. Gavin Peters</figcaption>
 </figure>Multiple pharmacists said that about half of drug plan reimbursements fail to cover the costs of drugs and their overhead.“What
 you’re left with is that 50% of claims that you can make some money on,
 and really, the tiny percentage of claims where you make an extremely 
high amount of money,” said Nate Hux, who owns an independent pharmacy 
in Pickerington, Ohio.It’s that tiny sliver of wildly overpaid 
drugs, especially generics, that determines whether a pharmacy can 
survive. A generic drug that costs $4 might get reimbursed by a drug 
plan at $4,000.“Filling a generic prescription, from a financial 
standpoint, is like pulling the slots at a casino,” said Ben Jolley, an 
independent pharmacist in Salt Lake City. “Sometimes you lose a quarter,
 sometimes you lose a buck, and sometimes you make $500. But you have to
 have those prescriptions that you make $500 on to make up for the 
losses on the rest of your meds.”Some pharmacies increase their 
list prices to ensure they capture the highest reimbursements that drug 
plans are willing to pay. But that raises prices for patients paying 
cash.Jolley, who also works as a consultant for pharmacies across
 the country, said some pharmacists game the system by billing excessive
 charges for drugs they mix on-site or calling physicians to switch 
patients to more profitable drugs.“Pharmacies that play this game
 get exceptionally wealthy,” he said. “Most pharmacies either don’t feel
 comfortable playing this game or aren’t aware that that’s how the 
system works, so they get left behind. That’s why you see all these 
pharmacies closing.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637088171671.png" alt="Perkins makes a cherry limeade for a customer at Batson’s old-fashioned soda counter. Gavin Peters" />
 <figcaption>Perkins makes a cherry limeade for a customer at Batson’s old-fashioned soda counter. Gavin Peters</figcaption>
 </figure>Pharmacy benefit managers, brokers known as PBMs, also steer 
customers away from independent pharmacies to affiliated chain, 
mail-order or specialty pharmacies with lower out-of-pockets costs. Some
 PBMs prevent local pharmacies from offering the most expensive drugs at
 all.The benefit managers counter that there are more independent
 pharmacies today than there were 10 years ago. An analysis conducted on
 behalf of the <a href="https://www.pcmanet.org/" target="_blank">Pharmaceutical Care Management Association</a>,
 a trade group that represents pharmacy benefit managers, showed a 13% 
increase in the number of independently owned pharmacies from 2010 to 
2019. However, many of those new stores opened in communities that 
already had pharmacies.“PBMs are not seeking to put independent 
pharmacies out of business,” said Greg Lopes, a spokesperson for the 
trade group. “PBMs are trying and often succeeding in lowering drug 
costs.”The insurers’ trade group, <a href="https://www.ahip.org/" target="_blank">AHIP</a>, formerly America’s Health Insurance Plans, declined to comment.Katie Koziara, a spokesperson for the <a href="https://phrma.org/" target="_blank">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a>, an industry group representing drugmakers, said the large market power of PBMs can leave patients with fewer choices.“The
 system might work well for health plans and these middlemen, but it 
creates difficult access barriers for vulnerable patients,” Koziara 
said. “We’re concerned about the emerging issue of ‘pharmacy deserts’ 
where patients, particularly among communities of color, cannot readily 
access a community pharmacy for their medications.”Independent 
pharmacists routinely identify those middle-manager companies as the 
leading cause of their troubles. At Batson’s drugstore in rural Kansas, 
Perkins recently had a customer who had been taking Emgality, an 
injectable monoclonal antibody treatment for migraines made by Eli Lilly
 and Co., that typically retails for up to $760 a month. But the 
customer’s drug plan wouldn’t pay Batson’s to fill it, forcing her to 
wait until it could be mailed from a specialty pharmacy.Frustratingly,
 Perkins said, patients who get pushed to order drugs by mail often 
bring them to her when they need help deciphering how to use them.Even
 when pharmacies make money on a prescription, there’s no guarantee they
 can keep much of the profit. Drug plans charge pharmacies fees every 
time they need to interact with the PBM’s claims database. While those 
fees average only 10 to 15 cents per transaction, a busy pharmacy might 
need to check the database hundreds of times a day.PBMs also have
 implemented retroactive fees based on performance metrics they set. 
Pharmacies can wind up losing money on a prescription filled months 
earlier. PBMs describe these as quality measures, but pharmacists 
complain they are more about sales volume. Many of the metrics track how
 diligently patients take their medication, which pharmacies can hardly 
control.One PBM’s contract, <a href="https://www.axios.com/express-scripts-pharmacies-quality-clawbacks-contract-8d42f015-b1d9-4ea5-8a4a-8b0ac3501545.html" target="_blank">obtained by Axios</a>, showed only 1% of pharmacies are able to avoid retroactive fees.Jeff Olson, who owns <a href="https://www.montrosspharmacy.com/" target="_blank">three rural pharmacies</a>
 in Iowa, said he paid $52,000 in retroactive fees on revenue of $6 
million in 2015. While his annual revenue remained flat through 2020, 
those retroactive fees last year totaled $225,000.“That’s money 
that can’t be used for payroll, that can’t be used to add those other 
services that your community needs,” Olson said.Moreover, Olson said, he doesn’t know what metrics insurance plans use to evaluate his performance and calculate the fees.“They define quality themselves,” said <a href="https://ncpa.org/newsroom/news-releases/2021/08/09/ncpa-announces-new-department-policy-and-pharmacy-affairs" target="_blank">Ronna Hauser</a>,
 vice president of pharmacy affairs for the National Community 
Pharmacists Association. “If you have 20 Part D plans you contract with,
 that’s 20 different quality programs that you’re supposed to be aware 
of and keep up with.”According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, such retroactive fees were <a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fy2022-cms-congressional-justification-estimates-appropriations-committees.pdf" target="_blank">915 times as high in 2019</a>
 as in 2010. The resulting higher prices mean Medicare beneficiaries 
burn through their initial coverage period faster and enter a coverage 
gap, or “doughnut hole,” sooner.At Olson’s pharmacy in St. 
Charles, Iowa, a town of fewer than 1,000 people, fees and other 
financial pressures forced Olson to scale back and operate the store as a
 telepharmacy. Technicians fill prescriptions under the eye of an 
off-site pharmacist, and customers see a pharmacist only one day a week.For
 a town with no other health care provider, that means six days when no 
one can provide vaccinations or test for strep throat.Back in Howard, Debbie Lane, 70, likes the personal service Perkins offers at Batson’s.“It’s
 a lot easier to go down to a local store, and if it happens to be after
 hours or an emergency, she’ll open up for us,” Lane said.Perkins
 will tell her if Lane can save money by driving to a chain drugstore in
 Wichita instead. And, recently, Perkins ran the numbers to help Lane 
decide which Medicare plan would be the least expensive given the 
medications she takes. Lane knows it’s a struggle to keep a small-town 
pharmacy open and fears what might happen if Batson’s closed.“It’d
 be devastating,” Lane said. “There are a lot of us like me, who will 
sometimes pay a little extra to make sure that Julie stays in business.”This story was originally published by <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/last-drugstore-how-rural-communities-lose-independent-pharmacies/" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News.</a>