Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole announced Thursday that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and would begin treatment on Monday.&nbsp;

Governor Laura Kelly and some members of the Kansas congressional delegation have offered their support with statements on social media.

&nbsp;The 97-year-old Dole said on his own twitter account, “While I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own." 

Dole, a Republican, represented Kansas in Congress for almost 36 years, serving twice as majority leader. He resigned from the Senate in 1996 when he became the Republican presidential nominee.&nbsp;

Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole announced Thursday that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and would begin treatment on Monday.&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly and some members of the Kansas congressional delegation have offered their support with statements on social media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Saddened to hear that <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDole</a> has been diagnosed with cancer. Sen. Dole is someone I respect as a leader and consider a friend to me and Robba. We are praying for him and Sen. Elizabeth Dole as they tackle this new challenge. <a href="https://t.co/xVySE0ToUd">pic.twitter.com/xVySE0ToUd</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1362459253387235340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I haven&#39;t known a better public servant, a man w/ a bigger heart, someone more focused on the good of the nation, more opposed to political drama, or a more incredible negotiator than <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDole</a>. 1/6 <a href="https://t.co/BxF4fNUngI">pic.twitter.com/BxF4fNUngI</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1362428760646164487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I was saddened to hear the news that <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDole</a> - a Kansas son and American hero - has stage 4 lung cancer. Bob Dole is a true statesman and an incredible, tireless advocate for our nation’s service members and veterans. Audrey and I are praying for him and his entire family. <a href="https://t.co/kcBQhw9WfQ">pic.twitter.com/kcBQhw9WfQ</a>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1362434993176379396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Wishing my friend Senator Bob Dole a swift recovery. <a href="https://t.co/N4Phw56SXH">https://t.co/N4Phw56SXH</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1362419340482670596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;The 97-year-old Dole said on his own twitter account, “While I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own." Dole, a Republican, represented Kansas in Congress for almost 36 years, serving twice as majority leader. He resigned from the Senate in 1996 when he became the Republican presidential nominee.&nbsp;

Kan. legislative leaders show support for Bob Dole in medical battle

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities arrested a Kansas teen&nbsp;as part of an ongoing drug investigation.

On Wednesday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 2800 Block of SE Minnesota in Topeka, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

While conducting the search warrant, authorities found 18-year-old Yancy Whitehead, had marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm.

Officers transported Whitehead to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include, Aggravated endangering a child; reckless situation, Possession of marijuana with the intent for distribution, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent and No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, according to Monasmith.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613663359153.png" alt="Whitehead photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Whitehead photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities arrested a Kansas teen&nbsp;as part of an ongoing drug investigation.On Wednesday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 2800 Block of SE Minnesota in Topeka, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.While conducting the search warrant, authorities found 18-year-old Yancy Whitehead, had marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm.Officers transported Whitehead to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include, Aggravated endangering a child; reckless situation, Possession of marijuana with the intent for distribution, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent and No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, according to Monasmith.&nbsp;

Kansas teen jailed after drug task force investigation 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA rover streaked through the orange Martian sky and landed on the planet Thursday, accomplishing the riskiest step yet in an epic quest to bring back rocks that could answer whether life ever existed on Mars.

Ground controllers at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, cheered and exchanged fist bumps and high-fives in triumph — and relief — on receiving confirmation that the six-wheeled Perseverance had touched down on the red planet, long a deathtrap for incoming spacecraft.

It took a tension-filled 11 1/2 minutes for the signal to reach Earth.

“Touchdown confirmed! Perseverance safely on the surface of Mars, ready to begin seeking signs of past life,” flight controller Swati Mohan announced to back-slapping colleagues wearing masks against the coronavirus.

The landing marks the third visit to Mars in just over a week. Two spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around Mars on successive days last week. All three missions lifted off in July to take advantage of the close alignment of Earth and Mars, traveling some 300 million miles in nearly seven months.

Perseverance, the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became the ninth spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, every one of them from the U.S.

The car-size, plutonium-powered vehicle arrived at Jezero Crater, hitting NASA’s smallest and trickiest target yet: a 5--by-4-mile strip on an ancient river delta full of pits, cliffs and fields of rock. Scientists believe that if life ever flourished on Mars, it would have happened 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, when water still flowed on the planet.

Over the next two years, Percy, as it is nicknamed, will use its 7-foot (2-meter) arm to drill down and collect rock samples with possible signs of bygone microscopic life. Three to four dozen chalk-size samples will be sealed in tubes and set aside on Mars to be retrieved by a fetch rover and brought homeward by another rocket ship. The goal is to get them back to Earth as early as 2031.

Scientists hope to answer one of the central questions of theology, philosophy and space exploration.

“Are we alone in this sort of vast cosmic desert, just flying through space, or is life much more common? Does it just emerge whenever and wherever the conditions are ripe?” said deputy project scientist Ken Williford. “We’re really on the verge of being able to potentially answer these enormous questions.”

China’s spacecraft includes a smaller rover that also will be seeking evidence of life — if it makes it safely down from orbit in May or June.

Perseverance was on its own during the NASA-described “seven minutes of terror” descent.

Flight controllers waited helplessly as the preprogrammed spacecraft hit the thin, 95% carbon dioxide Martian atmosphere at 12,100 mph (19,500 kph), or 16 times the speed of sound, slowing as it plummeted.

It released its 70-foot (21-meter) parachute, jettisoned its heat shield, and then used a rocket-steered platform known as a sky crane to lower the rover the final 60 or so feet (18 meters) to the surface. Perseverance appeared to touch down about 35 yards from the nearest rocks.

“Take that, Jezero!” a controller called out.

Mars has proved a treacherous place: In the span of less than three months in 1999, a U.S. spacecraft was destroyed upon entering orbit because engineers had mixed up metric and English units, and an American lander crashed on Mars after its engines cut out prematurely.

Perseverance will conduct an experiment in which it will convert small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen, a process that could be a boon to future astronauts by providing breathable air and an ingredient for rocket fuel.

The rover is also equipped with a record 25 cameras and two microphones, many of them turned on during descent. Among the never-before-seen views NASA intends to send back in the next couple days: the enormous supersonic parachute billowing open and the ground getting closer.

“A feast for the eyes and ears. It’s really going to be spectacular,” observed Arizona State University’s Jim Bell, lead scientist for a pair of mast cameras that will serve as the rover’s eyes.

NASA is teaming up with the European Space Agency to bring the rocks home. Perseverance’s mission alone costs nearly $3 billion.

The only way to confirm — or rule out — signs of past life is to analyze the samples in the world’s best labs. Instruments small enough to be sent to Mars wouldn’t have the necessary precision.

“It’s really the most extraordinary, mind-boggingly complicated and will-be history-making exploration campaign,” David Parker, the European Space Agency’s director of human and robotic exploration, said on the eve of landing.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA rover streaked through the orange Martian sky and landed on the planet Thursday, accomplishing the riskiest step yet in an epic quest to bring back rocks that could answer whether life ever existed on Mars.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hello, world. My first look at my forever home. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CountdownToMars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CountdownToMars</a> <a href="https://t.co/dkM9jE9I6X">pic.twitter.com/dkM9jE9I6X</a>&mdash; NASA&#39;s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1362507436611956736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ground controllers at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, cheered and exchanged fist bumps and high-fives in triumph — and relief — on receiving confirmation that the six-wheeled Perseverance had touched down on the red planet, long a deathtrap for incoming spacecraft.It took a tension-filled 11 1/2 minutes for the signal to reach Earth.“Touchdown confirmed! Perseverance safely on the surface of Mars, ready to begin seeking signs of past life,” flight controller Swati Mohan announced to back-slapping colleagues wearing masks against the coronavirus.The landing marks the third visit to Mars in just over a week. Two spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around Mars on successive days last week. All three missions lifted off in July to take advantage of the close alignment of Earth and Mars, traveling some 300 million miles in nearly seven months.Perseverance, the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became the ninth spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, every one of them from the U.S.The car-size, plutonium-powered vehicle arrived at Jezero Crater, hitting NASA’s smallest and trickiest target yet: a 5--by-4-mile strip on an ancient river delta full of pits, cliffs and fields of rock. Scientists believe that if life ever flourished on Mars, it would have happened 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, when water still flowed on the planet.Over the next two years, Percy, as it is nicknamed, will use its 7-foot (2-meter) arm to drill down and collect rock samples with possible signs of bygone microscopic life. Three to four dozen chalk-size samples will be sealed in tubes and set aside on Mars to be retrieved by a fetch rover and brought homeward by another rocket ship. The goal is to get them back to Earth as early as 2031.Scientists hope to answer one of the central questions of theology, philosophy and space exploration.“Are we alone in this sort of vast cosmic desert, just flying through space, or is life much more common? Does it just emerge whenever and wherever the conditions are ripe?” said deputy project scientist Ken Williford. “We’re really on the verge of being able to potentially answer these enormous questions.”China’s spacecraft includes a smaller rover that also will be seeking evidence of life — if it makes it safely down from orbit in May or June.Perseverance was on its own during the NASA-described “seven minutes of terror” descent.Flight controllers waited helplessly as the preprogrammed spacecraft hit the thin, 95% carbon dioxide Martian atmosphere at 12,100 mph (19,500 kph), or 16 times the speed of sound, slowing as it plummeted.It released its 70-foot (21-meter) parachute, jettisoned its heat shield, and then used a rocket-steered platform known as a sky crane to lower the rover the final 60 or so feet (18 meters) to the surface. Perseverance appeared to touch down about 35 yards from the nearest rocks.“Take that, Jezero!” a controller called out.Mars has proved a treacherous place: In the span of less than three months in 1999, a U.S. spacecraft was destroyed upon entering orbit because engineers had mixed up metric and English units, and an American lander crashed on Mars after its engines cut out prematurely.Perseverance will conduct an experiment in which it will convert small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen, a process that could be a boon to future astronauts by providing breathable air and an ingredient for rocket fuel.The rover is also equipped with a record 25 cameras and two microphones, many of them turned on during descent. Among the never-before-seen views NASA intends to send back in the next couple days: the enormous supersonic parachute billowing open and the ground getting closer.“A feast for the eyes and ears. It’s really going to be spectacular,” observed Arizona State University’s Jim Bell, lead scientist for a pair of mast cameras that will serve as the rover’s eyes.NASA is teaming up with the European Space Agency to bring the rocks home. Perseverance’s mission alone costs nearly $3 billion.The only way to confirm — or rule out — signs of past life is to analyze the samples in the world’s best labs. Instruments small enough to be sent to Mars wouldn’t have the necessary precision.“It’s really the most extraordinary, mind-boggingly complicated and will-be history-making exploration campaign,” David Parker, the European Space Agency’s director of human and robotic exploration, said on the eve of landing.___

NASA rover lands on Mars to look for signs of ancient life

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — College students who lost class time or were forced into online classes because of the pandemic could have some of their tuition refunded under a measure Kansas lawmakers are debating.

A House panel amended the state’s higher education budget Wednesday to require that colleges, community colleges and technical schools reimburse students for 50% of the tuition paid every day they spent online instead of in the classroom. The amendment would reimburse at 100% for days that students missed class entirely.

The state’s Republican-leaning Legislature also has been pushing back against online learning in K-12 schools.

Another House committee has approved a measure that, if passed by the House and Senate, would allow parents of K-12 students with at least 120 consecutive hours of online instruction to use their state per-pupil funding on private schools through an education savings account.

Lawmakers have expressed concern that students are falling behind academically and suffering psychologically in online school.

“I’ve talked to many parents who tell me that their kids aren’t learning, that several of them watch their kids cheat on their final exams because they take it together,” said Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stillwell Republican who introduced the amendment.

Kansas colleges finished their spring semester online last March as the coronavirus began to spread. They’ve adjusted schedules and kept some courses online in an effort to limit new infections.

“It wasn’t something they by any means chose to do, it’s something they felt they had to do. It was a safety measure,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat who teaches at the University of Kansas.

Using federal relief funds, colleges have already refunded students some fees for lost housing and food services.

Any further refunds would involve thousands of students and could further harm budgets. Higher education institutions already been been warning of cuts and layoffs. Though an exact cost is unknown, it would likely run into the millions, stretching a proposed budget that already assumes a 5.5% cut in higher education.

Rep. Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, described the proposal as “reckless.”

Tarwater said he would coordinate with the Board of Regents, which governs the state’s colleges, before they are called before the committee in the coming weeks to testify on the issue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599528423128.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — College students who lost class time or were forced into online classes because of the pandemic could have some of their tuition refunded under a measure Kansas lawmakers are debating.A House panel amended the state’s higher education budget Wednesday to require that colleges, community colleges and technical schools reimburse students for 50% of the tuition paid every day they spent online instead of in the classroom. The amendment would reimburse at 100% for days that students missed class entirely.The state’s Republican-leaning Legislature also has been pushing back against online learning in K-12 schools.Another House committee has approved a measure that, if passed by the House and Senate, would allow parents of K-12 students with at least 120 consecutive hours of online instruction to use their state per-pupil funding on private schools through an education savings account.Lawmakers have expressed concern that students are falling behind academically and suffering psychologically in online school.“I’ve talked to many parents who tell me that their kids aren’t learning, that several of them watch their kids cheat on their final exams because they take it together,” said Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stillwell Republican who introduced the amendment.Kansas colleges finished their spring semester online last March as the coronavirus began to spread. They’ve adjusted schedules and kept some courses online in an effort to limit new infections.“It wasn’t something they by any means chose to do, it’s something they felt they had to do. It was a safety measure,” said Rep. Barbara Ballard, a Lawrence Democrat who teaches at the University of Kansas.Using federal relief funds, colleges have already refunded students some fees for lost housing and food services.Any further refunds would involve thousands of students and could further harm budgets. Higher education institutions already been been warning of cuts and layoffs. Though an exact cost is unknown, it would likely run into the millions, stretching a proposed budget that already assumes a 5.5% cut in higher education.Rep. Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, described the proposal as “reckless.”Tarwater said he would coordinate with the Board of Regents, which governs the state’s colleges, before they are called before the committee in the coming weeks to testify on the issue.

Kan. lawmakers want tuition refunds for COVID-19 disruptions

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — An Arizona woman charged in connection with the Jan. 6 onslaught of the U.S. Capitol bragged in a Snapchat video that she was recently recruited by a Kansas City chapter of the Proud Boys, a neofascist organization that describes itself as “Western chauvinists” and has long forbidden female members.

Felicia Konold’s claim that the chapter recruited her and she was “with them now,” even though she’s not from the Kansas City area, has intrigued experts who study extremist right-wing movements.

“It is ironic that such a deeply misogynistic organization has attracted someone who is a woman to join their organization,” said Eric Ward, a senior fellow with the Southern Poverty Law Center. “It tells us there is dissention in the ranks of Proud Boys right now.”

Details of the video surfaced last week in a probable cause affidavit against Konold, 26, of Tucson, who is charged with conspiracy, civil disorder and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-kansas-city-michael-brown-kansas-arrests-e36fad2440cbcf1a4b73ca7cc7a18950">federal charges&nbsp;</a>stemming from the melee.

Konold sounded almost euphoric in the Snapchat video she posted after the Capitol attack, saying she never could have imagined having such an influence on the events that unfolded that day. She laughingly references “all my boys, behind me, holding me up in the air, pushing back. We (expletive) did it!”

In order to seemingly prove her point that she had just been “recruited into a (expletive) chapter from Kansas City,” she displayed on the video a two-sided “challenge coin” that appears to have markings that designate it as belonging to the Kansas City Proud Boys.

The challenge coin denotes membership, something that seems to go against the rhetoric about women from the organization’s national leadership, Ward said.

“The fact she has that coin, the challenge coin, tells me there is something happening around gender in the Proud Boys — and it is something worth paying attention to,” said Ward, who is also the executive director of the Western States Center, a civil rights advocacy group that works to advance gender equity.

Experts who monitor right-wing extremist groups point to the controversy that erupted when former mixed martial arts fighter Tara LaRosa tried in December to establish a Proud Girls offshoot on the social media app Telegram.

The Proud Boys’ social media channels quickly responded, calling auxiliary groups such as Proud Boy’s Girls or Proud Girls “ridiculous ideas.” “Don’t ride our coattails,” one post read. “Want to support us? Get married, have babies, and take care of your family.”

Alex DiBranco, executive director of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism, said there are differences among Proud Boys chapters over whether to embrace women as Proud Girls, even as the group as a whole has become more hostile to women’s auxiliaries in recent years. Mothers of Proud Boys have posted about Proud Boys gatherings they hosted for their sons.

But DiBranco said the people in her group who have worked on this topic are still unaware of a situation where a woman was actually recruited to be a member of a Proud Boys’ chapter itself, which is strictly against the Proud Boys rules.

Cassie Miller, a senior research analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that for a period of time there were auxiliary groups of Proud Boys’ Girls made up of the wives and girlfriends of members, but they were not allowed full membership within the group. She said as far as she knows, none of those auxiliary groups are active right now.

“The group has been very clear from the beginning it is an organization for men only and they hold misogynistic believes and believe that women are best suited for domestic labor and should act as mothers and homemakers,” Miller said.

Prosecutors allege in a court filing that William Chrestman, who they described as the leader of Kansas City Proud Boys cell, “readily recruited” Felicia Konold and her brother, Cory Konold, from Arizona to join the group of Kansas City Proud Boys.

Neither her defense attorney nor her father immediately responded to messages Tuesday seeking comment.

The Proud Boys have been known to incite street violence with counter-protesters. The group gained widespread attention during a presidential debate in September when then-President Donald Trump famously told them to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-chris-wallace-0b32339da25fbc9e8b7c7c7066a1db0f">“stand back and stand by.”</a>

Prosecutors allege that that beginning in December, the Proud Boys encouraged its members to attend the Jan. 6 demonstration in Washington, D.C. A large group of them, including Felicia Konold and other members of its Kansas City cell, was captured on video marching together and later entering the U.S. Capitol.

While there were plenty of white women at the Jan. 6 protests, white supremacists groups generally tend to be dominated by white men, DiBranco said. Groups like QAnon tend to be popular with women, but Proud Boys supporters and QAnon supporters come together at these types of protests. The anti-vaxxer movement against vaccinations is dominated by women.

“Those lockdown protests exposed their members to these elements of a far-right coalition that these women might not otherwise be a part of,” DiBranco said. “Women may have moved from anti-vaxxer into QAnon and other kinds of conspiracies.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613579788229.png" alt="Felicia Konold photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Felicia Konold photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROXANA HEGEMANBELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — An Arizona woman charged in connection with the Jan. 6 onslaught of the U.S. Capitol bragged in a Snapchat video that she was recently recruited by a Kansas City chapter of the Proud Boys, a neofascist organization that describes itself as “Western chauvinists” and has long forbidden female members.Felicia Konold’s claim that the chapter recruited her and she was “with them now,” even though she’s not from the Kansas City area, has intrigued experts who study extremist right-wing movements.“It is ironic that such a deeply misogynistic organization has attracted someone who is a woman to join their organization,” said Eric Ward, a senior fellow with the Southern Poverty Law Center. “It tells us there is dissention in the ranks of Proud Boys right now.”Details of the video surfaced last week in a probable cause affidavit against Konold, 26, of Tucson, who is charged with conspiracy, civil disorder and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-kansas-city-michael-brown-kansas-arrests-e36fad2440cbcf1a4b73ca7cc7a18950">federal charges&nbsp;</a>stemming from the melee.Konold sounded almost euphoric in the Snapchat video she posted after the Capitol attack, saying she never could have imagined having such an influence on the events that unfolded that day. She laughingly references “all my boys, behind me, holding me up in the air, pushing back. We (expletive) did it!”In order to seemingly prove her point that she had just been “recruited into a (expletive) chapter from Kansas City,” she displayed on the video a two-sided “challenge coin” that appears to have markings that designate it as belonging to the Kansas City Proud Boys.The challenge coin denotes membership, something that seems to go against the rhetoric about women from the organization’s national leadership, Ward said.“The fact she has that coin, the challenge coin, tells me there is something happening around gender in the Proud Boys — and it is something worth paying attention to,” said Ward, who is also the executive director of the Western States Center, a civil rights advocacy group that works to advance gender equity.Experts who monitor right-wing extremist groups point to the controversy that erupted when former mixed martial arts fighter Tara LaRosa tried in December to establish a Proud Girls offshoot on the social media app Telegram.The Proud Boys’ social media channels quickly responded, calling auxiliary groups such as Proud Boy’s Girls or Proud Girls “ridiculous ideas.” “Don’t ride our coattails,” one post read. “Want to support us? Get married, have babies, and take care of your family.”Alex DiBranco, executive director of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism, said there are differences among Proud Boys chapters over whether to embrace women as Proud Girls, even as the group as a whole has become more hostile to women’s auxiliaries in recent years. Mothers of Proud Boys have posted about Proud Boys gatherings they hosted for their sons.But DiBranco said the people in her group who have worked on this topic are still unaware of a situation where a woman was actually recruited to be a member of a Proud Boys’ chapter itself, which is strictly against the Proud Boys rules.Cassie Miller, a senior research analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that for a period of time there were auxiliary groups of Proud Boys’ Girls made up of the wives and girlfriends of members, but they were not allowed full membership within the group. She said as far as she knows, none of those auxiliary groups are active right now.“The group has been very clear from the beginning it is an organization for men only and they hold misogynistic believes and believe that women are best suited for domestic labor and should act as mothers and homemakers,” Miller said.Prosecutors allege in a court filing that William Chrestman, who they described as the leader of Kansas City Proud Boys cell, “readily recruited” Felicia Konold and her brother, Cory Konold, from Arizona to join the group of Kansas City Proud Boys.Neither her defense attorney nor her father immediately responded to messages Tuesday seeking comment.The Proud Boys have been known to incite street violence with counter-protesters. The group gained widespread attention during a presidential debate in September when then-President Donald Trump famously told them to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-chris-wallace-0b32339da25fbc9e8b7c7c7066a1db0f">“stand back and stand by.”</a>Prosecutors allege that that beginning in December, the Proud Boys encouraged its members to attend the Jan. 6 demonstration in Washington, D.C. A large group of them, including Felicia Konold and other members of its Kansas City cell, was captured on video marching together and later entering the U.S. Capitol.While there were plenty of white women at the Jan. 6 protests, white supremacists groups generally tend to be dominated by white men, DiBranco said. Groups like QAnon tend to be popular with women, but Proud Boys supporters and QAnon supporters come together at these types of protests. The anti-vaxxer movement against vaccinations is dominated by women.“Those lockdown protests exposed their members to these elements of a far-right coalition that these women might not otherwise be a part of,” DiBranco said. “Women may have moved from anti-vaxxer into QAnon and other kinds of conspiracies.”

Woman charged in Capitol melee says KC group recruited her

DEXTER, Kan. (AP) — A 67-year-old Kansas woman who wandered out of her home during the night was found dead in subzero temperatures. 

Cowley County Sheriff David Falletti says deputies responding to a call about a missing woman found Linda Patton in front of her Dexter home sometime between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. Tuesday. 

Falletti said she was wearing only a nightgown and likely died from the cold.  He said he did not know how long she had been outside.

DEXTER, Kan. (AP) — A 67-year-old Kansas woman who wandered out of her home during the night was found dead in subzero temperatures. Cowley County Sheriff David Falletti says deputies responding to a call about a missing woman found Linda Patton in front of her Dexter home sometime between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. Tuesday. Falletti said she was wearing only a nightgown and likely died from the cold. He said he did not know how long she had been outside.

Sheriff: Kansas woman who wandered out likely died from cold

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former longtime Sen. Bob Dole has announced that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Dole, who is 97, said in a short statement that he was diagnosed recently and would begin treatment on Monday. He said: “While I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own." 

Dole, a Republican, represented Kansas in Congress for almost 36 years, serving twice as majority leader. He resigned from the Senate in 1996 when he became the Republican presidential nominee. He lost to incumbent President Bill Clinton.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600390580413.png" alt="Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former longtime Sen. Bob Dole has announced that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Dole, who is 97, said in a short statement that he was diagnosed recently and would begin treatment on Monday. He said: “While I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own." <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">STATEMENT BY SENATOR BOB DOLE ON HEALTH CHALLENGES <a href="https://t.co/ndRxqNWb30">pic.twitter.com/ndRxqNWb30</a>&mdash; Senator Bob Dole (@SenatorDole) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDole/status/1362417124606677008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Dole, a Republican, represented Kansas in Congress for almost 36 years, serving twice as majority leader. He resigned from the Senate in 1996 when he became the Republican presidential nominee. He lost to incumbent President Bill Clinton.

Bob Dole issues statement on his health challenges

Employers may allow participants to carry over unused amounts

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today provided greater 
flexibility, due to the pandemic, to employee benefit plans offering 
health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) or dependent care 
assistance programs. Under the COVID-related Taxpayer Certainty and 
Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, these plans now have additional 
discretion in 2021 and 2022 to adjust their programs to help employees 
better meet the unanticipated consequences of the public health 
emergency.

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-15.pdf">Notice 2021-15&nbsp;PDF</a>
 responds to unanticipated changes in the availability of certain 
medical care and dependent care. As a result of COVID-19, participating 
employees are more likely to have unused health FSA amounts or dependent
 care assistance program amounts at the end of 2020 and 2021. Generally,
 under these plans, an employer allows its employees to set aside a 
certain amount of pre-tax wages to pay for medical care and dependent 
care expenses. Amounts spent by the employee are then reimbursed from 
their designated health FSAs or dependent care assistance programs.

Notice 2021-15 provides flexibility for employers in the following 
areas related to health FSAs and dependent care assistance programs:

Prior guidance provided flexibility to employers with cafeteria 
plans through the end of calendar year 2020, during which employers 
could permit employees to apply unused health FSA amounts and dependent 
care assistance program amounts to pay for or reimburse medical care or 
dependent care expenses. The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief 
Act of 2020, signed into law on December 27, 2020, provides similar 
flexibility for these arrangements in 2021 and 2022.

Millions of employees have access to health FSAs and dependent care 
assistance programs, sponsored by employers under "cafeteria plans." The
 decision to adjust these employee benefit programs is at the discretion
 of the employer that sponsors the plan.

The amounts properly spent are not subject to federal income tax. 
Typically, account funds that are not spent by the employee within the 
plan year, subject to limited grace periods or certain carryover 
amounts, are forfeited. In accordance with the Taxpayer Certainty and 
Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, Notice 2021-15 gives employers the 
option to amend their plans to provide greater flexibility for employees
 to elect and use these programs during the pandemic without risking the
 forfeiture of the amounts they have set aside.

The IRS has more <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-tax-relief-for-health-plans-and-retirement-plans">COVID-19-related information</a> for plan participants, employers and others who administer plans at IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Employers may allow participants to carry over unused amounts</h2>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today provided greater 
flexibility, due to the pandemic, to employee benefit plans offering 
health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) or dependent care 
assistance programs. Under the COVID-related Taxpayer Certainty and 
Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, these plans now have additional 
discretion in 2021 and 2022 to adjust their programs to help employees 
better meet the unanticipated consequences of the public health 
emergency.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-15.pdf">Notice 2021-15&nbsp;PDF</a>
 responds to unanticipated changes in the availability of certain 
medical care and dependent care. As a result of COVID-19, participating 
employees are more likely to have unused health FSA amounts or dependent
 care assistance program amounts at the end of 2020 and 2021. Generally,
 under these plans, an employer allows its employees to set aside a 
certain amount of pre-tax wages to pay for medical care and dependent 
care expenses. Amounts spent by the employee are then reimbursed from 
their designated health FSAs or dependent care assistance programs.<h2>Notice 2021-15 provides flexibility for employers in the following 
areas related to health FSAs and dependent care assistance programs:</h2><ul>
 <li>Provides flexibility for the carryover of unused amounts from the 2020 and 2021 plan years;</li><li>Provides flexibility to extend the permissible period for incurring claims for plan years ending in 2020 and 2021;</li><li>Provides flexibility to adopt a special rule regarding post-termination reimbursements from health FSAs;</li><li>Provides flexibility for a special claims period and carryover rule
 for dependent care assistance programs when a dependent "ages out" 
during the COVID-19 public health emergency; and</li><li>Allows certain mid-year election changes for health FSAs and dependent care assistance programs for plan years ending in 2021.</li>
 </ul>Prior guidance provided flexibility to employers with cafeteria 
plans through the end of calendar year 2020, during which employers 
could permit employees to apply unused health FSA amounts and dependent 
care assistance program amounts to pay for or reimburse medical care or 
dependent care expenses. The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief 
Act of 2020, signed into law on December 27, 2020, provides similar 
flexibility for these arrangements in 2021 and 2022.Millions of employees have access to health FSAs and dependent care 
assistance programs, sponsored by employers under "cafeteria plans." The
 decision to adjust these employee benefit programs is at the discretion
 of the employer that sponsors the plan.The amounts properly spent are not subject to federal income tax. 
Typically, account funds that are not spent by the employee within the 
plan year, subject to limited grace periods or certain carryover 
amounts, are forfeited. In accordance with the Taxpayer Certainty and 
Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, Notice 2021-15 gives employers the 
option to amend their plans to provide greater flexibility for employees
 to elect and use these programs during the pandemic without risking the
 forfeiture of the amounts they have set aside.The IRS has more <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-tax-relief-for-health-plans-and-retirement-plans">COVID-19-related information</a> for plan participants, employers and others who administer plans at IRS.gov.

IRS: Flexibility for health FSAs, dependent care assistance programs

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest in Salina.

Just after 3p.m. Wednesday, a police officer driving by StuJo's Carwash, 120 North Broadway Boulevard in Salina noticed a suspect and vehicle that matched the description of those involved in a theft from Menards in Salina on Monday, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.

In that case, the suspect entered the store and left with two Schlage Sense Bluetooth door handle locks, valued at $400. The suspect, described as a man wearing a red Nike hoodie, gray sweatpants, a black hat, and black facemask, left Menards in a silver four-door hatchback station wagon type vehicle.

When the officer attempted to make contact with the wanted suspect at StuJo's, the the man disobeyed the officer's orders and left in a 1997 silver Ford Escort station wagon with a temporary tag.

Another officer located the vehicle parked in the alley behind a residence in the 100 block of South 11th Street.&nbsp; Officers made contact with the resident and learned the suspect, identified as Dillon Sonnier, 22, Salina, was hiding inside the house. He was located by officers hiding in a closet.

Officers then learned that on Jan. 24, other officers responded to Walmart, 2900 South Ninth Street, for the report of a theft. In that case, a suspect had taken two barcode stickers from two 10-cent tumbler cups, placed them onto two speakers valued at $288, and purchased those speakers for 20 cents, according to Forrester. The person named as the suspect in that case was Sonnier.

Police arrested Sonnier was arrested on&nbsp; requested charges that include Felony theft, two or more prior convictions, Theft by deception, two or more convictions, interference with law enforcement, Driving while suspended, Failure to stop at stop sign and for an Improper signal\, according to Forrester.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613655792892.jpeg" alt="Sonnier has previous felony convictions for theft, aggravated failure to appear and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Sonnier has previous felony convictions for theft, aggravated failure to appear and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest in Salina.Just after 3p.m. Wednesday, a police officer driving by StuJo's Carwash, 120 North Broadway Boulevard in Salina noticed a suspect and vehicle that matched the description of those involved in a theft from Menards in Salina on Monday, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.In that case, the suspect entered the store and left with two Schlage Sense Bluetooth door handle locks, valued at $400. The suspect, described as a man wearing a red Nike hoodie, gray sweatpants, a black hat, and black facemask, left Menards in a silver four-door hatchback station wagon type vehicle.When the officer attempted to make contact with the wanted suspect at StuJo's, the the man disobeyed the officer's orders and left in a 1997 silver Ford Escort station wagon with a temporary tag.Another officer located the vehicle parked in the alley behind a residence in the 100 block of South 11th Street.&nbsp; Officers made contact with the resident and learned the suspect, identified as Dillon Sonnier, 22, Salina, was hiding inside the house. He was located by officers hiding in a closet.Officers then learned that on Jan. 24, other officers responded to Walmart, 2900 South Ninth Street, for the report of a theft. In that case, a suspect had taken two barcode stickers from two 10-cent tumbler cups, placed them onto two speakers valued at $288, and purchased those speakers for 20 cents, according to Forrester. The person named as the suspect in that case was Sonnier.Police arrested Sonnier was arrested on&nbsp; requested charges that include Felony theft, two or more prior convictions, Theft by deception, two or more convictions, interference with law enforcement, Driving while suspended, Failure to stop at stop sign and for an Improper signal\, according to Forrester.

Police find Kansas theft suspect hiding in a closet

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will put a priority on vaccinating teachers and other school staff against COVID-19 so that K-12 students across the state can resume in-person classes as quickly as possible, Gov. Laura Kelly said Wednesday.

The Democratic governor’s announcement came a week after she told leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature that 60% of the state’s 286 school districts had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-944ea12853ff15976997696fec91b74f">started inoculating teachers.</a>&nbsp;The state’s public schools have about 72,000 staff members, including 34,000 certified teachers.

Kelly said the state will be able to inoculate school staff because it expects the federal government to start next week to ship an additional 25,000 vaccine doses a week. She said the federal government has promised Kansas a total of 115,000 doses a week.

The governor also said the state would make rapid-response COVID-19 testing available to schools as well.

“We want our kids back in the classroom,” Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference. “We all know that virtual school is not ideal.”

In mid-March 2020, shortly after the pandemic reached Kansas, Kelly ordered K-12 school building closed until the end of the spring semester, and she continues to argue that it was necessary to check the spread of COVID-19. But she faced heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers that the action was too drastic and hurt children’s learning.

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, last week introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-1784260eee9b7629078ba41042d0297a">a bill</a>&nbsp;that would require the state’s K-12 schools to offer in-person classes to all students starting March 26. Kelly said she hopes “we can get some of them back sooner than that.”

“Some schools have started to do that,” she said. “Some counties have already started to focus on teachers and staff in the schools in anticipation of being able to bring kids back. We all know this has not been a good situation.”

Kelly’s announcement came a day after the Kansas-National Association, the state’s largest teachers union, invited hundreds of teacher-leaders to a Zoom panel discussion in which health experts discussed the importance of COVID-19 vaccines.

“We are supportive of the governor’s efforts to get vaccine to educators because we know that that is what will help us get back to safe in-person instruction according to the medical experts, said Marcus Baltzell, a union spokesperson.

But Kelly announced the focus on teachers and school staff after a winter cold snap led to rolling power outages, disrupted vaccine shipments, canceled some immunization clinics and shrank the number of people being tested.

Dennis Kriesel, executive director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, said vaccine shipments that were supposed to go out earlier this week were delayed again on Wednesday. He said state health officials hope that most facilities will receive their weekly allotment by Friday.

Multiple communities, including some in the Topeka and Kansas City area, canceled vaccination clinics and testing Tuesday as temperatures dipped below zero and snow fell.

Testing had been falling even before the cold snap, with state health department data showing that the most people were tested in November, almost 186,000, or 6188 per day, and then it dropped to 182,000 in December or 5,873 a day — perhaps because of the holidays — and then it was less than 139,000 in January, or 4468 per day.

The lower number of tests has coincided with a drop in the number of positive tests. Kansas added just 1,267 new confirmed cases from Monday to Wednesday, pushing the state’s pandemic total to 288,717. That brought the state’s rolling seven-day average to 546 new COVID-19 cases a day, the lowest its been since mid-September. The number of COVID-19 deaths also rose by 115 to 4,521.

But the number of hospitalizations and the positivity rate also has been shrinking, leading health officials to believe the situation is actually improving.

In Wichita, the two major hospitals now have available beds in their intensive care units after 15 weeks of full ICUs, the Sedgwick County Health Department said.

There also is room at Kansas City area hospitals, said Elizabeth Holzschuh, an epidemiologist with the Johnson County health department, during a conference call Tuesday.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, director of infection control for the University of Kansas Health System, said the vaccination rollout is helping reduce infections — particularly among nursing home residents — but doesn’t fully explain the drop. He said it is more likely the result of better masking, adding that the recent winter weather also has caused a “nature induced shutdown.”

Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said during a daily webcast that the cold snap forced people indoors.

“You are staying within your bubble because you want to stay warm,” he said. “We will take that.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will put a priority on vaccinating teachers and other school staff against COVID-19 so that K-12 students across the state can resume in-person classes as quickly as possible, Gov. Laura Kelly said Wednesday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F179149120309819%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>The Democratic governor’s announcement came a week after she told leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature that 60% of the state’s 286 school districts had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-944ea12853ff15976997696fec91b74f">started inoculating teachers.</a>&nbsp;The state’s public schools have about 72,000 staff members, including 34,000 certified teachers.Kelly said the state will be able to inoculate school staff because it expects the federal government to start next week to ship an additional 25,000 vaccine doses a week. She said the federal government has promised Kansas a total of 115,000 doses a week.The governor also said the state would make rapid-response COVID-19 testing available to schools as well.“We want our kids back in the classroom,” Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference. “We all know that virtual school is not ideal.”In mid-March 2020, shortly after the pandemic reached Kansas, Kelly ordered K-12 school building closed until the end of the spring semester, and she continues to argue that it was necessary to check the spread of COVID-19. But she faced heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers that the action was too drastic and hurt children’s learning.Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, last week introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-1784260eee9b7629078ba41042d0297a">a bill</a>&nbsp;that would require the state’s K-12 schools to offer in-person classes to all students starting March 26. Kelly said she hopes “we can get some of them back sooner than that.”“Some schools have started to do that,” she said. “Some counties have already started to focus on teachers and staff in the schools in anticipation of being able to bring kids back. We all know this has not been a good situation.”Kelly’s announcement came a day after the Kansas-National Association, the state’s largest teachers union, invited hundreds of teacher-leaders to a Zoom panel discussion in which health experts discussed the importance of COVID-19 vaccines.“We are supportive of the governor’s efforts to get vaccine to educators because we know that that is what will help us get back to safe in-person instruction according to the medical experts, said Marcus Baltzell, a union spokesperson.But Kelly announced the focus on teachers and school staff after a winter cold snap led to rolling power outages, disrupted vaccine shipments, canceled some immunization clinics and shrank the number of people being tested.Dennis Kriesel, executive director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, said vaccine shipments that were supposed to go out earlier this week were delayed again on Wednesday. He said state health officials hope that most facilities will receive their weekly allotment by Friday.Multiple communities, including some in the Topeka and Kansas City area, canceled vaccination clinics and testing Tuesday as temperatures dipped below zero and snow fell.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613584997529.png" alt="Wednesday Feb. 17, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Feb. 17, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Testing had been falling even before the cold snap, with state health department data showing that the most people were tested in November, almost 186,000, or 6188 per day, and then it dropped to 182,000 in December or 5,873 a day — perhaps because of the holidays — and then it was less than 139,000 in January, or 4468 per day.The lower number of tests has coincided with a drop in the number of positive tests. Kansas added just 1,267 new confirmed cases from Monday to Wednesday, pushing the state’s pandemic total to 288,717. That brought the state’s rolling seven-day average to 546 new COVID-19 cases a day, the lowest its been since mid-September. The number of COVID-19 deaths also rose by 115 to 4,521.But the number of hospitalizations and the positivity rate also has been shrinking, leading health officials to believe the situation is actually improving.In Wichita, the two major hospitals now have available beds in their intensive care units after 15 weeks of full ICUs, the Sedgwick County Health Department said.There also is room at Kansas City area hospitals, said Elizabeth Holzschuh, an epidemiologist with the Johnson County health department, during a conference call Tuesday.Dr. Dana Hawkinson, director of infection control for the University of Kansas Health System, said the vaccination rollout is helping reduce infections — particularly among nursing home residents — but doesn’t fully explain the drop. He said it is more likely the result of better masking, adding that the recent winter weather also has caused a “nature induced shutdown.”Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said during a daily webcast that the cold snap forced people indoors.“You are staying within your bubble because you want to stay warm,” he said. “We will take that.”

🎥  More COVID vaccine coming to Kansas for teachers, school staff

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Power outages in&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;dropped below 1 million on Thursday morning for the first time in four days, but many people remained without electricity or safe drinking water after winter storms wreaked havoc on the state's power grid and utilities.

During a news conference Wednesday, Andrew French, Chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission said energy usage in the region was lower than forecast. "That tells me our conservation measures by businesses and residents in Kansas are making a difference," he said. 

"Conservation has been really important to keep the lights on for everyone and for keeping natural gas flowing."&nbsp; He offered thanks for the effort and asked the public to continue conservation measures.

French said the <a href="https://spp.org/">Southwest Power Pool</a> had notified him Wednesday afternoon that the region remained in their emergency operation. However, the organization had dropped their alert level to an EA-1. "This is two notches below where they were calling for coordinated blackouts." Those blackouts occurred midday on Monday and Tuesday morning in portions of Kansas.

"Our hope is that we can get through the next day or so, get into warmer temperatures to relieve the strain on the energy system," he said.

In Little Rock,&nbsp;Arkansas, 15 inches of snow was on the ground Thursday after back-to-back storms, tying a record for snow depth set in 1918, the National Weather Service said.

This week's extreme weather has been blamed for the deaths of more than 30 people, some of whom perished while struggling to keep warm inside their homes. In the Houston area, one family succumbed to carbon monoxide from car exhaust in their garage. A grandmother and three children died when flames escaped the fireplace they were using to keep warm.

In Texas, about 560,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity Thursday morning, down from about 3 million the day before. But Texas’ grid manager, under fire for its response to the winter storm, has warned that the outages could fluctuate during hours of peak energy demand.

Adding to the misery, the snowy weather has jeopardized drinking water systems throughout the state.

Texas officials ordered 7 million people — a quarter of the population of the nation’s second-largest state — to boil tap water before drinking it following days of record low temperatures that damaged infrastructure and froze pipes.

In Austin, some hospitals faced a loss in water pressure and in some cases, heat.

“Because this is a state-wide emergency situation that is also impacting other hospitals within the Austin area, no one hospital currently has the capacity to accept transport of a large number of patients,” St. David's South Austin Medical Center CEO David Huffstutler said in a statement.

Water pressure has fallen across the state because lines have frozen, and many residents are leaving faucets dripping in hopes of preventing pipes from freezing, said Toby Baker, executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to shut off water to their homes, if possible, to prevent more busted pipes and preserve pressure in municipal systems.

Weather-related outages have been particularly stubborn in&nbsp;Oregon, where some customers have been without power for almost a week. A Portland supermarket without power threw perishable food into dumpsters, leading to a clash between scavengers and police.

The damage to the power system was the worst in 40 years, said Maria Pope, CEO of Portland General Electric. At the peak of the storm, more than 350,000 customers in the Portland area were in the dark. More than 100,000 customers remained without power Thursday in Oregon.

“These are the most dangerous conditions we’ve ever seen in the history of PGE,” said Dale Goodman, director of utility operations, who declined to predict when all customers would have power restored.

Utilities from&nbsp;Minnesota&nbsp;to Texas have implemented rolling blackouts to ease the burden on strained power grids. The Southwest Power Pool, a group of utilities covering 14 states, said the blackouts were “a last resort to preserve the reliability of the electric system as a whole.”

The weather also disrupted water systems in several Southern cities, including in New Orleans and Shreveport,&nbsp;Louisiana, where city fire trucks delivered water to several hospitals, and bottled water was being brought in for patients and staff, Shreveport television station KSLA reported.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards sought a presidential emergency declaration Wednesday evening, seeking federal money and supplies in response to extended power outages in his state.

Power was cut to a New Orleans facility that pumps drinking water from the&nbsp;Mississippi&nbsp;River. A spokeswoman for the Sewerage and Water Board said on-site generators were used until electricity was restored.

In the southwest Louisiana city of Lake Charles, Mayor Nic Hunter said Wednesday that water reserves remained low and local hospitals were faced with the possibility they might have to transfer patients to other areas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613601077409.png" alt="Kansas Corporation Commission Chairman Andrew French during Wednesday's news conference with Governor Kelly." />
 <figcaption>Kansas Corporation Commission Chairman Andrew French during Wednesday's news conference with Governor Kelly.</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Power outages in&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;dropped below 1 million on Thursday morning for the first time in four days, but many people remained without electricity or safe drinking water after winter storms wreaked havoc on the state's power grid and utilities.During a news conference Wednesday, Andrew French, Chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission said energy usage in the region was lower than forecast. "That tells me our conservation measures by businesses and residents in Kansas are making a difference," he said. "Conservation has been really important to keep the lights on for everyone and for keeping natural gas flowing."&nbsp; He offered thanks for the effort and asked the public to continue conservation measures.French said the <a href="https://spp.org/">Southwest Power Pool</a> had notified him Wednesday afternoon that the region remained in their emergency operation. However, the organization had dropped their alert level to an EA-1. "This is two notches below where they were calling for coordinated blackouts." Those blackouts occurred midday on Monday and Tuesday morning in portions of Kansas."Our hope is that we can get through the next day or so, get into warmer temperatures to relieve the strain on the energy system," he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Why has the SPP region been so affected by the current cold-weather event? This map shows overlap between the coldest temperatures in the nation and SPP’s 14-state balancing authority area. <a href="https://t.co/floZvwYktZ">pic.twitter.com/floZvwYktZ</a>&mdash; Southwest Power Pool (@SPPorg) <a href="https://twitter.com/SPPorg/status/1362141548008275970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In Little Rock,&nbsp;Arkansas, 15 inches of snow was on the ground Thursday after back-to-back storms, tying a record for snow depth set in 1918, the National Weather Service said.This week's extreme weather has been blamed for the deaths of more than 30 people, some of whom perished while struggling to keep warm inside their homes. In the Houston area, one family succumbed to carbon monoxide from car exhaust in their garage. A grandmother and three children died when flames escaped the fireplace they were using to keep warm.In Texas, about 560,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity Thursday morning, down from about 3 million the day before. But Texas’ grid manager, under fire for its response to the winter storm, has warned that the outages could fluctuate during hours of peak energy demand.Adding to the misery, the snowy weather has jeopardized drinking water systems throughout the state.Texas officials ordered 7 million people — a quarter of the population of the nation’s second-largest state — to boil tap water before drinking it following days of record low temperatures that damaged infrastructure and froze pipes.In Austin, some hospitals faced a loss in water pressure and in some cases, heat.“Because this is a state-wide emergency situation that is also impacting other hospitals within the Austin area, no one hospital currently has the capacity to accept transport of a large number of patients,” St. David's South Austin Medical Center CEO David Huffstutler said in a statement.Water pressure has fallen across the state because lines have frozen, and many residents are leaving faucets dripping in hopes of preventing pipes from freezing, said Toby Baker, executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to shut off water to their homes, if possible, to prevent more busted pipes and preserve pressure in municipal systems.Weather-related outages have been particularly stubborn in&nbsp;Oregon, where some customers have been without power for almost a week. A Portland supermarket without power threw perishable food into dumpsters, leading to a clash between scavengers and police.The damage to the power system was the worst in 40 years, said Maria Pope, CEO of Portland General Electric. At the peak of the storm, more than 350,000 customers in the Portland area were in the dark. More than 100,000 customers remained without power Thursday in Oregon.“These are the most dangerous conditions we’ve ever seen in the history of PGE,” said Dale Goodman, director of utility operations, who declined to predict when all customers would have power restored.Utilities from&nbsp;Minnesota&nbsp;to Texas have implemented rolling blackouts to ease the burden on strained power grids. The Southwest Power Pool, a group of utilities covering 14 states, said the blackouts were “a last resort to preserve the reliability of the electric system as a whole.”The weather also disrupted water systems in several Southern cities, including in New Orleans and Shreveport,&nbsp;Louisiana, where city fire trucks delivered water to several hospitals, and bottled water was being brought in for patients and staff, Shreveport television station KSLA reported.Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards sought a presidential emergency declaration Wednesday evening, seeking federal money and supplies in response to extended power outages in his state.Power was cut to a New Orleans facility that pumps drinking water from the&nbsp;Mississippi&nbsp;River. A spokeswoman for the Sewerage and Water Board said on-site generators were used until electricity was restored.In the southwest Louisiana city of Lake Charles, Mayor Nic Hunter said Wednesday that water reserves remained low and local hospitals were faced with the possibility they might have to transfer patients to other areas.___

Outages drop in Texas; better news on power supply in Kansas

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Manhattan businesses are no longer interested in celebrating Fake Patty's Day. Business owners say they won't plan events or promotions this year for the annual party event held in March in Aggieville before students go on spring break. 

Dennis Cook, executive director of the Aggieville Business Association, said the event's popularity has been declining in recent years and business owners no longer think it is worth the effort. Since it was created in 2007, Fake Patty's Day has drawn thousands of visitors to Manhattan. But it has also been criticized for encouraging excessive drinking and a related increase in crime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613652381078.png" alt="Fake Pattys Day photo courtesy&nbsp;Aggieville Business Association" />
 <figcaption>Fake Pattys Day photo courtesy&nbsp;Aggieville Business Association</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Manhattan businesses are no longer interested in celebrating Fake Patty's Day. Business owners say they won't plan events or promotions this year for the annual party event held in March in Aggieville before students go on spring break. Dennis Cook, executive director of the Aggieville Business Association, said the event's popularity has been declining in recent years and business owners no longer think it is worth the effort. Since it was created in 2007, Fake Patty's Day has drawn thousands of visitors to Manhattan. But it has also been criticized for encouraging excessive drinking and a related increase in crime.

Manhattan businesses trying to end Fake Patty's Day event

Kansas City (AP) — Human remains found last week in rural Clay County were those of a missing 45-year-old woman from Independence, Clay County authorities said Wednesday.

The sheriff's office said the death of Alesha Jane Reade was being investigated as a homicide. Reade was last seen on Feb. 9. Her body was found Feb. 11, the same day she was reported missing.

Officials did not provide further information. The investigation is continuing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613604861628.png" alt="Reade photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Reade photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City (AP) — Human remains found last week in rural Clay County were those of a missing 45-year-old woman from Independence, Clay County authorities said Wednesday.The sheriff's office said the death of Alesha Jane Reade was being investigated as a homicide. Reade was last seen on Feb. 9. Her body was found Feb. 11, the same day she was reported missing.Officials did not provide further information. The investigation is continuing.

Homicide: Remains found near KC identified as missing 45-year-old 

Manhattan — There were no injuries in a fire at Manhattan apartment complex Wednesday evening.

Just after 9p.m., crews were dispatched to The Gramercy apartment complex, 2215 College Avenue, Building M, for smoke in the building, according to Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Almes.

Upon arrival, crews found a three-story apartment building with a dryer on fire on the first floor. The building was evacuated and the fire was quickly extinguished.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Loss is estimated at $5,000 to contents and $10,000 to the structure.&nbsp; One unit on the first floor was vacated for the night.&nbsp; The fire cause is accidental related to an issue with the dryer, according to Almes. This was the third structure fire and 27th call for service for the day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613648455984.png" alt="Fire crews in Manhattan at their 3rd structure fire on Wednesday -photo courtesy Manhattan Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Fire crews in Manhattan at their 3rd structure fire on Wednesday -photo courtesy Manhattan Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>Manhattan — There were no injuries in a fire at Manhattan apartment complex Wednesday evening.Just after 9p.m., crews were dispatched to The Gramercy apartment complex, 2215 College Avenue, Building M, for smoke in the building, according to Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Almes.Upon arrival, crews found a three-story apartment building with a dryer on fire on the first floor. The building was evacuated and the fire was quickly extinguished.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Loss is estimated at $5,000 to contents and $10,000 to the structure.&nbsp; One unit on the first floor was vacated for the night.&nbsp; The fire cause is accidental related to an issue with the dryer, according to Almes. This was the third structure fire and 27th call for service for the day.

Kansas apartment building evacuated, no injuries in fire

KIOWA COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Wednesday in Kiowa County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Buick Enclave driven by Jordan Jae Stauth, 37 Haviland, was traveling on U.S. 54, one half mile east of&nbsp; 37th Avenue. 

The SUV crossed the eastbound lane onto the eastbound shoulder and collided head on with an eastbound 2011 Kenworth semi driven by&nbsp;Moyer, Richard M. Moyer, 74, Haviland.

Stauth was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Hatfield-Prusa Mortuary. EMS transported Moyer to Kiowa County Hospital.&nbsp; The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information due to the fire.

KIOWA COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Wednesday in Kiowa County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Buick Enclave driven by Jordan Jae Stauth, 37 Haviland, was traveling on U.S. 54, one half mile east of&nbsp; 37th Avenue. The SUV crossed the eastbound lane onto the eastbound shoulder and collided head on with an eastbound 2011 Kenworth semi driven by&nbsp;Moyer, Richard M. Moyer, 74, Haviland.Stauth was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Hatfield-Prusa Mortuary. EMS transported Moyer to Kiowa County Hospital.&nbsp; The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information due to the fire.

Kansas woman dies after head-on crash with semi

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations after an arrest.

On Tuesday afternoon, MotorCity Justice, the organization helping law enforcement identify and capture alleged child sexual predators,&nbsp; contacted the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

MotorCity Justice shared information with the Sheriff’s office that led deputies to believe an individual was attempting to solicit unlawful activity with a juvenile.

Deputies and detectives placed an area in the 3700 block of 8th Street in Great Bend under surveillance. Shortly after 5p.m. deputies made contact with 32-year-old Lonny R. Miller of Larned. 

Deputies had reason to believe probable cause existed that Miller was attempting to solicit a 15-year-old for sex. 

The deputies placed Miller under arrest and transported him to the Barton County Jail without incident. He was booked on requested charges of indecent solicitation of a child, attempted exploitation of a child and electronic solicitation. He’s being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond, according to Bellendir.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613598241057.png" alt="Miller photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Miller photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations after an arrest.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Flonestarrjusticeog%2Fvideos%2F418175722606487%2F&show_text=false&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>On Tuesday afternoon, MotorCity Justice, the organization helping law enforcement identify and capture alleged child sexual predators,&nbsp; contacted the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.MotorCity Justice shared information with the Sheriff’s office that led deputies to believe an individual was attempting to solicit unlawful activity with a juvenile.Deputies and detectives placed an area in the 3700 block of 8th Street in Great Bend under surveillance. Shortly after 5p.m. deputies made contact with 32-year-old Lonny R. Miller of Larned. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613598696334.png" alt="Miller meeting the Barton Co. Sheriff's deputies -image courtesy Motor City Justice" />
 <figcaption>Miller meeting the Barton Co. Sheriff's deputies -image courtesy Motor City Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies had reason to believe probable cause existed that Miller was attempting to solicit a 15-year-old for sex. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613598722415.png" alt="Image courtesy Motor City Justice" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Motor City Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>The deputies placed Miller under arrest and transported him to the Barton County Jail without incident. He was booked on requested charges of indecent solicitation of a child, attempted exploitation of a child and electronic solicitation. He’s being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond, according to Bellendir.

🎥 Social media tip: Kan. man wanted to meet teen for sex

HARVEY COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Canam ATV driven by Levi&nbsp;Minkevitch, 30, Peabody, was traveling in the ditch along Dutch Avenue approximately 1/2 mile east of Harvest Hill Road.

The rider lost control of the vehicle when he attempted to jump the ditch into the adjacent field.&nbsp; The ATV rolled into the creek.

EMS transported Minkevitch to Newton Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. .

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613646715400.jpeg" alt="Levi Minkevitch photo courtesy Newton Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Levi Minkevitch photo courtesy Newton Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Harvey County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Canam ATV driven by Levi&nbsp;Minkevitch, 30, Peabody, was traveling in the ditch along Dutch Avenue approximately 1/2 mile east of Harvest Hill Road.The rider lost control of the vehicle when he attempted to jump the ditch into the adjacent field.&nbsp; The ATV rolled into the creek.EMS transported Minkevitch to Newton Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. .

Newton police officer dies after ATV rolls into creek

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man who pleaded guilty to robbing a 65-year-old woman heading to prison for one count of robbery and two counts of aggravated assault.

A Judge sentenced Curlie Guiden, 53 of Wichita, to just over 9-years in prison, according to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.

According to testimony, on the afternoon of August 11, 2019, a woman returned to her home in the 500 block of east Dewey in Wichita to find her back door open and Guiden standing in the doorway holding a pillow case. 

Guiden pushed the victim down and drove off in her car, nearly striking her. Guiden then drove in a big circle and almost hit her a second time. The woman's car was later recovered in a nearby parking lot.

Investigators took photographs and collected latent prints for analysis. The prints were analyzed and found to match Guiden.

Guiden will be placed on 24 months post-release after he completes his prison sentence, according to the district attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613492155387.png" alt="Guiden-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Guiden-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man who pleaded guilty to robbing a 65-year-old woman heading to prison for one count of robbery and two counts of aggravated assault.A Judge sentenced Curlie Guiden, 53 of Wichita, to just over 9-years in prison, according to Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.According to testimony, on the afternoon of August 11, 2019, a woman returned to her home in the 500 block of east Dewey in Wichita to find her back door open and Guiden standing in the doorway holding a pillow case. Guiden pushed the victim down and drove off in her car, nearly striking her. Guiden then drove in a big circle and almost hit her a second time. The woman's car was later recovered in a nearby parking lot.Investigators took photographs and collected latent prints for analysis. The prints were analyzed and found to match Guiden.Guiden will be placed on 24 months post-release after he completes his prison sentence, according to the district attorney.

Kansas man sentenced for violent home invasion robbery

MANHATTAN — A family cat helped homeowners locate a fire in their Manhattan&nbsp; home.

Just before 9a.m. Wednesday, crews were dispatched to 2905 Hickory Court for a report of a fire in a single-story home possibly extinguished by the occupants, according to&nbsp;Deputy Chief Ryan Almes.

Upon arrival, crews found a home with light smoke inside.&nbsp; A fire was found beneath the fireplace in the ceiling cavity between the main floor and basement.&nbsp; 

The fire was contained within about 15 minutes.&nbsp; The occupants reported that their cat was scratching at a closet door and upon opening the door, they discovered the fire above the ceiling of the closet.&nbsp;

Loss is estimated at $25,00 to contents and $15,000 to the structure, according to Almes.&nbsp; The fire cause is accidental due to an issue with the fireplace.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613597600233.png" alt="Wednesday morning house fire due to a fireplace problem-photo Manhattan Fire Dept." />
 <figcaption>Wednesday morning house fire due to a fireplace problem-photo Manhattan Fire Dept.</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN — A family cat helped homeowners locate a fire in their Manhattan&nbsp; home.Just before 9a.m. Wednesday, crews were dispatched to 2905 Hickory Court for a report of a fire in a single-story home possibly extinguished by the occupants, according to&nbsp;Deputy Chief Ryan Almes.Upon arrival, crews found a home with light smoke inside.&nbsp; A fire was found beneath the fireplace in the ceiling cavity between the main floor and basement.&nbsp; The fire was contained within about 15 minutes.&nbsp; The occupants reported that their cat was scratching at a closet door and upon opening the door, they discovered the fire above the ceiling of the closet.&nbsp; Loss is estimated at $25,00 to contents and $15,000 to the structure, according to Almes.&nbsp; The fire cause is accidental due to an issue with the fireplace.

Family cat helped Kansas homeowner discover fire 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified the victim of 2-vehicle crash that occurred just after 8a.m. Tuesday in Shawnee County.

A 2009 Toyota Camry driven by Evelyn A. Webster, 75, Carbondale,&nbsp;1 was westbound on Interstate 470 just east of Gage. The car slid through the median and traveled westbound in the eastbound lanes.&nbsp;

The Toyota struck a 2005 Ford F550 driven by Motsinger, Nicholas Jay Motsinger, 24, Topeka. .

Webster was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to First Call Mortuary.&nbsp;Motsinger was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified the victim of 2-vehicle crash that occurred just after 8a.m. Tuesday in Shawnee County.A 2009 Toyota Camry driven by Evelyn A. Webster, 75, Carbondale,&nbsp;1 was westbound on Interstate 470 just east of Gage. The car slid through the median and traveled westbound in the eastbound lanes.&nbsp;The Toyota struck a 2005 Ford F550 driven by Motsinger, Nicholas Jay Motsinger, 24, Topeka. .Webster was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to First Call Mortuary.&nbsp;Motsinger was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.