TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 1,520 to a total of 424,802, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported five new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,170.

<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 1,520 to a total of 424,802, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported five new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,170.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634578227582.png" alt="Monday Oct. 18, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Oct. 18, 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: Latest COVID-19 numbers in Kansas

DOUGLAS COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.

just after 11p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Casey's General Store, 303 E. 10th Street in Eudora Kansas, according to a media release.

 The suspect left on foot southbound on Church Street with a unknown amount of cash from the business. 

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 foot tall wearing a grey hoodie, grey sweatpants, a blue medical mask and displaying a black semi automatic handgun.

If you have any information on this person or the crime committed, please contact the Eudora Police Department at 785-542-3121 or the TIPS Hotline 785-843-TIPS (8477).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634571379465.png" alt="Photo Eudora Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Eudora Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.just after 11p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Casey's General Store, 303 E. 10th Street in Eudora Kansas, according to a media release. The suspect left on foot southbound on Church Street with a unknown amount of cash from the business. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 foot tall wearing a grey hoodie, grey sweatpants, a blue medical mask and displaying a black semi automatic handgun.If you have any information on this person or the crime committed, please contact the Eudora Police Department at 785-542-3121 or the TIPS Hotline 785-843-TIPS (8477).

Kan. armed robbery suspect wore medical mask, took cash

CRAWFORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting of a Kansas teen have made an arrest.

Just before 6:30p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were called to 415 S. Broadway Street Apt. 15 in Pittsburg after a woman was found on the floor of the apartment, bleeding. 

The caller reported finding the door to the apartment open and seeing the victim lying on the floor. Police and EMS responded to the scene and the the victim later identified as&nbsp; 18- year-old Jase Elizabeth Delich of Pittsburg was pronounced deceased, according to Police Lt. Rebekah Lynch.

Evidence located at the crime scene indicates Delich was shot with a handgun. 

Through review of surveillance footage in the area, combined with witness interviews, investigators were able to quickly identify the shooting suspect as 23-year-old Bri’yon Ezra Baker, of Tennessee. Information gathered indicated Baker was likely on foot in the area with no transportation. 

Just after 12 a.m. Sunday, police located Baker walking in the area of 16th Street and Joplin Street.&nbsp; Officers detained hime and he was found to be in possession of a handgun. 

Police brought him to the police department for questioning and later arrested him on requested charges for 2nd Degree Murder. He is being held in Crawford County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634570832767.png" alt="Baker photo Crawford County" />
 <figcaption>Baker photo Crawford County</figcaption>
 </figure>CRAWFORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting of a Kansas teen have made an arrest.Just before 6:30p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were called to 415 S. Broadway Street Apt. 15 in Pittsburg after a woman was found on the floor of the apartment, bleeding. The caller reported finding the door to the apartment open and seeing the victim lying on the floor. Police and EMS responded to the scene and the the victim later identified as&nbsp; 18- year-old Jase Elizabeth Delich of Pittsburg was pronounced deceased, according to Police Lt. Rebekah Lynch.Evidence located at the crime scene indicates Delich was shot with a handgun. Through review of surveillance footage in the area, combined with witness interviews, investigators were able to quickly identify the shooting suspect as 23-year-old Bri’yon Ezra Baker, of Tennessee. Information gathered indicated Baker was likely on foot in the area with no transportation. Just after 12 a.m. Sunday, police located Baker walking in the area of 16th Street and Joplin Street.&nbsp; Officers detained hime and he was found to be in possession of a handgun. Police brought him to the police department for questioning and later arrested him on requested charges for 2nd Degree Murder. He is being held in Crawford County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.

Suspect jailed in fatal shooting of 18-year-old Kan. woman

WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, who served Democratic and Republican presidents in war and peace but whose sterling reputation was forever stained when he went before the U.N. and made faulty claims to justify the U.S. war in Iraq, has died of COVID-19 complications. He was 84.

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Powell rose to the rank of four-star general and in 1989 became the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that role he oversaw the U.S. invasion of Panama and later the U.S. invasion of Kuwait to oust the Iraqi army in 1991.

But his legacy was marred when, in 2003, he went before the U.N. Security Council as secretary of state and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq at a moment of great international skepticism. He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had no such weapons represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.

In announcing his death on social media, Powell’s family said he had been fully vaccinated.

“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American,” the family said. Powell had been treated at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Powell was the first American official to publicly lay the blame for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network and made a lightning trip to Pakistan in October, 2001 to demand that then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf cooperate with the United States in going after the Afghanistan-based group, which also had a presence in Pakistan, where bin Laden was later killed.

As President George W. Bush’s first secretary of state, Powell led a State Department that was dubious of the military and intelligence communities’ conviction that Saddam Hussein possessed or was developing weapons of mass destruction. And yet, despite his reservations, he presented the administration’s case that Saddam indeed posed a major regional and global threat in a speech to the UN Security Council in the run-up to the war.

That speech, replete with his display of a vial of what he said could have been a biological weapon, was later derided as a low-point in Powell’s career, although he had removed some elements that he deemed to have been based on poor intelligence assessments.

Bush said Monday that he and former first lady Laura Bush were “deeply saddened” by Powell’s death.

“He was a great public servant” and “widely respected at home and abroad,” Bush said. “And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”

Powell rose to national prominence under Republican presidents and considered a presidential bid of his own, but ultimately moved away from the party. He endorsed Democrats in the last four presidential elections, starting with former President Barack Obama. He emerged as a vocal Donald Trump critic in recent years, describing Trump as “a national disgrace” who should have been removed from office through impeachment. Following the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Powell said he no longer considers himself a Republican.

Powell rose from a childhood in a fraying New York neighborhood to become the nation’s chief diplomat. “Mine is the story of a black kid of no early promise from an immigrant family of limited means who was raised in the South Bronx,” he wrote in his 1995 autobiography “My American Journey.”

At City College, Powell discovered the ROTC. When he put on his first uniform, “I liked what I saw,” he wrote.

He joined the Army and in 1962 he was one of more than 16,000 military advisers sent to South Vietnam by President John F. Kennedy. A series of promotions led to the Pentagon and assignment as a military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who became his unofficial sponsor. He later became commander of the Army’s 5th Corps in Germany and later was national security assistant to President Ronald Reagan.

During his term as Joint Chiefs chairman, his approach to war became known as the Powell Doctrine, which held that the United States should only commit forces in a conflict if it has clear and achievable objectives with public support, sufficient firepower and a strategy for ending the war.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, said the news of Powell’s death left “a hole in my heart.”

“The world lost one of the greatest leaders that we have ever witnessed,” Austin said while traveling in Europe. “Alma lost a great husband and the family lost a tremendous father and I lost a tremendous personal friend and mentor. He has been my mentor for a number of years. He always made time for me and I can always go to him with tough issues, he always had great counsel.”

Powell’s appearances at the United Nations as secretary of state, including his Iraq speech, were often accompanied by fond reminiscing of his childhood in the city, where he grew up the child of Jamaican immigrants who got one of his first jobs at the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant directly across the East River from the UN headquarters.

A fan of calypso music, Powell was the subject of criticism from, among others, singing legend Harry Belafonte, who likened Powell to a “house slave” for going along with the decision to invade Iraq. Powell declined to get into a public spat with Belafonte, but made it known that he was not a fan and much preferred the Trinidadian calypso star the “Mighty Sparrow.”

Powell maintained, in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, that on balance, U.S. succeeded in Iraq.

“I think we had a lot of successes,” Powell said. “Iraq’s terrible dictator is gone.” Saddam was captured by U.S. forces while hiding out in northern Iraq in December 2003 and later executed by the Iraqi government. But the insurgency grew, and the war dragged on far longer than had been foreseen. Obama pulled U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2011, but he sent advisers back in 2014 after the Islamic State group swept into the country from Syria and captured large swaths of Iraqi territory.

WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state, has died from COVID-19 complications, his family said Monday. In an announcement on social media, the family said Powell had been fully vaccinated. 

Powell was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. But his reputation also suffered a painful setback when, in 2003, Powell went before the U.N. Security Council and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq. 

He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had not represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634560584731.png" alt=" Former Secretary of State Colin Powell interviewed at a Virtual Leadership Conference in February of 2021-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption> Former Secretary of State Colin Powell interviewed at a Virtual Leadership Conference in February of 2021-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, who served Democratic and Republican presidents in war and peace but whose sterling reputation was forever stained when he went before the U.N. and made faulty claims to justify the U.S. war in Iraq, has died of COVID-19 complications. He was 84.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on the passing of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell: <a href="https://t.co/7uwRtsk0K9">pic.twitter.com/7uwRtsk0K9</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1450115133267644416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A veteran of the Vietnam War, Powell rose to the rank of four-star general and in 1989 became the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that role he oversaw the U.S. invasion of Panama and later the U.S. invasion of Kuwait to oust the Iraqi army in 1991.But his legacy was marred when, in 2003, he went before the U.N. Security Council as secretary of state and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq at a moment of great international skepticism. He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had no such weapons represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.In announcing his death on social media, Powell’s family said he had been fully vaccinated.“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American,” the family said. Powell had been treated at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.Powell was the first American official to publicly lay the blame for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network and made a lightning trip to Pakistan in October, 2001 to demand that then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf cooperate with the United States in going after the Afghanistan-based group, which also had a presence in Pakistan, where bin Laden was later killed.As President George W. Bush’s first secretary of state, Powell led a State Department that was dubious of the military and intelligence communities’ conviction that Saddam Hussein possessed or was developing weapons of mass destruction. And yet, despite his reservations, he presented the administration’s case that Saddam indeed posed a major regional and global threat in a speech to the UN Security Council in the run-up to the war.That speech, replete with his display of a vial of what he said could have been a biological weapon, was later derided as a low-point in Powell’s career, although he had removed some elements that he deemed to have been based on poor intelligence assessments.Bush said Monday that he and former first lady Laura Bush were “deeply saddened” by Powell’s death.“He was a great public servant” and “widely respected at home and abroad,” Bush said. “And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”Powell rose to national prominence under Republican presidents and considered a presidential bid of his own, but ultimately moved away from the party. He endorsed Democrats in the last four presidential elections, starting with former President Barack Obama. He emerged as a vocal Donald Trump critic in recent years, describing Trump as “a national disgrace” who should have been removed from office through impeachment. Following the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Powell said he no longer considers himself a Republican.Powell rose from a childhood in a fraying New York neighborhood to become the nation’s chief diplomat. “Mine is the story of a black kid of no early promise from an immigrant family of limited means who was raised in the South Bronx,” he wrote in his 1995 autobiography “My American Journey.”At City College, Powell discovered the ROTC. When he put on his first uniform, “I liked what I saw,” he wrote.He joined the Army and in 1962 he was one of more than 16,000 military advisers sent to South Vietnam by President John F. Kennedy. A series of promotions led to the Pentagon and assignment as a military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who became his unofficial sponsor. He later became commander of the Army’s 5th Corps in Germany and later was national security assistant to President Ronald Reagan.During his term as Joint Chiefs chairman, his approach to war became known as the Powell Doctrine, which held that the United States should only commit forces in a conflict if it has clear and achievable objectives with public support, sufficient firepower and a strategy for ending the war.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, said the news of Powell’s death left “a hole in my heart.”“The world lost one of the greatest leaders that we have ever witnessed,” Austin said while traveling in Europe. “Alma lost a great husband and the family lost a tremendous father and I lost a tremendous personal friend and mentor. He has been my mentor for a number of years. He always made time for me and I can always go to him with tough issues, he always had great counsel.”Powell’s appearances at the United Nations as secretary of state, including his Iraq speech, were often accompanied by fond reminiscing of his childhood in the city, where he grew up the child of Jamaican immigrants who got one of his first jobs at the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant directly across the East River from the UN headquarters.A fan of calypso music, Powell was the subject of criticism from, among others, singing legend Harry Belafonte, who likened Powell to a “house slave” for going along with the decision to invade Iraq. Powell declined to get into a public spat with Belafonte, but made it known that he was not a fan and much preferred the Trinidadian calypso star the “Mighty Sparrow.”Powell maintained, in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, that on balance, U.S. succeeded in Iraq.“I think we had a lot of successes,” Powell said. “Iraq’s terrible dictator is gone.” Saddam was captured by U.S. forces while hiding out in northern Iraq in December 2003 and later executed by the Iraqi government. But the insurgency grew, and the war dragged on far longer than had been foreseen. Obama pulled U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2011, but he sent advisers back in 2014 after the Islamic State group swept into the country from Syria and captured large swaths of Iraqi territory.------WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state, has died from COVID-19 complications, his family said Monday. In an announcement on social media, the family said Powell had been fully vaccinated. Powell was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. But his reputation also suffered a painful setback when, in 2003, Powell went before the U.N. Security Council and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq. He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had not represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.

Kan. Gov. on the passing of former U.S. Sec. of State Colin Powell

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 8:30a.m. Friday, a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2018 Toyota Forerunner for an alleged traffic infraction on 126th Road east of U.S. 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 During the course of the traffic stop, the deputy discovered illegal narcotics.  The driver, Richard Nguyen, 28, of Memphis, Tennessee was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a weapon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634436677799.png" alt="Nguyen photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Nguyen photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just after 8:30a.m. Friday, a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2018 Toyota Forerunner for an alleged traffic infraction on 126th Road east of U.S. 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. During the course of the traffic stop, the deputy discovered illegal narcotics. The driver, Richard Nguyen, 28, of Memphis, Tennessee was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a weapon.

Sheriff: Tennessee man was transporting cocaine in Kansas 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration said it will turn next to the U.S. Supreme Court in another attempt to halt a Texas law that has banned most abortions since September.

The move comes as the Texas clinics are running out of avenues to stop the GOP-engineered law that bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">which is usually around six weeks.</a>&nbsp;It amounts to the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.

The latest defeat for clinics came Thursday night when a federal appeals panel in New Orleans, in a 2-1 decision, allowed the restrictions to remain in place for a third time in the last several weeks alone.

Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the federal government will now ask the Supreme Court to reverse that decision but did not say how quickly.

The Biden administration was under pressure from abortion rights supporters to go to the Supreme Court even before the announcement. The court already once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">allowed the restrictions to take effect, but did so&nbsp;</a>without ruling on the law’s constitutionality.

Since the law took effect Sept. 1, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception for cases of rape or incest.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office called Thursday night’s decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”

A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ law has outmaneuvered courts so far because it offloads enforcement to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.

Only once has a court moved to put the restrictions on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order stood for only 48 hours</a>.

During that brief window, some Texas clinics rushed to perform abortions on patients past six weeks, but many more appointments were canceled after the 5th Circuit moved to swiftly reinstate the law last week.

Texas had roughly two dozen abortion clinics before the law took effect, and operators have said some may be forced to close if the restrictions stay in place for much longer.

Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tip line to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”

Already the stakes are high in the coming months over the future of abortion rights in the U.S. In December, the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court will hear Mississippi’s bid to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion.

On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place. Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-justice-department-lawsuit-851b4ef55da816bda704be491bfc032c">has called the law “clearly unconstitutional”</a>&nbsp;and warned that it could become a model elsewhere in the country unless it’s struck down.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas can continue banning most abortions after a federal appeals court rejected the Biden administration’s latest attempt to stop a novel law that has become the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.

The decision Thursday could push the law closer to returning to the U.S. Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">has already once allowed the restrictions to take effect</a>&nbsp;without ruling on its constitutionality. The Texas law bans abortions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">once cardiac activity is detected</a>, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.

Since the law took effect in early September, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception in cases of rape or incest.

“We hope the Department of Justice urgently appeals this order to the Supreme Court to restore Texans’ ability to obtain abortion care after six weeks in pregnancy,” said Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.

The Justice Department did not immediately react to the decision and a spokesperson had no comment late Thursday.

In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Texas’ request to keep the law in place as the court case proceeds. It marks the third time the conservative-leaning appeals court has sided with Texas and let the restrictions stand.

The panel said it would expedite the appeal and schedule oral arguments, but did not say when.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office called the decision a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”

It marks another setback for the Justice Department and Texas abortion providers in their efforts to derail the law, which has thus far prevailed because of a unique structure that leaves enforcement up to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.

Despite numerous legal challenges both before and after the law took effect Sept. 1, only once has a court moved to put the restriction on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order only stood for 48 hours</a>.

A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ version has outmaneuvered courts so far due to the fact that it offloads enforcement to private citizens.

Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tipline to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”

On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place.

“The Attorney General has no authority to act as a roving reviser of state law, challenging as unconstitutional any rule with which he disagrees,” Indiana Attorney General Theodore Rokita told the appeals court in a brief filed Wednesday.

Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634041318695.png" alt="Abortion protesters in Kansas City last month" />
 <figcaption>Abortion protesters in Kansas City last month</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration said it will turn next to the U.S. Supreme Court in another attempt to halt a Texas law that has banned most abortions since September.The move comes as the Texas clinics are running out of avenues to stop the GOP-engineered law that bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">which is usually around six weeks.</a>&nbsp;It amounts to the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.The latest defeat for clinics came Thursday night when a federal appeals panel in New Orleans, in a 2-1 decision, allowed the restrictions to remain in place for a third time in the last several weeks alone.Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the federal government will now ask the Supreme Court to reverse that decision but did not say how quickly.The Biden administration was under pressure from abortion rights supporters to go to the Supreme Court even before the announcement. The court already once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">allowed the restrictions to take effect, but did so&nbsp;</a>without ruling on the law’s constitutionality.Since the law took effect Sept. 1, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception for cases of rape or incest.The Texas Attorney General’s Office called Thursday night’s decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ law has outmaneuvered courts so far because it offloads enforcement to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.Only once has a court moved to put the restrictions on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order stood for only 48 hours</a>.During that brief window, some Texas clinics rushed to perform abortions on patients past six weeks, but many more appointments were canceled after the 5th Circuit moved to swiftly reinstate the law last week.Texas had roughly two dozen abortion clinics before the law took effect, and operators have said some may be forced to close if the restrictions stay in place for much longer.Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tip line to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”Already the stakes are high in the coming months over the future of abortion rights in the U.S. In December, the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court will hear Mississippi’s bid to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion.On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place. Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-justice-department-lawsuit-851b4ef55da816bda704be491bfc032c">has called the law “clearly unconstitutional”</a>&nbsp;and warned that it could become a model elsewhere in the country unless it’s struck down.-----------AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas can continue banning most abortions after a federal appeals court rejected the Biden administration’s latest attempt to stop a novel law that has become the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.The decision Thursday could push the law closer to returning to the U.S. Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">has already once allowed the restrictions to take effect</a>&nbsp;without ruling on its constitutionality. The Texas law bans abortions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">once cardiac activity is detected</a>, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.Since the law took effect in early September, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception in cases of rape or incest.“We hope the Department of Justice urgently appeals this order to the Supreme Court to restore Texans’ ability to obtain abortion care after six weeks in pregnancy,” said Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.The Justice Department did not immediately react to the decision and a spokesperson had no comment late Thursday.In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Texas’ request to keep the law in place as the court case proceeds. It marks the third time the conservative-leaning appeals court has sided with Texas and let the restrictions stand.The panel said it would expedite the appeal and schedule oral arguments, but did not say when.The Texas Attorney General’s Office called the decision a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”It marks another setback for the Justice Department and Texas abortion providers in their efforts to derail the law, which has thus far prevailed because of a unique structure that leaves enforcement up to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.Despite numerous legal challenges both before and after the law took effect Sept. 1, only once has a court moved to put the restriction on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order only stood for 48 hours</a>.During that brief window, some Texas clinics rushed to perform abortions on patients past six weeks, but many more appointments were canceled after the 5th Circuit moved to swiftly reinstate the law last week.Texas had roughly two dozen abortion clinics before the law took effect, and operators have said some may be forced to close if the restrictions stay in place for much longer.Already the stakes are high in the coming months over the future of abortion rights in the U.S. In December, the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court will hear Mississippi’s bid to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion.A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ version has outmaneuvered courts so far due to the fact that it offloads enforcement to private citizens.Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tipline to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-justice-department-lawsuit-851b4ef55da816bda704be491bfc032c">has called the law “clearly unconstitutional”</a>&nbsp;and warned that it could become a model elsewhere in the country unless it’s struck down.“The Attorney General has no authority to act as a roving reviser of state law, challenging as unconstitutional any rule with which he disagrees,” Indiana Attorney General Theodore Rokita told the appeals court in a brief filed Wednesday.Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.

Supreme Court asked to halt nation's most restrictive abortion law

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A notorious Haitian gang known for brazen kidnappings and killings was accused by police Sunday of abducting 17 missionaries from a U.S.-based organization. Five children were believed to be among those kidnapped, including a 2-year-old.

The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the group in Ganthier, a community that lies east of the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haitian police inspector Frantz Champagne told The Associated Press. The gang was blamed for kidnapping five priests and two nuns earlier this year in Haiti.

The gang, whose name roughly translates to 400 “inexperienced men,” controls the Croix-des-Bouquets area that includes Ganthier, where they carry out kidnappings and carjackings and extort business owners, according to authorities.

Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group consisted of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, for a total of five children, seven women and five men. The organization said they were on a trip to visit an orphanage.

“Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers and the families, friends and churches of those affected,” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “As an organization, we commit this situation to God and trust him to see us through.”

Haiti is once again struggling with a spike in gang-related kidnappings that had diminished in recent months, after President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence on July 7 and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in August.

The missionary group offers Bible classes, runs a medical clinic, helps orphans and distributes seeds to farmers, among other efforts in Haiti, according to its annual report.

The report for last year said that American staff had returned to their base in Haiti after a nine-month absence “due to political unrest” and noted the “uncertainty and difficulties” that arise from such instability.

An AP team on Sunday visited the group’s orphanage in Ganthier, where a couple of children were seen walking through a yard. A security guard confirmed that it was the place the kidnapped missionaries visited before they were abducted. The guard called the orphanage’s pastor at the AP’s request, but he declined to comment, saying only, “Let’s leave things as they are.”

Nearly a year ago, Haitian police issued a wanted poster for the gang’s alleged leader, Wilson Joseph, on charges including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, auto theft and the hijacking of trucks carrying goods. He goes by the nickname “Lanmò Sanjou,” which means “death doesn’t know which day it’s coming.”

Joseph, who could not be immediately reached for comment, has posted videos detailing the alleged crimes the gang has committed in recent years.

Once, when the gang opened fire on a small bus carrying several passengers and killed an infant, Wilson said it was not their fault because the bus driver refused to stop. In a more recent video, he appears holding a bottle of alcohol surrounded by heavily armed men. Another video from June shows people inside a church fleeing as gunfire erupted outside on a Saturday morning. The gang was accused of raiding the area and setting cars on fire.

A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States is in touch with Haitian authorities to try to resolve the case.

Christian Aid Ministries came under public scrutiny in 2019, when one of the group’s former workers based in Haiti was convicted of felony sexual abuse against minors in Ohio. Jeriah Mast, 40, is serving a nine-year sentence in an Ohio prison. During the hearing, the judge said Mast told him that he also molested at least 30 boys in Haiti in the span of about 15 years, according to The Daily Record newspaper in Ohio.

The religious organization said in a May 2020 statement that it had reached an out-of-court settlement with victims regarding a sexual abuse case in the Haitian community of Petit Goave and had provided other victims with a total of $420,000 in restitution and other assistance.

Amid the spike in kidnappings, gangs have demanded ransoms ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to more than $1 million, according to authorities.

Last month, a deacon was killed in front of a church in the capital of Port-au-Prince and his wife kidnapped, one of dozens of people who have been abducted in recent months.

At least 328 kidnappings were reported to Haiti’s National Police in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of 2020, according to a report issued last month by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti known as BINUH.

Gangs have been accused of kidnapping schoolchildren, doctors, police officers, busloads of passengers and others as they grow more powerful. In April, a man who claimed to be the gang leader of the 400 Mawozo told a radio station that they were responsible for kidnapping five priests, two nuns and three relatives of one of the priests that month. They were later released.

The spike in kidnappings and gang-related violence has forced Haitians to take detours around certain gang-controlled areas while others simply opt to stay home, which in turn means less money for people like Charles Pierre, a moto taxi driver in Port-au-Prince who has several children to feed.

“People are not going out in the streets,” he said. “We cannot find people to transport.”

A protest is scheduled for Monday to decry the nation’s lack of security.

The kidnapping of the missionaries comes just days after high-level U.S. officials visited Haiti and promised more resources for Haiti’s National Police, including another $15 million to help reduce gang violence, which this year has displaced thousands of Haitians who now live in temporary shelters in increasingly unhygienic conditions.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A notorious Haitian gang known for brazen kidnappings and killings was accused by police Sunday of abducting 17 missionaries from a U.S.-based organization. Five children were believed to be among those kidnapped, including a 2-year-old.The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the group in Ganthier, a community that lies east of the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haitian police inspector Frantz Champagne told The Associated Press. The gang was blamed for kidnapping five priests and two nuns earlier this year in Haiti.The gang, whose name roughly translates to 400 “inexperienced men,” controls the Croix-des-Bouquets area that includes Ganthier, where they carry out kidnappings and carjackings and extort business owners, according to authorities.Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group consisted of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, for a total of five children, seven women and five men. The organization said they were on a trip to visit an orphanage.“Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers and the families, friends and churches of those affected,” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “As an organization, we commit this situation to God and trust him to see us through.”Haiti is once again struggling with a spike in gang-related kidnappings that had diminished in recent months, after President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence on July 7 and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in August.The missionary group offers Bible classes, runs a medical clinic, helps orphans and distributes seeds to farmers, among other efforts in Haiti, according to its annual report.The report for last year said that American staff had returned to their base in Haiti after a nine-month absence “due to political unrest” and noted the “uncertainty and difficulties” that arise from such instability.An AP team on Sunday visited the group’s orphanage in Ganthier, where a couple of children were seen walking through a yard. A security guard confirmed that it was the place the kidnapped missionaries visited before they were abducted. The guard called the orphanage’s pastor at the AP’s request, but he declined to comment, saying only, “Let’s leave things as they are.”Nearly a year ago, Haitian police issued a wanted poster for the gang’s alleged leader, Wilson Joseph, on charges including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, auto theft and the hijacking of trucks carrying goods. He goes by the nickname “Lanmò Sanjou,” which means “death doesn’t know which day it’s coming.”Joseph, who could not be immediately reached for comment, has posted videos detailing the alleged crimes the gang has committed in recent years.Once, when the gang opened fire on a small bus carrying several passengers and killed an infant, Wilson said it was not their fault because the bus driver refused to stop. In a more recent video, he appears holding a bottle of alcohol surrounded by heavily armed men. Another video from June shows people inside a church fleeing as gunfire erupted outside on a Saturday morning. The gang was accused of raiding the area and setting cars on fire.A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States is in touch with Haitian authorities to try to resolve the case.Christian Aid Ministries came under public scrutiny in 2019, when one of the group’s former workers based in Haiti was convicted of felony sexual abuse against minors in Ohio. Jeriah Mast, 40, is serving a nine-year sentence in an Ohio prison. During the hearing, the judge said Mast told him that he also molested at least 30 boys in Haiti in the span of about 15 years, according to The Daily Record newspaper in Ohio.The religious organization said in a May 2020 statement that it had reached an out-of-court settlement with victims regarding a sexual abuse case in the Haitian community of Petit Goave and had provided other victims with a total of $420,000 in restitution and other assistance.Amid the spike in kidnappings, gangs have demanded ransoms ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to more than $1 million, according to authorities.Last month, a deacon was killed in front of a church in the capital of Port-au-Prince and his wife kidnapped, one of dozens of people who have been abducted in recent months.At least 328 kidnappings were reported to Haiti’s National Police in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of 2020, according to a report issued last month by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti known as BINUH.Gangs have been accused of kidnapping schoolchildren, doctors, police officers, busloads of passengers and others as they grow more powerful. In April, a man who claimed to be the gang leader of the 400 Mawozo told a radio station that they were responsible for kidnapping five priests, two nuns and three relatives of one of the priests that month. They were later released.The spike in kidnappings and gang-related violence has forced Haitians to take detours around certain gang-controlled areas while others simply opt to stay home, which in turn means less money for people like Charles Pierre, a moto taxi driver in Port-au-Prince who has several children to feed.“People are not going out in the streets,” he said. “We cannot find people to transport.”A protest is scheduled for Monday to decry the nation’s lack of security.The kidnapping of the missionaries comes just days after high-level U.S. officials visited Haiti and promised more resources for Haiti’s National Police, including another $15 million to help reduce gang violence, which this year has displaced thousands of Haitians who now live in temporary shelters in increasingly unhygienic conditions.___

17 U.S. missionaries kidnapped by gang includes 5 children

ELLIS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Sunday in Ellis County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Peterbilt semi driven by Terry J. Fox, 59, Brookfield, Ohio., was westbound on Interstate 70 near Walker Avenue.

The vehicle struck a 2004 Freightliner semi that was disabled on the north shoulder of the interstate. The semi came to rest on the I-70 overpass over Old U.S. 40 and caught fire.

EMS transported Fox and a passenger Robert Lee Fox, 62, Brookfield, Ohio, to Hays Medical Center. He was in the sleeper berth of the truck at the time of the accident. 

Melvin Aguilar-Rios, 35, Jewett City, CT.,&nbsp;was in the sleeper berth of the Freightliner semi at the time of the accident and not transported for treatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634553773651.png" alt="photo courtesy Kansas Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Kansas Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Sunday in Ellis County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Peterbilt semi driven by Terry J. Fox, 59, Brookfield, Ohio., was westbound on Interstate 70 near Walker Avenue.The vehicle struck a 2004 Freightliner semi that was disabled on the north shoulder of the interstate. The semi came to rest on the I-70 overpass over Old U.S. 40 and caught fire.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634553756680.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>EMS transported Fox and a passenger Robert Lee Fox, 62, Brookfield, Ohio, to Hays Medical Center. He was in the sleeper berth of the truck at the time of the accident. Melvin Aguilar-Rios, 35, Jewett City, CT.,&nbsp;was in the sleeper berth of the Freightliner semi at the time of the accident and not transported for treatment.

2 hospitalized after I-70 semi crash and fire

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 announced today that millions of American families are now receiving 
their advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of October.

This fourth batch of advance monthly payments, totaling about $15 
billion, is reaching about 36 million families today across the 
country.&nbsp;The majority of payments will be issued by direct deposit.

Under the American Rescue Plan, most eligible families received 
payments dated July 15, August 13 and September 15. Future payments are 
scheduled for November 15 and December 15. For these families, 
each&nbsp;payment is up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up 
to $250 per month for each child ages 6 through 17. The vast majority 
will be issued by direct deposit.

The IRS is currently sending letters to some Americans reminding
 them it is not too late for families who haven't filed a 2020 income 
tax return — including those who are not normally required to file 
because their incomes are too low — to sign up for advance CTC payments.
 Most low-income families can get these monthly payments. The IRS urges 
families who normally aren't required to file a tax return to visit 
IRS.gov for more information on how to file a return and receive their 
credit.

Update on September advance Child Tax Credit payments

In September, the IRS successfully delivered a third monthly round of
 approximately 36 million Child Tax Credit payments, totaling more than 
$15 billion. Given the new components of this program, the IRS continues
 to work hard to make improvements and deliver payments timely.

After the September payment was issued, the IRS resolved a technical 
issue, which the agency estimates caused fewer than 2% of CTC recipients
 not to receive their September payment on the scheduled payment date. 
Payments have since gone out to affected individuals.

The impacted group primarily included taxpayers who recently made an 
update to their bank account or address information using the IRS Child 
Tax Credit Update Portal. In particular, the issue affected payments to 
married taxpayers filing jointly where only one spouse made a bank 
account or address change, which usually results in payments being split
 into two (between the existing account or address and the new account 
or address).

In some of these cases, the split payment caused a delay in making 
payments, and further caused individuals to receive slightly more than 
the correct payment in September. To address this, the payment that each
 spouse receives in October, November and December will be reduced 
slightly to adjust for the overpayment. For each taxpayer receiving a 
payment, the typical overpayment was $31.25 per child between 6 and 17 
years old and $37.50 per child under 6 years old. This will result in 
about a $10 to $13 reduction per child in the three remaining monthly 
payments.

The IRS will send letters to affected individuals with this 
information. The IRS continues to closely monitor this program and the 
agency appreciates the patience of those whose payments were affected.

The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information and use available <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">online tools and toolkits</a> to help non-filers, low-income families and other underserved groups sign up to receive these benefits.

Links to online tools, a step-by-step guide to using the Non-filer 
Sign-up Tool, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful 
resources are available on the IRS' special advance CTC 2021 page. It's 
at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 announced today that millions of American families are now receiving 
their advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of October.This fourth batch of advance monthly payments, totaling about $15 
billion, is reaching about 36 million families today across the 
country.&nbsp;The majority of payments will be issued by direct deposit.Under the American Rescue Plan, most eligible families received 
payments dated July 15, August 13 and September 15. Future payments are 
scheduled for November 15 and December 15. For these families, 
each&nbsp;payment is up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up 
to $250 per month for each child ages 6 through 17. The vast majority 
will be issued by direct deposit.Here are more details on those payments:<ul>
 <li>Families will see the direct deposit payments in their accounts 
starting October 15. Like the prior payments, the vast majority of 
families will receive them by direct deposit.</li><li>For those receiving payments by paper check, be sure to allow extra
 time, through the end of October, for delivery by mail. Those wishing 
to receive future payments by direct deposit can make this change using 
the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a>, available only on IRS.gov. To access the portal or to get a new step-by-step guide for using it, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.</li><li>Payments went to eligible families who filed a 2019 or 2020 income 
tax return. Returns processed by October 4 are reflected in these 
payments. This includes people who don't typically file a return but 
during 2020 successfully registered for Economic Impact Payments using 
the IRS Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov or in 2021 successfully used the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool">Non-filer Sign-up Tool for advance CTC</a>, also available only on IRS.gov.</li><li>Payments are automatic. Aside from filing a tax return, including a
 simplified return from the Non-filer Sign-up Tool, families don't have 
to do anything if they are eligible to receive monthly payments.</li><li>Families who did not get a July, August or September payment and 
are getting their first monthly payment this month will still receive 
their total advance payment for the year. This means that the total 
payment will be spread over three months, rather than six, making each 
monthly payment larger.</li>
 </ul>The IRS is currently sending letters to some Americans reminding
 them it is not too late for families who haven't filed a 2020 income 
tax return — including those who are not normally required to file 
because their incomes are too low — to sign up for advance CTC payments.
 Most low-income families can get these monthly payments. The IRS urges 
families who normally aren't required to file a tax return to visit 
IRS.gov for more information on how to file a return and receive their 
credit.<h2>Update on September advance Child Tax Credit payments</h2>In September, the IRS successfully delivered a third monthly round of
 approximately 36 million Child Tax Credit payments, totaling more than 
$15 billion. Given the new components of this program, the IRS continues
 to work hard to make improvements and deliver payments timely.After the September payment was issued, the IRS resolved a technical 
issue, which the agency estimates caused fewer than 2% of CTC recipients
 not to receive their September payment on the scheduled payment date. 
Payments have since gone out to affected individuals.The impacted group primarily included taxpayers who recently made an 
update to their bank account or address information using the IRS Child 
Tax Credit Update Portal. In particular, the issue affected payments to 
married taxpayers filing jointly where only one spouse made a bank 
account or address change, which usually results in payments being split
 into two (between the existing account or address and the new account 
or address).In some of these cases, the split payment caused a delay in making 
payments, and further caused individuals to receive slightly more than 
the correct payment in September. To address this, the payment that each
 spouse receives in October, November and December will be reduced 
slightly to adjust for the overpayment. For each taxpayer receiving a 
payment, the typical overpayment was $31.25 per child between 6 and 17 
years old and $37.50 per child under 6 years old. This will result in 
about a $10 to $13 reduction per child in the three remaining monthly 
payments.The IRS will send letters to affected individuals with this 
information. The IRS continues to closely monitor this program and the 
agency appreciates the patience of those whose payments were affected.The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information and use available <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">online tools and toolkits</a> to help non-filers, low-income families and other underserved groups sign up to receive these benefits.Links to online tools, a step-by-step guide to using the Non-filer 
Sign-up Tool, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful 
resources are available on the IRS' special advance CTC 2021 page. It's 
at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.

October Child Tax Credit payments sent to American families

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four people received prison sentences following convictions in relation to a drug trafficking ring that operated for years in the Kansas City metropolitan area, according to the United State's Attorney.

The Jackson County Drug Task Force began an undercover operation in 2016 surrounding a drug trafficking ring, according to court documents.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) later partnered in the investigation which included controlled purchases of confirmed methamphetamine and surveillance. In 2019, law enforcement arrested Juan Ceniceros, 28, of Kansas City, Missouri, and several of co-conspirators including Ryan Goodall, 25; Julio Rodriguez; 57, and Donald Brown, 51.

Juan Ceniceros was sentenced to 144 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Ryan Goodall was sentenced to 124 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Goodall also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Julio Rodriguez of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Donald Brown of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to 81 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.

“The fact that this investigation spanned several years is a testament to the patience and steadfast dedication of local and federal law enforcement agencies. Their commitment to staying with the investigation as long as necessary ensured appropriate convictions for this illegal behavior which harms our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.

The Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. The United States Marshals Service assisted with identification and apprehension in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania prosecuted the case. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634070467617.png" alt="Ceniceros photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Ceniceros photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four people received prison sentences following convictions in relation to a drug trafficking ring that operated for years in the Kansas City metropolitan area, according to the United State's Attorney.The Jackson County Drug Task Force began an undercover operation in 2016 surrounding a drug trafficking ring, according to court documents.The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) later partnered in the investigation which included controlled purchases of confirmed methamphetamine and surveillance. In 2019, law enforcement arrested Juan Ceniceros, 28, of Kansas City, Missouri, and several of co-conspirators including Ryan Goodall, 25; Julio Rodriguez; 57, and Donald Brown, 51.Juan Ceniceros was sentenced to 144 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634070625713.png" alt="Goodall photo Wyandotte Co" />
 <figcaption>Goodall photo Wyandotte Co</figcaption>
 </figure>Ryan Goodall was sentenced to 124 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Goodall also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634070704138.png" alt=" Rodriguez-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption> Rodriguez-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Julio Rodriguez of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.Donald Brown of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to 81 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.“The fact that this investigation spanned several years is a testament to the patience and steadfast dedication of local and federal law enforcement agencies. Their commitment to staying with the investigation as long as necessary ensured appropriate convictions for this illegal behavior which harms our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.The Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. The United States Marshals Service assisted with identification and apprehension in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania prosecuted the case.

4 sentenced for role in Kansas City-area drug ring

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The person who ran an Overland Park day care was fired after police began investigating allegations of child abuse at the center. A spokesman for The Learning Express said Sunday that the franchise owner of the location in Overland Park was fired for “failing to meet our standard of care.” 

The independently owned day care is a franchise location of the Deerfield Beach, Florida-based company. Overland Park Police said Thursday that officers are investigating nine reports of child abuse at the center. That investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been reported.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The person who ran an Overland Park day care was fired after police began investigating allegations of child abuse at the center. A spokesman for The Learning Express said Sunday that the franchise owner of the location in Overland Park was fired for “failing to meet our standard of care.” The independently owned day care is a franchise location of the Deerfield Beach, Florida-based company. Overland Park Police said Thursday that officers are investigating nine reports of child abuse at the center. That investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been reported.

Day care manager in Kan. fired as police investigate reports of abuse

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man charged with killing six people on or near trails in south Kansas City, Missouri, in 2016 and 2017 is now set to stand trial next year.

A judge on Thursday set Fredrick Scott’s first-degree murder trial date for Sept. 6, 2022. Earlier this year, Scott had been found not mentally competent to stand in the separate shooting deaths of 57-year-old Steven Gibbons; 54-year-old John Palmer; 67-year-old David Lenox; 57-year-old Timothy Rice; 61-year-old Michael Darby; and 64-year-old Karen Harmeyer.

All of the killings occurred in 2016 and 2017 along city hiking and biking trails that frightened the community and users of the trails. Scott has been in custody since his arrest nearly four years ago.

Police have said that in the days before his arrest, Scott reported four handguns stolen from him. Police believe those guns were used in the killings and that Scott reported them stolen to throw off investigators.

Police have said Scott told detectives after his arrest that he was angry about the 2015 shooting death of his half brother. Scott’s mother has said he suffered from delusions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623839245972.png" alt="Scott photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Scott photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man charged with killing six people on or near trails in south Kansas City, Missouri, in 2016 and 2017 is now set to stand trial next year.A judge on Thursday set Fredrick Scott’s first-degree murder trial date for Sept. 6, 2022. Earlier this year, Scott had been found not mentally competent to stand in the separate shooting deaths of 57-year-old Steven Gibbons; 54-year-old John Palmer; 67-year-old David Lenox; 57-year-old Timothy Rice; 61-year-old Michael Darby; and 64-year-old Karen Harmeyer.All of the killings occurred in 2016 and 2017 along city hiking and biking trails that frightened the community and users of the trails. Scott has been in custody since his arrest nearly four years ago.Police have said that in the days before his arrest, Scott reported four handguns stolen from him. Police believe those guns were used in the killings and that Scott reported them stolen to throw off investigators.Police have said Scott told detectives after his arrest that he was angry about the 2015 shooting death of his half brother. Scott’s mother has said he suffered from delusions.

Trial set for murder of 6 on Kansas City hiking, biking trail

CRAWFIRD COUNTY —Authorities have identified a Kansas man who died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Saturday in Crawford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2088 Chevy S-10 driven by Jeffery A. Leroy, 61, Pittsburg, was southbound on U.S. 69 ten miles north of Kansas 47. A 2019 GMC Yukon driven by Carter J. Edgecomb, 18, was&nbsp; northbound. 

The Chevy traveled left of center. Both vehicles attempted evasive maneuvers, colliding in the center of the roadway.

Leroy was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. EMS transported Edgecomb to Via Christi. A 16-year-old passenger in the. Yukon was not injured. Leroy was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

CRAWFORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal Saturday evening crash in Crawford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a was southbound vehicle on U.S. Highway 69 ten miles north of Kansas 47 Highway traveled left of center. A northbound vehicle and the southbound vehicle collided in the center of the roadway.&nbsp; &nbsp;The KHP released no additional details late Saturday.

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

CRAWFIRD COUNTY —Authorities have identified a Kansas man who died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Saturday in Crawford County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2088 Chevy S-10 driven by Jeffery A. Leroy, 61, Pittsburg, was southbound on U.S. 69 ten miles north of Kansas 47. A 2019 GMC Yukon driven by Carter J. Edgecomb, 18, was&nbsp; northbound. The Chevy traveled left of center. Both vehicles attempted evasive maneuvers, colliding in the center of the roadway.Leroy was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. EMS transported Edgecomb to Via Christi. A 16-year-old passenger in the. Yukon was not injured. Leroy was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.-----------CRAWFORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal Saturday evening crash in Crawford County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a was southbound vehicle on U.S. Highway 69 ten miles north of Kansas 47 Highway traveled left of center. A northbound vehicle and the southbound vehicle collided in the center of the roadway.&nbsp; &nbsp;The KHP released no additional details late Saturday.Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

KHP IDs Kansas man who died in SUV, pickup crash

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Like other ranchers across the country, Rusty Kemp for years grumbled about rock-bottom prices paid for the cattle he raised in central Nebraska, even as the cost of beef at grocery stores kept climbing.

He and his neighbors blamed it on consolidation in the beef industry stretching back to the 1970s that resulted in four companies slaughtering over 80% of the nation’s cattle, giving the processors more power to set prices while ranchers struggled to make a living. Federal data show that for every dollar spent on food, the share that went to ranchers and farmers dropped from 35 cents in the 1970s to 14 cents recently.

It led Kemp to launch an audacious plan: Raise more than $300 million from ranchers to build a plant themselves, putting their future in their own hands.

“We’ve been complaining about it for 30 years,” Kemp said. “It’s probably time somebody does something about it.”

Crews will start work this fall building the Sustainable Beef plant on nearly 400 acres near North Platte, Nebraska, and other groups are making similar surprising moves in Iowa, Idaho and Wisconsin. The enterprises will test whether it’s really possible to compete financially against an industry trend that has swept through American agriculture and that played a role in meat shortages during the coronavirus pandemic.

The move is well timed, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture is now taking a number of steps to encourage a more diverse supply in the beef industry.

Still, it’s hard to overstate the challenge, going up against huge, well-financed competitors that run highly efficient plants and can sell beef at prices that smaller operators will struggle to match.

The question is whether smaller plants can pay ranchers more and still make a profit themselves. An average 1,370-pound steer is worth about $1,630, but that value must be divided between the slaughterhouse, feed lot and the rancher, who typically bears the largest expense of raising the animal for more than a year.

David Briggs, the CEO of Sustainable Beef, acknowledged the difficulty but said his company’s investors remain confident.

“Cattle people are risk takers and they’re ready to take a risk,” Briggs said.

Consolidation of meatpacking started in the mid-1970s, with buyouts of smaller companies, mergers and a shift to much larger plants. Census data cited by the USDA shows that the number of livestock slaughter plants declined from 2,590 in 1977 to 1,387 in 1992. And big processors gradually dominated, going from handling only 12% of cattle in 1977 to 65% by 1997.

Currently four companies — Cargill, JBS, Tyson Foods and National Beef Packing — control over 80% of the U.S. beef market thanks to cattle slaughtered at 24 plants. That concentration became problematic when the coronavirus infected workers, slowing and even closing some of the massive plants, and a cyberattack last summer briefly forced a shutdown of JBS plants until the company paid an $11 million ransom.

The Biden administration has largely blamed declining competition for a 14% increase in beef prices from December 2020 to August. Since 2016, the wholesale value of beef and profits to the largest processors has steadily increased while prices paid to ranchers have barely budged.

The backers of the planned new plants have no intention of replacing the giant slaughterhouses, such as a JBS plant in Grand Island, Nebraska, that processes about 6,000 cattle daily — four times what the proposed North Platte plant would handle.

However, they say they will have important advantages, including more modern equipment and, they hope, less employee turnover thanks to slightly higher pay of more than $50,000 annually plus benefits along with more favorable work schedules. The new Midwest plants are also counting on closer relationships with ranchers, encouraging them to invest in the plants, to share in the profits.

The companies would market their beef both domestically and internationally as being of higher quality than meat processed at larger plants.

Chad Tentinger, who is leading efforts to build a Cattlemen’s Heritage plant near Council Bluffs, Iowa, said he thinks smaller plants were profitable even back to the 1970s but that owners shifted to bigger plants in hopes of increasing profits.

Now, he said, “We want to revolutionize the plant and make it an attractive place to work.”

Besides paying ranchers more and providing dividends to those who own shares, the hope is that their success will spur more plants to open, and the new competitors will add openness to cattle markets.

Derrell Peel, an agricultural economist at Oklahoma State University, said he hopes they’re right, but noted that research shows even a 30% reduction in a plant’s size will make it far less efficient, meaning higher costs to slaughter each animal.

Unless smaller plants can keep expenses down, they will need to find customers who will pay more for their beef, or manage with a lower profit margin than the big companies.

“We have these very large plants because they’re extremely efficient,” Peel said.

According to the North American Meat Institute, a trade group that includes large and mid-size plants, the biggest challenge will be the shortage of workers in the industry.

It’s unfair to blame the big companies and consolidation for the industry’s problems, said Tyson Fresh Meats group president Shane Miller.

“Many processors, including Tyson, are not able to run their facilities at capacity in spite of ample cattle supply,” Miller told a U.S. Senate committee in July. “This is not by choice: Despite our average wage and benefits of $22 per hour, there are simply not enough workers to fill our plants.”

The proposed new plants come as the USDA is trying to increase the supply chain. The agency has dedicated $650 million toward funding mid-size and small meat and poultry plants and $100 million in loan guarantees for such plants. Also planned are new rules to label meat as a U.S. product to differentiate it from meat raised in other countries.

“We’re trying to support new investment and policies that are going to diversify and address that underlying problem of concentration,” said Andy Green, a USDA senior adviser for fair and competitive markets.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562858534161.jpeg" alt="Photo by Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Like other ranchers across the country, Rusty Kemp for years grumbled about rock-bottom prices paid for the cattle he raised in central Nebraska, even as the cost of beef at grocery stores kept climbing.He and his neighbors blamed it on consolidation in the beef industry stretching back to the 1970s that resulted in four companies slaughtering over 80% of the nation’s cattle, giving the processors more power to set prices while ranchers struggled to make a living. Federal data show that for every dollar spent on food, the share that went to ranchers and farmers dropped from 35 cents in the 1970s to 14 cents recently.It led Kemp to launch an audacious plan: Raise more than $300 million from ranchers to build a plant themselves, putting their future in their own hands.“We’ve been complaining about it for 30 years,” Kemp said. “It’s probably time somebody does something about it.”Crews will start work this fall building the Sustainable Beef plant on nearly 400 acres near North Platte, Nebraska, and other groups are making similar surprising moves in Iowa, Idaho and Wisconsin. The enterprises will test whether it’s really possible to compete financially against an industry trend that has swept through American agriculture and that played a role in meat shortages during the coronavirus pandemic.The move is well timed, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture is now taking a number of steps to encourage a more diverse supply in the beef industry.Still, it’s hard to overstate the challenge, going up against huge, well-financed competitors that run highly efficient plants and can sell beef at prices that smaller operators will struggle to match.The question is whether smaller plants can pay ranchers more and still make a profit themselves. An average 1,370-pound steer is worth about $1,630, but that value must be divided between the slaughterhouse, feed lot and the rancher, who typically bears the largest expense of raising the animal for more than a year.David Briggs, the CEO of Sustainable Beef, acknowledged the difficulty but said his company’s investors remain confident.“Cattle people are risk takers and they’re ready to take a risk,” Briggs said.Consolidation of meatpacking started in the mid-1970s, with buyouts of smaller companies, mergers and a shift to much larger plants. Census data cited by the USDA shows that the number of livestock slaughter plants declined from 2,590 in 1977 to 1,387 in 1992. And big processors gradually dominated, going from handling only 12% of cattle in 1977 to 65% by 1997.Currently four companies — Cargill, JBS, Tyson Foods and National Beef Packing — control over 80% of the U.S. beef market thanks to cattle slaughtered at 24 plants. That concentration became problematic when the coronavirus infected workers, slowing and even closing some of the massive plants, and a cyberattack last summer briefly forced a shutdown of JBS plants until the company paid an $11 million ransom.The Biden administration has largely blamed declining competition for a 14% increase in beef prices from December 2020 to August. Since 2016, the wholesale value of beef and profits to the largest processors has steadily increased while prices paid to ranchers have barely budged.The backers of the planned new plants have no intention of replacing the giant slaughterhouses, such as a JBS plant in Grand Island, Nebraska, that processes about 6,000 cattle daily — four times what the proposed North Platte plant would handle.However, they say they will have important advantages, including more modern equipment and, they hope, less employee turnover thanks to slightly higher pay of more than $50,000 annually plus benefits along with more favorable work schedules. The new Midwest plants are also counting on closer relationships with ranchers, encouraging them to invest in the plants, to share in the profits.The companies would market their beef both domestically and internationally as being of higher quality than meat processed at larger plants.Chad Tentinger, who is leading efforts to build a Cattlemen’s Heritage plant near Council Bluffs, Iowa, said he thinks smaller plants were profitable even back to the 1970s but that owners shifted to bigger plants in hopes of increasing profits.Now, he said, “We want to revolutionize the plant and make it an attractive place to work.”Besides paying ranchers more and providing dividends to those who own shares, the hope is that their success will spur more plants to open, and the new competitors will add openness to cattle markets.Derrell Peel, an agricultural economist at Oklahoma State University, said he hopes they’re right, but noted that research shows even a 30% reduction in a plant’s size will make it far less efficient, meaning higher costs to slaughter each animal.Unless smaller plants can keep expenses down, they will need to find customers who will pay more for their beef, or manage with a lower profit margin than the big companies.“We have these very large plants because they’re extremely efficient,” Peel said.According to the North American Meat Institute, a trade group that includes large and mid-size plants, the biggest challenge will be the shortage of workers in the industry.It’s unfair to blame the big companies and consolidation for the industry’s problems, said Tyson Fresh Meats group president Shane Miller.“Many processors, including Tyson, are not able to run their facilities at capacity in spite of ample cattle supply,” Miller told a U.S. Senate committee in July. “This is not by choice: Despite our average wage and benefits of $22 per hour, there are simply not enough workers to fill our plants.”The proposed new plants come as the USDA is trying to increase the supply chain. The agency has dedicated $650 million toward funding mid-size and small meat and poultry plants and $100 million in loan guarantees for such plants. Also planned are new rules to label meat as a U.S. product to differentiate it from meat raised in other countries.“We’re trying to support new investment and policies that are going to diversify and address that underlying problem of concentration,” said Andy Green, a USDA senior adviser for fair and competitive markets.

Unhappy with prices, ranchers look to build own meat plants

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hotel shooting continue to search for a suspect identified as&nbsp;31-year-old Patricio Gomez.

Just before 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30, police responded to a shooting call at&nbsp;Extended Stay America, 9450 E Corporate Hills, in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 42-year-old Michael Martinez of Wichita who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp;

Investigators learned Gomez and a woman later identified as 35-year-old Shae Roberts arrived at the hotel regarding an illegal drug transaction.&nbsp; During the transaction, a disturbance ensued and Gomez fired multiple shots at Martinez, striking him.&nbsp; Gomez and the Roberts fled the scene in a black Cadillac Escalade.

On Oct. 1, police located the Cadillac outside of a hotel in Park City and on Oct. 7, police arrested Robers. She has been&nbsp;charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder and attempted distribution of methamphetamine, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=399685">She remains jailed on a&nbsp;</a> $500,000 bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you know the whereabouts of Gomez or see him, please call 911.  He should be considered armed and dangerous.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633117408445.png" alt="Gomez should be considered armed and dangerous, according to police." />
 <figcaption>Gomez should be considered armed and dangerous, according to police.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hotel shooting continue to search for a suspect identified as&nbsp;31-year-old Patricio Gomez.Just before 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30, police responded to a shooting call at&nbsp;Extended Stay America, 9450 E Corporate Hills, in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 42-year-old Michael Martinez of Wichita who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633117696289.png" alt="Police outside a hotel in Park City where they recovered the Esclade-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police outside a hotel in Park City where they recovered the Esclade-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators learned Gomez and a woman later identified as 35-year-old Shae Roberts arrived at the hotel regarding an illegal drug transaction.&nbsp; During the transaction, a disturbance ensued and Gomez fired multiple shots at Martinez, striking him.&nbsp; Gomez and the Roberts fled the scene in a black Cadillac Escalade.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634486646051.png" alt="Roberts-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Roberts-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Oct. 1, police located the Cadillac outside of a hotel in Park City and on Oct. 7, police arrested Robers. She has been&nbsp;charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder and attempted distribution of methamphetamine, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=399685">She remains jailed on a&nbsp;</a> $500,000 bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you know the whereabouts of Gomez or see him, please call 911. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

Police continue search for suspect in Kansas drug deal killing 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/noah-taborda/">NOAH TABORDA</a>&nbsp;-<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/12/academic-achievement-measures-at-kansas-schools-drop-during-pandemic/">Kansas Reflector</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Watson-1024x576.png" alt="Kansas education commissioner Randy Watson shared Tuesday academic struggles during the first 18 months of the pandemic with the State Board of Education. He warned that graduation rates, which have risen steadily since 2015, will likely decline this year. (Screen capture of Kansas State Department of Education)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas education commissioner Randy Watson shared Tuesday academic struggles during the first 18 months of the pandemic with the State Board of Education. He warned that graduation rates, which have risen steadily since 2015, will likely decline this year. (Screen capture of Kansas State Department of Education)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/noah-taborda/">NOAH TABORDA</a>&nbsp;-<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/12/academic-achievement-measures-at-kansas-schools-drop-during-pandemic/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — In the first year and a half of the pandemic, Kansas schools have seen a troubling decrease in enrollment and attendance and an increase in truancy and chronic absenteeism.Kansas education commissioner Randy Watson told the State Board of Education on Tuesday that more than 15,000 fewer students were enrolled in Kansas schools in 2021 than 2019, and the rate of chronic absenteeism has risen more than 4%. He said the pandemic likely has affected nearly every measure of academic success and social-emotional health.The warning comes after Kansas saw a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/09/04/kansas-education-officials-celebrate-graduation-rates-but-say-work-is-far-from-over/">record high in graduation rates</a>&nbsp;for students with disabilities or in poverty, along with English language learners. The state has also seen postsecondary success rates improve, but Watson warned during his annual report to the board that the pandemic offered challenges never before seen in academics.“The last 18 months have been the hardest on our state, and schools are a microcosm of that, in the history of our public and private schools,” Watson said.While graduation and dropout rates are not yet available for 2021, Watson warned those would likely take a turn for the worse. He compared the effect of the pandemic to the unpredictability of a tornado and the widespread destruction of a hurricane.This “storm” caused by COVID-19 comes at a time when educators across the state are working to shift the way Kansas students are taught to focus on “soft skills,” in addition to academic achievement. The Kansas Can Program launched in 2017 and has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article254299753.html">seen mixed results</a>.“In some ways, we were ahead of schedule (on the program) going into 2020,” Watson said. “You’re not going to be able to say anything other than how the pandemic affects us. We’re living it. We don’t know yet.”Many of the academic achievement issues occurring across the country are reflected in Kansas, Watson said. For example, formal truancy paperwork filed in 2021 was 2,239, up from 767 in 2019.The number of students learning remotely jumped from zero to 34,104 as students were forced to quarantine to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The state department of education saw the number of parents refusing to allow their students to take the state exam rise to 1,964.A key to weathering the virus noted by both board members and Watson was focusing on a structured education plan. Of concern to Wichita state board member Betty Arnold was the use of Individual Plans of Study across the state.These plans are designed and required for every middle-school Kansan to identify career clusters and interests to aid in attaining a postsecondary degree.“We know with the individual plan of study there are some districts that really are validating and supporting that, and then there are districts that do just enough,” Arnold said. “That’s a great concern because what kind of plan would we have to make sure that districts statewide are appreciating the value of the individualized plan of study and are implementing it?”With employers requiring higher educational attainment, education officials have put more emphasis on helping students explore potential careers.Watson said like any new approach or remodel, getting all districts up to speed on best IPS practices would take time. He pointed to DeSoto and Piper schools as “gold level” districts using the plans well.“We’re not there, but we’ll get there,” Watson said. “We have a rubric. We’re measuring every school against that, and when you get to the gold level you have all of those things in place that would lead to the deep understanding of having a good IPS.”