HUTCHINSON — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend pedestrian accident have identified the victim as&nbsp; 93-year-old Carmen Raya of Hutchinson.

Just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday a vehicle was traveling westbound in the 700 block of East Avenue A in Hutchinson, according to a media release.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The vehicle struck Raya who was walking northbound across the road outside of the crosswalk, according to police. EMS transported her to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. The driver's name has not been released.

HUTCHINSON — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend pedestrian accident have identified the victim as&nbsp; 93-year-old Carmen Raya of Hutchinson.Just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday a vehicle was traveling westbound in the 700 block of East Avenue A in Hutchinson, according to a media release.&nbsp;&nbsp;The vehicle struck Raya who was walking northbound across the road outside of the crosswalk, according to police. EMS transported her to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. The driver's name has not been released.

Police: 93-year-old Kan. woman dies after struck by vehicle

SALINA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man in connection with alleged fraud and forgery

An independent contractor identified as William Tarpein, 42, Salina, who was working on jobs for Kape Roofing and Exteriors Inc., 315 West Pacific Avenue in Salina, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.

He visited potential job sites, gave estimates, purchased materials and arranged the work to be done. He also took payments from customers, but he would not provide those payments to Kape, according to Forrester.&nbsp; &nbsp;Tarpein is also alleged to have passed fictitious checks at local banks.

Total loss in the case as of now is in excess of $70,000, according to Forrester.

Police arrested Tarpein was arrested on requested charges that include forgery, theft by deception, theft and and giving&nbsp; worthless checks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614015580519.png" alt="William Tarpein photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>William Tarpein photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man in connection with alleged fraud and forgeryAn independent contractor identified as William Tarpein, 42, Salina, who was working on jobs for Kape Roofing and Exteriors Inc., 315 West Pacific Avenue in Salina, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.He visited potential job sites, gave estimates, purchased materials and arranged the work to be done. He also took payments from customers, but he would not provide those payments to Kape, according to Forrester.&nbsp; &nbsp;Tarpein is also alleged to have passed fictitious checks at local banks.Total loss in the case as of now is in excess of $70,000, according to Forrester.Police arrested Tarpein was arrested on requested charges that include forgery, theft by deception, theft and and giving&nbsp; worthless checks.

Kan. man accused of fraud, forgery against roofing company

WASHINGTON (AP) —The COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. topped 500,000 Monday, all but matching the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined.

The lives lost, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University, are about equal to the population of Kansas City, Missouri, and greater than that of Miami; Raleigh, North Carolina; or Omaha, Nebraska.

And despite the rollout of vaccines since mid-December, a closely watched model from the University of Washington projects more than 589,000 dead by June 1.

The U.S. toll is by far the highest reported in the world, accounting for 20 percent of the nearly 2.5 million coronavirus deaths globally, though the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater, in part because of the many cases that were overlooked, especially early in the outbreak.

Average daily deaths and cases have plummeted in the past few weeks. Virus deaths have fallen from more than 4,000 reported on some days in January to an average of fewer than 1,900 per day. But experts warn that dangerous variants could cause the trend to reverse itself.

Some experts say not enough Americans have been inoculated yet for the vaccine to be making much of a difference.

Instead, the drop-off in deaths and cases has been attributed to the passing of the holidays; the cold and bleak days of midwinter, when many people are inclined to stay home; and better adherence to mask rules and social distancing.

The first known deaths from the virus in the U.S. happened in early February 2020. It took four months to reach the first 100,000 dead. The toll hit 200,000 deaths in September and 300,000 in December. Then it took just over a month to go from 300,000 to 400,000 and about two months to climb from 400,000 to the brink of 500,000.

The U.S. recorded an estimated 405,000 deaths in World War II, 58,000 in the Vietnam War and 36,000 in the Korean War.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. stands at the brink of a once-unthinkable tally: 500,000 people lost to the coronavirus.

A year into the pandemic, the running total of lives lost was about 498,000 — roughly the population of Kansas City, Missouri, and just shy of the size of Atlanta. The <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map">figure compiled by Johns Hopkins</a> University surpasses the number of people who died in 2019 of chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s, flu and pneumonia combined.

“It’s nothing like we have ever been through in the last 102 years, since the 1918 influenza pandemic,” the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The U.S. virus death toll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pandemics-public-health-coronavirus-pandemic-f6e976f34a6971c889ca8a4c5e1c0068">reached 400,000</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 19 in the waning hours in office for President Donald Trump, whose handling of the crisis was judged by public health experts to be a singular failure.

The nation could pass this next grim milestone on Monday. President Joe Biden will mark the U.S. crossing 500,000 lives lost from COVID-19 with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-coronavirus-pandemic-jill-biden-kamala-harris-7d124024064974d1cd762dab9fa9deac">a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony</a>&nbsp;at the White House.

Biden will deliver remarks at sunset to honor the dead, the White House said. He’s expected to be joined by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.

The first known deaths from the virus in the U.S. happened in early February 2020, both of them in Santa Clara County, California. It took four months to reach the first 100,000 dead. The toll hit 200,000 deaths in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-huntsville-alabama-us-news-public-health-a05360a9df7e19f9bee83f520deada1c">September</a>&nbsp;and 300,000 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-coronavirus-deaths-300k-361f7128ba7ae1f4168cf1622555b93f">December</a>. Then it took just over a month to go from 300,000 to 400,000 and about two months to climb from 400,000 to the brink of 500,000.

Joyce Willis of Las Vegas is among the countless Americans who lost family members during the pandemic. Her husband, Anthony Willis, died Dec. 28, followed by her mother-in-law in early January.

There were anxious calls from the ICU when her husband was hospitalized. She was unable to see him before he died because she, too, had the virus and could not visit.

“They are gone. Your loved one is gone, but you are still alive,” Willis said. “It’s like you still have to get up every morning. You have to take care of your kids and make a living. There is no way around it. You just have to move on.”

Then came a nightmare scenario of caring for her father-in-law while dealing with grief, arranging funerals, paying bills, helping her children navigate online school and figuring out how to go back to work as an occupational therapist.

Her father-in-law, a Vietnam vet, also contracted the virus. He also suffered from respiratory issues and died on Feb. 8. The family isn’t sure if COVID-19 contributed to his death.

“Some days I feel OK and other days I feel like I’m strong and I can do this,” she said. “And then other days it just hits me. My whole world is turned upside-down.”

The global death toll was approaching 2.5 million, according to Johns Hopkins.

While the count is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and cases inaccurately attributed to other causes early on.

Despite efforts to administer coronavirus vaccines, a widely cited model by the University of Washington projects the U.S. death toll will surpass 589,000 by June 1.

“People will be talking about this decades and decades and decades from now,” Fauci said on NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613994852275.png" alt="Image courtesy <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Universit</a>y" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Universit</a>y</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. topped 500,000 Monday, all but matching the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined.The lives lost, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University, are about equal to the population of Kansas City, Missouri, and greater than that of Miami; Raleigh, North Carolina; or Omaha, Nebraska.And despite the rollout of vaccines since mid-December, a closely watched model from the University of Washington projects more than 589,000 dead by June 1.The U.S. toll is by far the highest reported in the world, accounting for 20 percent of the nearly 2.5 million coronavirus deaths globally, though the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater, in part because of the many cases that were overlooked, especially early in the outbreak.Average daily deaths and cases have plummeted in the past few weeks. Virus deaths have fallen from more than 4,000 reported on some days in January to an average of fewer than 1,900 per day. But experts warn that dangerous variants could cause the trend to reverse itself.Some experts say not enough Americans have been inoculated yet for the vaccine to be making much of a difference.Instead, the drop-off in deaths and cases has been attributed to the passing of the holidays; the cold and bleak days of midwinter, when many people are inclined to stay home; and better adherence to mask rules and social distancing.The first known deaths from the virus in the U.S. happened in early February 2020. It took four months to reach the first 100,000 dead. The toll hit 200,000 deaths in September and 300,000 in December. Then it took just over a month to go from 300,000 to 400,000 and about two months to climb from 400,000 to the brink of 500,000.The U.S. recorded an estimated 405,000 deaths in World War II, 58,000 in the Vietnam War and 36,000 in the Korean War.-----WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. stands at the brink of a once-unthinkable tally: 500,000 people lost to the coronavirus.A year into the pandemic, the running total of lives lost was about 498,000 — roughly the population of Kansas City, Missouri, and just shy of the size of Atlanta. The <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map">figure compiled by Johns Hopkins</a> University surpasses the number of people who died in 2019 of chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s, flu and pneumonia combined.“It’s nothing like we have ever been through in the last 102 years, since the 1918 influenza pandemic,” the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”The U.S. virus death toll&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pandemics-public-health-coronavirus-pandemic-f6e976f34a6971c889ca8a4c5e1c0068">reached 400,000</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 19 in the waning hours in office for President Donald Trump, whose handling of the crisis was judged by public health experts to be a singular failure.The nation could pass this next grim milestone on Monday. President Joe Biden will mark the U.S. crossing 500,000 lives lost from COVID-19 with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-coronavirus-pandemic-jill-biden-kamala-harris-7d124024064974d1cd762dab9fa9deac">a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony</a>&nbsp;at the White House.Biden will deliver remarks at sunset to honor the dead, the White House said. He’s expected to be joined by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.The first known deaths from the virus in the U.S. happened in early February 2020, both of them in Santa Clara County, California. It took four months to reach the first 100,000 dead. The toll hit 200,000 deaths in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-huntsville-alabama-us-news-public-health-a05360a9df7e19f9bee83f520deada1c">September</a>&nbsp;and 300,000 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-coronavirus-deaths-300k-361f7128ba7ae1f4168cf1622555b93f">December</a>. Then it took just over a month to go from 300,000 to 400,000 and about two months to climb from 400,000 to the brink of 500,000.Joyce Willis of Las Vegas is among the countless Americans who lost family members during the pandemic. Her husband, Anthony Willis, died Dec. 28, followed by her mother-in-law in early January.There were anxious calls from the ICU when her husband was hospitalized. She was unable to see him before he died because she, too, had the virus and could not visit.“They are gone. Your loved one is gone, but you are still alive,” Willis said. “It’s like you still have to get up every morning. You have to take care of your kids and make a living. There is no way around it. You just have to move on.”Then came a nightmare scenario of caring for her father-in-law while dealing with grief, arranging funerals, paying bills, helping her children navigate online school and figuring out how to go back to work as an occupational therapist.Her father-in-law, a Vietnam vet, also contracted the virus. He also suffered from respiratory issues and died on Feb. 8. The family isn’t sure if COVID-19 contributed to his death.“Some days I feel OK and other days I feel like I’m strong and I can do this,” she said. “And then other days it just hits me. My whole world is turned upside-down.”The global death toll was approaching 2.5 million, according to Johns Hopkins.While the count is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and cases inaccurately attributed to other causes early on.Despite efforts to administer coronavirus vaccines, a widely cited model by the University of Washington projects the U.S. death toll will surpass 589,000 by June 1.“People will be talking about this decades and decades and decades from now,” Fauci said on NBC’s “Meet The Press.”___

US coronavirus death toll reaches grim milestone 

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Labor Acting Secretary Amber Shultz delivered an update on the issues and what is being done to correct them at the Kansas Department of Labor.

&nbsp;Last week, the Kansas Senate Commerce Committee held hearings on a bill that would create a new council to monitor the department's technology upgrades, direct the agency to modernize the unemployment system by the end of 2022 and make other changes in the unemployment system.

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Labor Acting Secretary Amber Shultz delivered an update on the issues and what is being done to correct them at the Kansas Department of Labor.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F752313685405284%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>&nbsp;Last week, the Kansas Senate Commerce Committee held hearings on a bill that would create a new council to monitor the department's technology upgrades, direct the agency to modernize the unemployment system by the end of 2022 and make other changes in the unemployment system.

🎥  Governor gives update on issues at Kan. Department of Labor 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a south Kansas City park as a homicide.

Officers responded Sunday afternoon to a call for medics to Minor Park, police said in a news release.

The man’s body was found inside the park near a basketball court, police said.

Police initially declared the death suspicious because of the nature of the victim’s injuries, which police did not detail. Police later declared the death a homicide.

Police did not released the man’s name or any other information about his death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating as suspicious the death of a man whose body was found in a south Kansas City park.

Police said the death is considered suspicious because of the nature of the victim’s injuries, which police did not detail. Police also did not release the man’s name or any other information about his death.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a south Kansas City park as a homicide.Officers responded Sunday afternoon to a call for medics to Minor Park, police said in a news release.The man’s body was found inside the park near a basketball court, police said.Police initially declared the death suspicious because of the nature of the victim’s injuries, which police did not detail. Police later declared the death a homicide.Police did not released the man’s name or any other information about his death---------KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating as suspicious the death of a man whose body was found in a south Kansas City park.Officers responded Sunday afternoon to a call for medics to Minor Park, police said in a news release.The man’s body was found inside the park near a basketball court, police said.Police said the death is considered suspicious because of the nature of the victim’s injuries, which police did not detail. Police also did not release the man’s name or any other information about his death.

Homicide: Man's body found near basketball court in KC park

JEFFERSON COUNTY —A Nebraska man was injured in an accident just before 7a.m. Monday in Jefferson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Andrew Joseph Miller, 38, Valley Falls, was pulling into a gas station at 1420 K4 Highway in Valley Falls.&nbsp;

The pickup struck Dennis L. Roth, 79, Wolbach, Nebraska, who was walking into the gas station store.

EMS transported Roth to a Topeka hospital for treatment of serious injures, according to the KHP. Miller was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

JEFFERSON COUNTY —A Nebraska man was injured in an accident just before 7a.m. Monday in Jefferson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Andrew Joseph Miller, 38, Valley Falls, was pulling into a gas station at 1420 K4 Highway in Valley Falls.&nbsp;The pickup struck Dennis L. Roth, 79, Wolbach, Nebraska, who was walking into the gas station store.EMS transported Roth to a Topeka hospital for treatment of serious injures, according to the KHP. Miller was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

79-year-old man struck by pickup in Kan. gas station parking lot

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration enforcement in the U.S. would be more targeted under President Joe Biden than under his predecessor, with authorities directed to focus on people in the country illegally who pose a threat, according to guidelines released Thursday.

<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2021/021821_civil-immigration-enforcement_interim-guidance.pdf" target="_blank">The guidelines</a>&nbsp;set a new course for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which drew fierce criticism under President Donald Trump for arresting and removing anyone in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.

Under Biden, ICE would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as “aggravated” felonies or recently crossed the border.

It is the latest break from Trump’s immigration policies, but it is also far from the notion of “abolish ICE” that became a rallying cry among some progressives angered by what they considered indiscriminate enforcement.

Trump, whose administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, early on directed ICE to apprehend anyone who was in the country illegally. In June 2019, he tweeted that “next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70c173c8d213438e9fbef4d1f2bba07b">That never happened.&nbsp;</a>Total deportations were higher under the first term of President Barack Obama, who also made national security and public safety an enforcement priority, than under Trump in part because many cities and states, opposed to his administration’s approach to immigration, balked at cooperating with ICE on removals.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, portrayed the new guidelines, which are considered temporary until a permanent policy comes down in about three months, as a more effective use of resources at an agency that has about 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel.

“By focusing our limited resources on cases that present threats to national security, border security, and public safety, our agency will more ably and effectively execute its law enforcement mission,” ICE acting Director Tae Johnson said in announcing the new guidelines. “Like every law enforcement agency at the local, state, and federal level, we must prioritize our efforts to achieve the greatest security and safety impact.”

ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations and inevitably result in potentially dangerous people slipping from their grasp, said Jon Feere, a senior adviser to ICE under Trump.

Feere noted, for example, that worksite enforcement operations, which occurred more frequently under Trump, typically result in charges such as identity theft or fraud. Those wouldn’t qualify as aggravated felonies but nonetheless can be useful crimes to pursue as part of efforts to break up smuggling rings and traffickers.

“Not allowing ICE to carry out its responsibilities as it does now is a de facto dismantling of the agency,” he said. “And what is the policy rationale? Who wins from all of this? The smugglers? The traffickers?”

The new guidelines could shield a substantial number of people. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimated that 87% of noncitizens in the country without authorization would not be priorities for enforcement if Biden used the national security and public safety criteria as was done under Obama.

In defending the new guidelines, DHS officials pointedly noted that they do not specifically exempt anyone from being arrested and removed from the U.S. if they are illegally in the country.

But they set out a series of priorities for removal, and agents and officers would be required to get approval to pursue cases that aren’t in the three main categories. Also, weekly arrest reports would be submitted to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has repeatedly said he wants to fix what he considers a flawed U.S. immigration system.

The national security category includes anyone suspected of involvement with terrorism or espionage. The border security category covers anyone apprehended along the border or point of entry or who came into the U.S. after Nov. 1. The public safety category applies to anyone convicted of a crime that involved their “active” participation in gang activity or convicted of an aggravated felony.

There is a wide array of aggravated felonies that apply to noncitizens as laid out by Congress. They include violent offenses and drug trafficking, but in the past have also been defined more broadly for noncitizens facing deportation. The new guidelines direct agents and officers to consider the “seriousness” of the criminal conviction as well as how long ago it occurred.

ICE would otherwise have broad leeway to let a noncitizen stay in the country, with officers directed to consider such factors as ties to the community as well as personal and family circumstances and medical condition. The rules, for example, call for “particular attention” in the case of noncitizens who are elderly or “known to be suffering from serious physical or mental illness.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562938154243.png" alt="ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations Photo courtesy U.S. Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations Photo courtesy U.S. Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration enforcement in the U.S. would be more targeted under President Joe Biden than under his predecessor, with authorities directed to focus on people in the country illegally who pose a threat, according to guidelines released Thursday.<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2021/021821_civil-immigration-enforcement_interim-guidance.pdf" target="_blank">The guidelines</a>&nbsp;set a new course for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which drew fierce criticism under President Donald Trump for arresting and removing anyone in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.Under Biden, ICE would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as “aggravated” felonies or recently crossed the border.It is the latest break from Trump’s immigration policies, but it is also far from the notion of “abolish ICE” that became a rallying cry among some progressives angered by what they considered indiscriminate enforcement.Trump, whose administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, early on directed ICE to apprehend anyone who was in the country illegally. In June 2019, he tweeted that “next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70c173c8d213438e9fbef4d1f2bba07b">That never happened.&nbsp;</a>Total deportations were higher under the first term of President Barack Obama, who also made national security and public safety an enforcement priority, than under Trump in part because many cities and states, opposed to his administration’s approach to immigration, balked at cooperating with ICE on removals.The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, portrayed the new guidelines, which are considered temporary until a permanent policy comes down in about three months, as a more effective use of resources at an agency that has about 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel.“By focusing our limited resources on cases that present threats to national security, border security, and public safety, our agency will more ably and effectively execute its law enforcement mission,” ICE acting Director Tae Johnson said in announcing the new guidelines. “Like every law enforcement agency at the local, state, and federal level, we must prioritize our efforts to achieve the greatest security and safety impact.”ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations and inevitably result in potentially dangerous people slipping from their grasp, said Jon Feere, a senior adviser to ICE under Trump.Feere noted, for example, that worksite enforcement operations, which occurred more frequently under Trump, typically result in charges such as identity theft or fraud. Those wouldn’t qualify as aggravated felonies but nonetheless can be useful crimes to pursue as part of efforts to break up smuggling rings and traffickers.“Not allowing ICE to carry out its responsibilities as it does now is a de facto dismantling of the agency,” he said. “And what is the policy rationale? Who wins from all of this? The smugglers? The traffickers?”The new guidelines could shield a substantial number of people. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimated that 87% of noncitizens in the country without authorization would not be priorities for enforcement if Biden used the national security and public safety criteria as was done under Obama.In defending the new guidelines, DHS officials pointedly noted that they do not specifically exempt anyone from being arrested and removed from the U.S. if they are illegally in the country.But they set out a series of priorities for removal, and agents and officers would be required to get approval to pursue cases that aren’t in the three main categories. Also, weekly arrest reports would be submitted to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has repeatedly said he wants to fix what he considers a flawed U.S. immigration system.The national security category includes anyone suspected of involvement with terrorism or espionage. The border security category covers anyone apprehended along the border or point of entry or who came into the U.S. after Nov. 1. The public safety category applies to anyone convicted of a crime that involved their “active” participation in gang activity or convicted of an aggravated felony.There is a wide array of aggravated felonies that apply to noncitizens as laid out by Congress. They include violent offenses and drug trafficking, but in the past have also been defined more broadly for noncitizens facing deportation. The new guidelines direct agents and officers to consider the “seriousness” of the criminal conviction as well as how long ago it occurred.ICE would otherwise have broad leeway to let a noncitizen stay in the country, with officers directed to consider such factors as ties to the community as well as personal and family circumstances and medical condition. The rules, for example, call for “particular attention” in the case of noncitizens who are elderly or “known to be suffering from serious physical or mental illness.”

US reverts to targeted immigration enforcement under Biden

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 883 to a total of 291,715, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 4,643, an increase of 29.

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

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

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 883 to a total of 291,715, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 4,643, an increase of 29.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614016878208.png" alt="Monday February 22, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday February 22, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas State Fair General Manager Ed Berger said Monday that the fair will go on in September and preparations continue.

"We're kind of ahead of the game," Berger said. "We had made plans, of course, for a 2020 fair and with all those plans, all we did was kind of roll them over to 2021. That's the case with the acts we've booked, a lot of those vendors who work with us, either kept their contracts, kept their deposits or are now making those deposits again."

The fair is bringing back an event from this fall in the spring to whet potential fairgoer's appetites.

"The Fair Food and Tunes event last fall was very successful," Berger said. "We have another event like that Fair Food and Tunes planned for April 10th. That's a Saturday. We'll have entertainment at Lake Talbot and we'll have all those favorite foods that you like. Pronto Pups, funnel cakes, sausage, adult beverages, all of that will be available on the 10th of April."

Many popular fairgrounds events outside of the fair are changing their dates this year.

"The Mennonite Relief Auction that we always have in April, they deferred that till July," Berger said. "They're thinking that by July why, everything will have settled down to the point that that auction can take place. That's always a big event for the community, a big event for the fairgrounds. Another example is the Chamber of Commerce had their banquet scheduled in May and they've moved that back."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594652217162.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas State Fair General Manager Ed Berger said Monday that the fair will go on in September and preparations continue."We're kind of ahead of the game," Berger said. "We had made plans, of course, for a 2020 fair and with all those plans, all we did was kind of roll them over to 2021. That's the case with the acts we've booked, a lot of those vendors who work with us, either kept their contracts, kept their deposits or are now making those deposits again."The fair is bringing back an event from this fall in the spring to whet potential fairgoer's appetites."The Fair Food and Tunes event last fall was very successful," Berger said. "We have another event like that Fair Food and Tunes planned for April 10th. That's a Saturday. We'll have entertainment at Lake Talbot and we'll have all those favorite foods that you like. Pronto Pups, funnel cakes, sausage, adult beverages, all of that will be available on the 10th of April."Many popular fairgrounds events outside of the fair are changing their dates this year."The Mennonite Relief Auction that we always have in April, they deferred that till July," Berger said. "They're thinking that by July why, everything will have settled down to the point that that auction can take place. That's always a big event for the community, a big event for the fairgrounds. Another example is the Chamber of Commerce had their banquet scheduled in May and they've moved that back."

Official says Kansas State Fair will happen in 2021

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a man following a traffic stop in Jackson County have identified him as 37-year-old Trevar Lamont Johnson of Topeka, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.

Just before 10a.m. Saturday deputies stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation near the Brown County line on U.S. Highway 75. Johnson was a passenger in the vehicle and told a deputy on scene that he had ingested methamphetamine and needed to go to the hospital. 

EMS rushed Johnson to the Holton Community Hospital where he died.

During the traffic stop deputies seized a quantity of methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, counterfeit bills, credit cards, and a handgun. They also arrested the driver, Kendra Shaelene Murdock, 37, of Topeka, on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, criminal use of weapons, counterfeiting currency, driving while suspended, and no insurance. Murdock is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail.

As per protocol, Sheriff Morse requested an outside agency to investigate Johnson's death. The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the death investigation.

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man following a traffic stop in Jackson County.

Just before 10a.m. Saturday , a Jackson County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction&nbsp;near the Brown County line on U.S. 75 Highway, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver and a passenger from Topeka were detained. The passenger stated he had ingested methamphetamine and requested to go to the hospital. The man was immediately taken to the Holton Community Hospital where he subsequently died, according to Morse.

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the death investigation, according to Morse.

During the traffic stop, deputies seized a quantity of a substance believed to be methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, counterfeit bills, credit cards, and a handgun.&nbsp; The driver is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail on drug and traffic charges.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the name of the man who died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613993195063.png" alt="Johnson had previous convictions for aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, battery, criminal restraint, criminal trespass, marijuana distribution and other drug violations, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He had been released from prison in September of 2020." />
 <figcaption>Johnson had previous convictions for aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, battery, criminal restraint, criminal trespass, marijuana distribution and other drug violations, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He had been released from prison in September of 2020.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a man following a traffic stop in Jackson County have identified him as 37-year-old Trevar Lamont Johnson of Topeka, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.Just before 10a.m. Saturday deputies stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation near the Brown County line on U.S. Highway 75. Johnson was a passenger in the vehicle and told a deputy on scene that he had ingested methamphetamine and needed to go to the hospital. EMS rushed Johnson to the Holton Community Hospital where he died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613992746439.png" alt="Murdock" />
 <figcaption>Murdock</figcaption>
 </figure>During the traffic stop deputies seized a quantity of methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, counterfeit bills, credit cards, and a handgun. They also arrested the driver, Kendra Shaelene Murdock, 37, of Topeka, on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia for illegal use, criminal use of weapons, counterfeiting currency, driving while suspended, and no insurance. Murdock is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail.As per protocol, Sheriff Morse requested an outside agency to investigate Johnson's death. The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the death investigation.--------------JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man following a traffic stop in Jackson County.Just before 10a.m. Saturday , a Jackson County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction&nbsp;near the Brown County line on U.S. 75 Highway, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver and a passenger from Topeka were detained. The passenger stated he had ingested methamphetamine and requested to go to the hospital. The man was immediately taken to the Holton Community Hospital where he subsequently died, according to Morse.The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the death investigation, according to Morse.During the traffic stop, deputies seized a quantity of a substance believed to be methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, counterfeit bills, credit cards, and a handgun.&nbsp; The driver is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail on drug and traffic charges.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the name of the man who died.

Driver arrested; sheriff IDs Kan. man who died after traffic stop

TOPEKA —A woman was seriously injured in a Sunday night fire in Topeka.

Just after 8:30p.m. Sunday crews responded to a fire at 625 SW Polk Street in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.&nbsp;

Upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the single story masonry commercial structure that is used by Inward Faith Outreach Ministries, according to online records. The structure was believed to be vacant at the time of the fire. 

However, during a primary search of the structure, firefighters located one unresponsive adult female victim. Firefighters rescued her from from the fire and began life saving measures.&nbsp; American Medical Response transported her to Stormont Vail Health with life threatening injuries.

A preliminary investigation indicates the fire cause to be incendiary, more likely than not associated with a warming fire.

The estimated dollar loss – $50,000.00; all of which is associated with structural loss. Working smoke detectors were not located in the building, according to Harrison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614005332959.png" alt="Crews on the scene of Sunday's fire at Inward Faith Outreach Ministries in Topeka -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Crews on the scene of Sunday's fire at Inward Faith Outreach Ministries in Topeka -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —A woman was seriously injured in a Sunday night fire in Topeka.Just after 8:30p.m. Sunday crews responded to a fire at 625 SW Polk Street in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.&nbsp;Upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the single story masonry commercial structure that is used by Inward Faith Outreach Ministries, according to online records. The structure was believed to be vacant at the time of the fire. However, during a primary search of the structure, firefighters located one unresponsive adult female victim. Firefighters rescued her from from the fire and began life saving measures.&nbsp; American Medical Response transported her to Stormont Vail Health with life threatening injuries.A preliminary investigation indicates the fire cause to be incendiary, more likely than not associated with a warming fire.The estimated dollar loss – $50,000.00; all of which is associated with structural loss. Working smoke detectors were not located in the building, according to Harrison.

Woman critically injured in 'warming fire' at Kansas church

WICHITA— A former Kansas police officer and school district employee pleaded no contest to three charges accusing him of molesting underage boys, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Alex Robinson, 58, entered the plea Friday. His trial was scheduled to begin February 22. The crimes involved three victims who were abused in Wichita in 2011 and 2012. 

Robinson worked for the Wichita police department for 22 years.&nbsp; He was the Wichita Public Schools' safety services supervisor when he was arrested in January 2013. 

Robinson was facing eight charges. Those charges involved boys aged 11 to 14 and occurred over 12 years, beginning in 2000. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 13, according to the district attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613773131983.png" alt="Robinson photo Segwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Robinson photo Segwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA— A former Kansas police officer and school district employee pleaded no contest to three charges accusing him of molesting underage boys, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Alex Robinson, 58, entered the plea Friday. His trial was scheduled to begin February 22. The crimes involved three victims who were abused in Wichita in 2011 and 2012. Robinson worked for the Wichita police department for 22 years.&nbsp; He was the Wichita Public Schools' safety services supervisor when he was arrested in January 2013. Robinson was facing eight charges. Those charges involved boys aged 11 to 14 and occurred over 12 years, beginning in 2000. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 13, according to the district attorney.

Former Kan. officer, school employee enters plea in child sex case

DENVER (AP)—Boeing has recommended that airlines ground all of 777s with the type of engine that suffered a catastrophic failure over Denver this weekend, as U.S. regulators ordered United Airlines to step up inspections of those planes.

(Click below to hear some of the radio traffic and 911 calls police received Saturday during the plane incident over Broomfield, Colorado)

Several airlines, including United, said they were temporarily removing the aircraft from service after one of the American carrier’s planes made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Saturday because its right engine blew apart just after takeoff. Pieces of the casing of the engine, a Pratt &amp; Whitney PW4000, rained down on suburban neighborhoods. None of the 231 passengers or 10 crew on board were hurt, and the plane landed safely, authorities said.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement Sunday that based on an initial review of safety data, inspectors “concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.”

Dickson said that would likely mean some planes would be grounded — and Boeing said they should be until the FAA sets up an inspection regime. Japan ordered the planes out of service, according to the financial newspaper Nikkei, while saying that an engine in the same family suffered trouble in December.

Boeing said there were 69 777s with the Pratt &amp; Whitney 4000-112 engines in service and another 59 in storage.

United is the only U.S. airline with the engine in its fleet, according to the FAA, and it had 24 of the planes in service. Two Japanese airlines have another 32 that are being pulled while Asiana Airlines grounded nine, seven of which were in service, until Boeing establishes a plan to fix the problems. Korean Air said it was discussing whether to ground 16 aircraft, six of which are in service.

“We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground and further inspections are conducted by Pratt &amp; Whitney,” Boeing said in a statement issued Sunday, referring to American and Japanese regulators.

The engine maker said it was sending a team to work with investigators.

The emergency landing this past weekend is the latest trouble for Boeing, which saw its 737 Max planes grounded for more than a year after two deadly crashes in 2019. The planes began returning to the skies late last year — a huge boost for the aircraft maker, which lost billions during the Max grounding because it has been unable to deliver new planes to customers.

Video posted on Twitter from Saturday’s emergency showed the engine fully engulfed in flames as the plane flew through the air. Freeze frames from different video taken by a passenger sitting slightly in front of the engine and also posted on Twitter appeared to show a broken fan blade in the engine.

Passengers, who were heading to Honolulu, said they feared the plane would crash after an explosion and flash of light, while people on the ground saw huge chunks of the aircraft pour down, just missing one home and crushing a truck. The explosion, visible from the ground, left a trail of black smoke in the sky.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said that two of the engine’s fan blades were fractured and the remainder of the fan blades “exhibited damage.” But it cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about what happened.

United says it will work closely with the FAA and the NTSB “to determine any additional steps that are needed to ensure these aircraft meet our rigorous safety standards and can return to service.”

The NTSB said the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were transported to its lab in Washington so the data can be analyzed. NTSB investigations can take up to a year or longer, although in major cases the agency generally releases some investigative material midway through the process.

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said an engine in the PW4000 family suffered trouble on a Japan Airlines 777 flying to Tokyo from Naha on Dec. 4. The airline has said the plane had engine trouble after takeoff and returned to Naha. An inspection showed damage to the engine case and missing fan blades, according to the airline. Stricter inspections were ordered in response.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will stop operating a combined 32 planes with that engine, Nikkei reported. ___

This story has been updated to correct the name of one of the Japanese airlines mentioned. It is Japan Airlines, not Japan Airways.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614000152481.png" alt="Debris from a United Airlines 777 in the. yard of a home north of Denver-photo courtesy Broomfield Police" />
 <figcaption>Debris from a United Airlines 777 in the. yard of a home north of Denver-photo courtesy Broomfield Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP)—Boeing has recommended that airlines ground all of 777s with the type of engine that suffered a catastrophic failure over Denver this weekend, as U.S. regulators ordered United Airlines to step up inspections of those planes.(Click below to hear some of the radio traffic and 911 calls police received Saturday during the plane incident over Broomfield, Colorado)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LUZIjWG69xI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Several airlines, including United, said they were temporarily removing the aircraft from service after one of the American carrier’s planes made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Saturday because its right engine blew apart just after takeoff. Pieces of the casing of the engine, a Pratt &amp; Whitney PW4000, rained down on suburban neighborhoods. None of the 231 passengers or 10 crew on board were hurt, and the plane landed safely, authorities said.U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement Sunday that based on an initial review of safety data, inspectors “concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.”Dickson said that would likely mean some planes would be grounded — and Boeing said they should be until the FAA sets up an inspection regime. Japan ordered the planes out of service, according to the financial newspaper Nikkei, while saying that an engine in the same family suffered trouble in December.Boeing said there were 69 777s with the Pratt &amp; Whitney 4000-112 engines in service and another 59 in storage.United is the only U.S. airline with the engine in its fleet, according to the FAA, and it had 24 of the planes in service. Two Japanese airlines have another 32 that are being pulled while Asiana Airlines grounded nine, seven of which were in service, until Boeing establishes a plan to fix the problems. Korean Air said it was discussing whether to ground 16 aircraft, six of which are in service.“We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground and further inspections are conducted by Pratt &amp; Whitney,” Boeing said in a statement issued Sunday, referring to American and Japanese regulators.The engine maker said it was sending a team to work with investigators.The emergency landing this past weekend is the latest trouble for Boeing, which saw its 737 Max planes grounded for more than a year after two deadly crashes in 2019. The planes began returning to the skies late last year — a huge boost for the aircraft maker, which lost billions during the Max grounding because it has been unable to deliver new planes to customers.Video posted on Twitter from Saturday’s emergency showed the engine fully engulfed in flames as the plane flew through the air. Freeze frames from different video taken by a passenger sitting slightly in front of the engine and also posted on Twitter appeared to show a broken fan blade in the engine.Passengers, who were heading to Honolulu, said they feared the plane would crash after an explosion and flash of light, while people on the ground saw huge chunks of the aircraft pour down, just missing one home and crushing a truck. The explosion, visible from the ground, left a trail of black smoke in the sky.The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said that two of the engine’s fan blades were fractured and the remainder of the fan blades “exhibited damage.” But it cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about what happened.United says it will work closely with the FAA and the NTSB “to determine any additional steps that are needed to ensure these aircraft meet our rigorous safety standards and can return to service.”The NTSB said the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were transported to its lab in Washington so the data can be analyzed. NTSB investigations can take up to a year or longer, although in major cases the agency generally releases some investigative material midway through the process.Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said an engine in the PW4000 family suffered trouble on a Japan Airlines 777 flying to Tokyo from Naha on Dec. 4. The airline has said the plane had engine trouble after takeoff and returned to Naha. An inspection showed damage to the engine case and missing fan blades, according to the airline. Stricter inspections were ordered in response.Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will stop operating a combined 32 planes with that engine, Nikkei reported. ___This story has been updated to correct the name of one of the Japanese airlines mentioned. It is Japan Airlines, not Japan Airways.

🎤 Boeing will ground 777s after debris rained on Denver suburb

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City man is facing charges in the deaths of a woman and her son.

Dmarius Bozeman, 32, Kansas City, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting deaths of 35-year-old Khasheme Strother and her 19-year-old son, Raymond Hill. Both were killed Wednesday.

The shootings happened at a town home. A juvenile witness told police that Bozeman and Strother were involved in an altercation when they heard gunshots.

Bozeman was also shot but authorities said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.

The killings marked the 18th and 19th homicides in Kansas City this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613846513415.png" alt="Bozeman photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Bozeman photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City man is facing charges in the deaths of a woman and her son.Dmarius Bozeman, 32, Kansas City, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting deaths of 35-year-old Khasheme Strother and her 19-year-old son, Raymond Hill. Both were killed Wednesday.The shootings happened at a town home. A juvenile witness told police that Bozeman and Strother were involved in an altercation when they heard gunshots.Bozeman was also shot but authorities said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.The killings marked the 18th and 19th homicides in Kansas City this year.

Kansas City man charged in deaths of woman and her son

Two people have now been arrested in connection with the murder of Ariel Starcher, whose body was found in a bag alongside Vincent Road in southern Buchanan County about one year ago.

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports in a news release that Taylor Stoughton was arrested in Independence Saturday. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the Lee’s Summit Police Department, and the Independence Police Department.

Puett says citizen tips led to the arrest of Marcus Brooks on Sunday afternoon by the Independent Police Department. Puett had requested the public’s help in locating Brooks, known to have lived and frequented the Platte City area, after the arrest of Stoughton.

The body of Ariel Anne-Rae Starcher of Independence was discovered when a road crew with the Missouri Department of Transportation spotted a bag in the ditch of Vincent Road south of Faucett on February 18th of last year. The road crew became suspicious and called in Buchanan County Sheriff’s Deputies to investigate. The deputies discovered Starcher’s body in the bag. Starcher was 21.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613958601519.jpeg" alt="Stoughton photo Buchanan County" />
 <figcaption>Stoughton photo Buchanan County</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostTwo people have now been arrested in connection with the murder of Ariel Starcher, whose body was found in a bag alongside Vincent Road in southern Buchanan County about one year ago.Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports in a news release that Taylor Stoughton was arrested in Independence Saturday. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the Lee’s Summit Police Department, and the Independence Police Department.Puett says citizen tips led to the arrest of Marcus Brooks on Sunday afternoon by the Independent Police Department. Puett had requested the public’s help in locating Brooks, known to have lived and frequented the Platte City area, after the arrest of Stoughton.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613958668136.jpeg" alt="Brooks photo Buchanan Co." />
 <figcaption>Brooks photo Buchanan Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The body of Ariel Anne-Rae Starcher of Independence was discovered when a road crew with the Missouri Department of Transportation spotted a bag in the ditch of Vincent Road south of Faucett on February 18th of last year. The road crew became suspicious and called in Buchanan County Sheriff’s Deputies to investigate. The deputies discovered Starcher’s body in the bag. Starcher was 21.

2nd arrest made in year-old case of body found in duffel bag 

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — The family of a Kansas woman who died after collapsing at her home is suing the Kansas City, Missouri, police and fire departments, alleging 911 dispatchers took too long to send an ambulance after the woman’s 8-year-old son called for help.

Cathryn McClelland suffered a heart attack at her Prairie Village home in July 2019 while alone with her son and a baby daughter.

Her son, Joel, called 911 and gave dispatchers the family’s address within a minute, according to the lawsuit. The call bounced to a Kansas City, Missouri, tower, which was closest the house, and then was sent to the city’s police and fire departments.

Recordings of the call show dispatchers questioned if the boy was giving the correct address, in part because a software program showed a different location, KCTV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/news/investigations/botched-911-call-leads-to-prairie-village-mother-s-death-according-to-lawsuit/article_3c2769d6-7207-11eb-8430-17380cd863fd.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. Dispatchers eventually reached McClelland’s husband, who was out of state.

It took more than 10 minutes to dispatch an ambulance, according to the lawsuit.

Emergency responders were able to restart McClelland’s heart but she suffered oxygen deprivation and her family removed her from life support on July 22, 2019, the lawsuit said.

Representatives for the defendants declined to comment on pending litigation, KCTV reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613768753630.png" alt="Cathryn McClelland photo courtesy Landess Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Cathryn McClelland photo courtesy Landess Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — The family of a Kansas woman who died after collapsing at her home is suing the Kansas City, Missouri, police and fire departments, alleging 911 dispatchers took too long to send an ambulance after the woman’s 8-year-old son called for help.Cathryn McClelland suffered a heart attack at her Prairie Village home in July 2019 while alone with her son and a baby daughter.Her son, Joel, called 911 and gave dispatchers the family’s address within a minute, according to the lawsuit. The call bounced to a Kansas City, Missouri, tower, which was closest the house, and then was sent to the city’s police and fire departments.Recordings of the call show dispatchers questioned if the boy was giving the correct address, in part because a software program showed a different location, KCTV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/news/investigations/botched-911-call-leads-to-prairie-village-mother-s-death-according-to-lawsuit/article_3c2769d6-7207-11eb-8430-17380cd863fd.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. Dispatchers eventually reached McClelland’s husband, who was out of state.It took more than 10 minutes to dispatch an ambulance, according to the lawsuit.Emergency responders were able to restart McClelland’s heart but she suffered oxygen deprivation and her family removed her from life support on July 22, 2019, the lawsuit said.Representatives for the defendants declined to comment on pending litigation, KCTV reported.

Family alleges botched 911 call caused Kansas woman's death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Baby Mahomes has arrived! Patrick Mahomes' fiancée announced the birth of their daughter on social media today. From <a href="https://twitter.com/brittanylynne8">Brittany Matthews</a>' Twitter account:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Baby Mahomes has arrived! Patrick Mahomes' fiancée announced the birth of their daughter on social media today. From <a href="https://twitter.com/brittanylynne8">Brittany Matthews</a>' Twitter account:<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sterling Skye Mahomes❤️ 2/20/21 <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes</a> <a href="https://t.co/vDwd40FoEb">pic.twitter.com/vDwd40FoEb</a>&mdash; Brittany Matthews (@brittanylynne8) <a href="https://twitter.com/brittanylynne8/status/1363602754225250305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Brittany Matthews, Patrick Mahomes welcome daughter

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is reminding those with 
income from a farming or fishing business can avoid making any estimated
 tax payments by filing and paying their entire tax due on or before 
March 1.

This rule generally applies if farming or fishing income was at least
 two-thirds of the taxpayer's total gross income in either the current 
or the preceding tax year. Those who choose not to file by March 1 
should have made an estimated tax payment by Jan. 15 to avoid an 
estimated tax penalty. For more information on estimated tax, refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>.

Those in the farming business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-f-form-1040">Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax</a> to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from farming are $400 or more. For more information refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc554">Topic No. 554</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p225">Publication 225, Farmer's Tax Guide</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/agriculture-tax-center">Agriculture Tax Center</a>.

Those in the fishing business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-c-form-1040">Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040)</a>
 to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from fishing are 
$400 or more. For general information about the rules applying to 
individuals, including commercial fishermen who file Schedule C, refer 
to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p334">Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business</a>.

Those whose trade or business is a partnership or corporation see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p541">Publication 541, Partnerships</a> or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p542">Publication 542, Corporations</a>.

IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>
 is a free online service where people can make same day payments or 
schedule them up to 365 days in advance directly from a checking or 
savings account. There are no IRS fees and no pre-registration. IRS 
Direct Pay is available seven days a week, and users receive instant 
confirmation after they submit a payment or they can opt-in to receive 
email notifications.

IRS Direct Pay cannot be used to pay the federal highway use tax, 
payroll taxes or other business taxes. Anyone wishing to pay these 
business taxes electronically can enroll in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-the-electronic-federal-tax-payment-system">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)</a>. EFTPS is also a free service.

For more information about these and other payment options visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is reminding those with 
income from a farming or fishing business can avoid making any estimated
 tax payments by filing and paying their entire tax due on or before 
March 1.This rule generally applies if farming or fishing income was at least
 two-thirds of the taxpayer's total gross income in either the current 
or the preceding tax year. Those who choose not to file by March 1 
should have made an estimated tax payment by Jan. 15 to avoid an 
estimated tax penalty. For more information on estimated tax, refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>.Those in the farming business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-f-form-1040">Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax</a> to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from farming are $400 or more. For more information refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc554">Topic No. 554</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p225">Publication 225, Farmer's Tax Guide</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/agriculture-tax-center">Agriculture Tax Center</a>.Those in the fishing business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-c-form-1040">Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040)</a>
 to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from fishing are 
$400 or more. For general information about the rules applying to 
individuals, including commercial fishermen who file Schedule C, refer 
to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p334">Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business</a>.Those whose trade or business is a partnership or corporation see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p541">Publication 541, Partnerships</a> or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p542">Publication 542, Corporations</a>.<h2>IRS Direct Pay is safe, fast and free</h2>IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>
 is a free online service where people can make same day payments or 
schedule them up to 365 days in advance directly from a checking or 
savings account. There are no IRS fees and no pre-registration. IRS 
Direct Pay is available seven days a week, and users receive instant 
confirmation after they submit a payment or they can opt-in to receive 
email notifications.IRS Direct Pay cannot be used to pay the federal highway use tax, 
payroll taxes or other business taxes. Anyone wishing to pay these 
business taxes electronically can enroll in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-the-electronic-federal-tax-payment-system">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)</a>. EFTPS is also a free service.For more information about these and other payment options visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a>.

IRS reminds farmers and fishers of March 1 tax deadline

KANSAS CITY (AP) — When massive demonstrations against racial injustice erupted across the nation last summer, protesters used an increasingly common tactic to draw attention to their cause: swarming out onto major roads to temporarily paralyze traffic.

This method sometimes resulted in searing images of drivers plowing through crowds, causing serious injuries and in some cases, deaths.

Now, Republican politicians across the country are moving to stop the road-blocking maneuver, proposing increased penalties for demonstrators who run onto highways and legal immunity for drivers who hit them. The bills are among dozens introduced in Legislatures aimed at cracking down on demonstrations.

“It’s not going to be a peaceful protest if you’re impeding the freedom of others,” said Rep. Kevin McDugle, the author of an Oklahoma bill granting criminal and civil immunity to people who drive into crowds on roads. “The driver of that truck had his family in there, and they were scared to death."

He referred to an incident in July in which a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer drove through Black Lives Matter protesters on Interstate 244 in Tulsa. Three people were seriously injured, including a 33-year-old man who fell from an overpass and was left paralyzed from the waist down.

Tumultuous demonstrations by left-leaning and right-leaning groups have stirred new debate about what tactics are acceptable free speech and which go too far. In addition to blocking roads, Black Lives Matter demonstrators have taken over parks and painted slogans on streets and structures, while right-wing groups have brandished firearms and stormed capitol buildings. Local authorities' responses have wavered as they try to avoid escalating conflicts.

Now legislators in Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah and about a dozen other states have introduced new counterprotest measures.

The traffic-blocking tactic has attracted the most concern because of the obvious hazard.

In one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMhbUTQjfR8">particularly chilling incident</a>&nbsp;in Minneapolis, a large tanker truck drove at high speed through thousands of protesters gathered on a closed highway. Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt, though a criminal complaint says at least one protester suffered abrasions.

Mark Faulk, a longtime Oklahoma activist who was arrested last year for blocking a roadway, said dramatic tactics are necessary to get people's attention.

“The idea of escalating it to the point where you disrupt the convenience of the citizens and of the status quo, you have to do that sometimes to make a point," Faulk said.

But Carmyn Taylor, 20, recalled the sight of a pickup truck bearing down on protesters spread across the six-lane I-244 in Tulsa.

“The most vivid thing I remember is when I got pulled to the ground. I remember seeing both sets of wheels run over my legs, which was a little traumatizing," said Taylor, who suffered a broken leg and a sprained ankle. “For the first two weeks after the accident, I couldn't walk."

In Seattle, Summer Taylor, 24, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ff3c4fb3a627d694b5d888dcd48c89b0">killed and another person was seriously injured</a>&nbsp;in July when a man drove his car into protestors on a closed Seattle freeway. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2dfCHZ1FQg">graphic video</a>&nbsp;posted on social media showed the car swerving around several parked cars and slamming into the two protesters, sending them flying into the air.

In an incident in St. Louis in May, a 29-year-old man was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/261c0a07eb120c6ee7fe8890b069b3f0">dragged to his death</a>&nbsp;beneath a tractor-trailer that drove into a sign-carrying group on a road.

Whether drivers face criminal charges in such incidents depends on the circumstances of each case, prosecutors say. The tractor-trailer driver in St. Louis has not been criminally charged, while the driver of the car in Seattle has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/127e17d72b0bd1cbb137ed28a9604e2f">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving.

District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler declined to file charges against the driver in Tulsa, saying several people in the crowd had attacked the vehicle with the driver’s children inside. But Kunzweiler stopped short of endorsing proposals for harsher penalties for protestors or blanket immunity for drivers.

“There are any number of laws already in place that are readily available to be enforced,” he said.

A bill granting drivers immunity for hitting protestors easily cleared an Oklahoma Senate committee recently on a 8-1 vote. Two others are pending in the state House.

But critics say the proposals are only designed to intimidate people, not to solve a problem.

“The biggest concern is that they chill speech and they chill folks gathering to protest,” said Nicole McAfee, policy director for the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

About 50 people were arrested during several days of protests in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, and rioting, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. At least two men accused of burning a sheriff's van were charged under the state's anti-terrorism law, a felony that carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Those cases are pending.

Proposals in Oklahoma would increase the criminal penalties for blocking a roadway, including one making it a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, and making it more difficult for those arrested to be released from jail. Another bill would add participating in unlawful assemblies to the state's racketeering act aimed at organized crime.

State Rep. Emily Virgin, the Democratic leader in the Oklahoma House, said she wishes her Republican colleagues would focus on the underlying issues of police brutality and systemic racism instead of seeking ways to punish protesters.

“It seems that some of my colleagues took the wrong lesson from the demonstrations we saw this summer,” Virgin said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590799948580.png" alt="June protests in Kansas City photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>June protests in Kansas City photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — When massive demonstrations against racial injustice erupted across the nation last summer, protesters used an increasingly common tactic to draw attention to their cause: swarming out onto major roads to temporarily paralyze traffic.This method sometimes resulted in searing images of drivers plowing through crowds, causing serious injuries and in some cases, deaths.Now, Republican politicians across the country are moving to stop the road-blocking maneuver, proposing increased penalties for demonstrators who run onto highways and legal immunity for drivers who hit them. The bills are among dozens introduced in Legislatures aimed at cracking down on demonstrations.“It’s not going to be a peaceful protest if you’re impeding the freedom of others,” said Rep. Kevin McDugle, the author of an Oklahoma bill granting criminal and civil immunity to people who drive into crowds on roads. “The driver of that truck had his family in there, and they were scared to death."He referred to an incident in July in which a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer drove through Black Lives Matter protesters on Interstate 244 in Tulsa. Three people were seriously injured, including a 33-year-old man who fell from an overpass and was left paralyzed from the waist down.Tumultuous demonstrations by left-leaning and right-leaning groups have stirred new debate about what tactics are acceptable free speech and which go too far. In addition to blocking roads, Black Lives Matter demonstrators have taken over parks and painted slogans on streets and structures, while right-wing groups have brandished firearms and stormed capitol buildings. Local authorities' responses have wavered as they try to avoid escalating conflicts.Now legislators in Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah and about a dozen other states have introduced new counterprotest measures.The traffic-blocking tactic has attracted the most concern because of the obvious hazard.In one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMhbUTQjfR8">particularly chilling incident</a>&nbsp;in Minneapolis, a large tanker truck drove at high speed through thousands of protesters gathered on a closed highway. Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt, though a criminal complaint says at least one protester suffered abrasions.Mark Faulk, a longtime Oklahoma activist who was arrested last year for blocking a roadway, said dramatic tactics are necessary to get people's attention.“The idea of escalating it to the point where you disrupt the convenience of the citizens and of the status quo, you have to do that sometimes to make a point," Faulk said.But Carmyn Taylor, 20, recalled the sight of a pickup truck bearing down on protesters spread across the six-lane I-244 in Tulsa.“The most vivid thing I remember is when I got pulled to the ground. I remember seeing both sets of wheels run over my legs, which was a little traumatizing," said Taylor, who suffered a broken leg and a sprained ankle. “For the first two weeks after the accident, I couldn't walk."In Seattle, Summer Taylor, 24, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ff3c4fb3a627d694b5d888dcd48c89b0">killed and another person was seriously injured</a>&nbsp;in July when a man drove his car into protestors on a closed Seattle freeway. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2dfCHZ1FQg">graphic video</a>&nbsp;posted on social media showed the car swerving around several parked cars and slamming into the two protesters, sending them flying into the air.In an incident in St. Louis in May, a 29-year-old man was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/261c0a07eb120c6ee7fe8890b069b3f0">dragged to his death</a>&nbsp;beneath a tractor-trailer that drove into a sign-carrying group on a road.Whether drivers face criminal charges in such incidents depends on the circumstances of each case, prosecutors say. The tractor-trailer driver in St. Louis has not been criminally charged, while the driver of the car in Seattle has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/127e17d72b0bd1cbb137ed28a9604e2f">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving.District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler declined to file charges against the driver in Tulsa, saying several people in the crowd had attacked the vehicle with the driver’s children inside. But Kunzweiler stopped short of endorsing proposals for harsher penalties for protestors or blanket immunity for drivers.“There are any number of laws already in place that are readily available to be enforced,” he said.A bill granting drivers immunity for hitting protestors easily cleared an Oklahoma Senate committee recently on a 8-1 vote. Two others are pending in the state House.But critics say the proposals are only designed to intimidate people, not to solve a problem.“The biggest concern is that they chill speech and they chill folks gathering to protest,” said Nicole McAfee, policy director for the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.About 50 people were arrested during several days of protests in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, and rioting, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. At least two men accused of burning a sheriff's van were charged under the state's anti-terrorism law, a felony that carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Those cases are pending.Proposals in Oklahoma would increase the criminal penalties for blocking a roadway, including one making it a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, and making it more difficult for those arrested to be released from jail. Another bill would add participating in unlawful assemblies to the state's racketeering act aimed at organized crime.State Rep. Emily Virgin, the Democratic leader in the Oklahoma House, said she wishes her Republican colleagues would focus on the underlying issues of police brutality and systemic racism instead of seeking ways to punish protesters.“It seems that some of my colleagues took the wrong lesson from the demonstrations we saw this summer,” Virgin said.

New legislation would protect drivers who hit protestors

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 17-year-old girl died from smoke inhalation after she was unable to escape a fire in west Wichita. Wichita fire investigator Donny Eckerman said that the girl was trapped inside the duplex Friday afternoon by a deadbolt that required a key to open. The fire started in the kitchen after a burner was left on and a pan with grease caught fire. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613836194543.png" alt="Friday apartment fire (duplex), 3000 Block of North Newell -photo courtesy Wichita Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Friday apartment fire (duplex), 3000 Block of North Newell -photo courtesy Wichita Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 17-year-old girl died from smoke inhalation after she was unable to escape a fire in west Wichita. Wichita fire investigator Donny Eckerman said that the girl was trapped inside the duplex Friday afternoon by a deadbolt that required a key to open. The fire started in the kitchen after a burner was left on and a pan with grease caught fire. Firefighters found the girl unresponsive in her grandmother’s room, which is where the deadbolt key was kept. She died later at a hospital. Officials estimate the fire caused $40,000 damage to the building and $20,000 damage to the contents.-------WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A teen is hospitalized with critical injuries after a fire at a west Wichita apartment building. The Wichita Fire Department says the fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. Friday. Firefighters arrived to find the girl trapped inside the duplex. She was taken to Via Christi Hospital’s burn center. Fire Chief Jose Ocadiz said the “majority of the fire” was in the kitchen. The cause is still under investigation.