&nbsp;WASHINGTON —Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann introduced legislation to honor the memory of Fr. Emil Kapaun and asked members to support his bill to designate the post office in Herrington, Kansas, as the "Captain Emil J. Kapaun Post Office Building."

"Father Emil Kapaun was a man of God who served Jesus and his country honorably. Today, the House passed my resolution to rename the Herrington, KS post office after him."

Looking forward to its swift passage in the Senate, commemorating the life of a great Kansan and American hero.

H.R. 2044 passed in the U.S. House of Representatives&nbsp; and will be sent to the U.S. Senate for final passage.

Kapaun was awarded the Medal of Honor. In 1993, the Catholic church named him a “Servant of God,” which began the lengthy process of canonization.

Funeral services for Rev. Emil Kapaun were held last month, decades after the priest from Pilsen, Kansas, died while ministering to fellow prisoners of war. He was interred at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita.. Kapuan's remains were identified in March and returned to his Kansas family Sept. 21. The Roman Catholic Church is considering Kapaun for sainthood.

&nbsp;WASHINGTON —Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann introduced legislation to honor the memory of Fr. Emil Kapaun and asked members to support his bill to designate the post office in Herrington, Kansas, as the "Captain Emil J. Kapaun Post Office Building."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Father Emil Kapaun was a man of God who served Jesus and his country honorably. Today, the House passed my resolution to rename the Herrington, KS post office after him. Looking forward to its swift passage in the Senate, commemorating the life of a great Kansan &amp; American hero. <a href="https://t.co/3PnLtcCXaE">pic.twitter.com/3PnLtcCXaE</a>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1450919724221673473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"Father Emil Kapaun was a man of God who served Jesus and his country honorably. Today, the House passed my resolution to rename the Herrington, KS post office after him."Looking forward to its swift passage in the Senate, commemorating the life of a great Kansan and American hero.H.R. 2044 passed in the U.S. House of Representatives&nbsp; and will be sent to the U.S. Senate for final passage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614944899732.png" alt="Kapaun, the Marion County-native, a priest of the Diocese of Wichita, served as an Army Chaplain during WWII and the Korean War, and was taken as a Prisoner of War in 1951. He continued to minister to Americans as a POW before passing away on May 23, 1951." />
 <figcaption>Kapaun, the Marion County-native, a priest of the Diocese of Wichita, served as an Army Chaplain during WWII and the Korean War, and was taken as a Prisoner of War in 1951. He continued to minister to Americans as a POW before passing away on May 23, 1951.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kapaun was awarded the Medal of Honor. In 1993, the Catholic church named him a “Servant of God,” which began the lengthy process of canonization.Funeral services for Rev. Emil Kapaun were held last month, decades after the priest from Pilsen, Kansas, died while ministering to fellow prisoners of war. He was interred at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita.. Kapuan's remains were identified in March and returned to his Kansas family Sept. 21. The Roman Catholic Church is considering Kapaun for sainthood.

🎥 U.S. House passes resolution to honor revered Kansas priest

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The superintendent of a suburban Kansas City school district where a small group of students posted a petition online&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-missouri-slavery-suburbs-4b17e517b411b8ddc4a417aecc769473">calling for the return of slavery&nbsp;</a>has announced that she will step down next summer.

The Park Hill, Missouri, school district announced Tuesday in a news release that Jeanette Cowherd asked the school board not to extend her contract. It expires on June 30, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article255130502.html#storylink=mainstage_lead">reports</a>.

Cowherd, who was selected to lead the district in 2015, said in a statement that she wants “nothing but the best for Park Hill, now and in the future."

District officials said she “does not know what her next steps will be, but she is looking forward to new opportunities with the flexibility to spend more time with her family and friends.”

The Park Hill district had a student population of 11,767 this school year, of which about 12.7% were Black. And the slavery petition put mounting pressure on district officials to improve diversity and inclusion in schools.

Cowherd and other officials have met with students, families, the NAACP and other groups to hear community concerns. And they say work is ongoing, and will result in a plan to “address access and inclusion with measurable outcomes.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Officials in a suburban Kansas City school district are investigating after a small group of students posted a petition online calling for the return of slavery.

The petition came to light last week after the students at Park Hill South High School posted it during a school-related activity, officials said.

Further details about the number of students involved, the specific language of the petition or what might have prompted it were not being released because it is a discipline issue, district spokeswoman Nicole Kirby said Wednesday.

Jeanette Cowherd, superintendent of the Park Hill School District, said in a letter to the community Wednesday that the district does not tolerate discrimination or harassment and has specific policies addressing any violations, which could result in a suspension or expulsion.

The district also has a policy on civility that prohibits attacks against people based on factors such as race, gender, religion, disability or other personal characteristics.

“I cannot share the specifics of any particular student's discipline but I can tell you that we follow our Board policy when disciplining students,” she wrote.

Kerrie Herren, principal of Park Hill South, said a student notified him of the petition last Thursday and school officials have been working since then to help students and staff who are upset by the incident.

“I think that a large portion of our population is hurt, mad, outraged and confused and want to use it as way to make Park Hill South better," Herren said.

The Park Hill district had a student population of 11,767 this school year, of which about 12.7% were Black. The district instituted an inclusion and equity council with teachers in 2015, which led to student focus groups and eventually a family advisory council on the issue.

Terri Deayon, the district's director of access, inclusion and family engagement, said district and school officials have met with student groups and staff at Park Hill South and at LEAD Innovation Studio, a separate school on the Park Hill South campus that offers a different educational approach to students.

"I wholeheartedly believe we are in a situation that we are going to confront, restore and heal," Deayon said. “We will be better and we will take this and use it as an opportunity to improve.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The superintendent of a suburban Kansas City school district where a small group of students posted a petition online&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-missouri-slavery-suburbs-4b17e517b411b8ddc4a417aecc769473">calling for the return of slavery&nbsp;</a>has announced that she will step down next summer.The Park Hill, Missouri, school district announced Tuesday in a news release that Jeanette Cowherd asked the school board not to extend her contract. It expires on June 30, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article255130502.html#storylink=mainstage_lead">reports</a>.Cowherd, who was selected to lead the district in 2015, said in a statement that she wants “nothing but the best for Park Hill, now and in the future."District officials said she “does not know what her next steps will be, but she is looking forward to new opportunities with the flexibility to spend more time with her family and friends.”The Park Hill district had a student population of 11,767 this school year, of which about 12.7% were Black. And the slavery petition put mounting pressure on district officials to improve diversity and inclusion in schools.Cowherd and other officials have met with students, families, the NAACP and other groups to hear community concerns. And they say work is ongoing, and will result in a plan to “address access and inclusion with measurable outcomes.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632359737253.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Officials in a suburban Kansas City school district are investigating after a small group of students posted a petition online calling for the return of slavery.The petition came to light last week after the students at Park Hill South High School posted it during a school-related activity, officials said.Further details about the number of students involved, the specific language of the petition or what might have prompted it were not being released because it is a discipline issue, district spokeswoman Nicole Kirby said Wednesday.Jeanette Cowherd, superintendent of the Park Hill School District, said in a letter to the community Wednesday that the district does not tolerate discrimination or harassment and has specific policies addressing any violations, which could result in a suspension or expulsion.The district also has a policy on civility that prohibits attacks against people based on factors such as race, gender, religion, disability or other personal characteristics.“I cannot share the specifics of any particular student's discipline but I can tell you that we follow our Board policy when disciplining students,” she wrote.Kerrie Herren, principal of Park Hill South, said a student notified him of the petition last Thursday and school officials have been working since then to help students and staff who are upset by the incident.“I think that a large portion of our population is hurt, mad, outraged and confused and want to use it as way to make Park Hill South better," Herren said.The Park Hill district had a student population of 11,767 this school year, of which about 12.7% were Black. The district instituted an inclusion and equity council with teachers in 2015, which led to student focus groups and eventually a family advisory council on the issue.Terri Deayon, the district's director of access, inclusion and family engagement, said district and school officials have met with student groups and staff at Park Hill South and at LEAD Innovation Studio, a separate school on the Park Hill South campus that offers a different educational approach to students."I wholeheartedly believe we are in a situation that we are going to confront, restore and heal," Deayon said. “We will be better and we will take this and use it as an opportunity to improve.”

 KC-area superintendent steps down after students' slavery petition

SHAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison for the sexual abuse of his stepson, according to District Attorney Mike Kagy.

Steven Dale Dishner, 46,&nbsp; will be eligible to see the parole board after serving 25 years.&nbsp;

&nbsp;In July of 2017, the Topeka Police Department was contacted in reference to Dishner sexually abusing his stepson, who was 10 at the time of the report. 

The abuse was alleged to have occurred in 2011 and 2012. Dishner was arrested and charged in 2018. He was convicted of Aggravated Criminal Sodomy in October of 2018. However, in September of 2020 the Kansas Court of Appeals found that there was an error in the jury instructions during the first trial and the conviction was overturned. 

The case was then returned to district court for a new trial. Dishner was again convicted after a jury trial in September of 2021.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634744229557.png" alt="Dishner KBI offener registry" />
 <figcaption>Dishner KBI offener registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —A Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison for the sexual abuse of his stepson, according to District Attorney Mike Kagy.Steven Dale Dishner, 46,&nbsp; will be eligible to see the parole board after serving 25 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;In July of 2017, the Topeka Police Department was contacted in reference to Dishner sexually abusing his stepson, who was 10 at the time of the report. The abuse was alleged to have occurred in 2011 and 2012. Dishner was arrested and charged in 2018. He was convicted of Aggravated Criminal Sodomy in October of 2018. However, in September of 2020 the Kansas Court of Appeals found that there was an error in the jury instructions during the first trial and the conviction was overturned. The case was then returned to district court for a new trial. Dishner was again convicted after a jury trial in September of 2021.

Kansas man sentenced for sex crimes involving 10-year-old

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old Lawrence man is charged with several felonies after an accidental shooting killed a toddler. Bishop Mendoza was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and three other felonies.

Officers responding to a shooting report at a Lawrence home on Sept. 17 found a 2-year-old critically wounded. 

The child, Legend King, later died. Police said at the time the shooting appeared to be accidental. Court records indicate Mendoza is also accused of endangering a nearly 4-year-old child who was in the home at the time. Police have not released details of how the shooting happened.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632512725788.png" alt="Mendoza-photo Douglas Co." />
 <figcaption>Mendoza-photo Douglas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old Lawrence man is charged with several felonies after an accidental shooting killed a toddler. Bishop Mendoza was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and three other felonies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631914210754.png" alt="Police at the scene of the fatal shooting investigation-photo courtesy WIBW-TV" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the fatal shooting investigation-photo courtesy WIBW-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers responding to a shooting report at a Lawrence home on Sept. 17 found a 2-year-old critically wounded. The child, Legend King, later died. Police said at the time the shooting appeared to be accidental. Court records indicate Mendoza is also accused of endangering a nearly 4-year-old child who was in the home at the time. Police have not released details of how the shooting happened.

Kansas man charged in shooting that killed toddler

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman charged in a double-fatal crash during a police chase in a stolen SUV will made an unscheduled court appearance Wednesday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Mia Collins, 26, pled guilty to 2 counts of 1st degree murder, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and 3 counts of aggravated battery, according to the District Attorney 

In May of 2019, police reported then 24-year-old Collins led officers on a chase in a stolen BMW sport utility vehicle. After about one mile, the car collided with a car and another SUV at an intersection.

The crash killed 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy and critically injured 36-year-old Jenny Wood, a popular Wichita musician known for performing with children. She is Wood’s daughter and McElroy’s aunt.

&nbsp;Collins was on probation for stealing a handgun at the time of the crash. A passenger in her car, 38-year-old Christopher English, was on parole. They were not seriously injured in the crash.

Judge Tyler Roush is scheduled to sentence her on December 20, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597421975250.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal 2019 crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal 2019 crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman charged in a double-fatal crash during a police chase in a stolen SUV will made an unscheduled court appearance Wednesday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Mia Collins, 26, pled guilty to 2 counts of 1st degree murder, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and 3 counts of aggravated battery, according to the District Attorney In May of 2019, police reported then 24-year-old Collins led officers on a chase in a stolen BMW sport utility vehicle. After about one mile, the car collided with a car and another SUV at an intersection.The crash killed 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy and critically injured 36-year-old Jenny Wood, a popular Wichita musician known for performing with children. She is Wood’s daughter and McElroy’s aunt.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597432907464.png" alt="Collins photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Collins photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Collins was on probation for stealing a handgun at the time of the crash. A passenger in her car, 38-year-old Christopher English, was on parole. They were not seriously injured in the crash.Judge Tyler Roush is scheduled to sentence her on December 20, according to the district attorney's office.---

Kan. woman enters plea for double-fatal crash in stolen SUV

WASHINGTON (AP) — Children ages 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school, the White House said Wednesday as it detailed plans for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for elementary school youngsters in a matter of weeks.

Federal regulators will meet over the next two weeks to weigh the safety and effectiveness of giving low-dose shots to the roughly 28 million children in that age group.

Within hours of formal approval, which is expected after the Food and Drug Administration signs off and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel meets on Nov. 2-3, millions of doses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-coronavirus-vaccine-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-84ff9189e142536f90940366bcfa3f22">will begin going out to providers across the country</a>, along with the smaller needles needed for injecting young children.

Within days of that, the vaccine will be ready to go into arms on a wide scale.

“We’re completing the operational planning to ensure vaccinations for kids ages 5 to 11 are available, easy and convenient,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said. “We’re going to be ready, pending the FDA and CDC decision.”

The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses three weeks apart and a two-week wait for full protection to kick in, meaning the first youngsters in line will be fully covered by Christmas.

Dr. Sterling Ransone said his rural Deltaville, Virginia, office is already getting calls from people asking for appointments for their children and saying, “I want my shot now.”

“Judging by the number of calls, I think we’re going to be slammed for the first several weeks,” said Ransone, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Justin Shady, a film and TV writer in Chicago, said his 6-year-old daughter, Grey, got nervous when he told her she would be getting the shots soon. But he is bribing her with a trip to Disney World, and “she’s all in.”

The family likes to travel, “we really just want to get back in the swing of seeing the world,” Shady said.

As for youngsters under 5, Pfizer and Moderna are studying their vaccines in children down to 6 months old, with results expected later in the year.

The Biden administration noted that the expansion of shots to children under 12 will not look like the start of the country’s vaccine rollout 10 months ago, when limited doses and inadequate capacity meant a painstaking wait for many Americans.

The country now has ample supplies of the Pfizer shot to vaccinate the children who will soon be eligible, officials said, and they have been working for months to ensure widespread availability of shots. About 15 million doses will be shipped to providers across the U.S. in the first week after approval, the White House said.

More than 25,000 pediatricians and primary care providers have already signed on to dispense the vaccine to elementary school children, the White House said, in addition to the tens of thousands of drugstores that are already administering shots to adults.

Hundreds of school- and community-based clinics will also be funded and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help speed the process.

The White House is also preparing a stepped-up campaign to educate parents and children about the safety of the shots and the ease of getting them. As has been the case for adult vaccinations, the administration believes trusted messengers — educators, doctors and community leaders — will be vital to encouraging vaccinations.

Dr. Lisa Reed, medical director for family medicine at MAHEC, a western North Carolina safety net provider that serves patients from rural Appalachia and more urban communities such as the tourist town of Asheville, said it is going to take effort to get some families on board.

Reed said she lives “in a community that has a lot of vaccine hesitancy, unfortunately.”

“Some have lower health literacy or belong to ethnic groups that are more hesitant in general” because of a history of mistrust, she said. And Asheville, she said, has a sizeable population of well-educated adults who are longtime vaccine skeptics.

While children run a lower risk than older people of getting seriously ill from COVID-19, at least 637 people age 18 or under have died from the virus in the U.S., according to the CDC. Six million U.S. children been infected, 1 million of them since early September amid the spread of the more contagious delta variant, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.

Health officials believe that expanding the vaccine drive will not only curb the alarming number of infections in children but also reduce the spread of the virus to vulnerable adults. It could also help schools stay open and youngsters get back on track academically, and contribute to the nation’s broader recovery from the pandemic.

“COVID has also disrupted our kids’ lives. It’s made school harder, it’s disrupted their ability to see friends and family, it’s made youth sports more challenging,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told NBC. “Getting our kids vaccinated, we have the prospect of protecting them, but also getting all of those activities back that are so important to our children.”

Murthy said the administration, which is imposing vaccine mandates for millions of adults, is leaving it up to state and local officials to decide whether to require schoolchildren to get vaccinated. But he said such measures would be “a reasonable thing to consider.”

“It’s also consistent with what we’ve done for other childhood vaccines, like measles, mumps, polio,” he said.

The U.S. has purchased 65 million doses of the Pfizer pediatric shot, which is expected to be one-third the dose given to adults and adolescents, according to officials. They will be shipped in smaller packages of about 100 doses each, so that more providers can deliver them, and they won’t require the super-cold storage that the adult version did at first.

About 219 million Americans age 12 and up, or 66% of the total population, have received a COVID-19 shot, and nearly 190 million are fully vaccinated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634737018344.png" alt="“We’re completing the operational planning to ensure vaccinations for kids ages 5-11 are available, easy and convenient,” said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients on Wednesday-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>“We’re completing the operational planning to ensure vaccinations for kids ages 5-11 are available, easy and convenient,” said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients on Wednesday-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Children ages 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school, the White House said Wednesday as it detailed plans for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for elementary school youngsters in a matter of weeks.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rWMGuplSq4o?start=1647" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Federal regulators will meet over the next two weeks to weigh the safety and effectiveness of giving low-dose shots to the roughly 28 million children in that age group.Within hours of formal approval, which is expected after the Food and Drug Administration signs off and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel meets on Nov. 2-3, millions of doses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-coronavirus-vaccine-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-84ff9189e142536f90940366bcfa3f22">will begin going out to providers across the country</a>, along with the smaller needles needed for injecting young children.Within days of that, the vaccine will be ready to go into arms on a wide scale.“We’re completing the operational planning to ensure vaccinations for kids ages 5 to 11 are available, easy and convenient,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said. “We’re going to be ready, pending the FDA and CDC decision.”The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses three weeks apart and a two-week wait for full protection to kick in, meaning the first youngsters in line will be fully covered by Christmas.Some parents can hardly wait.Dr. Sterling Ransone said his rural Deltaville, Virginia, office is already getting calls from people asking for appointments for their children and saying, “I want my shot now.”“Judging by the number of calls, I think we’re going to be slammed for the first several weeks,” said Ransone, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.Justin Shady, a film and TV writer in Chicago, said his 6-year-old daughter, Grey, got nervous when he told her she would be getting the shots soon. But he is bribing her with a trip to Disney World, and “she’s all in.”The family likes to travel, “we really just want to get back in the swing of seeing the world,” Shady said.As for youngsters under 5, Pfizer and Moderna are studying their vaccines in children down to 6 months old, with results expected later in the year.The Biden administration noted that the expansion of shots to children under 12 will not look like the start of the country’s vaccine rollout 10 months ago, when limited doses and inadequate capacity meant a painstaking wait for many Americans.The country now has ample supplies of the Pfizer shot to vaccinate the children who will soon be eligible, officials said, and they have been working for months to ensure widespread availability of shots. About 15 million doses will be shipped to providers across the U.S. in the first week after approval, the White House said.More than 25,000 pediatricians and primary care providers have already signed on to dispense the vaccine to elementary school children, the White House said, in addition to the tens of thousands of drugstores that are already administering shots to adults.Hundreds of school- and community-based clinics will also be funded and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help speed the process.The White House is also preparing a stepped-up campaign to educate parents and children about the safety of the shots and the ease of getting them. As has been the case for adult vaccinations, the administration believes trusted messengers — educators, doctors and community leaders — will be vital to encouraging vaccinations.Dr. Lisa Reed, medical director for family medicine at MAHEC, a western North Carolina safety net provider that serves patients from rural Appalachia and more urban communities such as the tourist town of Asheville, said it is going to take effort to get some families on board.Reed said she lives “in a community that has a lot of vaccine hesitancy, unfortunately.”“Some have lower health literacy or belong to ethnic groups that are more hesitant in general” because of a history of mistrust, she said. And Asheville, she said, has a sizeable population of well-educated adults who are longtime vaccine skeptics.While children run a lower risk than older people of getting seriously ill from COVID-19, at least 637 people age 18 or under have died from the virus in the U.S., according to the CDC. Six million U.S. children been infected, 1 million of them since early September amid the spread of the more contagious delta variant, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.Health officials believe that expanding the vaccine drive will not only curb the alarming number of infections in children but also reduce the spread of the virus to vulnerable adults. It could also help schools stay open and youngsters get back on track academically, and contribute to the nation’s broader recovery from the pandemic.“COVID has also disrupted our kids’ lives. It’s made school harder, it’s disrupted their ability to see friends and family, it’s made youth sports more challenging,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told NBC. “Getting our kids vaccinated, we have the prospect of protecting them, but also getting all of those activities back that are so important to our children.”Murthy said the administration, which is imposing vaccine mandates for millions of adults, is leaving it up to state and local officials to decide whether to require schoolchildren to get vaccinated. But he said such measures would be “a reasonable thing to consider.”“It’s also consistent with what we’ve done for other childhood vaccines, like measles, mumps, polio,” he said.The U.S. has purchased 65 million doses of the Pfizer pediatric shot, which is expected to be one-third the dose given to adults and adolescents, according to officials. They will be shipped in smaller packages of about 100 doses each, so that more providers can deliver them, and they won’t require the super-cold storage that the adult version did at first.About 219 million Americans age 12 and up, or 66% of the total population, have received a COVID-19 shot, and nearly 190 million are fully vaccinated.___

 🎥COVID response team's plan to vaccinate children ages 5-11

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 7a.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Honda Accord driven by Terry Eugene&nbsp;Echols Jr., 32, Wichita, was westbound on Kansas 254 just west of Greenwich.

The Honda rear-ended a 2013 Peterbilt semi driven by Shermichael L. Williams, 36, Shreveport, Louisiana, who had attempted a lane change just prior to the accident.

Echols Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center. Williams and a passenger were not transported for treatment. Echols Jr. was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634764812404.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 7a.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Honda Accord driven by Terry Eugene&nbsp;Echols Jr., 32, Wichita, was westbound on Kansas 254 just west of Greenwich.The Honda rear-ended a 2013 Peterbilt semi driven by Shermichael L. Williams, 36, Shreveport, Louisiana, who had attempted a lane change just prior to the accident.Echols Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center. Williams and a passenger were not transported for treatment. Echols Jr. was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after car rear-ends a semi

Urbana, Mo. (AP) — The Humane Society of Missouri on Tuesday removed nearly 100 dogs, including several puppies, from a southwestern Missouri facility, alleging the dogs suffered from severe neglect.

The Humane Society said in a news release that 97 dogs were taken from a breeding facility in Urbana, approximately 140 south of Kansas City. The removal was coordinated with the Missouri Attorney General's office and the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

The Humane Society said the breeder has been ordered to close for violating a consent judgment in June, after the operator had been cited for multiple violations.

The rescued breeds include collies, standard poodles and others. Some of the dogs are as young as 10 weeks old.

The Humane Society said it was its biggest rescue of the year, and asked for donations of items such as toys, blankets and dog beds to help care for the animals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634674238959.png" alt="Photo courtesy Humane Society of Missouri" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Humane Society of Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>Urbana, Mo. (AP) — The Humane Society of Missouri on Tuesday removed nearly 100 dogs, including several puppies, from a southwestern Missouri facility, alleging the dogs suffered from severe neglect.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHumaneSocietyofMO%2Fvideos%2F563112031606736%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The Humane Society said in a news release that 97 dogs were taken from a breeding facility in Urbana, approximately 140 south of Kansas City. The removal was coordinated with the Missouri Attorney General's office and the Missouri Department of Agriculture.The Humane Society said the breeder has been ordered to close for violating a consent judgment in June, after the operator had been cited for multiple violations.The rescued breeds include collies, standard poodles and others. Some of the dogs are as young as 10 weeks old.The Humane Society said it was its biggest rescue of the year, and asked for donations of items such as toys, blankets and dog beds to help care for the animals.

97 dogs removed from facility in southwest Missouri

SEWARD COUNTY—Fire crews spent overnight battling a large grass fire in rural Seward County.&nbsp;

The fire burned over 100 acres and could be seen from Highway 54 near&nbsp; Arkalon Road, according to a social media report from Seward County.

Fire personnel reported good containment lines throughout the overnight hours. However, round bales continued to burn on the southern edge of the fire causing drifting smoke in the area.

Due to the high winds, law enforcement were monitoring smoke conditions on Highway 54. There were no injuries reported. Officials have not reported what started the fire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634752675870.png" alt="photo courtesy Seward County" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Seward County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY—Fire crews spent overnight battling a large grass fire in rural Seward County.&nbsp;The fire burned over 100 acres and could be seen from Highway 54 near&nbsp; Arkalon Road, according to a social media report from Seward County.Fire personnel reported good containment lines throughout the overnight hours. However, round bales continued to burn on the southern edge of the fire causing drifting smoke in the area.Due to the high winds, law enforcement were monitoring smoke conditions on Highway 54. There were no injuries reported. Officials have not reported what started the fire.

Over 100 acres burned in rural southwest Kansas fire

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-18/kansas-defends-its-decision-to-redact-whole-pages-of-a-100-000-drug-spending-report">Kansas News Service</a>

A state agency is defending its blacking out of much of a report 
commissioned with tax dollars. It says it was accommodating a contractor
 that argued the redactions were needed to protect trade secrets.

The
 report is an audit of prescription drug spending for state employees, 
their families and retirees. When the Kansas News Service asked for a 
copy, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-01/kansas-hid-parts-of-a-100k-audit-of-drug-spending-experts-say-the-state-went-too-far" target="_blank">the state provided a heavily redacted version</a>.

That
 decision came under fire on Monday. Some members of the seven-person 
board that oversees the state health insurance plan questioned why 
details of the audit should be kept from public view.

“That seems crazy to me,” Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt said. “It doesn’t seem right.”

Another member of the panel noted that tax dollars paid for the audit.

“So going forward,” state employee Rebekah Gaston said, “are there ways that we can make this more transparent?”

Law
 professors who reviewed the redactions for the Kansas News Service 
struggled to understand why the state would consider it legal to shield 
the information. The state said it was protecting trade secrets.

But
 many of the blacked-out details — such as the number of prescriptions 
the plan covered in 2019 — are available in other public documents, 
including on the state’s own website. (The Kansas News Service was able 
to view some of the obscured content because the redactions were done 
incorrectly and the text beneath the black boxes remained accessible.) 

Officials at the Kansas Department of Administration said they had followed standard procedures.

But
 they also shifted some of the responsibility onto the authors of the 
$100,000 report, a private auditing firm called PillarRx.

PillarRx
 considered its report confidential, a lawyer for the Department of 
Administration said. The department gave the firm the option of 
redacting it, and the firm did so.

So PillarRx sent a redacted 
version to the department, but the department felt the redactions went 
too far, said John Yeary, the Kansas Department of Administration’s 
chief counsel.

“So we pushed back,” he said. “And they came back with (a new version that) was ultimately provided” to the Kansas News Service.

In that version, large swaths and even whole pages of the report on $160 million in state spending on medications remain blacked out.

Schmidt took issue with the department’s explanation.

“We
 just can’t take (PillarRx’s) word for it when they say that it is 
proprietary,” she said. “We have some due diligence as a state.”

The
 head of the Kansas Department of Administration, Secretary DeAngela 
Burns-Wallace, said her agency’s lawyers did just that. (She is also a 
member of the oversight board, the Health Care Commission.)

“The 
very first version that the company provided, the legal team went back 
and said, ‘No, we disagree. And we need you to take an additional look.’
 And so what was finally released is actually a different version than 
the initial one. So they did do that due diligence. ...

“We can agree to disagree on if they could have done more,” she said, “if you felt that something else should have been done.”

Schmidt asked Yeary, the department’s lawyer, if he stands by the redactions.

“I
 won’t say I completely 100% agree with PillarRx on what they view as a 
trade secret or proprietary and confidential,” he said. “I do feel like,
 that our approach in responding as an agency where there are interests 
on both sides was appropriate.”

PillarRx declined an interview 
request from the Kansas News Service to discuss any aspect of the audit 
and didn’t have a representative at Monday’s board meeting.

The 
audit was commissioned to check the work of CVS Health. CVS is the 
state’s pharmacy benefit manager, meaning it processes prescription drug
 claims.

Experts say the audit <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-01/kansas-audited-its-80-million-cvs-prescription-plan-but-its-still-shrouded-in-mystery" target="_blank">failed to answer</a> key questions about whether CVS saves the state money or contributes to high drug costs.

Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634740640130.png" alt="Crysta Henthorne / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Crysta Henthorne / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-18/kansas-defends-its-decision-to-redact-whole-pages-of-a-100-000-drug-spending-report">Kansas News Service</a>A state agency is defending its blacking out of much of a report 
commissioned with tax dollars. It says it was accommodating a contractor
 that argued the redactions were needed to protect trade secrets.The
 report is an audit of prescription drug spending for state employees, 
their families and retirees. When the Kansas News Service asked for a 
copy, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-01/kansas-hid-parts-of-a-100k-audit-of-drug-spending-experts-say-the-state-went-too-far" target="_blank">the state provided a heavily redacted version</a>.That
 decision came under fire on Monday. Some members of the seven-person 
board that oversees the state health insurance plan questioned why 
details of the audit should be kept from public view.“That seems crazy to me,” Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt said. “It doesn’t seem right.”Another member of the panel noted that tax dollars paid for the audit.“So going forward,” state employee Rebekah Gaston said, “are there ways that we can make this more transparent?”Law
 professors who reviewed the redactions for the Kansas News Service 
struggled to understand why the state would consider it legal to shield 
the information. The state said it was protecting trade secrets.But
 many of the blacked-out details — such as the number of prescriptions 
the plan covered in 2019 — are available in other public documents, 
including on the state’s own website. (The Kansas News Service was able 
to view some of the obscured content because the redactions were done 
incorrectly and the text beneath the black boxes remained accessible.) Officials at the Kansas Department of Administration said they had followed standard procedures.But
 they also shifted some of the responsibility onto the authors of the 
$100,000 report, a private auditing firm called PillarRx.PillarRx
 considered its report confidential, a lawyer for the Department of 
Administration said. The department gave the firm the option of 
redacting it, and the firm did so.So PillarRx sent a redacted 
version to the department, but the department felt the redactions went 
too far, said John Yeary, the Kansas Department of Administration’s 
chief counsel.“So we pushed back,” he said. “And they came back with (a new version that) was ultimately provided” to the Kansas News Service.In that version, large swaths and even whole pages of the report on $160 million in state spending on medications remain blacked out.Schmidt took issue with the department’s explanation.“We
 just can’t take (PillarRx’s) word for it when they say that it is 
proprietary,” she said. “We have some due diligence as a state.”The
 head of the Kansas Department of Administration, Secretary DeAngela 
Burns-Wallace, said her agency’s lawyers did just that. (She is also a 
member of the oversight board, the Health Care Commission.)“The 
very first version that the company provided, the legal team went back 
and said, ‘No, we disagree. And we need you to take an additional look.’
 And so what was finally released is actually a different version than 
the initial one. So they did do that due diligence. ...“We can agree to disagree on if they could have done more,” she said, “if you felt that something else should have been done.”Schmidt asked Yeary, the department’s lawyer, if he stands by the redactions.“I
 won’t say I completely 100% agree with PillarRx on what they view as a 
trade secret or proprietary and confidential,” he said. “I do feel like,
 that our approach in responding as an agency where there are interests 
on both sides was appropriate.”PillarRx declined an interview 
request from the Kansas News Service to discuss any aspect of the audit 
and didn’t have a representative at Monday’s board meeting.The 
audit was commissioned to check the work of CVS Health. CVS is the 
state’s pharmacy benefit manager, meaning it processes prescription drug
 claims.Experts say the audit <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-01/kansas-audited-its-80-million-cvs-prescription-plan-but-its-still-shrouded-in-mystery" target="_blank">failed to answer</a> key questions about whether CVS saves the state money or contributes to high drug costs.Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Kan. defends decision to redact pages of drug spending report

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,121 to a total of 426,923, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 15 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,185.

<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— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,121 to a total of 426,923, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 15 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,185.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634749192521.png" alt="Wednesday October 20,2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday October 20,2021 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: 2,100 new cases, 15 more COVID deaths

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man from Overland Park, Kansas, was sentenced Tuesday to 19 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies in Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri, three years ago.

U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs sentenced 28-year-old Joshua West, who pleaded guilty in April to robbery and firearms charges.

Federal prosecutors say that during July and August in 2018, West robbed a CVS Pharmacy, a Sprint store and the Phone Shack in Kansas City.

In Grandview, he tried to rob a T-Mobile store but a manager was able to lock him out before he could enter. Prosecutors say West pointed a gun at the at manager before walking away.

A short time later, West robbed a Grandview AT&amp;T store and ordered two workers and a customer into a back room. Another customer called 911, and West was arrested.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619644605432.png" alt="West photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>West photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man from Overland Park, Kansas, was sentenced Tuesday to 19 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies in Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri, three years ago.U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs sentenced 28-year-old Joshua West, who pleaded guilty in April to robbery and firearms charges.Federal prosecutors say that during July and August in 2018, West robbed a CVS Pharmacy, a Sprint store and the Phone Shack in Kansas City.In Grandview, he tried to rob a T-Mobile store but a manager was able to lock him out before he could enter. Prosecutors say West pointed a gun at the at manager before walking away.A short time later, West robbed a Grandview AT&amp;T store and ordered two workers and a customer into a back room. Another customer called 911, and West was arrested.

Kansas man sentenced for series of armed robberies

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen was injured in a single-vehicle rollover accident just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday east of Salina.

Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan reported a 2008 Ford F150 driven by 17-year-old rural Saline County boy was northbound on S. Simpson Road at the E. Schilling Road intersection.

The pickup traveled off the east side of the road. The driver overcorrected&nbsp; and the pickup crossed the road, stuck a mailbox, traveled off the west side of the road and rolled once before coming to rest on its wheels. The accident occurred at approximately 6:23 p.m. Tuesday 600 feet north of the S. Simpson Road

A private vehicle transported the boy for treatment of numerous cuts and a possible broken rib to Salina Regional Health Center.&nbsp;The pickup was totaled, according to Soldan.&nbsp; She sheriff did not release the driver's name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634745115592.jpeg" alt="A teen driver was injured when this pickup went off the road and rolled.-photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>A teen driver was injured when this pickup went off the road and rolled.-photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen was injured in a single-vehicle rollover accident just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday east of Salina.Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan reported a 2008 Ford F150 driven by 17-year-old rural Saline County boy was northbound on S. Simpson Road at the E. Schilling Road intersection.The pickup traveled off the east side of the road. The driver overcorrected&nbsp; and the pickup crossed the road, stuck a mailbox, traveled off the west side of the road and rolled once before coming to rest on its wheels. The accident occurred at approximately 6:23 p.m. Tuesday 600 feet north of the S. Simpson RoadA private vehicle transported the boy for treatment of numerous cuts and a possible broken rib to Salina Regional Health Center.&nbsp;The pickup was totaled, according to Soldan.&nbsp; She sheriff did not release the driver's name.

Kansas teen injured after pickup rollover crash

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating more counterfeit cash in southwest Kansas.

According to a social media report from Garden City Police, the fake money is making the rounds again. They urged the public to pay attention to the money you are being handed.

In these counterfeit examples, the $50 bill is cut incorrectly, has been hand cut. The $20 bill states "Replica" in the corner. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634726760722.png" alt="Photo Garden City Polioce" />
 <figcaption>Photo Garden City Polioce</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating more counterfeit cash in southwest Kansas.According to a social media report from Garden City Police, the fake money is making the rounds again. They urged the public to pay attention to the money you are being handed.In these counterfeit examples, the $50 bill is cut incorrectly, has been hand cut. The $20 bill states "Replica" in the corner.

Police: Counterfeit cash reported again in parts of Kansas

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded employers that the next quarterly payroll tax return is <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employment-tax-due-dates">due</a> November 1, 2021. The IRS urges employers to use the speed and convenience of filing the returns electronically.

E-filing is the most accurate method to file returns and saves 
taxpayers time by performing calculations and auto-populating forms and 
schedules with a step-by-step process. The IRS acknowledges receipt of 
e-filed returns within 24 hours, giving taxpayers reassurance that their
 return was not misplaced or lost in the mail. Electronically filed 
returns reduce processing time and have fewer errors,&nbsp;which reduces a 
taxpayer's chance of receiving an IRS notice. E-file users also receive 
missing information alerts.

Two options for electronically filing payroll tax returns:

The IRS requires all authorized IRS e-file providers to ensure 
only authorized users have access to secure information. Only the 
business owner, authorized signers and reporting agents can <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">apply for an online signature PIN</a>.
 Third parties (such as attorneys, CPAs, tax return preparers or other 
tax professionals) can't request a PIN on behalf of the business, nor 
can they use the PIN to sign returns on behalf of their clients.

For more information on electronic filing of payroll tax returns, see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/e-file-employment-tax-forms">E-file Employment Tax Forms</a>&nbsp;page.

The credit for qualified sick and family leave wages has been extended and amended.

The employer tax credits for qualified sick and family leave wages&nbsp;gives
 all American businesses with fewer than 500 employees funds to provide 
their employees with paid leave, either for the employee's own health 
needs or to care for family members. The American Rescue Plan of 
2021&nbsp;further amended and extended the tax credits (and the availability 
of advance payments of the tax credits) for paid sick and family leave. 
See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-24.pdf">Notice 2021-24</a>&nbsp;PDF
 for guidance on the ability to reduce deposits and request advances for
 the credits for periods of leave through September 30, 2021.

The Employee Retention Credit&nbsp;has been extended and amended.

The Employee Retention Credit is a 
refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50% of 
the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees.&nbsp;The modified
 and extended credit is available for qualified wages paid before 
January 1, 2022. Generally, the rules for the Employee Retention Credit 
for the second quarter of 2021 and the third and fourth quarters of 2021
 are substantially similar.

For more information about other coronavirus-related tax relief, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments">IRS.gov/coronavirus</a>.

The IRS encourages employers to help get the word out about the 
advance&nbsp;payments of the Child Tax Credit. Employers have direct access 
to many who may receive this credit. More information on the 
Advance&nbsp;Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov. The website has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-resources-and-guidance">tools employers can use</a>
 to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for
 paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share.

For more information see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance Child Tax Credit Payments</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded employers that the next quarterly payroll tax return is <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employment-tax-due-dates">due</a> November 1, 2021. The IRS urges employers to use the speed and convenience of filing the returns electronically.E-filing is the most accurate method to file returns and saves 
taxpayers time by performing calculations and auto-populating forms and 
schedules with a step-by-step process. The IRS acknowledges receipt of 
e-filed returns within 24 hours, giving taxpayers reassurance that their
 return was not misplaced or lost in the mail. Electronically filed 
returns reduce processing time and have fewer errors,&nbsp;which reduces a 
taxpayer's chance of receiving an IRS notice. E-file users also receive 
missing information alerts.<h2>Two options for electronically filing payroll tax returns:</h2><ul>
 <li>Self file

	Purchase IRS-approved <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/94x-mef-providers">software</a>.Business owners may need to pay a fee to electronically file their returns.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">Apply for an online signature PIN</a> or scan and attach <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8453-emp">Form 8453-EMP</a> for the required signature.</li><li>Purchase IRS-approved <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/94x-mef-providers">software</a>.</li><li>Business owners may need to pay a fee to electronically file their returns.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">Apply for an online signature PIN</a> or scan and attach <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8453-emp">Form 8453-EMP</a> for the required signature.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Tax professional file

	Use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/authorized-irs-e-file-provider-locator-service-for-tax-professionals">Authorized IRS e-file Provider Locator Service</a>&nbsp;to find a tax professional who can file on behalf of the business.</li><li>Use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/authorized-irs-e-file-provider-locator-service-for-tax-professionals">Authorized IRS e-file Provider Locator Service</a>&nbsp;to find a tax professional who can file on behalf of the business.</li>
 </ul>The IRS requires all authorized IRS e-file providers to ensure 
only authorized users have access to secure information. Only the 
business owner, authorized signers and reporting agents can <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">apply for an online signature PIN</a>.
 Third parties (such as attorneys, CPAs, tax return preparers or other 
tax professionals) can't request a PIN on behalf of the business, nor 
can they use the PIN to sign returns on behalf of their clients.For more information on electronic filing of payroll tax returns, see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/e-file-employment-tax-forms">E-file Employment Tax Forms</a>&nbsp;page.<h2>COVID-related Employer Tax Credits</h2><h2>The credit for qualified sick and family leave wages has been extended and amended.</h2>The employer tax credits for qualified sick and family leave wages&nbsp;gives
 all American businesses with fewer than 500 employees funds to provide 
their employees with paid leave, either for the employee's own health 
needs or to care for family members. The American Rescue Plan of 
2021&nbsp;further amended and extended the tax credits (and the availability 
of advance payments of the tax credits) for paid sick and family leave. 
See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-24.pdf">Notice 2021-24</a>&nbsp;PDF
 for guidance on the ability to reduce deposits and request advances for
 the credits for periods of leave through September 30, 2021.<h2>The Employee Retention Credit&nbsp;has been extended and amended.</h2>The Employee Retention Credit is a 
refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50% of 
the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees.&nbsp;The modified
 and extended credit is available for qualified wages paid before 
January 1, 2022. Generally, the rules for the Employee Retention Credit 
for the second quarter of 2021 and the third and fourth quarters of 2021
 are substantially similar.For more information about other coronavirus-related tax relief, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments">IRS.gov/coronavirus</a>.<h2>Advance Child Tax Credit</h2>The IRS encourages employers to help get the word out about the 
advance&nbsp;payments of the Child Tax Credit. Employers have direct access 
to many who may receive this credit. More information on the 
Advance&nbsp;Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov. The website has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-resources-and-guidance">tools employers can use</a>
 to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for
 paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share.For more information see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance Child Tax Credit Payments</a>.

IRS reminds employers to file e-file payroll tax returns timely

More COVID-19 booster shots may be on the way -- but when it’s your turn, you’ll get an extra dose of the original vaccine, not one updated to better match the extra-contagious delta variant.

And that has some experts wondering if the booster campaign is a bit of a missed opportunity to target delta and its likely descendants.

“Don’t we want to match the new strains that are most likely to circulate as closely as possible?” Dr. Cody Meissner of Tufts Medical Center, an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration, challenged Pfizer scientists recently.

“I don’t quite understand why this is not delta because that’s what we’re facing right now,” fellow adviser Dr. Patrick Moore of the University of Pittsburgh said last week as government experts debated whether it’s time for Moderna boosters. He wondered if such a switch would be particularly useful to block mild infection.

The simple answer: The FDA last month OK’d extra doses of Pfizer’s original recipe after studies showed it still works well enough against delta -- and those doses could be rolled out right away. Now the FDA is weighing evidence for boosters of the original Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines.

“It’s less churn and burn on the manufacturing” to only switch formulas when it’s really necessary, said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.

But Pfizer and Moderna are hedging their bets. They’re already testing experimental doses customized to delta and another variant, learning how to rapidly tweak the formula in case a change eventually is needed -- for today’s mutants or a brand new one. The tougher question for regulators is how they’d decide if and when to ever order such a switch.

CURRENT VACCINES ARE WORKING EVEN AGAINST DELTA

Vaccines used in the U.S. remain strongly effective against hospitalization and death from COVID-19, even after the delta variant took over, but authorities hope to shore up waning protection against less severe infection and for high-risk populations. Studies show an extra dose of the original formulas revs up virus-fighting antibodies that fend off infection, including antibodies that target delta.

MIGHT A DELTA-SPECIFIC BOOSTER WORK EVEN BETTER?

Vaccines target the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. Mutations in that protein made delta more contagious but to the immune system, it doesn’t look all that different, said virus expert Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

That means there’s no guarantee a delta-specific booster would protect any better, said University of Pennsylvania immunologist John Wherry. Waiting for studies to settle that question -- and if necessary, brewing updated doses -- would have delayed rolling out boosters to people deemed to need them now.

Still, because delta is now the dominant version of the virus worldwide it almost certainly will be a common ancestor for whatever evolves next in a mostly unvaccinated world, said Trevor Bedford, a biologist and genetics expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

A delta-updated vaccine would “help to provide a buffer against those additional mutations,” he said. Bedford is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press Health and Science Department.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that tells the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein so it’s trained to recognize the virus. Updating the formula merely requires swapping out the original genetic code with mRNA for a mutated spike protein.

Both companies first experimented with tweaked doses against a mutant that emerged in South Africa, the beta variant, that has been the most vaccine-resistant to date, more so than the delta variant. Lab tests showed the updated shots produced potent antibodies. But the beta variant didn’t spread widely.

Now the companies have studies underway of fully vaccinated people who agreed to test a booster dose tweaked to match delta. Moderna’s studies also include some shots that combine protection against more than one version of the coronavirus -- much like today’s flu vaccines work against multiple influenza strains.

The mRNA vaccines are considered the easiest kind to tweak but some other vaccine makers also are exploring how to change their recipes if necessary.

WHY STUDY UPDATED SHOTS IF THEY’RE NOT YET NEEDED?

Moderna’s Dr. Jacqueline Miller told an FDA advisory panel last week the company is studying variant-specific boosters now to learn if they offer advantages, and to be ready if they’re needed.

And Penn’s Wherry said it is critical to carefully analyze how the body reacts to updated shots because the immune system tends to “imprint” a stronger memory of the first virus strain it encounters. That raises questions about whether a subtly different booster would prompt a temporary jump in antibodies the body’s made before -- or the bigger goal, a broader and more durable response that might even be better positioned for the next mutations to come along.

“What is the tripping point?” asked Webby, who is part of a World Health Organization network that tracks influenza evolution. “A lot of what is going to need to go into that decision making is just going to be learned by experience, unfortunately.”

Bedford said now is the time to decide what drop in vaccine effectiveness would trigger a formula change, just as is done with flu vaccines every year.

That’s important not just if a dramatically worse variant suddenly develops. Like many scientists, Bedford expects the coronavirus to eventually evolve from a global crisis into a regular threat every winter -- which might mean more regular boosters, maybe even yearly in combination with the flu shot.

Timing between shots matters, too, Wherry noted.

“Your boostability may actually improve with longer intervals between stimulation,” he said. While scientists have learned a lot about the coronavirus, “the story’s not finished yet and we don’t know what the last chapters say.”

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated PressMore COVID-19 booster shots may be on the way -- but when it’s your turn, you’ll get an extra dose of the original vaccine, not one updated to better match the extra-contagious delta variant.And that has some experts wondering if the booster campaign is a bit of a missed opportunity to target delta and its likely descendants.“Don’t we want to match the new strains that are most likely to circulate as closely as possible?” Dr. Cody Meissner of Tufts Medical Center, an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration, challenged Pfizer scientists recently.“I don’t quite understand why this is not delta because that’s what we’re facing right now,” fellow adviser Dr. Patrick Moore of the University of Pittsburgh said last week as government experts debated whether it’s time for Moderna boosters. He wondered if such a switch would be particularly useful to block mild infection.The simple answer: The FDA last month OK’d extra doses of Pfizer’s original recipe after studies showed it still works well enough against delta -- and those doses could be rolled out right away. Now the FDA is weighing evidence for boosters of the original Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines.“It’s less churn and burn on the manufacturing” to only switch formulas when it’s really necessary, said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.But Pfizer and Moderna are hedging their bets. They’re already testing experimental doses customized to delta and another variant, learning how to rapidly tweak the formula in case a change eventually is needed -- for today’s mutants or a brand new one. The tougher question for regulators is how they’d decide if and when to ever order such a switch.What we know so far:CURRENT VACCINES ARE WORKING EVEN AGAINST DELTAVaccines used in the U.S. remain strongly effective against hospitalization and death from COVID-19, even after the delta variant took over, but authorities hope to shore up waning protection against less severe infection and for high-risk populations. Studies show an extra dose of the original formulas revs up virus-fighting antibodies that fend off infection, including antibodies that target delta.MIGHT A DELTA-SPECIFIC BOOSTER WORK EVEN BETTER?Vaccines target the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. Mutations in that protein made delta more contagious but to the immune system, it doesn’t look all that different, said virus expert Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.That means there’s no guarantee a delta-specific booster would protect any better, said University of Pennsylvania immunologist John Wherry. Waiting for studies to settle that question -- and if necessary, brewing updated doses -- would have delayed rolling out boosters to people deemed to need them now.Still, because delta is now the dominant version of the virus worldwide it almost certainly will be a common ancestor for whatever evolves next in a mostly unvaccinated world, said Trevor Bedford, a biologist and genetics expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.A delta-updated vaccine would “help to provide a buffer against those additional mutations,” he said. Bedford is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press Health and Science Department.TWEAKING THE RECIPEThe Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that tells the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein so it’s trained to recognize the virus. Updating the formula merely requires swapping out the original genetic code with mRNA for a mutated spike protein.Both companies first experimented with tweaked doses against a mutant that emerged in South Africa, the beta variant, that has been the most vaccine-resistant to date, more so than the delta variant. Lab tests showed the updated shots produced potent antibodies. But the beta variant didn’t spread widely.Now the companies have studies underway of fully vaccinated people who agreed to test a booster dose tweaked to match delta. Moderna’s studies also include some shots that combine protection against more than one version of the coronavirus -- much like today’s flu vaccines work against multiple influenza strains.The mRNA vaccines are considered the easiest kind to tweak but some other vaccine makers also are exploring how to change their recipes if necessary.WHY STUDY UPDATED SHOTS IF THEY’RE NOT YET NEEDED?Moderna’s Dr. Jacqueline Miller told an FDA advisory panel last week the company is studying variant-specific boosters now to learn if they offer advantages, and to be ready if they’re needed.And Penn’s Wherry said it is critical to carefully analyze how the body reacts to updated shots because the immune system tends to “imprint” a stronger memory of the first virus strain it encounters. That raises questions about whether a subtly different booster would prompt a temporary jump in antibodies the body’s made before -- or the bigger goal, a broader and more durable response that might even be better positioned for the next mutations to come along.NO RULES YET FOR MAKING A SWITCH“What is the tripping point?” asked Webby, who is part of a World Health Organization network that tracks influenza evolution. “A lot of what is going to need to go into that decision making is just going to be learned by experience, unfortunately.”Bedford said now is the time to decide what drop in vaccine effectiveness would trigger a formula change, just as is done with flu vaccines every year.That’s important not just if a dramatically worse variant suddenly develops. Like many scientists, Bedford expects the coronavirus to eventually evolve from a global crisis into a regular threat every winter -- which might mean more regular boosters, maybe even yearly in combination with the flu shot.Timing between shots matters, too, Wherry noted.“Your boostability may actually improve with longer intervals between stimulation,” he said. While scientists have learned a lot about the coronavirus, “the story’s not finished yet and we don’t know what the last chapters say.”___

COVID boosters not updated to protect against delta variant

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Negotiations stretched into a fourth day seeking the return of 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group kidnapped over the weekend by a violent gang that is demanding $1 million ransom per person.

The group includes five children whose ages range from 8 months to 15 years, although authorities were not clear whether the ransom amount included them, a top Haitian official said Tuesday. Sixteen of the abductees are Americans and one Canadian.

The abduction is one of at least 119 kidnappings recorded in Haiti for the first half of October, according to the Center of Analysis and Research of Human Rights, a local nonprofit group. It said a Haitian driver was abducted along with the missionaries, bringing the total to 18 people taken by the gang.

The Haitian official, who was not authorized to speak to the press, told The Associated Press that someone from the 400 Mawozo gang made the ransom demand Saturday in a call to a leader of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries shortly after the abduction.

“This group of workers has been committed to minister throughout poverty-stricken Haiti,” the Ohio group said, adding that the missionaries worked most recently on a project to help rebuild homes lost in a magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on Aug. 14.

The group was returning from visiting an orphanage when it was abducted, the organization said.

Responding to the recent wave of kidnappings, workers staged a protest strike that shuttered businesses, schools and public transportation starting Monday. The work stoppage was a new blow to Haiti’s anemic economy. Unions and other groups vowed to continue the shutdown indefinitely.

In a peaceful demonstration Tuesday north of Port-au-Prince, dozens of people walked through the streets of Titanyen demanding the release of the missionaries. Some carried signs that read “Free the Americans” and “No to Kidnapping!” and explained that the missionaries helped pay bills and build roads and schools.

“They do a lot for us,” said Beatrice Jean.

Meanwhile, the country’s fuel shortage worsened, with businesses blaming gangs for blocking roads and gas distribution terminals.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Negotiations stretched into a fourth day seeking the return of 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group kidnapped over the weekend by a violent gang that is demanding $1 million ransom per person.The group includes five children whose ages range from 8 months to 15 years, although authorities were not clear whether the ransom amount included them, a top Haitian official said Tuesday. Sixteen of the abductees are Americans and one Canadian.The abduction is one of at least 119 kidnappings recorded in Haiti for the first half of October, according to the Center of Analysis and Research of Human Rights, a local nonprofit group. It said a Haitian driver was abducted along with the missionaries, bringing the total to 18 people taken by the gang.The Haitian official, who was not authorized to speak to the press, told The Associated Press that someone from the 400 Mawozo gang made the ransom demand Saturday in a call to a leader of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries shortly after the abduction.“This group of workers has been committed to minister throughout poverty-stricken Haiti,” the Ohio group said, adding that the missionaries worked most recently on a project to help rebuild homes lost in a magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on Aug. 14.The group was returning from visiting an orphanage when it was abducted, the organization said.Responding to the recent wave of kidnappings, workers staged a protest strike that shuttered businesses, schools and public transportation starting Monday. The work stoppage was a new blow to Haiti’s anemic economy. Unions and other groups vowed to continue the shutdown indefinitely.In a peaceful demonstration Tuesday north of Port-au-Prince, dozens of people walked through the streets of Titanyen demanding the release of the missionaries. Some carried signs that read “Free the Americans” and “No to Kidnapping!” and explained that the missionaries helped pay bills and build roads and schools.“They do a lot for us,” said Beatrice Jean.Meanwhile, the country’s fuel shortage worsened, with businesses blaming gangs for blocking roads and gas distribution terminals.Hundreds of motorcycles zoomed through the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday as the drivers yelled, “If there’s no fuel, we’re going to burn it all down!”One protest took place near the prime minister’s residence, where police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd demanding fuel.In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the FBI was “part of a coordinated U.S. government effort” to free the missionaries. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince was coordinating with local officials and the hostages’ families.“We know these groups target U.S. citizens who they assume have the resources and finances to pay ransoms, even if that is not the case,” Psaki said, noting that the government has urged U.S. citizens not to visit Haiti.It is longstanding U.S. policy not to negotiate with hostage takers, and Psaki declined to discuss details of the operation.The kidnapping was the largest of its kind reported in recent years. Haitian gangs have grown more brazen as the country tries to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people.Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group included six women, six men and five children. A sign on the door at the organization’s headquarters in Berlin, Ohio, said it was closed due to the kidnapping situation.News of the kidnappings spread swiftly in and around Holmes County, Ohio, hub of one of the largest populations of Amish and conservative Mennonites in the United States, said Marcus Yoder, executive director of the Amish &amp; Mennonite Heritage Center in nearby Millersburg, Ohio.Christian Aid Ministries is supported by conservative Mennonite, Amish and related groups that are part of the Anabaptist tradition.The organization was founded in the early 1980s and began working in Haiti later that decade, said Steven Nolt, professor of history and Anabaptist studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. The group has year-round mission staff in Haiti and several countries, he said, and it ships religious, school and medical supplies throughout the world.