WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, summoning American resilience to confront a historic confluence of crises and urging people to come together to end an “uncivil war” in a nation deeply divided after four tumultuous years

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507998-1/presidential-inauguration&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the inauguration.

Declaring that “democracy has prevailed,” Biden took the oath at a U.S. Capitol that had been battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks earlier.

On a chilly Washington morning dotted with snow flurries, the quadrennial ceremony unfolded within a circle of security forces evocative of a war zone and devoid of crowds because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, Biden gazed out over 200,000 American flags planted on the National Mall to symbolize those who could not attend in person.

“The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious and democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed,” Biden said. “This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day in history and hope, of renewal and resolve.”

Biden never mentioned his predecessor, who defied tradition and left town ahead of the ceremony, but his speech was an implicit rebuke of Donald Trump. The new president denounced “lies told for power and for profit” and was blunt about the challenges ahead.

Central among them: the surging virus that has&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">claimed more than 400,000 lives</a>&nbsp;in the United States, as well as economic strains and a national reckoning over race.

“We have much to do in this winter of peril, and significant possibilities. Much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build and much to gain,” Biden said. “Few people in our nation’s history have been more challenged, or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we’re in now.”

Biden was eager to go big early, with an ambitious first 100 days that includes a push to speed up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations to anxious Americans and pass a $1.9 trillion virus relief package. On Day One, he planned a series of executive actions to roll back Trump administration initiatives and also planned to send an immigration proposal to Capitol Hill that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally.

The absence of Biden’s predecessor from the inaugural ceremony, a break from tradition, underscored the rift to be healed.

But a bipartisan trio of three former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — were there to witness the ceremonial transfer of power. Trump, awaiting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">his second impeachment trial</a>, was at his Florida resort by the time the swearing-in took place.

Biden, in his third run for the presidency, staked his candidacy less on any distinctive political ideology than on galvanizing a broad coalition of voters around the notion that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. Biden did not mention Trump by name but alluded to the rifts his predecessor had helped create.

“I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh, ugly reality of racism, nativism, fear, demonization that have long torn us apart,” Biden said. “This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward and we must meet this moment as the United States of America.”

Biden came to office with a well of empathy and resolve born by personal tragedy as well as a depth of experience forged from more than four decades in Washington. At age 78, he was the oldest president inaugurated.

More history was made at his side, as Kamala Harris became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/urn:publicid:ap.org:5ac8fff8bbe1c70479604e3ff62ecb10">the first woman to be vice president</a>. The former U.S. senator from California is also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/46ef207f32a089b2b54ed35d57c9413f">the first Black person</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0dc9ab1834475308435b7175bf0288d1">the first person of South Asian descent</a>&nbsp;elected to the vice presidency and the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government.

The two were sworn in during an inauguration ceremony with few parallels. Tens of thousands of troops were on the streets to provide security precisely two weeks after a violent mob of Trump supporters, incited by the Republican president, stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory.

“Here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people,” Biden said. “To stop the work of our democracy. To drive us from this sacred ground. It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today, not tomorrow. Not ever. Not ever.”

The tense atmosphere evoked the 1861 inauguration of Lincoln, who was secretly transported to Washington to avoid assassins on the eve of the Civil War, or Roosevelt’s inaugural in 1945, when he opted for a small, secure ceremony at the White House in the waning months of World War II.

But Washington, all but deserted downtown and in its federal areas, was quiet. And calm also prevailed outside heavily fortified state Capitol buildings across nation after the FBI had warned of the possibility for armed demonstrations leading up to the inauguration.

The day began with a reach across the political aisle after four years of bitter partisan battles under Trump. At Biden’s invitation, congressional leaders from both parties bowed their heads in prayer in the socially distanced service just a few blocks from the White House.

Biden was sworn in by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inauguration-joe-biden-donald-trump-barack-obama-health-3e80a8e8224e973fd71295939c9e67d9">Chief Justice John Roberts</a>; Harris by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina member of the Supreme Court. Vice President Mike Pence, standing in for Trump, sat nearby as Lady Gaga, holding a golden microphone, sang the National Anthem accompanied by the U.S. Marine Corps band.

When Pence, in a last act of the outgoing administration, left the Capitol, he walked through a door with badly cracked glass from the riot two weeks ago. Later, Biden, Harris and their spouses were joined by the former presidents to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Ceremony.

Biden was also to join the end of a slimmed-down inaugural parade as he moves into the White House. Because of the pandemic, much of this year’s parade was to be a virtual affair featuring performances from around the nation.

In the evening, in lieu of the traditional glitzy balls that welcome a new president to Washington, Biden will take part in a televised concert that also marks the return of A-list celebrities to the White House orbit after they largely eschewed Trump. Among those in the lineup: Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

This was not an inauguration for the crowds. But Americans in the capital city nonetheless brought their hopes to the moment.

“I feel so hopeful, so thankful,” said Karen Jennings Crooms, a D.C. resident who hoped to catch a glimpse of the presidential motorcade on Pennsylvania Avenue with her husband. “It makes us sad that this is where we are but hopeful that democracy will win out in the end. That’s what I’m focusing on.”

Trump was the first president in more than a century to skip the inauguration of his successor. After a brief farewell celebration at nearby Joint Base Andrews, he boarded Air Force One for the final time as president.

“I will always fight for you. I will be watching. I will be listening and I will tell you that the future of this country has never been better,” said Trump. He wished the incoming administration well but never mentioned Biden’s name.

The symbolism was striking: The very moment Trump disappeared into the doorway of Air Force One, Biden emerged from Blair House, the traditional guest lodging for presidents-in-waiting, and into his motorcade for the short ride to church.

Trump did adhere to one tradition and left a personal note for Biden in the Oval Office, according to the White House, which did not release its contents. And Trump, in his farewell remarks, hinted at a political return, saying “we will be back in some form.”

Without question, he will shadow Biden’s first days in office.

Trump’s second impeachment trial could start as early as this week. That could test the ability of the Senate, poised to come under Democratic control, to balance impeachment proceedings with confirmation hearings and votes on Biden’s Cabinet choices.

Biden planned a 10-day blitz of executive orders on matters that don’t require congressional approval — a mix of substantive and symbolic steps to unwind the Trump years. Among the planned steps: rescinding travel restrictions on people from several predominantly Muslim countries; rejoining the Paris climate accord; issuing a mask mandate for those on federal property; and ordering agencies to figure out how to reunite children separated from their families after crossing the border.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday, swearing the oath of office just before noon to take the helm of a deeply divided nation while inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.

Biden’s inauguration came at a time of national tumult and uncertainty, a ceremony of resilience as the hallowed American democratic rite unfurled at a U.S. Capitol battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks ago. On a chilly Washington day dotted with snow flurries, a bipartisan trio of ex-presidents along with the elite of nation’s government gathered, ensuring the quadrennial ceremony persevered, even though it was encircled by security forces evocative of a war zone and devoid of crowds because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Stay home, Americans were exhorted, to prevent further spread of a surging virus that has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the United States. Biden looked out over a capital city dotted with empty storefronts that attest to the pandemic’s deep economic toll and where summer protests laid bare the nation’s renewed reckoning on racial injustice.

And he was not applauded by his predecessor.

Flouting tradition, Donald Trump departed Washington on Wednesday morning ahead of the inauguration rather than accompany his successor to the Capitol. Though three other former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — gathered to watch the ceremonial transfer of power, Trump, awaiting his second impeachment trial, instead flew to Florida after stoking grievance among his supporters with the lie that Biden’s win was illegitimate.

Biden, in his third run for the presidency, staked his candidacy less on any distinctive political ideology than on galvanizing a broad coalition of voters around the notion that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. On his first day, Biden will take a series of executive actions — on the pandemic, climate, immigration and more — to undo the heart of Trump’s agenda at a moment with the bonds of the republic strained.

“Biden will face a series of urgent, burning crises like we have not seen before, and they all have to be solved at once. It is very hard to find a parallel in history,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss. “I think we have been through a near-death experience as a democracy. Americans who will watch the new president be sworn in are now acutely aware of how fragile our democracy is and how much it needs to be protected.”

Biden will come to office with a well of empathy and resolve born by personal tragedy as well as a depth of experience forged from more than four decades in Washington. At age 78, he was the oldest president inaugurated.

More history was made at his side, as Kamala Harris became the first woman to be vice president. The former U.S. senator from California is also the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency and will become the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government.

The two were sworn in during an inauguration ceremony with few parallels in history.

Tens of thousands of troops are on the streets to provide security precisely two weeks after a violent mob of Trump supporters, incited by the Republican president, stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory.

The day began with a reach across the aisle after four years of bitter partisan battles under Trump. At Biden’s invitation, congressional leaders from both parties bowed their heads in prayer in the socially distanced service just a few blocks from the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden swears the oath of office at noon (EDT) Wednesday to become the 46th president of the United States, taking the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.

<a href="https://bideninaugural.org/watch/">Click here to watch</a> beginning 8a.m. CDT

The very ceremony in which presidential power is transferred, a hallowed American democratic tradition, will serve as a jarring reminder of the challenges Biden faces: The inauguration unfolds at a U.S. Capitol battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks ago, encircled by security forces evocative of those in a war zone, and devoid of crowds because of the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Stay home, Americans were exhorted, to prevent further spread of a surging virus that has claimed 400,000 American lives. Biden will look out over a capital city dotted with empty storefronts that attest to the pandemic’s deep economic toll and where summer protests laid bare the nation’s renewed reckoning on racial justice.

He will not be applauded — or likely even acknowledged — by his predecessor.

Flouting tradition, Donald Trump planned to depart Washington on Wednesday morning ahead of the inauguration rather than accompany his successor to the Capitol. Trump, awaiting his second impeachment trial, stoked grievance among his supporters with the lie that Biden’s win was illegitimate.

Biden, in his third run for the presidency, staked his candidacy less on any distinctive political ideology than on galvanizing a broad coalition of voters around the notion that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. On his first day, Biden will take a series of executive actions — on the pandemic, climate, immigration and more — to undo the heart of Trump’s agenda. He takes office with the bonds of the republic strained and the nation reeling from challenges that rival those faced by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Biden will come to office with a well of empathy and resolve born by personal tragedy as well as a depth of experience forged from more than four decades in Washington. At age 78, he will be the oldest president inaugurated.

More history will be made at his side, as Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to become vice president. The former U.S. senator from California is also the first Black person and first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency and will become the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government.

The two will be sworn in during an inauguration ceremony with few parallels in history.

Tens of thousands of troops are on the streets to provide security precisely two weeks after a violent mob of Trump supporters, incited by the president, stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory.

Despite security warnings, Biden declined to move the ceremony indoors and instead will address a small, socially distant crowd on the West Front of the Capitol. Some of the traditional trappings of the quadrennial ceremony will remain.

The day will begin with a reach across the aisle after four years of bitter partisan battles under Trump. Biden invited Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leaders of the Senate and House, to join him at a morning Mass, along with Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leaders.

Once at the Capitol, Biden will be administered the oath by Chief Justice John Roberts; Harris will be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The theme of Biden’s approximately 30-minute speech will be “America United,” and aides said it would be a call to set aside differences during a moment of national trial.

Biden will then oversee a “Pass in Review,” a military tradition that honors the peaceful transfer of power to a new commander in chief. Then, Biden, Harris and their spouses will be joined by a bipartisan trio of former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Ceremony.

Later, Biden will join the end of a slimmed-down inaugural parade as he moves into the White House. Because of the pandemic, much of this year’s parade will be a virtual affair featuring performances from around the nation.

In the evening, in lieu of the traditional glitzy balls that welcome a new president to Washington, Biden will take part in a televised concert that also marks the return of A-list celebrities to the White House orbit after they largely eschewed Trump. Among those in the lineup: Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem at the Capitol earlier in the day.

Trump will be the first president in more than a century to skip the inauguration of his successor. He planned his own farewell celebration at nearby Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force One for the final time as president for the flight to his Florida estate.

Trump will nonetheless shadow Biden’s first days in office.

Biden was eager to go big early, with an ambitious first 100 days that includes a push to speed up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations to anxious Americans and pass a $1.9 trillion virus relief package. On Day One, he’ll also send an immigration proposal to Capitol Hill that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally.

He also planned a 10-day blitz of executive orders on matters that don’t require congressional approval — a mix of substantive and symbolic steps to unwind the Trump years. Among the planned steps: rescinding travel restrictions on people from several predominantly Muslim countries; rejoining the Paris climate accord; issuing a mask mandate for those on federal property; and ordering agencies to figure out how to reunite children separated from their families after crossing the border.

The difficulties he faces are immense, to be mentioned in the same breath as Roosevelt taking office during the Great Depression or Obama, under whom Biden served eight years as vice president, during the economic collapse. And the solution may be similar.

“There is now, as there was in 1933, a vital need for leadership,” said presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, “for every national resource to be brought to bear to get the virus under control, to help produce and distribute the vaccines, to get vaccines into the arms of the people, to spur the economy to recover and get people back to work and to school.”

🎥  The Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the fatal stabbing of his cousin made his first court appearance Tuesday.

 Jason Payne, 39 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 5:30a.m. January 13, police&nbsp;responded to a welfare call at 13th&nbsp;and Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; A citizen reported&nbsp; 39-year-old Jason Payne lying face down in the middle of the street at the intersection.&nbsp; 

Upon arrival, officers contacted Payne who needed medical assistance.&nbsp; He was transported to an area hospital, treated, and released.

Through the investigation of this incident, information was learned of another man possibly being injured at a home in the 900 block of North Oliver.&nbsp; Officers went to the home and found 34-year-old Michael Montgomery unresponsive.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Further investigation revealed a disturbance occurred between Montgomery and Payne, his cousin at the home on North Oliver.  During the disturbance, Payne pulled out a knife and stabbed Montgomery multiple times.

Payne's next court appearance is February 4, according to the district attorney. He remains jailed on a bond of $200,000.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610628823403.png" alt="Payne-photo Sedgwick Co." />
                        <figcaption>Payne-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the fatal stabbing of his cousin made his first court appearance Tuesday.</p><p> Jason Payne, 39 of Wichita, was charged with 1st degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.</p><p>Just after 5:30a.m. January 13, police&nbsp;responded to a welfare call at 13th&nbsp;and Oliver in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; A citizen reported&nbsp; 39-year-old Jason Payne lying face down in the middle of the street at the intersection.&nbsp; </p><p>Upon arrival, officers contacted Payne who needed medical assistance.&nbsp; He was transported to an area hospital, treated, and released.</p><p>Through the investigation of this incident, information was learned of another man possibly being injured at a home in the 900 block of North Oliver.&nbsp; Officers went to the home and found 34-year-old Michael Montgomery unresponsive.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.</p><p>Further investigation revealed a disturbance occurred between Montgomery and Payne, his cousin at the home on North Oliver.  During the disturbance, Payne pulled out a knife and stabbed Montgomery multiple times.</p><p>Payne's next court appearance is February 4, according to the district attorney. He remains jailed on a bond of $200,000.</p><p>-----</p>

Kansas man charged in stabbing death of his cousin 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence artist known for large, intricate crop art will have his work featured in a virtual celebration of Joe Biden's inauguration. Stan Herd was asked by the inauguration team to contribute to a <a href="https://bideninaugural.org/watch/">“Parade Across America” video </a>that was shown Wednesday during the inauguration. 

Herd and a crew charred the phrase “America United” into a former hay field outside Lawrence. They finished Sunday. The large, block text covers about one acre of land belonging to one of Herd’s supporters. The team cut the words with weed trimmers and then used a butane torch to burn the interior part of the letters.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611178538651.png" alt="Stan Herd's crop art as shown in the Parade Across America video for the Biden inauguration Wednesday afternoon" />
                        <figcaption>Stan Herd's crop art as shown in the Parade Across America video for the Biden inauguration Wednesday afternoon</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence artist known for large, intricate crop art will have his work featured in a virtual celebration of Joe Biden's inauguration. Stan Herd was asked by the inauguration team to contribute to a <a href="https://bideninaugural.org/watch/">“Parade Across America” video </a>that was shown Wednesday during the inauguration. </p><p>Herd and a crew charred the phrase “America United” into a former hay field outside Lawrence. They finished Sunday. The large, block text covers about one acre of land belonging to one of Herd’s supporters. The team cut the words with weed trimmers and then used a butane torch to burn the interior part of the letters.</p>

Kansas crop artist's unity work part of Biden inauguration

WASHINGTON —President Joe Biden called on Americans to overcome their divisions, declaring in his first address in office that “without unity, there is no peace.”

Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation who attended the Biden inauguration posted their thoughts on social media.

New 2nd District Representative Jake LaTurner has not made a comment on the inauguration.

<p>WASHINGTON —President Joe Biden called on Americans to overcome their divisions, declaring in his first address in office that “without unity, there is no peace.”</p><p>Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation who attended the Biden inauguration posted their thoughts on social media.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Honored to attend the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Inauguration2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Inauguration2021</a> Ceremony today for President Joseph R. Biden and to witness this important moment in our nation’s democracy. <a href="https://t.co/KCPOhZuYXh">pic.twitter.com/KCPOhZuYXh</a></p>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1351977792032923648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you to the 273 <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasGuard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KansasGuard</a> Soldiers stationed in Washington, DC to support the peaceful transition of power. I appreciate everything our military does to keep us safe and am proud to represent hardworking Kansans. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KansasGuard?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KansasGuard</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KS01?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KS01</a></p>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1351960668178681856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here we go! #46 <a href="https://t.co/8EPSTnkIfj">pic.twitter.com/8EPSTnkIfj</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1351923282107375618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m rooting for President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris’ success, and I look forward to working with them and their new Administration to fight this virus and Build Back Better than before. (2/2)</p>&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1351947114746703879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It is an honor to witness our nation’s tradition of a peaceful transfer of power today.<br><br>I look forward to getting back to work advocating for Kansans – reopening the economy and pushing against radical policies that will hurt families and small businesses.</p>&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1351960447625416705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Laina &amp; I joined Americans to witness Constitutional transition of power to Pres. <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a>. I have hope we can work together to tackle issues facing 🇺🇸: get COVID-19 vaccine in the arms of everyone who wants &amp; needs it, job recovery &amp; opening economy back to pre-pandemic levels. <a href="https://t.co/OQm2hadPaT">pic.twitter.com/OQm2hadPaT</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1351958054632386561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>New 2nd District Representative Jake LaTurner has not made a comment on the inauguration.</p>

Members of Kan. delegation comment on inauguration 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposed pro-life amendment to the Kansas Constitution cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature on Tuesday as abortion opponents moved quickly to try to get it on the ballot.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/scr1602_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">the measure</a>&nbsp;on a voice vote, sending it to the full Senate for debate, possibly later this week. The proposed amendment would overturn a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">state Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution.

A House committee could vote&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">its own version</a>&nbsp;Thursday. It’s the second week of lawmakers’ annual 90-day session.

The measure would declare that the state constitution grants no right to abortion and allows legislators to regulate abortion in line with U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Abortion foes say they’re trying to reaffirm the authority Kansas voters assumed lawmakers always had. Abortion rights groups argue the measure is a step toward a state abortion ban.

Abortion opponents need two-thirds majorities in both chambers for the measure to go on the ballot and are seeking a vote in the August 2022 primary election.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-constitutions-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-ba2344ac96f12a6891f24129e4593e4a">They’re moving quickly</a>&nbsp;because they’re worried that the COVID-19 pandemic could cut the Legislature’s session short, as it did last year.

<p>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposed pro-life amendment to the Kansas Constitution cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature on Tuesday as abortion opponents moved quickly to try to get it on the ballot.</p><p>The Senate Judiciary Committee approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/scr1602_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">the measure</a>&nbsp;on a voice vote, sending it to the full Senate for debate, possibly later this week. The proposed amendment would overturn a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">state Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution.</p><p>A House committee could vote&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">its own version</a>&nbsp;Thursday. It’s the second week of lawmakers’ annual 90-day session.</p><p>The measure would declare that the state constitution grants no right to abortion and allows legislators to regulate abortion in line with U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Abortion foes say they’re trying to reaffirm the authority Kansas voters assumed lawmakers always had. Abortion rights groups argue the measure is a step toward a state abortion ban.</p><p>Abortion opponents need two-thirds majorities in both chambers for the measure to go on the ballot and are seeking a vote in the August 2022 primary election.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-constitutions-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-ba2344ac96f12a6891f24129e4593e4a">They’re moving quickly</a>&nbsp;because they’re worried that the COVID-19 pandemic could cut the Legislature’s session short, as it did last year.</p><p>___</p>

Proposed pro-life measure takes step toward Kan. Constitution

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 3590 to a total of 263,412, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3575 an increase of 50

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

<p>TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 3590 to a total of 263,412, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;</p><p>Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3575 an increase of 50</p><p><a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611166114849.png" alt="Wednesday Jan. 20, 2021 KDHE image" />
                        <figcaption>Wednesday Jan. 20, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
                    </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

BARTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Tuesday in Barton County.

A 2001 Dodge Dakota driven by James Miller, 53, rural Albert, was traveling in the 700 block of W. Barton County Road, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

The driver swerved to avoid striking a deer. The pickup struck two mailboxes, entered the north ditch, struck a culvert and overturned.

The Great Bend Fire Department was able to extract Miller from the vehicle and he was transported to the University of Kansas Health Care Great Bend Campus for non-life-threatening injuries.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611159666346.jpeg" alt="Tuesday rollover accident photo Barton Co. Sheriff" />
                        <figcaption>Tuesday rollover accident photo Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BARTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Tuesday in Barton County.</p><p>A 2001 Dodge Dakota driven by James Miller, 53, rural Albert, was traveling in the 700 block of W. Barton County Road, according to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.</p><p>The driver swerved to avoid striking a deer. The pickup struck two mailboxes, entered the north ditch, struck a culvert and overturned.</p><p>The Great Bend Fire Department was able to extract Miller from the vehicle and he was transported to the University of Kansas Health Care Great Bend Campus for non-life-threatening injuries.</p>

Kansas man hospitalized after rollover crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned former chief strategist Steve Bannon as part of a flurry of clemency action in the final hours of his White House term that benefited more than 140 people, including rap performers, ex-members of Congress and other allies of him and his family.

<a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-regarding-executive-grants-clemency-012021/">Click here to see a </a>list of those granted clemency

The last-minute clemency, announced Wednesday morning, follows separate waves of pardons over the past month for Trump associates convicted in the FBI’s Russia investigation as well as for the father of his son-in-law. Taken together, the actions underscore the president’s willingness, all the way through his four years in the White House, to flex his constitutional powers in ways that defy convention and explicitly aid his friends and supporters.

To be sure, the latest list was heavily populated by more conventional candidates whose cases had been championed by criminal justice activists. One man who has spent nearly 24 years in prison on drug and weapons charges but had shown exemplary behavior behind bars had his sentence commuted, as did a former Marine sentenced in 2000 in connection with a cocaine conviction.

But the names of prominent Trump allies nonetheless stood out.

Besides Bannon, other pardon recipients included Elliott Broidy, a Republican fundraiser who pleaded guilty last fall in a scheme to lobby the Trump administration to drop an investigation into the looting of a Malaysian wealth fund, and Ken Kurson, a friend of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner who was charged last October with cyberstalking during a heated divorce.

Bannon’s pardon was especially notable given that the prosecution was still in its early stages and any trial was months away. Whereas pardon recipients are conventionally thought of as defendants who have faced justice, often by having served at least some prison time, the pardon nullifies the prosecution and effectively eliminates any prospect for punishment.

“Steve Bannon is getting a pardon from Trump after defrauding Trump’s own supporters into paying for a wall that Trump promised Mexico would pay for,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said on Twitter. “And if that all sounds crazy, that’s because it is. Thank God we have only 12 more hours of this den of thieves.”

And while other presidents have issued controversial pardons at the ends of their administration, perhaps no commander in chief has so enjoyed using the clemency authority to benefit not only friends and acquaintances but also celebrity defendants and those championed by allies.

Wednesday’s list includes its share of high-profile defendants. Among them were rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, both convicted in Florida on weapons charges. Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, has frequently expressed support for Trump and recently met with the president on criminal justice issues. Others on the list included Death Row Records co-founder Michael Harris and New York art dealer and collector Hillel Nahmad.

Other pardon recipients include former Rep. Rick Renzi, an Arizona Republican who served three years for corruption, money laundering and other charges, and former Rep. Duke Cunningham of California, who was convicted of accepting $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors. Cunningham, who was released from prison in 2013, received a conditional pardon.

Trump also commuted the prison sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who has served about seven years behind bars for a racketeering and bribery scheme.

Bannon has been charged with duping thousands of donors who believed their money would be used to fulfill Trump’s chief campaign promise to build a wall along the southern border. Instead, he allegedly diverted over a million dollars, paying a salary to one campaign official and personal expenses for himself.

Bannon did not respond to questions Tuesday.

Trump has already pardoned a slew of longtime associates and supporters, including his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort; Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law; his longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone; and his former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

A voice of nationalist, outsider conservatism, Bannon — who served in the Navy and worked at Goldman Sachs and as a Hollywood producer before turning to politics — led the conservative Breitbart News before being tapped to serve as chief executive officer of Trump’s 2016 campaign in its critical final months.

He later served as chief strategist to the president during the turbulent early days of Trump’s administration and was at the forefront of many of its most contentious policies, including its travel ban on several majority-Muslim countries.

But Bannon, who clashed with other top advisers, was pushed out after less than a year. And his split with Trump deepened after he was quoted in a 2018 book making critical remarks about some of Trump’s adult children. Bannon apologized and soon stepped down as chairman of Breitbart. He and Trump have recently reconciled.

In August, he was pulled from a luxury yacht off the coast of Connecticut and brought before a judge in Manhattan, where he pleaded not guilty. When he emerged from the courthouse, Bannon tore off his mask, smiled and waved to news cameras. As he went to a waiting vehicle, he shouted, “This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall.”

The organizers of the “We Build The Wall” group portrayed themselves as eager to help the president build a “big beautiful” barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, as he promised during the 2016 campaign. They raised more than $25 million from thousands of donors and pledged that 100% of the money would be used for the project.

But according to the criminal charges, much of the money never made it to the wall. Instead, it was used to line the pockets of group members, including Bannon.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611150194519.png" alt="President Trump and the First Lady arrive at Joint Base Andrews prior to leaving Washington Wednesday morning-image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>President Trump and the First Lady arrive at Joint Base Andrews prior to leaving Washington Wednesday morning-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned former chief strategist Steve Bannon as part of a flurry of clemency action in the final hours of his White House term that benefited more than 140 people, including rap performers, ex-members of Congress and other allies of him and his family.</p><p><a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-regarding-executive-grants-clemency-012021/">Click here to see a </a>list of those granted clemency</p><p>The last-minute clemency, announced Wednesday morning, follows separate waves of pardons over the past month for Trump associates convicted in the FBI’s Russia investigation as well as for the father of his son-in-law. Taken together, the actions underscore the president’s willingness, all the way through his four years in the White House, to flex his constitutional powers in ways that defy convention and explicitly aid his friends and supporters.</p><p>To be sure, the latest list was heavily populated by more conventional candidates whose cases had been championed by criminal justice activists. One man who has spent nearly 24 years in prison on drug and weapons charges but had shown exemplary behavior behind bars had his sentence commuted, as did a former Marine sentenced in 2000 in connection with a cocaine conviction.</p><p>But the names of prominent Trump allies nonetheless stood out.</p><p>Besides Bannon, other pardon recipients included Elliott Broidy, a Republican fundraiser who pleaded guilty last fall in a scheme to lobby the Trump administration to drop an investigation into the looting of a Malaysian wealth fund, and Ken Kurson, a friend of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner who was charged last October with cyberstalking during a heated divorce.</p><p>Bannon’s pardon was especially notable given that the prosecution was still in its early stages and any trial was months away. Whereas pardon recipients are conventionally thought of as defendants who have faced justice, often by having served at least some prison time, the pardon nullifies the prosecution and effectively eliminates any prospect for punishment.</p><p>“Steve Bannon is getting a pardon from Trump after defrauding Trump’s own supporters into paying for a wall that Trump promised Mexico would pay for,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said on Twitter. “And if that all sounds crazy, that’s because it is. Thank God we have only 12 more hours of this den of thieves.”</p><p>And while other presidents have issued controversial pardons at the ends of their administration, perhaps no commander in chief has so enjoyed using the clemency authority to benefit not only friends and acquaintances but also celebrity defendants and those championed by allies.</p><p>Wednesday’s list includes its share of high-profile defendants. Among them were rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, both convicted in Florida on weapons charges. Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, has frequently expressed support for Trump and recently met with the president on criminal justice issues. Others on the list included Death Row Records co-founder Michael Harris and New York art dealer and collector Hillel Nahmad.</p><p>Other pardon recipients include former Rep. Rick Renzi, an Arizona Republican who served three years for corruption, money laundering and other charges, and former Rep. Duke Cunningham of California, who was convicted of accepting $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors. Cunningham, who was released from prison in 2013, received a conditional pardon.</p><p>Trump also commuted the prison sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who has served about seven years behind bars for a racketeering and bribery scheme.</p><p>Bannon has been charged with duping thousands of donors who believed their money would be used to fulfill Trump’s chief campaign promise to build a wall along the southern border. Instead, he allegedly diverted over a million dollars, paying a salary to one campaign official and personal expenses for himself.</p><p>Bannon did not respond to questions Tuesday.</p><p>Trump has already pardoned a slew of longtime associates and supporters, including his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort; Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law; his longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone; and his former national security adviser Michael Flynn.</p><p>A voice of nationalist, outsider conservatism, Bannon — who served in the Navy and worked at Goldman Sachs and as a Hollywood producer before turning to politics — led the conservative Breitbart News before being tapped to serve as chief executive officer of Trump’s 2016 campaign in its critical final months.</p><p>He later served as chief strategist to the president during the turbulent early days of Trump’s administration and was at the forefront of many of its most contentious policies, including its travel ban on several majority-Muslim countries.</p><p>But Bannon, who clashed with other top advisers, was pushed out after less than a year. And his split with Trump deepened after he was quoted in a 2018 book making critical remarks about some of Trump’s adult children. Bannon apologized and soon stepped down as chairman of Breitbart. He and Trump have recently reconciled.</p><p>In August, he was pulled from a luxury yacht off the coast of Connecticut and brought before a judge in Manhattan, where he pleaded not guilty. When he emerged from the courthouse, Bannon tore off his mask, smiled and waved to news cameras. As he went to a waiting vehicle, he shouted, “This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall.”</p><p>The organizers of the “We Build The Wall” group portrayed themselves as eager to help the president build a “big beautiful” barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, as he promised during the 2016 campaign. They raised more than $25 million from thousands of donors and pledged that 100% of the money would be used for the project.</p><p>But according to the criminal charges, much of the money never made it to the wall. Instead, it was used to line the pockets of group members, including Bannon.</p><p>___</p>

See who Trump pardoned on final day as President

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An anonymous couple from Kansas has pledged a $3.5 million estate gift to the Wichita State Foundation. The university announced Tuesday that the money will be used to endow a scholarship fund for students who show financial need. 

Students who have financial need, have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and hold part-time jobs will be eligible for scholarships that will pay up to half of the cost of their tuition. A preference will be given to students from Kansas. At current tuition rates, the money would provide half-tuition awards for about 35 students annually.

<p>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An anonymous couple from Kansas has pledged a $3.5 million estate gift to the Wichita State Foundation. The university announced Tuesday that the money will be used to endow a scholarship fund for students who show financial need. </p><p>Students who have financial need, have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and hold part-time jobs will be eligible for scholarships that will pay up to half of the cost of their tuition. A preference will be given to students from Kansas. At current tuition rates, the money would provide half-tuition awards for about 35 students annually.</p>

Anonymous couple pledges $3.5M to Wichita State

WASHINGTON (AP) —The race against the virus that causes COVID-19 has taken a new turn: Mutations are rapidly popping up, and the longer it takes to vaccinate people, the more likely it is that a variant that can elude current tests, treatments and vaccines could emerge.

The coronavirus is becoming more genetically diverse, and health officials say the high rate of new cases is the main reason. Each new infection gives the virus a chance to mutate as it makes copies of itself, threatening to undo the progress made so far to control the pandemic.

&nbsp;The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a new version first identified in the United Kingdom may become dominant in the U.S. by March. Although it doesn’t cause more severe illness, it will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths just because it spreads much more easily, said the CDC, warning of “a new phase of exponential growth.”

“We’re taking it really very seriously,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“We need to do everything we can now ... to get transmission as low as we possibly can,” said Harvard University’s Dr. Michael Mina. “The best way to prevent mutant strains from emerging is to slow transmission.”

So far, vaccines seem to remain effective, but there are signs that some of the new mutations may undermine tests for the virus and reduce the effectiveness of antibody drugs as treatments.

“We’re in a race against time” because the virus “may stumble upon a mutation” that makes it more dangerous, said Dr. Pardis Sabeti, an evolutionary biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Younger people may be less willing to wear masks, shun crowds and take other steps to avoid infection because the current strain doesn’t seem to make them very sick, but “in one mutational change, it might,” she warned. Sabeti documented a change in the Ebola virus during the 2014 outbreak that made it much worse.

It’s normal for viruses to acquire small changes or mutations in their genetic alphabet as they reproduce. Ones that help the virus flourish give it a competitive advantage and thus crowd out other versions.

In March, just a couple months after the coronavirus was discovered in China, a mutation called D614G emerged that made it more likely to spread. It soon became the dominant version in the world.

Now, after months of relative calm, “we’ve started to see some striking evolution” of the virus, biologist Trevor Bedford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle wrote on Twitter last week. “The fact that we’ve observed three variants of concern emerge since September suggests that there are likely more to come.”

One was first identified in the United Kingdom and quickly became dominant in parts of England. It has now been reported in at least 30 countries, including the United States.

Soon afterward, South Africa and Brazil reported new variants, and the main mutation in the version identified in Britain turned up on a different version “that’s been circulating in Ohio ... at least as far back as September,” said Dr. Dan Jones, a molecular pathologist at Ohio State University who announced that finding last week.

“The important finding here is that this is unlikely to be travel-related” and instead may reflect the virus acquiring similar mutations independently as more infections occur, Jones said.

That also suggests that travel restrictions might be ineffective, Mina said. Because the United States has so many cases, “we can breed our own variants that are just as bad or worse” as those in other countries, he said.

Some lab tests suggest the variants identified in South Africa and Brazil may be less susceptible to antibody drugs or convalescent plasma, antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors — both of which help people fight off the virus.

Government scientists are “actively looking” into that possibility, Dr. Janet Woodcock of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told reporters Thursday. The government is encouraging development of multi-antibody treatments rather than single-antibody drugs to have more ways to target the virus in case one proves ineffective, she said.

Current vaccines induce broad enough immune responses that they should remain effective, many scientists say. Enough genetic change eventually may require tweaking the vaccine formula, but “it’s probably going to be on the order of years if we use the vaccine well rather than months,” Dr. Andrew Pavia of the University of Utah said Thursday on a webcast hosted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Health officials also worry that if the virus changes enough, people might get COVID-19 a second time. Reinfection currently is rare, but Brazil already confirmed a case in someone with a new variant who had been sickened with a previous version several months earlier.

“We’re seeing a lot of variants, viral diversity, because there’s a lot of virus out there,” and reducing new infections is the best way to curb it, said Dr. Adam Lauring, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Loyce Pace, who heads the nonprofit Global Health Council and is a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board, said the same precautions scientists have been advising all along “still work and they still matter.”

“We still want people to be masking up,” she said Thursday on a webcast hosted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“We still need people to limit congregating with people outside their household. We still need people to be washing their hands and really being vigilant about those public health practices, especially as these variants emerge.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608566572342.png" alt="Image courtesy GISAID" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) —The race against the virus that causes COVID-19 has taken a new turn: Mutations are rapidly popping up, and the longer it takes to vaccinate people, the more likely it is that a variant that can elude current tests, treatments and vaccines could emerge.</p><p>The coronavirus is becoming more genetically diverse, and health officials say the high rate of new cases is the main reason. Each new infection gives the virus a chance to mutate as it makes copies of itself, threatening to undo the progress made so far to control the pandemic.</p><p>&nbsp;The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a new version first identified in the United Kingdom may become dominant in the U.S. by March. Although it doesn’t cause more severe illness, it will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths just because it spreads much more easily, said the CDC, warning of “a new phase of exponential growth.”</p><p>“We’re taking it really very seriously,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”</p><p>“We need to do everything we can now ... to get transmission as low as we possibly can,” said Harvard University’s Dr. Michael Mina. “The best way to prevent mutant strains from emerging is to slow transmission.”</p><p>So far, vaccines seem to remain effective, but there are signs that some of the new mutations may undermine tests for the virus and reduce the effectiveness of antibody drugs as treatments.</p><p>“We’re in a race against time” because the virus “may stumble upon a mutation” that makes it more dangerous, said Dr. Pardis Sabeti, an evolutionary biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.</p><p>Younger people may be less willing to wear masks, shun crowds and take other steps to avoid infection because the current strain doesn’t seem to make them very sick, but “in one mutational change, it might,” she warned. Sabeti documented a change in the Ebola virus during the 2014 outbreak that made it much worse.</p><p>MUTATIONS ON THE RISE</p><p>It’s normal for viruses to acquire small changes or mutations in their genetic alphabet as they reproduce. Ones that help the virus flourish give it a competitive advantage and thus crowd out other versions.</p><p>In March, just a couple months after the coronavirus was discovered in China, a mutation called D614G emerged that made it more likely to spread. It soon became the dominant version in the world.</p><p>Now, after months of relative calm, “we’ve started to see some striking evolution” of the virus, biologist Trevor Bedford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle wrote on Twitter last week. “The fact that we’ve observed three variants of concern emerge since September suggests that there are likely more to come.”</p><p>One was first identified in the United Kingdom and quickly became dominant in parts of England. It has now been reported in at least 30 countries, including the United States.</p><p>Soon afterward, South Africa and Brazil reported new variants, and the main mutation in the version identified in Britain turned up on a different version “that’s been circulating in Ohio ... at least as far back as September,” said Dr. Dan Jones, a molecular pathologist at Ohio State University who announced that finding last week.</p><p>“The important finding here is that this is unlikely to be travel-related” and instead may reflect the virus acquiring similar mutations independently as more infections occur, Jones said.</p><p>That also suggests that travel restrictions might be ineffective, Mina said. Because the United States has so many cases, “we can breed our own variants that are just as bad or worse” as those in other countries, he said.</p><p>___</p><p>TREATMENT, VACCINE, REINFECTION RISKS</p><p>Some lab tests suggest the variants identified in South Africa and Brazil may be less susceptible to antibody drugs or convalescent plasma, antibody-rich blood from COVID-19 survivors — both of which help people fight off the virus.</p><p>Government scientists are “actively looking” into that possibility, Dr. Janet Woodcock of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration told reporters Thursday. The government is encouraging development of multi-antibody treatments rather than single-antibody drugs to have more ways to target the virus in case one proves ineffective, she said.</p><p>Current vaccines induce broad enough immune responses that they should remain effective, many scientists say. Enough genetic change eventually may require tweaking the vaccine formula, but “it’s probably going to be on the order of years if we use the vaccine well rather than months,” Dr. Andrew Pavia of the University of Utah said Thursday on a webcast hosted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.</p><p>Health officials also worry that if the virus changes enough, people might get COVID-19 a second time. Reinfection currently is rare, but Brazil already confirmed a case in someone with a new variant who had been sickened with a previous version several months earlier.</p><p>___</p><p>WHAT TO DO</p><p>“We’re seeing a lot of variants, viral diversity, because there’s a lot of virus out there,” and reducing new infections is the best way to curb it, said Dr. Adam Lauring, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.</p><p>Loyce Pace, who heads the nonprofit Global Health Council and is a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board, said the same precautions scientists have been advising all along “still work and they still matter.”</p><p>“We still want people to be masking up,” she said Thursday on a webcast hosted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.</p><p>“We still need people to limit congregating with people outside their household. We still need people to be washing their hands and really being vigilant about those public health practices, especially as these variants emerge.”</p><p>___</p>

COVID-19 mutations rise along with cases

WASHINGTON —A <a href="https://www.artskcgo.com/artist/ay-young/">Kansas City native </a>who earned an Associate of Arts Degree in business and marketing from Hesston College, AY Aaron Young is one of a handful of musicians including Akon, Billie Eilish, Bob Weir, Michael Franti, Train and Denise King performing at the Clean Energy for<a href="https://www.cleanenergyforbiden.com/ball"> America Inaugural Ball </a>Wednesday evening. 

On Instagram, Hesston College wrote" Congratulations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/aymusik/">@aymusik</a>&nbsp;! We’re so proud of you!"

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, AY is a producer, writer, rapper, and singer/songwriter and sustainability advocate.&nbsp; AY got his musical start in 2012 on the X Factor TV show, receiving four Yes’ from celebrity judges L.A. Reid, Britney Spears, Louis Walsh, and Demi Lovato, according to the singer's bio.

He recently received a Special Action Resolution from Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Congress, and the State of Missouri, honoring his recognition by the United Nations as "1 of 17" Youth World Leaders. Young powers up his concerts using renewable energy. He was selected from 18,000 nominations from 193 countries, and is the only Youth Leader from the the U.S. Young was also named "40 Under 40" by a national energy magazine. He is the son of Alan Young and State Representative Yolanda Young.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611145249817.png" alt="AY photo courtesy Hesston College" />
                        <figcaption>AY photo courtesy Hesston College</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON —A <a href="https://www.artskcgo.com/artist/ay-young/">Kansas City native </a>who earned an Associate of Arts Degree in business and marketing from Hesston College, AY Aaron Young is one of a handful of musicians including Akon, Billie Eilish, Bob Weir, Michael Franti, Train and Denise King performing at the Clean Energy for<a href="https://www.cleanenergyforbiden.com/ball"> America Inaugural Ball </a>Wednesday evening. </p><p>On Instagram, Hesston College wrote" Congratulations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/aymusik/">@aymusik</a>&nbsp;! We’re so proud of you!"</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKKivP0guwB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKKivP0guwB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKKivP0guwB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by AY Young (-.-) 🔌 (@aymusik)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, AY is a producer, writer, rapper, and singer/songwriter and sustainability advocate.&nbsp; AY got his musical start in 2012 on the X Factor TV show, receiving four Yes’ from celebrity judges L.A. Reid, Britney Spears, Louis Walsh, and Demi Lovato, according to the singer's bio.</p><p>He recently received a Special Action Resolution from Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Congress, and the State of Missouri, honoring his recognition by the United Nations as "1 of 17" Youth World Leaders. Young powers up his concerts using renewable energy. He was selected from 18,000 nominations from 193 countries, and is the only Youth Leader from the the U.S. Young was also named "40 Under 40" by a national energy magazine. He is the son of Alan Young and State Representative Yolanda Young.</p>

Former Hesston College student to perform at Biden virtual inaugural

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged mail theft in Garden City.

Just after 10:30 a.m. Jan. 14,., police Department were dispatched to 1200 East Laurel Street in Garden City in reference to an auto burglary, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.

When officers arrived, they met with a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS). 

Officers learned that the mail carrier had parked his postal truck in the 1200 block of East Laurel Street, locked the doors, and began his delivery route. 

Upon return, the mail carrier discovered all remaining mail in the truck had been taken without permission. 

Police remind the public that those expecting mail on or around January 14, 2021, please contact the sender to ensure it was sent. 

If the mail was sent, and you did not receive it, please, notify the United States Postal Service. Please, be aware of potentially fraudulent activity when receiving or cashing checks. As always, contact the Garden City Police Department if you suspect a crime has been committed. 

 The Garden City Police Department is requesting assistance from the community. If you witnessed this incident or have information related to this incident, you should call the Garden City Police Department.<br>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611097423631.png" alt="Mail truck returns to the post office in Garden City-google image" />
                        <figcaption>Mail truck returns to the post office in Garden City-google image</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged mail theft in Garden City.</p><p>Just after 10:30 a.m. Jan. 14,., police Department were dispatched to 1200 East Laurel Street in Garden City in reference to an auto burglary, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.</p><p>When officers arrived, they met with a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS). </p><p>Officers learned that the mail carrier had parked his postal truck in the 1200 block of East Laurel Street, locked the doors, and began his delivery route. </p><p>Upon return, the mail carrier discovered all remaining mail in the truck had been taken without permission. </p><p>Police remind the public that those expecting mail on or around January 14, 2021, please contact the sender to ensure it was sent. </p><p>If the mail was sent, and you did not receive it, please, notify the United States Postal Service. Please, be aware of potentially fraudulent activity when receiving or cashing checks. As always, contact the Garden City Police Department if you suspect a crime has been committed. </p><p> The Garden City Police Department is requesting assistance from the community. If you witnessed this incident or have information related to this incident, you should call the Garden City Police Department.<br></p>

Police investigate theft from mail carrier in SW Kansas

<b>By AMY RICKER</b><br><a href="https://greatbendpost.com"><i>Great Bend Post</i></a>

GREAT BEND — Barton County 
Attorney Levi Morris presented annual numbers relating to adult and 
juvenile criminal cases and traffic cases filed by his office to the 
County Commissioners.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2018, Morris said the Barton County
 Attorney’s office filed 584 adult criminal cases compared to 476 cases 
filed in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We filed about 100 criminal cases last year, 
which was my first year, and as I said last year, that was on purpose. 
My opinion was that a lot of bad cases get filed, and they chew up a lot
 of time and a lot of resources. I tried to apply a stricter standard. 
Suppose we don’t have enough evidence when we’re looking to file, and we
 know there’s no chance that this will ever win at a jury trial. In that
 case, we need to consider more investigation, to delay charges, or not 
file them,” explained Morris.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2020, even with the pandemic, 
the number of cases filed was almost the same as the prior year, with 
the total count ending at 492.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Morris says that while the 
increase of 16 cases isn’t typically significant in a regular year when 
it comes to traffic cases, COVID had an enormous impact. In 2018, 
approximately 1900 traffic cases were filed. In 2019, there were 1800, 
and in 2020, there was a 17% drop with around 1500 traffic cases 
filed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I point that out because we see a 17% drop in traffic
 cases, and we see a status quo in adult criminal cases. Frankly, I 
think that the adult criminal cases would have been over 500 this year 
if it weren’t for the fact that I got COVID in December. I had to miss 
ten business days in the office. We’ve been delayed, we’ve had to send 
people home for precautionary reasons, and then ultimately, I had to 
spend two weeks in bed and couldn’t do much more than answer emails. 
Practically speaking, had we not gotten hit with COVID, we would have 
filed more than 500 cases.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Regarding the number of drug 
distribution charges, including the conspiracy to commit drug 
distribution, Morris said that number has increased significantly in the
 last five years. In 2015, there were 42 charges filed, and in 2016, the
 number dropped to 27 cases. In 2017, there were 36 charges and 61 in 
2018. In 2019, there were 76 distribution cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

When he 
presented last year, Morris had mentioned that he wanted to talk about 
the possibility of adding a 5th prosecutor at the June budget meeting. 
But after COVID hit, he didn’t mention it due to budget issues. Morris 
explained that while the pandemic may still be an issue this year on 
budgets, he would still like to have the conversation, so it’s not a 
surprise in 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p><b>By AMY RICKER</b><br><a href="https://greatbendpost.com"><i>Great Bend Post</i></a></p><p>GREAT BEND — Barton County 
Attorney Levi Morris presented annual numbers relating to adult and 
juvenile criminal cases and traffic cases filed by his office to the 
County Commissioners.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In 2018, Morris said the Barton County
 Attorney’s office filed 584 adult criminal cases compared to 476 cases 
filed in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“We filed about 100 criminal cases last year, 
which was my first year, and as I said last year, that was on purpose. 
My opinion was that a lot of bad cases get filed, and they chew up a lot
 of time and a lot of resources. I tried to apply a stricter standard. 
Suppose we don’t have enough evidence when we’re looking to file, and we
 know there’s no chance that this will ever win at a jury trial. In that
 case, we need to consider more investigation, to delay charges, or not 
file them,” explained Morris.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In 2020, even with the pandemic, 
the number of cases filed was almost the same as the prior year, with 
the total count ending at 492.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Morris says that while the 
increase of 16 cases isn’t typically significant in a regular year when 
it comes to traffic cases, COVID had an enormous impact. In 2018, 
approximately 1900 traffic cases were filed. In 2019, there were 1800, 
and in 2020, there was a 17% drop with around 1500 traffic cases 
filed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I point that out because we see a 17% drop in traffic
 cases, and we see a status quo in adult criminal cases. Frankly, I 
think that the adult criminal cases would have been over 500 this year 
if it weren’t for the fact that I got COVID in December. I had to miss 
ten business days in the office. We’ve been delayed, we’ve had to send 
people home for precautionary reasons, and then ultimately, I had to 
spend two weeks in bed and couldn’t do much more than answer emails. 
Practically speaking, had we not gotten hit with COVID, we would have 
filed more than 500 cases.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Regarding the number of drug 
distribution charges, including the conspiracy to commit drug 
distribution, Morris said that number has increased significantly in the
 last five years. In 2015, there were 42 charges filed, and in 2016, the
 number dropped to 27 cases. In 2017, there were 36 charges and 61 in 
2018. In 2019, there were 76 distribution cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>When he 
presented last year, Morris had mentioned that he wanted to talk about 
the possibility of adding a 5th prosecutor at the June budget meeting. 
But after COVID hit, he didn’t mention it due to budget issues. Morris 
explained that while the pandemic may still be an issue this year on 
budgets, he would still like to have the conversation, so it’s not a 
surprise in 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Attorney: Drug distribution charges up in Barton Co.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Tuesday morning house fire in Topeka.

Just after 4a.m., crews responded to the report of a house fire at 1119 SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.

Upon arrival, crews found heavy fire coming from the two stor home. Fire crews made a defensive fire attack, and were able to contain the fire. Witnesses reported that all five adults escaped without injuries.

The preliminary investigation determined the dollar loss – $37,000 damage to the structure; $17,000 dollar loss was associated with loss of contents, according to Harrison.

Working smoke detectors were not located in the home.

Any individuals with information about the circumstances of this fire are being asked to please contact Crime Stoppers at (785)234-0007 or Toll Free at 1-800-222 TIPS (8477).

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611067196201.png" alt="Tuesday morning house fire photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
                        <figcaption>Tuesday morning house fire photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Tuesday morning house fire in Topeka.</p><p>Just after 4a.m., crews responded to the report of a house fire at 1119 SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.</p><p>Upon arrival, crews found heavy fire coming from the two stor home. Fire crews made a defensive fire attack, and were able to contain the fire. Witnesses reported that all five adults escaped without injuries.</p><p>The preliminary investigation determined the dollar loss – $37,000 damage to the structure; $17,000 dollar loss was associated with loss of contents, according to Harrison.</p><p>Working smoke detectors were not located in the home.</p><p>Any individuals with information about the circumstances of this fire are being asked to please contact Crime Stoppers at (785)234-0007 or Toll Free at 1-800-222 TIPS (8477).</p>

Family escapes Kan. house fire; cause under investigation

PECOS, Texas. (AP) — Police in west Texas say a woman who drowned in a pool there in 1966 has been identified as a Salina, Kansas, native. Police in Pecos, Texas, announced Tuesday that the drowning victim was 17-year-old Jolaine Hemmy. 

She drowned on July 5, 1966, at the Ropers Motel in Pecos, where she was staying with a man. Police said the man, who has not been identified, was in the couple's motel room when Hemmy died. 

He left with their belongings as emergency responders were trying to revive her. Police reopened the cold case last year and exhumed the body. Pecos police say Hemmy's death remains under investigation.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611107113114.png" alt="Jolaine Hemmy-photo courtesy Pecos Police" />
                        <figcaption>Jolaine Hemmy-photo courtesy Pecos Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>PECOS, Texas. (AP) — Police in west Texas say a woman who drowned in a pool there in 1966 has been identified as a Salina, Kansas, native. Police in Pecos, Texas, announced Tuesday that the drowning victim was 17-year-old Jolaine Hemmy. </p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftownofpecoscity%2Fvideos%2F834190820521866%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><p>She drowned on July 5, 1966, at the Ropers Motel in Pecos, where she was staying with a man. Police said the man, who has not been identified, was in the couple's motel room when Hemmy died. </p><p>He left with their belongings as emergency responders were trying to revive her. Police reopened the cold case last year and exhumed the body. Pecos police say Hemmy's death remains under investigation.</p>

🎥  Woman who drowned in Texas in 1966 identified as Kan. native

LYON COUNTY —The search for a missing a Kansas boy is over and the child is safe, according to Emporia police.

Just after 2:30p.m. Tuesday 41-year-old Jessica Downs, suspect and paternal grandmother of missing 2-year-old Kyrese Cabrera-Downs, was taken into custody at a residence in southwestern Emporia. 

 Downs claimed to have given the child to Devin Downs, Kyrese’s biological father, sometime on Tuesday, in Emporia.  

Devin Downs took Kyrese to his biological mother around 5pm in Emporia.&nbsp; Emporia Police reported they had seen Kyrese and he appears unharmed.  

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611105365287.png" alt="Jessica Downs, the grandmother of the missing boy is being held in the Lyon Co. Jail." />
                        <figcaption>Jessica Downs, the grandmother of the missing boy is being held in the Lyon Co. Jail.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>LYON COUNTY —The search for a missing a Kansas boy is over and the child is safe, according to Emporia police.</p><p>Just after 2:30p.m. Tuesday 41-year-old Jessica Downs, suspect and paternal grandmother of missing 2-year-old Kyrese Cabrera-Downs, was taken into custody at a residence in southwestern Emporia. </p><p> Downs claimed to have given the child to Devin Downs, Kyrese’s biological father, sometime on Tuesday, in Emporia.  </p><p>Devin Downs took Kyrese to his biological mother around 5pm in Emporia.&nbsp; Emporia Police reported they had seen Kyrese and he appears unharmed.  </p><p>Jessica Downs was booked into the Lyon County Detention Center on requested charges of Aggravated Interference with Parental Custody.</p><p>----------</p><p>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation into the report of a missing child and now, Aggravated Interference with Parental Custody, according to&nbsp;Sgt. Lisa Hayes with Emporia police.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611018035850.png" alt="Kyrese, Jessica Downs and Nathan Shown-photo Emporia police. Shown has various convictions that include for robbery, driving while suspended, giving worthless checks and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
                        <figcaption>Kyrese, Jessica Downs and Nathan Shown-photo Emporia police. Shown has various convictions that include for robbery, driving while suspended, giving worthless checks and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>In response to the police request for public information Monday, authorities received numerous tips that 4-year-old Kyrese Cabrera-Downs may have been delivered to his father, Devin Downs, in Augusta, Kansas by his grandmother Jessica Downs.</p><p>The Augusta Police Department located and interviewed the father and the father allowed officers a search of his home. The child was not located and is believed to still be with Jessica Downs.</p><p>Just after 10:30p.m. Monday, Emporia police received a credible tip that Jessica Downs was in Topeka. She was spotted near the Kicks 66 gas station on SW Gage Blvd south of Highway 470, according to Sgt. Hays.</p><p>Topeka Police Department responded to this information as soon as it was made available to the Emporia Police Department.&nbsp; They did not locate Jessica Downs or Kyrese.</p><p>This investigation is now being treated as a felony level Aggravated Interference with Parental Custody.&nbsp;</p><p>Police have had many inquiries about issuing an Amber Alert in this case. Amber Alert has strict criteria and at this time, this case does not meet the criteria. More information about Amber Alerts can be&nbsp;<a href="https://kbi.kansas.gov/ksamber/">found here.</a></p><p>Jessica Downs is a 41-year-old white female. She is 5-foot-8 165 pounds, with blue eyes and blonde hair. She may be driving a black or dark colored 4 door passenger car with a rounded body. Nathan Shown is a white male, 39 years of age, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair.&nbsp;</p><p>The child, Kyrese Cabrera-Downs, 2-years-old, a mixed race black and white male, approximately 25 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair was last seen wearing a red “Thomas the Tank Engine” pajama shirt and blue pajama pants.</p><p>If you have any information, please contact the Emporia Police Department at 620 343-4225 or Lyon County Crime Stoppers at 620 342-2273. You can also submit tips to Lyon County Crime Stoppers via Smartphone or online application by visiting P3&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftips.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3Q_z1M-mCHOmjWeGlafXzskZi8nMH3PNuGco8kvbQ163kbx-FU9O6jm3E&amp;h=AT1togncYbKoQ9Q3tBJOF5w0pBXF9xml7vdCJWlogzYrj3mNC0jaNCW-9DORh-0GVRkph82E-oNvFw0njpVzs5MNzmw1I_uG1P-lk9MQeqGg6jL-eiOqRsO3pv2en2BngUiAKR8&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0WKR9WRkRc_UX_GKlgmy0_zcsgD2PMCyZuMIVFqmINtOoJDBDB1KnwlX7eoW1ZiVWvRXfMK2CrEHHaKSK9PbJ0JhXiqnIfya4epIxKjHdAJEfNu83pXXlX6on8GI3Thu5f7nMnCL4h_nO1VUwjU_Tr1ApwvQXYvSbzKFI0HOVR7qA" target="_blank">tips.com</a></p><p>----------</p><p>LYON COUNTY —The Emporia Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating 2-year-old Kyrese Cabrera-Downs, a mixed race black and white boy last seen with his grandmother, Jessica S. Downs&nbsp; and possibly Nathan Shown, according to a media release from police.</p><p>Jessica Downs is a 41-year-old white female. She is 5-foot-8 165 pounds, with blue eyes and blonde hair. She may be driving a black or dark colored 4 door passenger car with a rounded body. Nathan Shown is a white male, 39 years of age, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair.&nbsp;</p><p>The child, Kyrese Cabrera-Downs, 2-years-old, a mixed race black and white male, approximately 25 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair was last seen wearing a red “Thomas the Tank Engine” pajama shirt and blue pajama pants.</p><p>Police believe Downs could be traveling to Augusta, KS with the child. EPD is currently investigating this case as a missing child and Interference with Parental Custody.</p><p>If you have any information, please contact the Emporia Police Department at 620 343-4225 or Lyon County Crime Stoppers at 620 342-2273. You can also submit tips to Lyon County Crime Stoppers via Smartphone or online application by visiting P3&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftips.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3Q_z1M-mCHOmjWeGlafXzskZi8nMH3PNuGco8kvbQ163kbx-FU9O6jm3E&amp;h=AT1togncYbKoQ9Q3tBJOF5w0pBXF9xml7vdCJWlogzYrj3mNC0jaNCW-9DORh-0GVRkph82E-oNvFw0njpVzs5MNzmw1I_uG1P-lk9MQeqGg6jL-eiOqRsO3pv2en2BngUiAKR8&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0WKR9WRkRc_UX_GKlgmy0_zcsgD2PMCyZuMIVFqmINtOoJDBDB1KnwlX7eoW1ZiVWvRXfMK2CrEHHaKSK9PbJ0JhXiqnIfya4epIxKjHdAJEfNu83pXXlX6on8GI3Thu5f7nMnCL4h_nO1VUwjU_Tr1ApwvQXYvSbzKFI0HOVR7qA" target="_blank">tips.com</a></p>