WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden paid a visit Saturday to former Sen. Bob Dole, days after the World War II veteran and 1996 Republican presidential nominee announced he’d been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Biden served in the Senate with Dole for more than two decades. 

The president arrived Saturday afternoon at Washington's Watergate complex, where the 97-year-old and his wife, Elizabeth, have maintained a longtime residence. 

The White House described Dole as a “close friend” of the president. Dole said this week he plans to begin undergoing treatment on Monday. Dole represented his native Kansas in Congress for almost 36 years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588269459465.jpeg" alt="Bob Dole photo courtesy house of reprepsenatives.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Bob Dole photo courtesy house of reprepsenatives.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden paid a visit Saturday to former Sen. Bob Dole, days after the World War II veteran and 1996 Republican presidential nominee announced he’d been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Biden served in the Senate with Dole for more than two decades. The president arrived Saturday afternoon at Washington's Watergate complex, where the 97-year-old and his wife, Elizabeth, have maintained a longtime residence. The White House described Dole as a “close friend” of the president. Dole said this week he plans to begin undergoing treatment on Monday. Dole represented his native Kansas in Congress for almost 36 years.

President Biden pays a visit to ailing former Sen. Bob Dole

An arrest has been made 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. 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 his office is also seeking Marcus Brooks in
connection with the case. Brooks is said to live and frequent the Platte City
area.

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.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Marcus Brooks should
contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 816-236-8845 or the TIPS
Hotline at 816-238- 8477. 

Puett says the case will be submitted to the Buchanan County
Prosecuting Attorney for review of charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613866981621.jpeg" alt="Marcus Brooks/Photo courtesy of Buchanan CO Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Marcus Brooks/Photo courtesy of Buchanan CO Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn arrest has been made 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. 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 his office is also seeking Marcus Brooks in
connection with the case. Brooks is said to live and frequent the Platte City
area.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.Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Marcus Brooks should
contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 816-236-8845 or the TIPS
Hotline at 816-238- 8477. Puett says the case will be submitted to the Buchanan County
Prosecuting Attorney for review of charges.

Arrest made in year-old case of body found in bag north of Kansas City

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after altercation with police during an arrest.

Just before 1 p.m. February 16, police responded to the 800 block of South Third Street in Arkansas City for a report of a man asleep at the steering wheel of a vehicle that was stopped in the middle of the street, according to a media release from Arkansas City police.

The man later identified as 35-year-old Gary James Wayne Rommel awoke and drove away prior to officers arrival, but they contacted the reporting party, who had taken photographs of the vehicle and the suspect asleep behind its wheel.

The witness also had watched as the vehicle traveled south to Van Buren Avenue, turning westbound. An Arkansas City police officer traveled that same route and located the vehicle in the 600 block of West Van Buren Avenue, stopped in the oncoming lane with one of its front wheels in the south ditch.

The officer contacted&nbsp; Rommel, who was slumped over the center console with the locked vehicle in gear, but not running. Rommel was holding an aerosol can containing a substance that is commonly abused as an inhalant. As Rommel began to wake, he attempted to place the opening of the can in his mouth as the officer made his presence known and ordered him to stop.

Several requests were made to stop and the aerosol can was taken away from Rommel. An odor of alcohol also was present. He became irate and refused commands from police to sit back down. He continued to refuse to comply and began to fight an officer, eventually kicking the officer.

Additional officers arrived shortly after and Rommel was taken into custody without further incident.

Due to his apparent inhalation of the aerosol can’s contents, the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department was dispatched to evaluate Rommel. After being checked out, he was transported directly to the Cowley County Jail after he again became noncompliant while in the back of a patrol vehicle.

Rommel was booked on requested charges of one misdemeanor count each of abuse of toxic vapors, driving under the influence of a combination of drugs (first offense), battery of a law enforcement officer and interference with law enforcement by obstructing apprehension.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (February 17, 2021) — The Arkansas City Police Department arrested an Arkansas City man Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly resisted arrest while under the influence.

Gary James Wayne Rommel, 35, was arrested on suspicion of one misdemeanor count each of abuse of toxic vapors, driving under the influence of a combination of drugs (first offense), battery of a law enforcement officer and interference with law enforcement by obstructing apprehension.

Rommel was transported to and booked into the Cowley County Jail in lieu of $6,000 bond through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas City. He remained in custody at the time of this release.

Officers were dispatched about 12:55 p.m. Tuesday to the 800 block of South Third Street for a report of a man asleep at the steering wheel of a vehicle that was stopped in the middle of the street.

The man awoke and drove away prior to their arrival, but they contacted the reporting party, who had taken photographs of the vehicle and the suspect asleep behind its wheel.

He also had watched as the vehicle traveled south to Van Buren Avenue, turning westbound. An Arkansas City police officer traveled that same route and located the suspect’s vehicle in the 600 block of West Van Buren Avenue, stopped in the oncoming lane with one of its front wheels in the south ditch.

The officer contacted the driver, later identified as Rommel, who was slumped over the center console with the locked vehicle in gear, but not running. Rommel was holding an aerosol can containing a substance that is commonly abused as an inhalant. As he began to wake, he attempted to place the opening of the can in his mouth as the officer made his presence known and ordered him to stop.

Several requests were made to stop and the aerosol can was taken away from Rommel. An odor of alcohol also was present. He became irate and refused commands from police to sit back down.

He continued to refuse to comply and began to fight an officer, eventually kicking the officer.

Due to the area in which the vehicle was left and how it was parked, it was impounded by a local wrecker service.

A defendant’s guilt or innocence is to be determined by a court of la

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613690284828.png" alt="Rommel photo Cowley County" />
 <figcaption>Rommel photo Cowley County</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after altercation with police during an arrest.Just before 1 p.m. February 16, police responded to the 800 block of South Third Street in Arkansas City for a report of a man asleep at the steering wheel of a vehicle that was stopped in the middle of the street, according to a media release from Arkansas City police.The man later identified as 35-year-old Gary James Wayne Rommel awoke and drove away prior to officers arrival, but they contacted the reporting party, who had taken photographs of the vehicle and the suspect asleep behind its wheel.The witness also had watched as the vehicle traveled south to Van Buren Avenue, turning westbound. An Arkansas City police officer traveled that same route and located the vehicle in the 600 block of West Van Buren Avenue, stopped in the oncoming lane with one of its front wheels in the south ditch.The officer contacted&nbsp; Rommel, who was slumped over the center console with the locked vehicle in gear, but not running. Rommel was holding an aerosol can containing a substance that is commonly abused as an inhalant. As Rommel began to wake, he attempted to place the opening of the can in his mouth as the officer made his presence known and ordered him to stop.Several requests were made to stop and the aerosol can was taken away from Rommel. An odor of alcohol also was present. He became irate and refused commands from police to sit back down. He continued to refuse to comply and began to fight an officer, eventually kicking the officer.Additional officers arrived shortly after and Rommel was taken into custody without further incident.Due to his apparent inhalation of the aerosol can’s contents, the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department was dispatched to evaluate Rommel. After being checked out, he was transported directly to the Cowley County Jail after he again became noncompliant while in the back of a patrol vehicle.Rommel was booked on requested charges of one misdemeanor count each of abuse of toxic vapors, driving under the influence of a combination of drugs (first offense), battery of a law enforcement officer and interference with law enforcement by obstructing apprehension.-------ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (February 17, 2021) — The Arkansas City Police Department arrested an Arkansas City man Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly resisted arrest while under the influence.Gary James Wayne Rommel, 35, was arrested on suspicion of one misdemeanor count each of abuse of toxic vapors, driving under the influence of a combination of drugs (first offense), battery of a law enforcement officer and interference with law enforcement by obstructing apprehension.Rommel was transported to and booked into the Cowley County Jail in lieu of $6,000 bond through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas City. He remained in custody at the time of this release.Officers were dispatched about 12:55 p.m. Tuesday to the 800 block of South Third Street for a report of a man asleep at the steering wheel of a vehicle that was stopped in the middle of the street.The man awoke and drove away prior to their arrival, but they contacted the reporting party, who had taken photographs of the vehicle and the suspect asleep behind its wheel.He also had watched as the vehicle traveled south to Van Buren Avenue, turning westbound. An Arkansas City police officer traveled that same route and located the suspect’s vehicle in the 600 block of West Van Buren Avenue, stopped in the oncoming lane with one of its front wheels in the south ditch.The officer contacted the driver, later identified as Rommel, who was slumped over the center console with the locked vehicle in gear, but not running. Rommel was holding an aerosol can containing a substance that is commonly abused as an inhalant. As he began to wake, he attempted to place the opening of the can in his mouth as the officer made his presence known and ordered him to stop.Several requests were made to stop and the aerosol can was taken away from Rommel. An odor of alcohol also was present. He became irate and refused commands from police to sit back down.He continued to refuse to comply and began to fight an officer, eventually kicking the officer.Additional officers arrived shortly after and Rommel was taken into custody without further incident.Due to his apparent inhalation of the aerosol can’s contents, the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department was dispatched to evaluate Rommel. After being checked out, he was transported directly to the Cowley County Jail after he again became noncompliant while in the back of a patrol vehicle.Due to the area in which the vehicle was left and how it was parked, it was impounded by a local wrecker service.A defendant’s guilt or innocence is to be determined by a court of la

Kan. man sniffing aerosol can jailed after fight with officers

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A federal magistrate judge rejected on Friday the government's request to keep the alleged leader of the Kansas City chapter of the Proud Boys in custody pending his trial for the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Attorneys for William Chrestman, a 47-year-old Army veteran and union sheet metal worker from Olathe, Kansas, had blamed former President Donald Trump for the riot, telling a federal magistrate judge that the five weeks since then “have broken the fever dream.”

“The court finds no need to get dragged into the ongoing public debate about whether President Trump can or should be held accountable, criminally or civilly (or perhaps both), for inciting the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. That's for other courts to decide ... later,” U.S. Magistrate Judge James O’Hara wrote.

In a 17-page decision, O’Hara ruled Chrestman could be released on a $10,000 bond to home detention with electronic monitoring. Prosecutors immediately filed a motion seeking to have the order stayed while they appeal the decision to the District Court.

He is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, threatening to assault a federal law enforcement officer and other federal charges stemming from the melee.

The judge also found that the record “discloses not just a strong, but an overwhelming case on the merits against the defendant. This court believes his ultimate conviction is highly probable, with a significant prison sentence to follow.”

Prosecutors sought to keep Chrestman in custody, arguing that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk. Defense attorneys countered that he won’t flee and argued that he poses no danger since he and the world around him have changed much since that day.

In allowing his release, the judge noted Chrestman's family ties to the area and his lack of significant criminal history.

While in the abstract, the threat of continued riotous conduct if released obviously presents an extremely serious danger to the community, the government has not shown that Chrestman has engaged in any criminal conduct either individually or with the Proud boys before or after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the judge said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613070062571.png" alt="Chrestman photo Wyandotte Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Chrestman photo Wyandotte Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A federal magistrate judge rejected on Friday the government's request to keep the alleged leader of the Kansas City chapter of the Proud Boys in custody pending his trial for the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.Attorneys for William Chrestman, a 47-year-old Army veteran and union sheet metal worker from Olathe, Kansas, had blamed former President Donald Trump for the riot, telling a federal magistrate judge that the five weeks since then “have broken the fever dream.”“The court finds no need to get dragged into the ongoing public debate about whether President Trump can or should be held accountable, criminally or civilly (or perhaps both), for inciting the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. That's for other courts to decide ... later,” U.S. Magistrate Judge James O’Hara wrote.In a 17-page decision, O’Hara ruled Chrestman could be released on a $10,000 bond to home detention with electronic monitoring. Prosecutors immediately filed a motion seeking to have the order stayed while they appeal the decision to the District Court.He is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, threatening to assault a federal law enforcement officer and other federal charges stemming from the melee.The judge also found that the record “discloses not just a strong, but an overwhelming case on the merits against the defendant. This court believes his ultimate conviction is highly probable, with a significant prison sentence to follow.”Prosecutors sought to keep Chrestman in custody, arguing that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk. Defense attorneys countered that he won’t flee and argued that he poses no danger since he and the world around him have changed much since that day.In allowing his release, the judge noted Chrestman's family ties to the area and his lack of significant criminal history.While in the abstract, the threat of continued riotous conduct if released obviously presents an extremely serious danger to the community, the government has not shown that Chrestman has engaged in any criminal conduct either individually or with the Proud boys before or after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the judge said.

Judge rejects detention request for Kansas Proud Boys leader

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have two suspects in custody.

Just before 6p.m. February 17, deputies responded to the 2200 block of SW 57th Street for a suspicious vehicle, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 An observant citizen noticed a vehicle that did not belong to that residence. Deputies arrived and located two suspects inside a home. They arrested Whitney G. Lariviere, 32, and Ulric E. Sampson, 31, both of Topeka.

&nbsp;During the investigation, a K9 unit was deployed and deputies also found narcotics.

Lariviere was arrested for a misdemeanor warrant out of the City of Topeka and on requested charges of burglary, theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sampson was arrested for a felony warrant out of Shawnee County and on requested charges of burglary, theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613685298313.png" alt="Sampson photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Sampson photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have two suspects in custody.Just before 6p.m. February 17, deputies responded to the 2200 block of SW 57th Street for a suspicious vehicle, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. An observant citizen noticed a vehicle that did not belong to that residence. Deputies arrived and located two suspects inside a home. They arrested Whitney G. Lariviere, 32, and Ulric E. Sampson, 31, both of Topeka.&nbsp;During the investigation, a K9 unit was deployed and deputies also found narcotics.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613685517339.png" alt="Lariviere photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lariviere photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Lariviere was arrested for a misdemeanor warrant out of the City of Topeka and on requested charges of burglary, theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.Sampson was arrested for a felony warrant out of Shawnee County and on requested charges of burglary, theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Observant neighbor helps deputies catch Kan. burglary suspects

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-18/kansas-meatpacking-workers-faced-outbreak-after-outbreak-but-still-cant-get-a-covid-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>

Thousands of meatpacking workers in southwest Kansas continue to wait for any news about when they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine.

That
 wait drags on even as some counties vaccinate college faculty, first 
responders and postal workers, and as Kansas launches a new program to 
get a first dose into the arm of every school worker by early April.

Meatpacking
 plants have been the state’s third-biggest source of coronavirus 
outbreaks, eclipsed only by long-term care facilities (such as nursing 
homes) and jails and prisons.

“Meatpacking workers have taken one 
of the hardest hits of this pandemic,” said Monica Vargas-Huertas, a 
political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers 
International Union Local 2 representing 7,000 meatpacking workers in 
two southwest Kansas counties. “They have been in the front lines from 
Day One.”

The factory-scale slaughterhouses stayed open when many other businesses closed under <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-03-28/kansas-governor-issues-a-statewide-stay-at-home-order-which-starts-monday" target="_blank">statewide stay-at-home</a> orders last spring.

“They kept working, securing the food (supply),” Vargas-Huertas said, “and securing the economy of the state.”

But
 state officials say meatpacking facilities took steps that greatly 
reduced transmission within their walls. In the past two weeks, they 
say, the plants have seen no fresh coronavirus outbreaks involving five 
or more cases.

And Kansas simply doesn’t receive enough vaccines 
per week from the federal government to quickly vaccinate all essential 
workers.

Ashley Goss, deputy secretary for public health, says 
Gov. Laura Kelly wants to get children back to school as soon as 
possible because missing so much in-person contact with peers and 
educators can have long-term effects on learning and mental health.

“She’s
 had to make some really tough decisions,” Goss said. “And she feels 
very strongly for our school staff to be the next push.”

Kansas 
was receiving fewer than 100,000 doses a week from the federal 
government, though shipments should soon increase to about 115,000 a 
week.

To speed shots to school workers, Kansas is redirecting some
 doses from counties that have made more progress than others on 
vaccinating their residents.

For now, it will not do the same for meatpacking workers.

Kansas
 has some of the country’s most productive beef-packing plants. The 
industry drives the economies of Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal.

The meatpacking workers are largely immigrants and people of color. <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/early-state-vaccination-data-raise-warning-flags-racial-equity/" target="_blank">Mounting evidence</a> from other states suggests people of color across the country aren’t receiving equitable access to the coronavirus vaccine.

Kansas will soon publish vaccination statistics that shed light on whether that holds true here, too.

The state’s figures on known COVID cases already show Hispanic people <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">significantly more likely</a> to catch the virus than non-Hispanic people.

Nearly 4,000 known cases of COVID-19 and two dozen deaths link directly to the slaughterhouses in Kansas.

Infections
 related to the plants continue to have serious ripple effects. Five 
ongoing outbreaks linked to the plants have led to nearly 1,800 known 
cases in their communities and 14 deaths.

<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-u-s-is-underestimating-covid-reinfection/" target="_blank">Scientists remain uncertain</a> how long a survivor enjoys immunity before catching the illness again, meaning workers fear re-infection.

“We want to prevent a new wave,” Vargas-Huertas said. “We cannot wait four or five months.”

Meatpacking
 workers fall into Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. (Phase 1
 focused on health care workers and nursing homes.)

But Phase 2 is
 a bucket so massive that it includes about 1 million people, or a third
 of the state’s population. It covers everyone over the age of 65 and a 
wide variety of other groups, such as teachers, police and grocery 
clerks.

The state largely lets each county make its own decisions on how to prioritize within that bucket.

“We’ve
 tried to stick with public health being decentralized in our state,” 
Goss said. “Local health authorities have the ability to decide.”

This week the governor’s office announced one exception: It will start earmarking doses each week for school workers.

But meatpackers in Seward, Ford and Finney counties remain unclear when their turn will come.

UFCW
 International Local 2 represents workers at plants in Seward and Ford 
counties and communicates regularly with other workers in Finney County.

It says workers haven’t been able to get shots unless they qualify based on reasons other than their jobs.

“Only
 those workers over 65 years old have received a vaccine or an 
appointment,” Vargas-Huertas said. “The rest of the workers, they 
haven’t even received an appointment.”

The sites are eagerly 
preparing, she said. Health care workers employed by the plants have 
already gathered information from employees to prioritize which ones 
face the greatest health risks and should get the shots first when they 
become available.

State health officials say plants have applied 
to give the vaccine on site, so eventually Kansas will send doses to 
them directly.

Only, Kansas can’t get its hands on enough doses 
yet to make that happen, Goss said, despite pleading with every federal 
agency it can think of.

“Oh my gosh,” Goss said. “I’ve told anyone
 who will listen. … Anyone who has an ear in the federal government or 
is part of it. We tell them if there’s anyone’s vaccine (who) can’t use 
it, doesn’t want it, that you just want to give us — we’ll take it. 
We’re more than happy to beg and borrow.”

Early
 in the pandemic, some meatpacking workers said their plants should 
close for deep cleaning when coronavirus began spreading on the 
slaughterhouse floors. At <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">least one county medical officer agreed</a>.

The
 companies opposed closure, and National Beef urged the Kelly 
administration to make clear to meatpacking workers — many of whom were 
fearful of continuing to show up for work in buildings where the disease
 was spreading — that they have a “special responsibility” to do their 
jobs.

State officials said they could close the plants if 
necessary, but wanted to avoid that and require changes within the 
buildings to promote safety instead.

The Kelly and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/emails-show-the-meatpacking-industry-drafted-an-executive-order-to-keep-plants-open" target="_blank">Trump</a> administrations threw their weight behind ramping up COVID-19 testing for meatpacking plants to keep the facilities open. <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">The state said</a> workers with known COVID-19 exposure could keep going to work unless they showed symptoms.

But inside the plants, true <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">social distancing is impossible</a>, the union says, and plexiglass and face masks can only do so much.

Public
 announcements on the Facebook pages and websites of Seward, Finney and 
Ford counties and a southwest Kansas clinic that has helped with 
outreach and giving shots don’t say when meatpacking workers will get 
their doses.

Nor have workers been able to find that out from the state health department.

By late January, Finney County was vaccinating people over the age of 65, police officers, firefighters and clergy.

Day care workers, UPS, FedEx and postal workers, city employees and taxi drivers were among those who became eligible next.

This week, community college faculty and school employees also get their turn.

The
 most recent update on the Seward County Facebook page, meanwhile, says 
the county is scheduling people over the age of 90 or in critical 
functions, but doesn’t elaborate on the latter category.

The 
Kansas News Service has reached out to Finney, Seward and Ford counties 
seeking more information. A regional health clinic that has helped 
administer doses in southwest Kansas deferred to local health 
authorities.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613744554329.png" alt="The Cargill beefpacking plant in Dodge City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The Cargill beefpacking plant in Dodge City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-18/kansas-meatpacking-workers-faced-outbreak-after-outbreak-but-still-cant-get-a-covid-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>Thousands of meatpacking workers in southwest Kansas continue to wait for any news about when they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine.That
 wait drags on even as some counties vaccinate college faculty, first 
responders and postal workers, and as Kansas launches a new program to 
get a first dose into the arm of every school worker by early April.Meatpacking
 plants have been the state’s third-biggest source of coronavirus 
outbreaks, eclipsed only by long-term care facilities (such as nursing 
homes) and jails and prisons.“Meatpacking workers have taken one 
of the hardest hits of this pandemic,” said Monica Vargas-Huertas, a 
political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers 
International Union Local 2 representing 7,000 meatpacking workers in 
two southwest Kansas counties. “They have been in the front lines from 
Day One.”The factory-scale slaughterhouses stayed open when many other businesses closed under <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-03-28/kansas-governor-issues-a-statewide-stay-at-home-order-which-starts-monday" target="_blank">statewide stay-at-home</a> orders last spring.“They kept working, securing the food (supply),” Vargas-Huertas said, “and securing the economy of the state.”But
 state officials say meatpacking facilities took steps that greatly 
reduced transmission within their walls. In the past two weeks, they 
say, the plants have seen no fresh coronavirus outbreaks involving five 
or more cases.And Kansas simply doesn’t receive enough vaccines 
per week from the federal government to quickly vaccinate all essential 
workers.Ashley Goss, deputy secretary for public health, says 
Gov. Laura Kelly wants to get children back to school as soon as 
possible because missing so much in-person contact with peers and 
educators can have long-term effects on learning and mental health.“She’s
 had to make some really tough decisions,” Goss said. “And she feels 
very strongly for our school staff to be the next push.”Kansas 
was receiving fewer than 100,000 doses a week from the federal 
government, though shipments should soon increase to about 115,000 a 
week.To speed shots to school workers, Kansas is redirecting some
 doses from counties that have made more progress than others on 
vaccinating their residents.For now, it will not do the same for meatpacking workers.<h2>Hot spots</h2>Kansas
 has some of the country’s most productive beef-packing plants. The 
industry drives the economies of Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal.The meatpacking workers are largely immigrants and people of color. <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/early-state-vaccination-data-raise-warning-flags-racial-equity/" target="_blank">Mounting evidence</a> from other states suggests people of color across the country aren’t receiving equitable access to the coronavirus vaccine.Kansas will soon publish vaccination statistics that shed light on whether that holds true here, too.The state’s figures on known COVID cases already show Hispanic people <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">significantly more likely</a> to catch the virus than non-Hispanic people.Nearly 4,000 known cases of COVID-19 and two dozen deaths link directly to the slaughterhouses in Kansas.Infections
 related to the plants continue to have serious ripple effects. Five 
ongoing outbreaks linked to the plants have led to nearly 1,800 known 
cases in their communities and 14 deaths.<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-u-s-is-underestimating-covid-reinfection/" target="_blank">Scientists remain uncertain</a> how long a survivor enjoys immunity before catching the illness again, meaning workers fear re-infection.“We want to prevent a new wave,” Vargas-Huertas said. “We cannot wait four or five months.”<h2>Phase 2 vaccines</h2>Meatpacking
 workers fall into Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. (Phase 1
 focused on health care workers and nursing homes.)But Phase 2 is
 a bucket so massive that it includes about 1 million people, or a third
 of the state’s population. It covers everyone over the age of 65 and a 
wide variety of other groups, such as teachers, police and grocery 
clerks.The state largely lets each county make its own decisions on how to prioritize within that bucket.“We’ve
 tried to stick with public health being decentralized in our state,” 
Goss said. “Local health authorities have the ability to decide.”This week the governor’s office announced one exception: It will start earmarking doses each week for school workers.But meatpackers in Seward, Ford and Finney counties remain unclear when their turn will come.UFCW
 International Local 2 represents workers at plants in Seward and Ford 
counties and communicates regularly with other workers in Finney County.It says workers haven’t been able to get shots unless they qualify based on reasons other than their jobs.“Only
 those workers over 65 years old have received a vaccine or an 
appointment,” Vargas-Huertas said. “The rest of the workers, they 
haven’t even received an appointment.”The sites are eagerly 
preparing, she said. Health care workers employed by the plants have 
already gathered information from employees to prioritize which ones 
face the greatest health risks and should get the shots first when they 
become available.State health officials say plants have applied 
to give the vaccine on site, so eventually Kansas will send doses to 
them directly.Only, Kansas can’t get its hands on enough doses 
yet to make that happen, Goss said, despite pleading with every federal 
agency it can think of.“Oh my gosh,” Goss said. “I’ve told anyone
 who will listen. … Anyone who has an ear in the federal government or 
is part of it. We tell them if there’s anyone’s vaccine (who) can’t use 
it, doesn’t want it, that you just want to give us — we’ll take it. 
We’re more than happy to beg and borrow.”<h2>No plant shutdowns</h2>Early
 in the pandemic, some meatpacking workers said their plants should 
close for deep cleaning when coronavirus began spreading on the 
slaughterhouse floors. At <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">least one county medical officer agreed</a>.The
 companies opposed closure, and National Beef urged the Kelly 
administration to make clear to meatpacking workers — many of whom were 
fearful of continuing to show up for work in buildings where the disease
 was spreading — that they have a “special responsibility” to do their 
jobs.State officials said they could close the plants if 
necessary, but wanted to avoid that and require changes within the 
buildings to promote safety instead.The Kelly and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/emails-show-the-meatpacking-industry-drafted-an-executive-order-to-keep-plants-open" target="_blank">Trump</a> administrations threw their weight behind ramping up COVID-19 testing for meatpacking plants to keep the facilities open. <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">The state said</a> workers with known COVID-19 exposure could keep going to work unless they showed symptoms.<h2>Finding a shot</h2>But inside the plants, true <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">social distancing is impossible</a>, the union says, and plexiglass and face masks can only do so much.Public
 announcements on the Facebook pages and websites of Seward, Finney and 
Ford counties and a southwest Kansas clinic that has helped with 
outreach and giving shots don’t say when meatpacking workers will get 
their doses.Nor have workers been able to find that out from the state health department.By late January, Finney County was vaccinating people over the age of 65, police officers, firefighters and clergy.Day care workers, UPS, FedEx and postal workers, city employees and taxi drivers were among those who became eligible next.This week, community college faculty and school employees also get their turn.The
 most recent update on the Seward County Facebook page, meanwhile, says 
the county is scheduling people over the age of 90 or in critical 
functions, but doesn’t elaborate on the latter category.The 
Kansas News Service has reached out to Finney, Seward and Ford counties 
seeking more information. A regional health clinic that has helped 
administer doses in southwest Kansas deferred to local health 
authorities.Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and
 education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter 
@celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Despite outbreaks, Kan. meatpacking workers wait in line for their COVID vaccine

WASHINGTON (AP) — By the thousands, U.S. service members are refusing or putting off the COVID-19 vaccine as frustrated commanders scramble to knock down internet rumors and find the right pitch that will persuade troops to get the shot.

Some Army units are seeing as few as one-third agree to the vaccine. Military leaders searching for answers believe they have identified one potential convincer: an imminent deployment. Navy sailors on ships heading out to sea last week, for example, were choosing to take the shot at rates exceeding 80% to 90%.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro, vice director of operations for the Joint Staff, told Congress on Wednesday that “very early data” suggests that just up to two-thirds of the service members offered the vaccine have accepted.

That’s higher than the rate for the general population, which a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation put at roughly 50%. But the significant number of forces declining the vaccine is especially worrisome because troops often live, work and fight closely together in environments where social distancing and wearing masks, at times, are difficult.

The military’s resistance also comes as troops are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-deploys-troops-virus-vaccine-c60769071dbc308c6eeeee77668e395d">deploying to administer shots</a>&nbsp;at vaccination centers around the country and as leaders look to American forces to set an example for the nation.

“We’re still struggling with what is the messaging and how do we influence people to opt in for the vaccine,” said Brig. Gen. Edward Bailey, the surgeon for Army Forces Command. He said that in some units just 30% have agreed to take the vaccine, while others are between 50% and 70%. Forces Command oversees major Army units, encompassing about 750,000 Army, Reserve and National Guard soldiers at 15 bases.

At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where several thousand troops are preparing for future deployments, the vaccine acceptance rate is about 60%, Bailey said. That’s “not as high as we would hope for front-line personnel,” he said.

“I think the most amusing one I heard was, ‘The Army always tells me what to do, they gave me a choice, so I said no’,” he said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-pandemic-infectious-diseases-jill-biden-1caffff55ad1817a2e618aa5dfa3b826">Service leaders have vigorously campaigned</a>&nbsp;for the vaccine. They have held town halls, written messages to the force, distributed scientific data, posted videos, and even put out photos of leaders getting vaccinated.

For weeks, the Pentagon insisted it did not know how many troops were declining the vaccine. On Wednesday they provided few details on their early data.

Officials from individual military services, however, said in interviews with The Associated Press that refusal rates vary widely, depending on a service member’s age, unit, location, deployment status and other intangibles.

The variations make it harder for leaders to identify which arguments for the vaccine are most persuasive. The Food and Drug Administration has allowed emergency use of the vaccine, so it’s voluntary. But Defense Department officials say they hope that soon may change.

“We cannot make it mandatory yet,” Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander of the Navy’s 2nd Fleet, said last week. “I can tell you we’re probably going to make it mandatory as soon as we can, just like we do with the flu vaccine.”

About 40 Marines gathered recently in a California conference room for an information session from medical staff. One officer, who was not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Marines are more comfortable posing questions about the vaccine in smaller groups.

The officer said one Marine, citing a widely circulated and false conspiracy theory, said: “I heard that this thing is actually a tracking device.” The medical staff, said the officer, quickly debunked that theory, and pointed to the Marine’s cellphone, noting that it’s an effective tracker.

Other frequent questions revolved around possible side effects or health concerns, including for pregnant women. Army, Navy and Air Force officials say they hear much the same.

The Marine Corps is a relatively small service and troops are generally younger. Similar to the general population, younger service members are more likely to decline or ask to wait. In many cases, military commanders said, younger troops say they have had the coronavirus or known others who had it, and concluded it was not bad.

“What they’re not seeing is that 20-year-olds who’ve actually gotten very sick, have been hospitalized or die, or the folks who appear to be fine but then it turns out they’ve developed pulmonary and cardiac abnormalities,” Bailey said.

Lewis, based in Norfolk, Virginia, said last week that sailors on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is operating in the Atlantic, agreed to get the shot at a rate of about 80%. Sailors on the USS Iwo Jima and Marines in the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who also are deploying, had rates of more than 90%.

Bailey said the Army is seeing opportunities to reduce the two-week quarantine period for units deploying to Europe if service members are largely vaccinated and the host nation agrees. U.S. Army Europe may cut the quarantine time to five days if 70% of the unit is vaccinated, and that incentive could work, he said.

The acceptance numbers drop off among those who are not deploying, military officials said.

Gen. James McConville, the Army’s chief of staff, used his own experience to encourage troops to be vaccinated. “When they asked me how it felt, I said it was a lot less painful than some of the meetings I go to in the Pentagon.”

Col. Jody Dugai, commander of the Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital at Fort Polk, Louisiana, said that so far conversations at the squad level, with eight to 10 peers, have been successful, and that getting more information helps.

At the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Brig. Gen. David Doyle, has a dual challenge. As base commander, he must persuade the nearly 7,500 soldiers on base to get the shot and he needs to ensure that the thousands of troops that cycle in and out for training exercises are safe.

Doyle said the acceptance rate on his base is between 30% and 40%, and that most often it’s the younger troops who decline.

“They tell me they don’t have high confidence in the vaccine because they believe it was done too quickly,” he said. Top health officials have attested to the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

Doyle said it appears peers are often more influential than leaders in persuading troops — a sentiment echoed by Bailey, the Army Forces Command surgeon.

“We’re trying to figure out who the influencers are,” Bailey said. “Is it a squad leader or platoon sergeant in the Army? I think it probably is. Someone who is more of their age and interacts with them more on a regular basis versus the general officer who takes his picture and says, ‘I got the shot.’″

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613698670049.png" alt="Photo courtesy Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — By the thousands, U.S. service members are refusing or putting off the COVID-19 vaccine as frustrated commanders scramble to knock down internet rumors and find the right pitch that will persuade troops to get the shot.Some Army units are seeing as few as one-third agree to the vaccine. Military leaders searching for answers believe they have identified one potential convincer: an imminent deployment. Navy sailors on ships heading out to sea last week, for example, were choosing to take the shot at rates exceeding 80% to 90%.Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro, vice director of operations for the Joint Staff, told Congress on Wednesday that “very early data” suggests that just up to two-thirds of the service members offered the vaccine have accepted.That’s higher than the rate for the general population, which a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation put at roughly 50%. But the significant number of forces declining the vaccine is especially worrisome because troops often live, work and fight closely together in environments where social distancing and wearing masks, at times, are difficult.The military’s resistance also comes as troops are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-deploys-troops-virus-vaccine-c60769071dbc308c6eeeee77668e395d">deploying to administer shots</a>&nbsp;at vaccination centers around the country and as leaders look to American forces to set an example for the nation.“We’re still struggling with what is the messaging and how do we influence people to opt in for the vaccine,” said Brig. Gen. Edward Bailey, the surgeon for Army Forces Command. He said that in some units just 30% have agreed to take the vaccine, while others are between 50% and 70%. Forces Command oversees major Army units, encompassing about 750,000 Army, Reserve and National Guard soldiers at 15 bases.At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where several thousand troops are preparing for future deployments, the vaccine acceptance rate is about 60%, Bailey said. That’s “not as high as we would hope for front-line personnel,” he said.Bailey has heard all the excuses.“I think the most amusing one I heard was, ‘The Army always tells me what to do, they gave me a choice, so I said no’,” he said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-pandemic-infectious-diseases-jill-biden-1caffff55ad1817a2e618aa5dfa3b826">Service leaders have vigorously campaigned</a>&nbsp;for the vaccine. They have held town halls, written messages to the force, distributed scientific data, posted videos, and even put out photos of leaders getting vaccinated.For weeks, the Pentagon insisted it did not know how many troops were declining the vaccine. On Wednesday they provided few details on their early data.Officials from individual military services, however, said in interviews with The Associated Press that refusal rates vary widely, depending on a service member’s age, unit, location, deployment status and other intangibles.The variations make it harder for leaders to identify which arguments for the vaccine are most persuasive. The Food and Drug Administration has allowed emergency use of the vaccine, so it’s voluntary. But Defense Department officials say they hope that soon may change.“We cannot make it mandatory yet,” Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander of the Navy’s 2nd Fleet, said last week. “I can tell you we’re probably going to make it mandatory as soon as we can, just like we do with the flu vaccine.”About 40 Marines gathered recently in a California conference room for an information session from medical staff. One officer, who was not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Marines are more comfortable posing questions about the vaccine in smaller groups.The officer said one Marine, citing a widely circulated and false conspiracy theory, said: “I heard that this thing is actually a tracking device.” The medical staff, said the officer, quickly debunked that theory, and pointed to the Marine’s cellphone, noting that it’s an effective tracker.Other frequent questions revolved around possible side effects or health concerns, including for pregnant women. Army, Navy and Air Force officials say they hear much the same.The Marine Corps is a relatively small service and troops are generally younger. Similar to the general population, younger service members are more likely to decline or ask to wait. In many cases, military commanders said, younger troops say they have had the coronavirus or known others who had it, and concluded it was not bad.“What they’re not seeing is that 20-year-olds who’ve actually gotten very sick, have been hospitalized or die, or the folks who appear to be fine but then it turns out they’ve developed pulmonary and cardiac abnormalities,” Bailey said.One ray of hope has been deployments.Lewis, based in Norfolk, Virginia, said last week that sailors on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is operating in the Atlantic, agreed to get the shot at a rate of about 80%. Sailors on the USS Iwo Jima and Marines in the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who also are deploying, had rates of more than 90%.Bailey said the Army is seeing opportunities to reduce the two-week quarantine period for units deploying to Europe if service members are largely vaccinated and the host nation agrees. U.S. Army Europe may cut the quarantine time to five days if 70% of the unit is vaccinated, and that incentive could work, he said.The acceptance numbers drop off among those who are not deploying, military officials said.Gen. James McConville, the Army’s chief of staff, used his own experience to encourage troops to be vaccinated. “When they asked me how it felt, I said it was a lot less painful than some of the meetings I go to in the Pentagon.”Col. Jody Dugai, commander of the Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital at Fort Polk, Louisiana, said that so far conversations at the squad level, with eight to 10 peers, have been successful, and that getting more information helps.At the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Brig. Gen. David Doyle, has a dual challenge. As base commander, he must persuade the nearly 7,500 soldiers on base to get the shot and he needs to ensure that the thousands of troops that cycle in and out for training exercises are safe.Doyle said the acceptance rate on his base is between 30% and 40%, and that most often it’s the younger troops who decline.“They tell me they don’t have high confidence in the vaccine because they believe it was done too quickly,” he said. Top health officials have attested to the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.Doyle said it appears peers are often more influential than leaders in persuading troops — a sentiment echoed by Bailey, the Army Forces Command surgeon.“We’re trying to figure out who the influencers are,” Bailey said. “Is it a squad leader or platoon sergeant in the Army? I think it probably is. Someone who is more of their age and interacts with them more on a regular basis versus the general officer who takes his picture and says, ‘I got the shot.’″___

Thousands of service members saying no to COVID-19 vaccine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deadly weather will be hitting the U.S. more often, and America needs to get better at dealing with it, experts said as Texas and other states battled winter storms that blew past the worst-case planning of utilities, governments and millions of shivering residents.

This week’s storms —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/100-million-americans-more-ice-snow-404012f8d8885259968b8d37b13899d6">with more still heading east&nbsp;</a>— fit a pattern of worsening extremes under climate change and demonstrate anew that local, state and federal officials have failed to do nearly enough to prepare for greater and more dangerous weather.

At least two dozen people have died this week, including from fire or carbon monoxide poisoning while struggling to find warmth inside their homes. In Oklahoma City, an Arctic blast plunged temperatures in the state capital as low as 14 degrees below 0.

“This is a different kind of storm,″ said Kendra Clements, one of several businesspeople in Oklahoma City who opened their buildings to shelter homeless people, some with frostbite, hypothermia and icicles in their hair. It was also a harbinger of what social service providers and governments say will be a surge of increased needs for society’s most vulnerable as climate and natural disasters worsen.

Other Americans are at risk as well. Power supplies of all sorts failed in the extreme cold, including natural gas-fired power plants that were knocked offline amid icy conditions and, to a smaller extent, wind turbines that froze and stopped working. More than 100 million people live in areas under winter weather warnings, watches or advisories, and blackouts are expected to continue in some parts of the country for days.

The crisis sounded an alarm for power systems throughout the country: As climate change worsens, severe conditions that go beyond historical norms are becoming ever more common. Texas, for example, expects power demand to peak in the heat of summer, not the depths of winter, as it did this week.

The dire storms come as President Joe Biden aims to spend up to $2 trillion on infrastructure and clean energy investment over four years. Biden has pledged to update the U.S. power grid to be carbon-pollution free by 2035 as well as weatherize buildings, repair roads and build electric vehicle charging stations.

“Building resilient and sustainable infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather and a changing climate will play an integral role” in creating jobs and meeting Biden’s goal of “a net-zero emissions future,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

The storms are big news this week, especially in light of their effect on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-hampers-vaccine-distribution-7a8e8908a0d68da784d1335b3bd6ead8">COVID-19 vaccinations</a>&nbsp;as well as freezing Americans, but that doesn’t mean they won’t become more common, experts say.

“This definitely was an anomaly,″ but one that is likely to occur more frequently as a result of climate change, said Sara Eftekharnejad, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Syracuse University.

“There probably needs to be better planning, because we’re starting to see more extreme weather events across the country,″ she said, whether it’s severe cold in Texas or the intense heat wave in California last year that fueled deadly wildfires.

Better forecasting — both short-term and long-term — would help avoid catastrophic failures such as the current outages in Texas and other states, as would large-scale storage systems that can supply electricity when demand spikes and a greater diversity of power sources, Eftekharnejad and other experts said.

Climate change also is hurting military readiness. Damage from a 2018 hurricane at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and 2019 flooding at Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base, for example, led the Pentagon to send service members as far away as Britain to train.

Another 2018 hurricane that hit North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune, home to one-third of the U.S. Marine Corps’ capability, caused enough damage to degrade training overall, senior U.S. military authorities concluded.

Hardening military installations against worsening natural disasters will cost trillions. But it has to be done, said Joan VanDervort, a former longtime Defense Department climate expert now with the Center for Climate and Security think tank. “We have eyes overseas that are looking at our vulnerability and seeing how we respond. ... There are enemies out there that will certainly take advantage of it.”

Michael Craig, an assistant professor of energy systems at the University of Michigan, said the events in California and Texas show that “what we have now is not going to do it in the face of climate change. It’s only going to get worse from here.″

The disaster in Texas and other states “is a reminder that our nation’s critical infrastructure is vulnerable to extreme weather events and we can no longer turn a blind eye to the resiliency investments needed to protect it,″ said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, who met with Biden at the White House last week.

“The cost associated with addressing climate change and improving our infrastructure’s resilience is always going to be less than the cost of rebuilding or failing to act,″ Carper said.

Meanwhile, federal regulators are looking into the operations of the bulk-power system during the severe winter storm that affected states from Louisiana to Minnesota.

In Texas, where wind power is a growing source of electricity, the wind turbines generally are not equipped to withstand extended low temperatures, as they are in Iowa and other cold-weather states. Modifying the turbines slightly to withstand freezing temperatures is one step needed to confront climate change, said Roy McCann, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas.

While some Republican politicians, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have tried to pin blame on wind and solar power for the outages, traditional thermal power plants, which rely mostly on natural gas, provide the bulk of power in the state and were the larger problem.

“The entire system was overwhelmed,” said Joshua Rhodes, a research associate on energy issues at the University of Texas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deadly weather will be hitting the U.S. more often, and America needs to get better at dealing with it, experts said as Texas and other states battled winter storms that blew past the worst-case planning of utilities, governments and millions of shivering residents.This week’s storms —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/100-million-americans-more-ice-snow-404012f8d8885259968b8d37b13899d6">with more still heading east&nbsp;</a>— fit a pattern of worsening extremes under climate change and demonstrate anew that local, state and federal officials have failed to do nearly enough to prepare for greater and more dangerous weather.At least two dozen people have died this week, including from fire or carbon monoxide poisoning while struggling to find warmth inside their homes. In Oklahoma City, an Arctic blast plunged temperatures in the state capital as low as 14 degrees below 0.“This is a different kind of storm,″ said Kendra Clements, one of several businesspeople in Oklahoma City who opened their buildings to shelter homeless people, some with frostbite, hypothermia and icicles in their hair. It was also a harbinger of what social service providers and governments say will be a surge of increased needs for society’s most vulnerable as climate and natural disasters worsen.Other Americans are at risk as well. Power supplies of all sorts failed in the extreme cold, including natural gas-fired power plants that were knocked offline amid icy conditions and, to a smaller extent, wind turbines that froze and stopped working. More than 100 million people live in areas under winter weather warnings, watches or advisories, and blackouts are expected to continue in some parts of the country for days.The crisis sounded an alarm for power systems throughout the country: As climate change worsens, severe conditions that go beyond historical norms are becoming ever more common. Texas, for example, expects power demand to peak in the heat of summer, not the depths of winter, as it did this week.The dire storms come as President Joe Biden aims to spend up to $2 trillion on infrastructure and clean energy investment over four years. Biden has pledged to update the U.S. power grid to be carbon-pollution free by 2035 as well as weatherize buildings, repair roads and build electric vehicle charging stations.“Building resilient and sustainable infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather and a changing climate will play an integral role” in creating jobs and meeting Biden’s goal of “a net-zero emissions future,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.The storms are big news this week, especially in light of their effect on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-hampers-vaccine-distribution-7a8e8908a0d68da784d1335b3bd6ead8">COVID-19 vaccinations</a>&nbsp;as well as freezing Americans, but that doesn’t mean they won’t become more common, experts say.“This definitely was an anomaly,″ but one that is likely to occur more frequently as a result of climate change, said Sara Eftekharnejad, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Syracuse University.“There probably needs to be better planning, because we’re starting to see more extreme weather events across the country,″ she said, whether it’s severe cold in Texas or the intense heat wave in California last year that fueled deadly wildfires.Better forecasting — both short-term and long-term — would help avoid catastrophic failures such as the current outages in Texas and other states, as would large-scale storage systems that can supply electricity when demand spikes and a greater diversity of power sources, Eftekharnejad and other experts said.Climate change also is hurting military readiness. Damage from a 2018 hurricane at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and 2019 flooding at Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base, for example, led the Pentagon to send service members as far away as Britain to train.Another 2018 hurricane that hit North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune, home to one-third of the U.S. Marine Corps’ capability, caused enough damage to degrade training overall, senior U.S. military authorities concluded.Hardening military installations against worsening natural disasters will cost trillions. But it has to be done, said Joan VanDervort, a former longtime Defense Department climate expert now with the Center for Climate and Security think tank. “We have eyes overseas that are looking at our vulnerability and seeing how we respond. ... There are enemies out there that will certainly take advantage of it.”Michael Craig, an assistant professor of energy systems at the University of Michigan, said the events in California and Texas show that “what we have now is not going to do it in the face of climate change. It’s only going to get worse from here.″The disaster in Texas and other states “is a reminder that our nation’s critical infrastructure is vulnerable to extreme weather events and we can no longer turn a blind eye to the resiliency investments needed to protect it,″ said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, who met with Biden at the White House last week.“The cost associated with addressing climate change and improving our infrastructure’s resilience is always going to be less than the cost of rebuilding or failing to act,″ Carper said.Meanwhile, federal regulators are looking into the operations of the bulk-power system during the severe winter storm that affected states from Louisiana to Minnesota.In Texas, where wind power is a growing source of electricity, the wind turbines generally are not equipped to withstand extended low temperatures, as they are in Iowa and other cold-weather states. Modifying the turbines slightly to withstand freezing temperatures is one step needed to confront climate change, said Roy McCann, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas.While some Republican politicians, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have tried to pin blame on wind and solar power for the outages, traditional thermal power plants, which rely mostly on natural gas, provide the bulk of power in the state and were the larger problem.“The entire system was overwhelmed,” said Joshua Rhodes, a research associate on energy issues at the University of Texas.

US needs to brace itself for more deadly storms, experts say

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating vandalism on sheriff's department vehicles in Douglas County.

The three vehicles were vandalized in the parking lot of the Judicial Law Enforcement Center, 1199 New Hampshire Street in Lawrence overnight Thursday or early Friday, according to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Anyone who has information about this crime to please call Crime Stoppers, 785-843-TIPS (8477), or our non-emergency line, 785-843-0250.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613824872228.png" alt="The sheriff's department released photos of the vandalized vehicles late Friday and asked the public for help to identify suspects" />
 <figcaption>The sheriff's department released photos of the vandalized vehicles late Friday and asked the public for help to identify suspects</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating vandalism on sheriff's department vehicles in Douglas County.The three vehicles were vandalized in the parking lot of the Judicial Law Enforcement Center, 1199 New Hampshire Street in Lawrence overnight Thursday or early Friday, according to a social media report from the Douglas County Sheriff.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613824980890.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Anyone who has information about this crime to please call Crime Stoppers, 785-843-TIPS (8477), or our non-emergency line, 785-843-0250.

Kan. sheriff's office vehicles vandalized in department parking lot

TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatality crash that occurred Friday morning in Central Topeka have identified the victim as&nbsp;65-year-old Kathleen E. Bryson of Topeka, according to police department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Just after 5:45 a.m. police were dispatched to the intersection of SW 10th Avenue and SW Washburn Avenue on a report of an injury accident involving two vehicles, according to Spiker. Both vehicles had single occupants and no passengers.

Bryson sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported her to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

&nbsp;The other driver involved in the crash sustained minor injuries, according to Spiker.&nbsp; The cause of the crash remains under investigation.&nbsp;

TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatality crash that occurred Friday morning in Central Topeka.

Just after 5:45 a.m. police were dispatched to the intersection of SW 10th Avenue and SW Washburn Avenue on a report of an injury accident involving two vehicles, according to police department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker. Both vehicles had single occupants and no passengers.

The occupant of one of the vehicles sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported that person to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead.

&nbsp;The other driver involved in the crash sustained minor injuries, according to Spiker.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the drivers.

SW 10th Avenue between SW Garfield Avenue and SW Lane Street were closed while officers investigate.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613749356424.png" alt="Friday morning fatal crash in Topeka - Photo by Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Friday morning fatal crash in Topeka - Photo by Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatality crash that occurred Friday morning in Central Topeka have identified the victim as&nbsp;65-year-old Kathleen E. Bryson of Topeka, according to police department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.Just after 5:45 a.m. police were dispatched to the intersection of SW 10th Avenue and SW Washburn Avenue on a report of an injury accident involving two vehicles, according to Spiker. Both vehicles had single occupants and no passengers.Bryson sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported her to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.&nbsp;The other driver involved in the crash sustained minor injuries, according to Spiker.&nbsp; The cause of the crash remains under investigation.&nbsp;--------TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatality crash that occurred Friday morning in Central Topeka.Just after 5:45 a.m. police were dispatched to the intersection of SW 10th Avenue and SW Washburn Avenue on a report of an injury accident involving two vehicles, according to police department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker. Both vehicles had single occupants and no passengers.The occupant of one of the vehicles sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported that person to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead.&nbsp;The other driver involved in the crash sustained minor injuries, according to Spiker.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the drivers.SW 10th Avenue between SW Garfield Avenue and SW Lane Street were closed while officers investigate.&nbsp;

Police ID Kansas woman who died in 2-vehicle crash

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of alleged rapes that have occurred in Ogden, Kansas from 2004-2012 and have made an arrest.

On November 11, 2020, officers filed a report for several past rape and aggravated criminal sodomy offenses in Ogden, listing a now 21-year-old female as the victim and a now 46-year-old male known to her as the suspect, according to Riley County Police Department spokesperson Aaron Wintermote.

On Friday afternoon, police arrested 46-year-old Michael James Tschantz at the Naples Texas Police Department on a Riley County District Court warrant for five counts of rape of a child under 14 years of age.

Tschantz is currently confined in the Morris County, Texas Jail on a $600,000 bond pending extradition to the Riley County Jail.

This is an active and ongoing investigation; we are asking anyone who has further information about Tschantz to please contact RCPD Detective Brian Johnson at (785) 473-2323 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bjohnson@rileycountypolice.org" target="_blank">bjohnson@rileycountypolice.org</a>, or your local police department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613857158683.png" alt="Tschantz photo Morris County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Tschantz photo Morris County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of alleged rapes that have occurred in Ogden, Kansas from 2004-2012 and have made an arrest.On November 11, 2020, officers filed a report for several past rape and aggravated criminal sodomy offenses in Ogden, listing a now 21-year-old female as the victim and a now 46-year-old male known to her as the suspect, according to Riley County Police Department spokesperson Aaron Wintermote.On Friday afternoon, police arrested 46-year-old Michael James Tschantz at the Naples Texas Police Department on a Riley County District Court warrant for five counts of rape of a child under 14 years of age.Tschantz is currently confined in the Morris County, Texas Jail on a $600,000 bond pending extradition to the Riley County Jail.This is an active and ongoing investigation; we are asking anyone who has further information about Tschantz to please contact RCPD Detective Brian Johnson at (785) 473-2323 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bjohnson@rileycountypolice.org" target="_blank">bjohnson@rileycountypolice.org</a>, or your local police department.

Update: Suspect arrested in Texas for series of child rapes in Kansas

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Ten horses died in a fire at a riding academy in southeast Missouri, fire officials said.

The blaze was reported Thursday evening at the Fox Run Riding Academy stables in Cape Girardeau. Workers were able to save 15 horses, KFVS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kfvs12.com/2021/02/19/heartland-crews-battle-stable-fire-several-animals-lost/">reported</a>. No people were injured.

Interim Fire Chief Randy Morris said when firefighters arrived 40 percent of the building was engulfed in flames and some areas had collapsed.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal was investigating to determine the cause of the fire.

Eight of the 10 horses that died belonged to Fox Run and two others were being boarded at the academy, which provides riding lessons, boarding and horse training.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613771224945.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fire photo courtesy KFVS TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fire photo courtesy KFVS TV</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Ten horses died in a fire at a riding academy in southeast Missouri, fire officials said.The blaze was reported Thursday evening at the Fox Run Riding Academy stables in Cape Girardeau. Workers were able to save 15 horses, KFVS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kfvs12.com/2021/02/19/heartland-crews-battle-stable-fire-several-animals-lost/">reported</a>. No people were injured.Interim Fire Chief Randy Morris said when firefighters arrived 40 percent of the building was engulfed in flames and some areas had collapsed.The Missouri State Fire Marshal was investigating to determine the cause of the fire.Eight of the 10 horses that died belonged to Fox Run and two others were being boarded at the academy, which provides riding lessons, boarding and horse training.

Officials: 10 horses die, 15 saved in fire at riding academy

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Two more Missouri residents have been charged in last month’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The FBI said Zachary John Wilson, 31, was taken into custody without incident Friday in his hometown of Springfield on federal charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building.

His arrest came on the same day that 28-year-old Nicholas Burton Reimler, of Cedar Hill, made his initial appearance in federal court on charges of violent entry or disorderly conduct and entry to a restricted building or grounds. Both charges are misdemeanors that carry maximum sentences ranging from six months to a year behind bars.

The men are among dozens of people who have been charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol while Congress was meeting to certify Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential race. Thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump descended on the Capitol after a rally nearby that day, and more than 800 are believed to have made it inside the building during the siege. Five people died in the melee, including a Capitol police officer who was struck in the head with a fire extinguisher.

At least five other Missouri residents have been charged in the insurrection —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-michael-brown-riots-arrests-electoral-college-7bb4d9a787d5a04bf9e38c3014740bd1">Michael Aaron Quick, Stephen Brian Quick,&nbsp;</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-kansas-city-michael-brown-kansas-arrests-e36fad2440cbcf1a4b73ca7cc7a18950">Louis Enrique Colon</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c05f77233c3356ddeeb0b2d40e82f45f" target="_blank">Zachary Martin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-capitol-siege-nancy-pelosi-michael-brown-9a7d93e17fc79e4ef2d9b8188e7232b3">Emily Hernandez</a>.

According to court documents, an anonymous tipster sent the FBI screenshots of a Facebook post Wilson made announcing he was one of the first people to enter the Capitol and that he had gone to the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the Springfield News-Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2021/02/19/us-capitol-riot-insurrection-springfield-man-arrested-connection-fbi-washington-dc/4512003001/" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Wilson acknowledged during an FBI interview that he had gone inside the Capitol, adding that he was a supporter of Trump and he wanted his “voice to be heard,” according to court records. But Wilson denied destroying any property while inside.

FBI spokeswoman Bridget Patton said Wilson was being held by the U.S. Marshals Service and that she didn’t know if he had an attorney yet.

Federal charging documents detailing the allegations against Reimler were not immediately released.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Noelle Collins followed the recommendation of federal prosecutors and released Reimler on his own recognizance. Reimler said his family was in the process of hiring an attorney for him. Cedar Hill is an unincorporated town about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis.

Reimler posted comments to Facebook supportive of Trump and critical of Biden and Democrats. On Dec. 31, he reposted “JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC!” from then-President Trump.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that his only other public court record in Missouri is related to a Dec. 21, 2014, arrest on a DWI charge after he was caught driving about 78 mph on Highway 55.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613774181002.png" alt="Reimler photo St. Louis Co." />
 <figcaption>Reimler photo St. Louis Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Two more Missouri residents have been charged in last month’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.The FBI said Zachary John Wilson, 31, was taken into custody without incident Friday in his hometown of Springfield on federal charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building.His arrest came on the same day that 28-year-old Nicholas Burton Reimler, of Cedar Hill, made his initial appearance in federal court on charges of violent entry or disorderly conduct and entry to a restricted building or grounds. Both charges are misdemeanors that carry maximum sentences ranging from six months to a year behind bars.The men are among dozens of people who have been charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol while Congress was meeting to certify Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential race. Thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump descended on the Capitol after a rally nearby that day, and more than 800 are believed to have made it inside the building during the siege. Five people died in the melee, including a Capitol police officer who was struck in the head with a fire extinguisher.At least five other Missouri residents have been charged in the insurrection —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-michael-brown-riots-arrests-electoral-college-7bb4d9a787d5a04bf9e38c3014740bd1">Michael Aaron Quick, Stephen Brian Quick,&nbsp;</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-kansas-city-michael-brown-kansas-arrests-e36fad2440cbcf1a4b73ca7cc7a18950">Louis Enrique Colon</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c05f77233c3356ddeeb0b2d40e82f45f" target="_blank">Zachary Martin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-capitol-siege-nancy-pelosi-michael-brown-9a7d93e17fc79e4ef2d9b8188e7232b3">Emily Hernandez</a>.According to court documents, an anonymous tipster sent the FBI screenshots of a Facebook post Wilson made announcing he was one of the first people to enter the Capitol and that he had gone to the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the Springfield News-Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2021/02/19/us-capitol-riot-insurrection-springfield-man-arrested-connection-fbi-washington-dc/4512003001/" target="_blank">reported</a>.Wilson acknowledged during an FBI interview that he had gone inside the Capitol, adding that he was a supporter of Trump and he wanted his “voice to be heard,” according to court records. But Wilson denied destroying any property while inside.FBI spokeswoman Bridget Patton said Wilson was being held by the U.S. Marshals Service and that she didn’t know if he had an attorney yet.Federal charging documents detailing the allegations against Reimler were not immediately released.U.S. Magistrate Judge Noelle Collins followed the recommendation of federal prosecutors and released Reimler on his own recognizance. Reimler said his family was in the process of hiring an attorney for him. Cedar Hill is an unincorporated town about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis.Reimler posted comments to Facebook supportive of Trump and critical of Biden and Democrats. On Dec. 31, he reposted “JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC!” from then-President Trump.The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that his only other public court record in Missouri is related to a Dec. 21, 2014, arrest on a DWI charge after he was caught driving about 78 mph on Highway 55.