By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-11/you-now-have-the-right-to-know-your-hospitals-prices-and-heres-how-experts-hope-that-will-help">Kansas News Service</a>

A skin biopsy at <a href="https://www.lmh.org/patients-visitors/understanding-your-hospital-costs/" target="_blank">Lawrence Memorial Hospital</a>
 goes for anywhere from $95 to $600. It all depends on who receives the 
bill. Removing a skin lesion, anywhere from about $120 to $920.

Now, because hospitals <a href="https://www.cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency" target="_blank">had to release</a> millions of previously secret prices on Jan. 1, the public can see just how common price differences like these are.

Health
 care experts say the massive data dump — huge spreadsheets of 
headache-inducing medical jargon and arcane billing codes — will be 
difficult for people to translate into what they’d actually pay. You’d 
still need to understand copays and other factors.

“The vast majority of patients are not equipped to make use of this,” said Amanda Hunt, deputy director of the <a href="https://www.healthcarevaluehub.org/application/files/3015/6322/4395/RB_27_-_Revealing_the_Truth_About_Healthcare_Price_Transparency.pdf" target="_blank">Healthcare Value Hub</a>. “Consumers need to know what the cost of a service is to them.”

One
 saving grace: Hospitals had to put out more easily understandable, 
albeit much shorter price disclosures, to help the public look up 
hundreds of medical services. Some hospitals launched slick <a href="https://mychart.kansashealthsystem.com/MyChart/GuestEstimates/AcceptDisclaimer?svcArea=7kjTk8rQug28NWjTHRZ%2F%2FA%3D%3D&amp;isMultiSA=false" target="_blank">interactive tools</a>.
 You put in your insurance information to find out the price under your 
health plan, and how much might come out of your pocket.

But the 
even bigger news, some say, flows from the potential that employers — 
armed with help from analysts who specialize in making sense of millions
 of data points — could mine the unprecedented trove of prices to press 
for better deals.

The <a href="https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2020-12-18-cms-says-it-will-audit-some-hospitals-january-compliance-price" target="_blank">American Hospital Association</a>
 says the results could be “anticompetitive” once insurers and employers
 can see the rates that others get. Prices might even go up.

Health
 care researchers agree prices could rise in some situations. But 
overall they see potential for the transparency to help rein in 
eye-popping inflation.

“The information should be out there,” said
 Maanasa Kona, a professor at the Georgetown University Center on Health
 Insurance Reforms. “This transparency is an experiment worth 
undertaking.”

From 2003 to 2016, charges to employers <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-25/employers-compared-notes-on-secret-prices-at-kansas-hospitals-to-boost-their-leverage-on-costs" target="_blank">rose nearly 75%</a>
 for knee replacements and 135% for appendectomies, compared to broader 
economic inflation of about 30%, the Kaiser Family Foundation says. 
Higher prices, even when ostensibly footed largely by employers, 
ultimately hurt the little guy in the form of smaller paychecks or worse
 benefits.

Which prices became public on Jan. 1, and where can you find them?

Not
 all Kansas hospitals have complied with the Trump administration’s new 
price transparency rule. Some said they are working out the final kinks,
 all while dealing with a global pandemic that has hospitals 
understaffed and reeling.

Others didn’t respond to questions from the Kansas News Service about it.

A
 big caveat: All prices are estimates. Your situation can change. You 
could go in for a routine childbirth and end up having a C-section. The 
estimates also may not include a whole boatload of related fees.

If your hospital has posted the data, it can still be hard to find what you’re looking for.

“I
 looked around at a couple of hospital websites,” said Niall Brennan, 
CEO of the Health Care Cost Institute and former chief data officer for 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “I'm pretty data savvy 
and I was, like, ‘Jesus, this is hard.’”

“We’re a long way from achieving that goal,” Brennan said.

I
 ran price checks to see what giving birth costs at two different 
hospitals, because that’s a typical service that people have time to 
shop for in advance. Both websites got me quick answers that showed what
 I and my employer might expect to pay. (Specific to my insurance.)

<a href="https://www.lmh.org/patients-visitors/understanding-your-hospital-costs/" target="_blank">LMH Health</a> showed these options and prices:

<a href="https://mychart.kansashealthsystem.com/MyChart/GuestEstimates/AcceptDisclaimer?svcArea=7kjTk8rQug28NWjTHRZ%2F%2FA%3D%3D&amp;isMultiSA=false" target="_blank">The University of Kansas Health System</a> offered these:

The descriptions and billing codes didn’t match. And
 KU’s estimate displays physician fees, while the LMH site says its 
estimates are “for hospital charges only and (do) not include any 
physician or other professional fees.” A patient would clearly have to 
call the hospitals for more information.

“It’s important to know 
clearly what is included and excluded in the price,” said Bill Kampine, 
cofounder of Healthcare Bluebook. But the explanations aren’t always 
clear. “Many of the sites that I’ve reviewed so far are a little 
inconsistent.”

How might employers end up using this data?

Kampine’s
 company, as implied by its Bluebook name, has spent more than a decade 
piecing together prices from medical claims and other sources to help 
employers peer into the black box and get more for their money.

The
 biggest boon from this month’s data dump could come when companies like
 his, as well as policymakers, academics and nonprofit groups start 
mining the massive spreadsheets.

The data could eventually feed into price tools like those created by <a href="https://www.healthcarebluebook.com/explore-free-tool/" target="_blank">Healthcare Bluebook</a> or <a href="https://www.guroo.com/#!" target="_blank">The Health Care Cost Institute</a>. Researchers could uncover markets with unusually high prices, as <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-25/employers-compared-notes-on-secret-prices-at-kansas-hospitals-to-boost-their-leverage-on-costs" target="_blank">RAND</a> did in Indiana. Major employers and health plans could pressure the priciest hospitals to accept less for a hip replacement, <a href="https://www.healthcarevaluehub.org/application/files/3015/6322/4395/RB_27_-_Revealing_the_Truth_About_Healthcare_Price_Transparency.pdf" target="_blank">as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System did</a>. Employers could see when insurers aren’t getting them a good deal.

“Depending on which insurance policy you have,” Brennan said, “we are seeing five-, eight-, tenfold differences in prices.”

Medicare
 and Medicaid prices tend to be the bottom of the range. Prices charged 
to commercial insurers can be “sky high” he said, and vary a lot.

Insight will take time — assuming the prices remain public.

The
 American Hospital Association battled the Trump administration’s new 
rule in court, arguing that publishing prices wouldn’t help patients 
anyway. Billing is complex and so is health care. A surgery involves not
 just a surgeon, but many related expenses.

The group lost its court case, but it has called on the incoming Biden administration <a href="https://www.aha.org/lettercomment/2020-12-11-aha-outlines-initial-policy-priorities-biden-administration" target="_blank">to ditch</a> the requirement.

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/2021/1/1610389572281.png" alt=" Carlos Moreno / KCUR" />
 <figcaption> Carlos Moreno / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-11/you-now-have-the-right-to-know-your-hospitals-prices-and-heres-how-experts-hope-that-will-help">Kansas News Service</a>A skin biopsy at <a href="https://www.lmh.org/patients-visitors/understanding-your-hospital-costs/" target="_blank">Lawrence Memorial Hospital</a>
 goes for anywhere from $95 to $600. It all depends on who receives the 
bill. Removing a skin lesion, anywhere from about $120 to $920.Now, because hospitals <a href="https://www.cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency" target="_blank">had to release</a> millions of previously secret prices on Jan. 1, the public can see just how common price differences like these are.Health
 care experts say the massive data dump — huge spreadsheets of 
headache-inducing medical jargon and arcane billing codes — will be 
difficult for people to translate into what they’d actually pay. You’d 
still need to understand copays and other factors.“The vast majority of patients are not equipped to make use of this,” said Amanda Hunt, deputy director of the <a href="https://www.healthcarevaluehub.org/application/files/3015/6322/4395/RB_27_-_Revealing_the_Truth_About_Healthcare_Price_Transparency.pdf" target="_blank">Healthcare Value Hub</a>. “Consumers need to know what the cost of a service is to them.”One
 saving grace: Hospitals had to put out more easily understandable, 
albeit much shorter price disclosures, to help the public look up 
hundreds of medical services. Some hospitals launched slick <a href="https://mychart.kansashealthsystem.com/MyChart/GuestEstimates/AcceptDisclaimer?svcArea=7kjTk8rQug28NWjTHRZ%2F%2FA%3D%3D&amp;isMultiSA=false" target="_blank">interactive tools</a>.
 You put in your insurance information to find out the price under your 
health plan, and how much might come out of your pocket.But the 
even bigger news, some say, flows from the potential that employers — 
armed with help from analysts who specialize in making sense of millions
 of data points — could mine the unprecedented trove of prices to press 
for better deals.The <a href="https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2020-12-18-cms-says-it-will-audit-some-hospitals-january-compliance-price" target="_blank">American Hospital Association</a>
 says the results could be “anticompetitive” once insurers and employers
 can see the rates that others get. Prices might even go up.Health
 care researchers agree prices could rise in some situations. But 
overall they see potential for the transparency to help rein in 
eye-popping inflation.“The information should be out there,” said
 Maanasa Kona, a professor at the Georgetown University Center on Health
 Insurance Reforms. “This transparency is an experiment worth 
undertaking.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601308401778.png" alt="This story is part of the series, Bills of Health. Do you have a medical bill from Kansas that you want to share with a reporter? Email celia@kcur.org." />
 <figcaption>This story is part of the series, Bills of Health. Do you have a medical bill from Kansas that you want to share with a reporter? Email celia@kcur.org.</figcaption>
 </figure>From 2003 to 2016, charges to employers <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-25/employers-compared-notes-on-secret-prices-at-kansas-hospitals-to-boost-their-leverage-on-costs" target="_blank">rose nearly 75%</a>
 for knee replacements and 135% for appendectomies, compared to broader 
economic inflation of about 30%, the Kaiser Family Foundation says. 
Higher prices, even when ostensibly footed largely by employers, 
ultimately hurt the little guy in the form of smaller paychecks or worse
 benefits.Which prices became public on Jan. 1, and where can you find them?Not
 all Kansas hospitals have complied with the Trump administration’s new 
price transparency rule. Some said they are working out the final kinks,
 all while dealing with a global pandemic that has hospitals 
understaffed and reeling.Others didn’t respond to questions from the Kansas News Service about it.But hospitals should release:<ul>
 <li>Spreadsheets that reveal 
prices for each service under each health plan in their network. That’s 
where you’ll see that a single hospital can negotiate a wide variety of 
prices with insurers for the same exact brain scan or hernia patch. You 
should also see cash discount prices. Knowing those could help if you 
don’t have insurance or want to sidestep your insurance to get that 
discount.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>A more user-friendly price list or tool that helps patients see what the hospital would charge for at least 300 procedures.</li>
 </ul>A
 big caveat: All prices are estimates. Your situation can change. You 
could go in for a routine childbirth and end up having a C-section. The 
estimates also may not include a whole boatload of related fees.If your hospital has posted the data, it can still be hard to find what you’re looking for.“I
 looked around at a couple of hospital websites,” said Niall Brennan, 
CEO of the Health Care Cost Institute and former chief data officer for 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “I'm pretty data savvy 
and I was, like, ‘Jesus, this is hard.’”Can you comparison shop?Not easily.“We’re a long way from achieving that goal,” Brennan said.I
 ran price checks to see what giving birth costs at two different 
hospitals, because that’s a typical service that people have time to 
shop for in advance. Both websites got me quick answers that showed what
 I and my employer might expect to pay. (Specific to my insurance.)<a href="https://www.lmh.org/patients-visitors/understanding-your-hospital-costs/" target="_blank">LMH Health</a> showed these options and prices:<ul>
 <li>“Vaginal delivery W O.R. proc except steril and/OR D&amp;C” ($5,866, of which I might pay an estimated $1,036)</li><li>“Vaginal delivery W sterilization/With complications” ($6,636.21, of which I might pay $1,114)</li><li>“Vaginal delivery W/O sterilization/without complications” ($5,471, of which I might pay an estimated $997)</li>
 </ul><a href="https://mychart.kansashealthsystem.com/MyChart/GuestEstimates/AcceptDisclaimer?svcArea=7kjTk8rQug28NWjTHRZ%2F%2FA%3D%3D&amp;isMultiSA=false" target="_blank">The University of Kansas Health System</a> offered these:<ul>
 <li>“Inpatient
 obstetric care for vaginal delivery, including pre and post-delivery 
care” ($26,173, of which I might pay an estimated $1,696)</li><li>“Inpatient
 obstetric care for vaginal delivery after prior cesarean delivery 
including pre and post-delivery care” ($30,874, of which I might pay 
$1,843)</li>
 </ul>The descriptions and billing codes didn’t match. And
 KU’s estimate displays physician fees, while the LMH site says its 
estimates are “for hospital charges only and (do) not include any 
physician or other professional fees.” A patient would clearly have to 
call the hospitals for more information.“It’s important to know 
clearly what is included and excluded in the price,” said Bill Kampine, 
cofounder of Healthcare Bluebook. But the explanations aren’t always 
clear. “Many of the sites that I’ve reviewed so far are a little 
inconsistent.”He thinks this will get better.How might employers end up using this data?Kampine’s
 company, as implied by its Bluebook name, has spent more than a decade 
piecing together prices from medical claims and other sources to help 
employers peer into the black box and get more for their money.The
 biggest boon from this month’s data dump could come when companies like
 his, as well as policymakers, academics and nonprofit groups start 
mining the massive spreadsheets.The data could eventually feed into price tools like those created by <a href="https://www.healthcarebluebook.com/explore-free-tool/" target="_blank">Healthcare Bluebook</a> or <a href="https://www.guroo.com/#!" target="_blank">The Health Care Cost Institute</a>. Researchers could uncover markets with unusually high prices, as <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-25/employers-compared-notes-on-secret-prices-at-kansas-hospitals-to-boost-their-leverage-on-costs" target="_blank">RAND</a> did in Indiana. Major employers and health plans could pressure the priciest hospitals to accept less for a hip replacement, <a href="https://www.healthcarevaluehub.org/application/files/3015/6322/4395/RB_27_-_Revealing_the_Truth_About_Healthcare_Price_Transparency.pdf" target="_blank">as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System did</a>. Employers could see when insurers aren’t getting them a good deal.“Depending on which insurance policy you have,” Brennan said, “we are seeing five-, eight-, tenfold differences in prices.”Medicare
 and Medicaid prices tend to be the bottom of the range. Prices charged 
to commercial insurers can be “sky high” he said, and vary a lot.Insight will take time — assuming the prices remain public.The
 American Hospital Association battled the Trump administration’s new 
rule in court, arguing that publishing prices wouldn’t help patients 
anyway. Billing is complex and so is health care. A surgery involves not
 just a surgeon, but many related expenses.The group lost its court case, but it has called on the incoming Biden administration <a href="https://www.aha.org/lettercomment/2020-12-11-aha-outlines-initial-policy-priorities-biden-administration" target="_blank">to ditch</a> the requirement.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.

You have the right to know hospital prices; here's how experts hope it helps

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/14/kansas-nursing-homes-working-to-address-staffing-and-safety-problems-agency-official-says/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Kansas senator 
says federal pandemic aid has not been enough to alleviate ongoing 
issues with staffing and funding at Kansas nursing homes and long-term 
care facilities across the state.

Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas 
City Democrat serving on the Senate Public Health Committee, said 
Thursday that issues like low wages and high exposure to COVID-19 have 
made it difficult for these facilities to weather the pandemic.

“It’s almost a no-win 
situation,” Pettey said. “The CARES money has tried to provide them with
 funding to address some issues, but it’s still going to have the issue 
like low-income workers that may have more exposure because they are 
coming in and out.”

The Kansas Department of 
Health and Environment has recorded 590 outbreaks of COVID-19 at 
long-term care facilities, accounting for more than 12,000 cases and 
1,408 deaths.

Scott Brunner, deputy 
secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, 
outlined to members of a Senate health panel on Thursday the guidelines 
for visiting with nursing home residents.

According to updated 
guidance issued on Sept. 17 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services, or CMS, indoor visitation is permitted if there has been no 
new onset of COVID-19 cases in the previous 14 days. An&nbsp;Oct. 19 guidance
 issued by KDADS added that visitation should be allowed if community 
spread of the virus is low and social distancing practices are in place.

“We have tried to be as 
permissive as possible but then also letting the facilities decide what 
they are comfortable doing,” Brunner said. “We also recognized that’s 
going to take staff time, so we’re also sensitive to this being a demand
 on somebody’s time to facilitate.”

Sen. Richard Hildebrand, a
 Galena Republican and chairman of the Senate panel, raised another 
concern he had heard regarding regulatory agencies entering these 
facilities to conduct infection control surveys.

“They had no idea what 
their testing was, when the last time they were tested, and that was a 
big concern for some of them because you have someone outside coming 
into the facility,” Hildebrand said.

Brunner said testing of 
surveyors is a challenge DADS is actively working to address. He said 
one change the agency made to address the concern was requiring those 
conducting the surveys to wear personal protective equipment, including 
gowns, gloves and N95 masks.

While CMS has not provided guidance to require testing of surveyors, Brunner said KDADS is working to ensure routine testing.

“I’m hoping by early next 
week we’ll be testing surveyors before they enter,” Brunner said. “These
 surveyors are all nurses so they can conduct these tests on themselves.
 They need to be observed conducting the test and we’re trying to figure
 out how to do that, but we should be testing surveyors on a regular 
basis before they begin.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610662538668.png" alt="Sen. Pat Petty and other members of the Senate Public Health Committee spoke Thursday with a representative of KDADS to address concerns with COVID-19 and nursing homes. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Pat Petty and other members of the Senate Public Health Committee spoke Thursday with a representative of KDADS to address concerns with COVID-19 and nursing homes. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/14/kansas-nursing-homes-working-to-address-staffing-and-safety-problems-agency-official-says/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Kansas senator 
says federal pandemic aid has not been enough to alleviate ongoing 
issues with staffing and funding at Kansas nursing homes and long-term 
care facilities across the state.Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas 
City Democrat serving on the Senate Public Health Committee, said 
Thursday that issues like low wages and high exposure to COVID-19 have 
made it difficult for these facilities to weather the pandemic.“It’s almost a no-win 
situation,” Pettey said. “The CARES money has tried to provide them with
 funding to address some issues, but it’s still going to have the issue 
like low-income workers that may have more exposure because they are 
coming in and out.”The Kansas Department of 
Health and Environment has recorded 590 outbreaks of COVID-19 at 
long-term care facilities, accounting for more than 12,000 cases and 
1,408 deaths.Scott Brunner, deputy 
secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, 
outlined to members of a Senate health panel on Thursday the guidelines 
for visiting with nursing home residents.According to updated 
guidance issued on Sept. 17 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services, or CMS, indoor visitation is permitted if there has been no 
new onset of COVID-19 cases in the previous 14 days. An&nbsp;Oct. 19 guidance
 issued by KDADS added that visitation should be allowed if community 
spread of the virus is low and social distancing practices are in place.“We have tried to be as 
permissive as possible but then also letting the facilities decide what 
they are comfortable doing,” Brunner said. “We also recognized that’s 
going to take staff time, so we’re also sensitive to this being a demand
 on somebody’s time to facilitate.”Sen. Richard Hildebrand, a
 Galena Republican and chairman of the Senate panel, raised another 
concern he had heard regarding regulatory agencies entering these 
facilities to conduct infection control surveys.“They had no idea what 
their testing was, when the last time they were tested, and that was a 
big concern for some of them because you have someone outside coming 
into the facility,” Hildebrand said.Brunner said testing of 
surveyors is a challenge DADS is actively working to address. He said 
one change the agency made to address the concern was requiring those 
conducting the surveys to wear personal protective equipment, including 
gowns, gloves and N95 masks.While CMS has not provided guidance to require testing of surveyors, Brunner said KDADS is working to ensure routine testing.“I’m hoping by early next 
week we’ll be testing surveyors before they enter,” Brunner said. “These
 surveyors are all nurses so they can conduct these tests on themselves.
 They need to be observed conducting the test and we’re trying to figure
 out how to do that, but we should be testing surveyors on a regular 
basis before they begin.”

Official: Kan. nursing homes working to address staffing, safety

TOPEKA (AP) —Responding to warnings of potentially violent demonstrations, governors across the nation are calling out National Guard troops, declaring states of emergency and closing their capitols to the public ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Though details remain murky, demonstrations are expected at state capitols beginning Sunday and leading up to Biden's succession of President Donald Trump on Wednesday. State officials hope to avoid the type of violence that occurred Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, leaving a Capitol Police officer and four others dead.

The FBI has warned of the potential for violence at all state capitols and has said it is tracking an “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inauguration-capitol-siege-michael-pence-d3cc3004a5a1be9bd0a9cb8193d7d974">extensive amount of concerning online chatter,</a>&nbsp;” including calls for armed protests.

Governors across the country are sending thousands of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., where the National Mall has been closed to the general public as part of an intense security effort. More than a dozen governors also have called out the Guard to protect their own state capitols and aid local law enforcement officers.

"We are prepared for the worst, but we remain hopeful that those who choose to demonstrate at our Capitol do so peacefully, without violence or destruction of property,” Michigan State Police Col. Joe Gasper said Friday, as Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Guard's role.

Crews installed a six-foot fence around the Michigan Capitol ahead of expected protests, and ground-level windows were boarded up at a nearby building that houses the governor’s office. Gasper said an increased state police presence would remain at the statehouse at least through mid-February.

Some windows also were boarded at capitols in Wisconsin and Illinois, both of which activated the National Guard to help with security. Though the Wisconsin Capitol already was closed to the public because of the coronavirus, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' administration told those who had been coming into the Capitol to instead work remotely for the rest of the month.

Law enforcement officials were reducing parking around the capitol building in Madison this weekend and urging people to avoid the area as they braced for potential unrest. There was only one known organized event for the day, an anti-fascist demonstration where free food, drinks and clothes were to be distributed.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is mobilizing up to 1,000 National Guard members over concerns of civil unrest. State officials on Thursday erected a chain link fence around the Capitol, bolstering other temporary and permanent barriers. The California Highway Patrol is refusing to issue permits for rallies at the Capitol.

“We’re treating this very seriously and deploying significant resources to protect public safety, critical infrastructure and First Amendment Rights,” Newsom said in a video message. “But let me be clear: There will be no tolerance for violence."

Other governors were encouraging people to stay away from capitol buildings during the coming days. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, closed the Capitol until after Biden's inauguration and activated hundreds of National Guard members.

Citing the possibility of armed protests, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday began a one-week restriction on public access to the Capitol. Only those who have business with the Legislature or governor's office will be allowed inside, and they will have to provide an email showing they have a meeting or are testifying to a legislative committee.

Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf closed their Capitol buildings for a couple days next week, coinciding with the presidential inauguration. The Pennsylvania Capitol complex already had been closed to the general public because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the new order advises state employees who work in person to take off Tuesday and Wednesday; Monday is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

“While we are not aware of any specific threats at this time, we want to act with an abundance of caution to keep employees safe,” Wolf’s administration said on its website.

Uncertainty heading into the weekend was a common theme among state officials and law enforcement officers. Many were enhancing security based on past demonstrations or general warnings but without specific expectations about how many protesters, if any, would show up outside state capitol buildings in the coming days.

The National Guard is supplementing security at Washington's capitol, where people broke a gate and entered the grounds of the governor's mansion last week. But Washington State Patrol spokesman Chris Loftis said Friday that there are “no known explicit threats" detailing the time, place and action of future demonstrations.

“We cannot be dismissive of the possible dangers but we should not be alarmists either,” Loftis said in an email to media. The state patrol “has been directed to meet this discomforting uncertainty with caution, preparedness, resolve, and calm — certainly, a wise course of action for all.”

Legislatures in several states, including Michigan, also were canceling or limiting their work next week.

Oregon’s Legislature will convene Tuesday. But the House and Senate have canceled floor sessions and committee hearings, and there will be no in-person meetings. Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat from Salem, said the decision was made after consulting with police. Last month, a violent crowd entered the Oregon Capitol, fought with police and damaged the building.

The Republican-led South Carolina House and Senate won't convene in full session next Tuesday or Wednesday, and committees will meet virtually. The Capitol building will be closed from Saturday through Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution,” state and local authorities said in a joint statement.

Republican leaders of the Missouri House also canceled session for next week. Though several House members had expressed security concerns following the unrest in the nation’s capitol, a written statement from GOP leadership cited a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Capitol building as a reason for the cancellation.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, both declared states of emergency on Thursday ahead of potential demonstrations at their capitols. Fencing was installed in a wide radius around the New Mexico Capitol.

Cox’s order allows authorities to close the Utah Capitol grounds through next Thursday, the day after Biden’s inauguration.

“We respect the right of Utah residents to peaceably assemble as guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution,” Cox said in a statement. “But we draw the line at threats to physical safety or to the Utah Capitol building. No violence of any kind will be tolerated.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610659131053.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas Capitol Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas Capitol Police</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA (AP) —Responding to warnings of potentially violent demonstrations, governors across the nation are calling out National Guard troops, declaring states of emergency and closing their capitols to the public ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.Though details remain murky, demonstrations are expected at state capitols beginning Sunday and leading up to Biden's succession of President Donald Trump on Wednesday. State officials hope to avoid the type of violence that occurred Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, leaving a Capitol Police officer and four others dead.The FBI has warned of the potential for violence at all state capitols and has said it is tracking an “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inauguration-capitol-siege-michael-pence-d3cc3004a5a1be9bd0a9cb8193d7d974">extensive amount of concerning online chatter,</a>&nbsp;” including calls for armed protests.Governors across the country are sending thousands of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., where the National Mall has been closed to the general public as part of an intense security effort. More than a dozen governors also have called out the Guard to protect their own state capitols and aid local law enforcement officers."We are prepared for the worst, but we remain hopeful that those who choose to demonstrate at our Capitol do so peacefully, without violence or destruction of property,” Michigan State Police Col. Joe Gasper said Friday, as Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Guard's role.Crews installed a six-foot fence around the Michigan Capitol ahead of expected protests, and ground-level windows were boarded up at a nearby building that houses the governor’s office. Gasper said an increased state police presence would remain at the statehouse at least through mid-February.Some windows also were boarded at capitols in Wisconsin and Illinois, both of which activated the National Guard to help with security. Though the Wisconsin Capitol already was closed to the public because of the coronavirus, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' administration told those who had been coming into the Capitol to instead work remotely for the rest of the month.Law enforcement officials were reducing parking around the capitol building in Madison this weekend and urging people to avoid the area as they braced for potential unrest. There was only one known organized event for the day, an anti-fascist demonstration where free food, drinks and clothes were to be distributed.California Gov. Gavin Newsom is mobilizing up to 1,000 National Guard members over concerns of civil unrest. State officials on Thursday erected a chain link fence around the Capitol, bolstering other temporary and permanent barriers. The California Highway Patrol is refusing to issue permits for rallies at the Capitol.“We’re treating this very seriously and deploying significant resources to protect public safety, critical infrastructure and First Amendment Rights,” Newsom said in a video message. “But let me be clear: There will be no tolerance for violence."Other governors were encouraging people to stay away from capitol buildings during the coming days. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, closed the Capitol until after Biden's inauguration and activated hundreds of National Guard members.Citing the possibility of armed protests, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday began a one-week restriction on public access to the Capitol. Only those who have business with the Legislature or governor's office will be allowed inside, and they will have to provide an email showing they have a meeting or are testifying to a legislative committee.Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf closed their Capitol buildings for a couple days next week, coinciding with the presidential inauguration. The Pennsylvania Capitol complex already had been closed to the general public because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the new order advises state employees who work in person to take off Tuesday and Wednesday; Monday is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.“While we are not aware of any specific threats at this time, we want to act with an abundance of caution to keep employees safe,” Wolf’s administration said on its website.Uncertainty heading into the weekend was a common theme among state officials and law enforcement officers. Many were enhancing security based on past demonstrations or general warnings but without specific expectations about how many protesters, if any, would show up outside state capitol buildings in the coming days.The National Guard is supplementing security at Washington's capitol, where people broke a gate and entered the grounds of the governor's mansion last week. But Washington State Patrol spokesman Chris Loftis said Friday that there are “no known explicit threats" detailing the time, place and action of future demonstrations.“We cannot be dismissive of the possible dangers but we should not be alarmists either,” Loftis said in an email to media. The state patrol “has been directed to meet this discomforting uncertainty with caution, preparedness, resolve, and calm — certainly, a wise course of action for all.”Legislatures in several states, including Michigan, also were canceling or limiting their work next week.Oregon’s Legislature will convene Tuesday. But the House and Senate have canceled floor sessions and committee hearings, and there will be no in-person meetings. Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat from Salem, said the decision was made after consulting with police. Last month, a violent crowd entered the Oregon Capitol, fought with police and damaged the building.The Republican-led South Carolina House and Senate won't convene in full session next Tuesday or Wednesday, and committees will meet virtually. The Capitol building will be closed from Saturday through Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution,” state and local authorities said in a joint statement.Republican leaders of the Missouri House also canceled session for next week. Though several House members had expressed security concerns following the unrest in the nation’s capitol, a written statement from GOP leadership cited a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Capitol building as a reason for the cancellation.New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, both declared states of emergency on Thursday ahead of potential demonstrations at their capitols. Fencing was installed in a wide radius around the New Mexico Capitol.Cox’s order allows authorities to close the Utah Capitol grounds through next Thursday, the day after Biden’s inauguration.“We respect the right of Utah residents to peaceably assemble as guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution,” Cox said in a statement. “But we draw the line at threats to physical safety or to the Utah Capitol building. No violence of any kind will be tolerated.”

States declare emergencies, close capitols ahead of rallies

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Rex Buchanan, retired from the Kansas Geological Survey noted that several things all came together to allow for the gas explosions in the city of Hutchinson on January 17 and 18, 2001.

"I looked at some of those old maps of Hutch in that process," Buchanan said. "Maps of where those old drill holes were that people knew about. That didn't count the ones they didn't know about. It was...everybody will use that Swiss cheese analogy and that was really true, there were holes all over the place that allowed that gas to do what it did."

According to a paper published in 2003, the Geological Survey said on the morning of January 17, 2001, a gas explosion occurred in downtown Hutchinson, Kansas. Later that day, gas geysers began erupting 2 miles to the east along the eastern edge of Hutchinson. The following day, a gas explosion at a trailer park near the geysers in eastern Hutchinson led to the death of two people.

"Initially there was an awful lot of confusion about exactly what the cause of that was," Buchanan said. "It really took, sort of an improbable series of events and circumstances for that to come together and occur, but over time it was pretty clear what those circumstances were."

The outgassing in the city began two days after a major gas leak in a natural gas storage well, S-1, at the Yaggy gas-storage facility seven miles northwest of Hutchinson.

"When those were reopened, one of the well bores was damaged in some drilling and when that gas was under pressure, it went out through that damaged spot, found a rock unit it could move through, went out through the city of Hutch and, unfortunately, found some old well bores, mostly from salt mining or other activity days and moved up those and created the situation that you saw 20 years ago."

In response to the explosions, 57 vent wells and five observation wells were drilled in the city of Hutchinson and westward towards the Yaggy storage facility.

Three HutchCC Fire Science instructors were on the department during the explosions. Former McPherson Fire Chief Jeff Deal was Fire Training Captain on the Hutchinson Fire Department in January of 2001.

"We were sitting in the training office at 18 East B Street, Chief Patterson and I, and we heard the explosion," Deal said. "Pictures on the wall rattled. He and I looked at each other and we said, something's going on. We both got up and jumped in our vehicles and just headed out even before the tones went off. You could see a column of smoke just northwest of us."

Mike McCandless was the driver on one of the first responding engines to the explosion.

"By the time we got around the corner to Decor, there was brick scattered throughout the street and people were running from the building, getting in their cars and leaving," McCandless said. "There was a big column of smoke and fire at the back of the building. We pulled up, set our ladder up and started throwing water on it."

It took awhile before firefighters knew that the gas was not coming from a gas line.

"We got a hold of the utilities company and said shut all the gas off," Deal said. "You could tell by the back of the building that this was a pressure fed fire. We said, we've broken a gas line, shut all the gas down. I remember them shutting all the gas down and one of my superiors yelled at me and said, go get with those guys. They're telling me the gas is shut off. How come this thing isn't getting any smaller? I went and personally met with a couple of the utility guys in the alley behind the Decor building and said, what is going on? They said, we've shut everything off in like a two block area and I said, shut it off wider then, because it ain't working. After they went out another level, we realized. This isn't local gas. We don't have any control over whatever this is."

Because of the lack of other fire activity in the city at the time, at least initially, Hutchinson firefighters didn't ask for a lot of outside help.

"I was on a reserve apparatus," said Jason Holland, who had actually worked the night before, but came back in to help. "We have reserve engines. I stayed at the fire station. We shut off all medical responses and then we protected the rest of the city with four firefighters and one fire truck while everyone else was down at the explosion."

As the fire stretched into its second day, the department called on help from outside.

"I don't know who made the call, but we actually brought in HCC Fire Science students who came and manned some of our stationary monitors, our stationary hand lines that don't move, spraying water," Deal said. "We just had them come sit on the hand lines so that we could get some of our guys out of the cold and get them to rehab."

Part of the reason the second explosion happened at the trailer home of John and Mary Hahn in the Big Chief Mobile Home Park, is because the gas that was coming up out of the ground was not odorized.

"Those people couldn't smell it at all," McCandless said. "They didn't know it was there until the trailer blew up."

It is presumed that an attempt to cook is what ignited the gas.

"They skirt these trailers," Deal said. "They put this skirting around the trailers in order to insulate them and that's what trapped the gas. If it had been an unskirted trailer, it may have just dissipated."

The Hahns both died from their injuries. Getting rid of the gas so similar incidents couldn't happen changed the landscape of the city for months.

"If you flew over Hutchinson, you would see us look like the top of a birthday cake," Holland said. "We had flares, six, eight, ten flares."

Those flares were important because you can't smell the gas, and you could only sometimes see where it was seeping.

"The way you fix this problem is you burn it off," Deal said. "Consume it. Any place that they found gas that was seeping up, like they said, they would drill a hole, they would actually concentrate that gas and then they would put a flare on it. If you go by the refinery in McPherson, you will see flares at the top of stacks, they're doing the same thing."

An archived article from April of that year from the Oil and Gas Journal noted nine flares still active at the writing of that piece.

"It was scary," Holland said. "It really was a scary situation, because you never knew. You have to look back in history in Hutchinson. When they did the salt mining, they would go and put in brine wells. You would go and you would have all these abandoned pipes stuck in the ground, three, four hundred, five hundred feet deep. It's just an open hole for that gas to find, like a chimney and, boom, whatever is sitting on top of it, if it's an ignition source, look out."

According to a report from the Kansas Gas Service, after the gas flow from the vent wells subsided, the KGS coordinated two NASA flights over Hutchinson and Reno County to make sure no gas leaks had gone undetected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610803169745.jpeg" alt="January 2001 Photo from Hutchinson Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>January 2001 Photo from Hutchinson Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Rex Buchanan, retired from the Kansas Geological Survey noted that several things all came together to allow for the gas explosions in the city of Hutchinson on January 17 and 18, 2001."I looked at some of those old maps of Hutch in that process," Buchanan said. "Maps of where those old drill holes were that people knew about. That didn't count the ones they didn't know about. It was...everybody will use that Swiss cheese analogy and that was really true, there were holes all over the place that allowed that gas to do what it did."According to a paper published in 2003, the Geological Survey said on the morning of January 17, 2001, a gas explosion occurred in downtown Hutchinson, Kansas. Later that day, gas geysers began erupting 2 miles to the east along the eastern edge of Hutchinson. The following day, a gas explosion at a trailer park near the geysers in eastern Hutchinson led to the death of two people."Initially there was an awful lot of confusion about exactly what the cause of that was," Buchanan said. "It really took, sort of an improbable series of events and circumstances for that to come together and occur, but over time it was pretty clear what those circumstances were."The outgassing in the city began two days after a major gas leak in a natural gas storage well, S-1, at the Yaggy gas-storage facility seven miles northwest of Hutchinson."When those were reopened, one of the well bores was damaged in some drilling and when that gas was under pressure, it went out through that damaged spot, found a rock unit it could move through, went out through the city of Hutch and, unfortunately, found some old well bores, mostly from salt mining or other activity days and moved up those and created the situation that you saw 20 years ago."In response to the explosions, 57 vent wells and five observation wells were drilled in the city of Hutchinson and westward towards the Yaggy storage facility.Three HutchCC Fire Science instructors were on the department during the explosions. Former McPherson Fire Chief Jeff Deal was Fire Training Captain on the Hutchinson Fire Department in January of 2001.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610803143730.jpeg" alt="Photo from Kansas Geological Survey Powerpoint Presentation" />
 <figcaption>Photo from Kansas Geological Survey Powerpoint Presentation</figcaption>
 </figure>"We were sitting in the training office at 18 East B Street, Chief Patterson and I, and we heard the explosion," Deal said. "Pictures on the wall rattled. He and I looked at each other and we said, something's going on. We both got up and jumped in our vehicles and just headed out even before the tones went off. You could see a column of smoke just northwest of us."Mike McCandless was the driver on one of the first responding engines to the explosion."By the time we got around the corner to Decor, there was brick scattered throughout the street and people were running from the building, getting in their cars and leaving," McCandless said. "There was a big column of smoke and fire at the back of the building. We pulled up, set our ladder up and started throwing water on it."It took awhile before firefighters knew that the gas was not coming from a gas line."We got a hold of the utilities company and said shut all the gas off," Deal said. "You could tell by the back of the building that this was a pressure fed fire. We said, we've broken a gas line, shut all the gas down. I remember them shutting all the gas down and one of my superiors yelled at me and said, go get with those guys. They're telling me the gas is shut off. How come this thing isn't getting any smaller? I went and personally met with a couple of the utility guys in the alley behind the Decor building and said, what is going on? They said, we've shut everything off in like a two block area and I said, shut it off wider then, because it ain't working. After they went out another level, we realized. This isn't local gas. We don't have any control over whatever this is."Because of the lack of other fire activity in the city at the time, at least initially, Hutchinson firefighters didn't ask for a lot of outside help."I was on a reserve apparatus," said Jason Holland, who had actually worked the night before, but came back in to help. "We have reserve engines. I stayed at the fire station. We shut off all medical responses and then we protected the rest of the city with four firefighters and one fire truck while everyone else was down at the explosion."As the fire stretched into its second day, the department called on help from outside."I don't know who made the call, but we actually brought in HCC Fire Science students who came and manned some of our stationary monitors, our stationary hand lines that don't move, spraying water," Deal said. "We just had them come sit on the hand lines so that we could get some of our guys out of the cold and get them to rehab."Part of the reason the second explosion happened at the trailer home of John and Mary Hahn in the Big Chief Mobile Home Park, is because the gas that was coming up out of the ground was not odorized."Those people couldn't smell it at all," McCandless said. "They didn't know it was there until the trailer blew up."It is presumed that an attempt to cook is what ignited the gas."They skirt these trailers," Deal said. "They put this skirting around the trailers in order to insulate them and that's what trapped the gas. If it had been an unskirted trailer, it may have just dissipated."The Hahns both died from their injuries. Getting rid of the gas so similar incidents couldn't happen changed the landscape of the city for months.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610803186041.jpeg" alt="Vent Well photo Kansas Geological Survey" />
 <figcaption>Vent Well photo Kansas Geological Survey</figcaption>
 </figure>"If you flew over Hutchinson, you would see us look like the top of a birthday cake," Holland said. "We had flares, six, eight, ten flares."Those flares were important because you can't smell the gas, and you could only sometimes see where it was seeping."The way you fix this problem is you burn it off," Deal said. "Consume it. Any place that they found gas that was seeping up, like they said, they would drill a hole, they would actually concentrate that gas and then they would put a flare on it. If you go by the refinery in McPherson, you will see flares at the top of stacks, they're doing the same thing."An archived article from April of that year from the Oil and Gas Journal noted nine flares still active at the writing of that piece."It was scary," Holland said. "It really was a scary situation, because you never knew. You have to look back in history in Hutchinson. When they did the salt mining, they would go and put in brine wells. You would go and you would have all these abandoned pipes stuck in the ground, three, four hundred, five hundred feet deep. It's just an open hole for that gas to find, like a chimney and, boom, whatever is sitting on top of it, if it's an ignition source, look out."According to a report from the Kansas Gas Service, after the gas flow from the vent wells subsided, the KGS coordinated two NASA flights over Hutchinson and Reno County to make sure no gas leaks had gone undetected.

20-years since gas explosions, reflections on a scary time in Hutchinson

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges following a traffic stop in northeast Kansas.

Just before 5p.m. January 14, a sheriff's deputy observed the driver of a red Chevy truck commit a traffic violation near NW Lyman Road and NW Eugene Street in Shawnee County, according to deputy Abigail Christian.

 The truck then fled at a high rate of speed south on Eugene Street. The deputy was able to catch up to the truck and observed it pull into a driveway of a residence in the 600 block of NW Shorey Place.

The deputy observed suspicious movements by both the driver and a passenger. The driver later identified as James A. Beatty, 31, of Topeka, quickly exited the vehicle despite commands from the deputy to stay in the truck. The deputy then instructed Beatty to get on the ground and he initially failed to comply. 

After several commands Beatty went to the ground and was restrained. The deputy was able to secure the scene until other officers arrived. 

Deputies found narcotics and drug paraphernalia on Beatty and a loaded gun in the vehicle near the driver’s seat.

The passenger, Lloyd A. Ratzloff, 48, of Topeka, was taken into custody and found to be in possession of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia, according to Christian.

Beatty and Ratzloff were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include an&nbsp;Aggravated Weapons Violation by a Felon Criminal Use of a Weapon, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Obstruction of the Legal Process and Other traffic and registration violations

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610821622018.png" alt="Ratzloff -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ratzloff -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges following a traffic stop in northeast Kansas.Just before 5p.m. January 14, a sheriff's deputy observed the driver of a red Chevy truck commit a traffic violation near NW Lyman Road and NW Eugene Street in Shawnee County, according to deputy Abigail Christian. The truck then fled at a high rate of speed south on Eugene Street. The deputy was able to catch up to the truck and observed it pull into a driveway of a residence in the 600 block of NW Shorey Place.The deputy observed suspicious movements by both the driver and a passenger. The driver later identified as James A. Beatty, 31, of Topeka, quickly exited the vehicle despite commands from the deputy to stay in the truck. The deputy then instructed Beatty to get on the ground and he initially failed to comply. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610821583061.png" alt="Beatty photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Beatty photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>After several commands Beatty went to the ground and was restrained. The deputy was able to secure the scene until other officers arrived. Deputies found narcotics and drug paraphernalia on Beatty and a loaded gun in the vehicle near the driver’s seat.The passenger, Lloyd A. Ratzloff, 48, of Topeka, was taken into custody and found to be in possession of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia, according to Christian.Beatty and Ratzloff were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include an&nbsp;Aggravated Weapons Violation by a Felon Criminal Use of a Weapon, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Obstruction of the Legal Process and Other traffic and registration violations

Sheriff finds loaded gun, drugs during Kan. traffic stop

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence police officer who has been accused of fracturing a skateboarder’s elbow during an arrest has resigned. 

Brad Williams’ resignation took effect Jan. 6. Police spokesperson Patrick Compton did not indicate a reason for the resignation. 

Williams arrested 45-year-old Duc Tran, of Lawrence, after encountering him skateboarding in the street in June 2019. The case against Tran’ later was thrown out, and his attorney alleges excessive force. 

A notice of claim sent to the city in September alleges that Tran suffered a fractured elbow, dislocated right shoulder, a chipped tooth, bruising and lacerations, emotional distress and more. It sought monetary damages of $3 million.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence police officer who has been accused of fracturing a skateboarder’s elbow during an arrest has resigned. Brad Williams’ resignation took effect Jan. 6. Police spokesperson Patrick Compton did not indicate a reason for the resignation. Williams arrested 45-year-old Duc Tran, of Lawrence, after encountering him skateboarding in the street in June 2019. The case against Tran’ later was thrown out, and his attorney alleges excessive force. A notice of claim sent to the city in September alleges that Tran suffered a fractured elbow, dislocated right shoulder, a chipped tooth, bruising and lacerations, emotional distress and more. It sought monetary damages of $3 million.

Kan. officer accused of injuring skateboarder resigns

WASHINGTON (AP) — By the busload and planeload, National Guard troops were pouring into the nation’s capital, as governors answered the urgent pleas of U.S. defense officials for more troops to help safeguard Washington even as they keep anxious eyes on possible violent protests in their own states.

Military leaders spent chunks of Thursday evening and Friday calling states in an unprecedented appeal for more National Guard troops to help lock down much of the city in the days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. In dribs and drabs, governors responded, some agreeing to send an extra dozen, 100 or even 1,000, while others said no.

Both Kansas and Missouri are sending National Guard troops to Washington, according to the Kansas Department of Emergency Management and Missouri Governor Mike Parson.

The calls reflect fears that violent extremist groups are targeting the city in the wake of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The threats range from armed insurgents to possible attempts to plant explosive devices at so-called soft targets. But as Washington begins to resemble an armed camp, with more than 25,000 Guard due in the city by early next week, concerns about violence at state capitals has grown.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said she turned down the federal request to send at least 100 more National Guard troops to D.C. “I didn’t think that we could safely fill that commitment,” Brown said. Oregon has already agreed to send 30 to Washington, but state leaders are worried about violence at the state capitol in Salem.

Others agreed, setting off a dizzying torrent of military flights and convoys into the region.

“The peaceful transfer of power is a central tenet of American democracy, and Connecticut stands ready to aid in the protection of our country.” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who had initially approved sending 100 Guard and on Friday agreed to send 200 more.

All told, more than 130 U.S. Air Guard flights in the past 72 hours have carried at least 7,000 Guard troops to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal numbers. Thousands more are in buses and military trucks, thundering up highways toward Washington.

Army Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, called adjutants general around the country, and others, such as Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, called governors to seek help. McCarthy praised the states, saying defense and military officials are keenly aware of the threats they also are facing.

“The governors and the TAGs have been great. They helped us a lot,” McCarthy told The Associated Press. “That’s the thing — that in the midst of a really horrible situation you’re seeing the greatness of this country, everybody coming together and help each other get through this.”

What began in early January as a routine deployment of about 350 members of the D.C. National Guard to help with expected protests exploded over the past two weeks into a vastly greater operation to protect the inauguration and the U.S. Capitol, and to shut down access to the city and many of its historical monuments.

As protesters stampeded their way into the Capitol on Jan. 6, only a bit more than 100 National Guard were scattered around the city, guarding checkpoints and Metro entrances. Hours later, five people were dead, the Capitol was in shambles and all 1,100 of D.C.’s Guard had been activated.

By the next day, as information came in about more violence being planned, requests went out for 6,200 Guard members from the surrounding states.

By Thursday night, as law enforcement and defense officials poured over maps and staged security drills, they concluded they would need at least 25,000 to adequately lock down the Capitol grounds and a wide swath of D.C., including the National Mall. And they agreed that the bulk of those Guard will be armed.

At that point, the new round of calls to the state governors and military leaders began.

Many governors were willing to help, but they made it clear that their own state capitals were their priority. Some agreed to send more, while others couldn’t. And the numbers varied widely.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf doubled his initial commitment of 1,000 to 2,000. Other states were able to scrape up an additional dozen.

After reviewing the threats to its own state, Minnesota decided it could significantly increase its contribution and will send 850 Guard rather than the 130 initially tapped to go, according to the state’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had already agreed to send 700. On Friday, he announced he’d be sending 300 more — even as he ordered nearly 600 to secure the Ohio statehouse in Columbus. Similarly, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper initially agreed to send 200 Guard, and on Friday spokesman Ford Porter said the state will send 100 more. Iowa first said it was sending 250 and now the number is 265.

The vast military response comes as Congress and law enforcement authorities are trying to figure out how the U.S. Capitol was overrun so dramatically on Jan. 6. Leaders of four committees in the Democratic-controlled House sent a letter Saturday requesting briefings and documents from the FBI and other federal agencies as part of their review of the insurrection.

The appeals for more of America’s citizen soldiers also underscore the Pentagon’s limits on the use of active-duty troops. Under the law, they can’t be used for law enforcement, and officials are intent on avoiding the appearance of armed active-duty forces being used against U.S. citizens on American soil.

Active-duty forces are routinely prepared to respond to emergencies in Washington, such as flight violations in restricted airspace over D.C., and a quick reaction force is always on standby. Other active-duty units will take part in various inaugural ceremonies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610835825899.png" alt="Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy meeting with National Guard Troops in Washington- Photo courtesy Secretary of the U.S. Army" />
 <figcaption>Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy meeting with National Guard Troops in Washington- Photo courtesy Secretary of the U.S. Army</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — By the busload and planeload, National Guard troops were pouring into the nation’s capital, as governors answered the urgent pleas of U.S. defense officials for more troops to help safeguard Washington even as they keep anxious eyes on possible violent protests in their own states.Military leaders spent chunks of Thursday evening and Friday calling states in an unprecedented appeal for more National Guard troops to help lock down much of the city in the days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. In dribs and drabs, governors responded, some agreeing to send an extra dozen, 100 or even 1,000, while others said no.Both Kansas and Missouri are sending National Guard troops to Washington, according to the Kansas Department of Emergency Management and Missouri Governor Mike Parson.The calls reflect fears that violent extremist groups are targeting the city in the wake of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The threats range from armed insurgents to possible attempts to plant explosive devices at so-called soft targets. But as Washington begins to resemble an armed camp, with more than 25,000 Guard due in the city by early next week, concerns about violence at state capitals has grown.Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said she turned down the federal request to send at least 100 more National Guard troops to D.C. “I didn’t think that we could safely fill that commitment,” Brown said. Oregon has already agreed to send 30 to Washington, but state leaders are worried about violence at the state capitol in Salem.Others agreed, setting off a dizzying torrent of military flights and convoys into the region.“The peaceful transfer of power is a central tenet of American democracy, and Connecticut stands ready to aid in the protection of our country.” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who had initially approved sending 100 Guard and on Friday agreed to send 200 more.All told, more than 130 U.S. Air Guard flights in the past 72 hours have carried at least 7,000 Guard troops to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal numbers. Thousands more are in buses and military trucks, thundering up highways toward Washington.Army Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, called adjutants general around the country, and others, such as Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, called governors to seek help. McCarthy praised the states, saying defense and military officials are keenly aware of the threats they also are facing.“The governors and the TAGs have been great. They helped us a lot,” McCarthy told The Associated Press. “That’s the thing — that in the midst of a really horrible situation you’re seeing the greatness of this country, everybody coming together and help each other get through this.”What began in early January as a routine deployment of about 350 members of the D.C. National Guard to help with expected protests exploded over the past two weeks into a vastly greater operation to protect the inauguration and the U.S. Capitol, and to shut down access to the city and many of its historical monuments.As protesters stampeded their way into the Capitol on Jan. 6, only a bit more than 100 National Guard were scattered around the city, guarding checkpoints and Metro entrances. Hours later, five people were dead, the Capitol was in shambles and all 1,100 of D.C.’s Guard had been activated.By the next day, as information came in about more violence being planned, requests went out for 6,200 Guard members from the surrounding states.By Thursday night, as law enforcement and defense officials poured over maps and staged security drills, they concluded they would need at least 25,000 to adequately lock down the Capitol grounds and a wide swath of D.C., including the National Mall. And they agreed that the bulk of those Guard will be armed.At that point, the new round of calls to the state governors and military leaders began.Many governors were willing to help, but they made it clear that their own state capitals were their priority. Some agreed to send more, while others couldn’t. And the numbers varied widely.Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf doubled his initial commitment of 1,000 to 2,000. Other states were able to scrape up an additional dozen.After reviewing the threats to its own state, Minnesota decided it could significantly increase its contribution and will send 850 Guard rather than the 130 initially tapped to go, according to the state’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke.Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had already agreed to send 700. On Friday, he announced he’d be sending 300 more — even as he ordered nearly 600 to secure the Ohio statehouse in Columbus. Similarly, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper initially agreed to send 200 Guard, and on Friday spokesman Ford Porter said the state will send 100 more. Iowa first said it was sending 250 and now the number is 265.The vast military response comes as Congress and law enforcement authorities are trying to figure out how the U.S. Capitol was overrun so dramatically on Jan. 6. Leaders of four committees in the Democratic-controlled House sent a letter Saturday requesting briefings and documents from the FBI and other federal agencies as part of their review of the insurrection.The appeals for more of America’s citizen soldiers also underscore the Pentagon’s limits on the use of active-duty troops. Under the law, they can’t be used for law enforcement, and officials are intent on avoiding the appearance of armed active-duty forces being used against U.S. citizens on American soil.Active-duty forces are routinely prepared to respond to emergencies in Washington, such as flight violations in restricted airspace over D.C., and a quick reaction force is always on standby. Other active-duty units will take part in various inaugural ceremonies.——

Guard troops pour into Washington as states answer the call

WICHITA – A Kansas woman who pleaded guilty to stealing from an 88-year-old man was sentenced Thursday for one count of felony theft in Sedgwick County District Court. 

According to investigators, Laurie Nowlin, 60, Wichita, committed the crime after befriending the victim and becoming one of his primary caretakers.

Nowlin, who had no prior felonies on her record, was placed on 24 months probation, the presumption under Kansas law. As a condition of her plea, she was ordered to pay $60,900 in restitution to the victim’s family. 

Judge Eric Williams told Nowlin she would serve 13 months in prison if she violated her probation.

The charge alleges that Nowlin received multiple checks and cash withdrawals from the victim during a time that the victim likely lacked capacity due to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Those checks were then deposited into Nowlin’s bank account where she transferred the money via Facebook and used the funds to take multiple trips. 

During the same timeframe, the victim also designated Nowlin as power of attorney and beneficiary on nearly all of his assets, removing his adult children from those designations.

Family members who spoke at the sentencing said Nowlin’s actions took a toll on their family and damaged their relationship with the victim. 

Nowlin stated during the sentencing hearing that she should not have accepted the pay from the victim but she loved him and he wanted her to have it. The victim has since passed away.

Nowlin’s probation may be extended to ensure that she pays restitution. Judge Williams also ordered Nowlin to not serve as a fiduciary for anyone else during the course of her probation.

WICHITA – A Kansas woman who pleaded guilty to stealing from an 88-year-old man was sentenced Thursday for one count of felony theft in Sedgwick County District Court. According to investigators, Laurie Nowlin, 60, Wichita, committed the crime after befriending the victim and becoming one of his primary caretakers.Nowlin, who had no prior felonies on her record, was placed on 24 months probation, the presumption under Kansas law. As a condition of her plea, she was ordered to pay $60,900 in restitution to the victim’s family. Judge Eric Williams told Nowlin she would serve 13 months in prison if she violated her probation.The charge alleges that Nowlin received multiple checks and cash withdrawals from the victim during a time that the victim likely lacked capacity due to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Those checks were then deposited into Nowlin’s bank account where she transferred the money via Facebook and used the funds to take multiple trips. During the same timeframe, the victim also designated Nowlin as power of attorney and beneficiary on nearly all of his assets, removing his adult children from those designations.Family members who spoke at the sentencing said Nowlin’s actions took a toll on their family and damaged their relationship with the victim. Nowlin stated during the sentencing hearing that she should not have accepted the pay from the victim but she loved him and he wanted her to have it. The victim has since passed away.Nowlin’s probation may be extended to ensure that she pays restitution. Judge Williams also ordered Nowlin to not serve as a fiduciary for anyone else during the course of her probation.

Caretaker admits stealing from Kan. Alzheimer’s patient

By JULIE APPLEBY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-14/private-practice-doctors-patients-wonder-when-its-their-turn-for-the-covid-19-vaccine">Kaiser Health News</a>

Dr. Andrew Carroll — a family doctor in Chandler, Arizona — wants to 
help his patients get immunized against covid, so he paid more than 
$4,000 to buy an ultra-low-temperature freezer from eBay needed to store
 the Pfizer vaccine.

But he’s not sure he’ll get a chance to use 
it, given health officials have so far not said when private doctor’s 
offices will get vaccine.

Not
 only are doctors having trouble getting vaccine for patients, but many 
of the community-based physicians and medical staff that aren’t employed
 by hospitals or health systems also report mixed results in getting 
inoculated. Some have had their shots, yet others are still waiting, 
even though health workers providing direct care to patients are in the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top-priority group.

Many
 of these doctors say they don’t know when — or if — they will get doses
 for their patients, which will soon become a bigger issue as states 
attempt to vaccinate more people.

“The reason that’s important is 
patients trust their doctors when it comes to the vaccine,” said 
Carroll, who has complained on social media that his county hasn’t yet 
released plans on how primary care doctors will be brought into the 
loop.

Collectively, physicians in the county could vaccinate 
thousands of patients a day, he said, and might draw some who would 
otherwise be hesitant if they had to go to a large hospital, a 
fairground or another central site.

His concern comes as, 
nationally, the rollout of the vaccine is off to a slower start than 
expected, lagging far behind the initial goal of giving 20 million doses
 before the new year.

But Dr. Jen Brull, a family practice doctor 
in Plainville, Kansas, said her rural area has made good progress on the
 first phase of vaccinations, crediting close working relationships 
formed well before the pandemic.

This fall, before any doses 
became available, the local hospital, the health department and 
physician offices coordinated a sign-up list for medical workers who 
wanted the vaccine. So, when their county, with a population of 5,000, 
got its first 70 doses, they were ready to go. Another 80 doses came a 
week later.

“We’ll be able to vaccinate almost all the health care-associated folks who wanted it in the county” Brull said recently

Dr.
 Jason Goldman, an internist in Coral Springs, Florida, said he was able
 to get vaccinated at a local hospital that received the bulk of 
vaccines in his county and oversaw distribution.

In the weeks since, however, he said several of his front-line staff members still “don’t have access to the vaccine.”

Additionally,
 “a tremendous number” of patients are calling his office because 
Florida has relaxed distribution guidelines to include anyone over age 
65, Goldman said, asking when they can get the vaccine. He’s applied to 
officials about distributing the vaccines through his practice but has 
heard nothing back.

Patients “are frustrated that they do not have
 clear answers and that I am not being given clear answers to provide 
them,” he said. “We have no choice but to direct them to the health 
department and some of the hospital systems.”

Another troubling 
point for Goldman, who served as a liaison between the American College 
of Physicians and the expert panel drawing up the CDC distribution 
guidelines, is the tremendous variation in how those recommendations are
 being implemented in the states.

The CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations-process.html" target="_blank">recommends</a>
 several phases, with front-line health care workers and nursing home 
residents and staff in the initial group. Then, in the second part of 
that phase, come people over 75 and non-health care front-line workers, 
which could include first responders, teachers and other designated 
essential workers.

States have the flexibility to design their own
 rollout schedule and priority groups. Florida, for example, is offering
 doses to anyone 65 and up. In some counties, older folks were told 
vaccines were available on a first-come, first-served basis, a move that
 has resulted in long lines.

“To say right now, 65-plus, when you 
haven’t even appropriately vaccinated all the health care workers, is 
negating the phasing,” said Goldman. “There needs to be a national 
standard. We have those guidelines. We need to come up with some 
oversight.”

On Thursday, the American Hospital Association echoed 
that concern in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex 
Azar. Hospitals — along with health departments and large pharmacy 
chains — are doing the bulk of the vaccinations.

Calling for additional coordination by federal officials, the <a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2021/01/aha-hhs-leadership-actions-needed-expedite-administration-covid-19-vaccines-lettetr-1-7-20.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>
 outlined what it would take to reach the goal of vaccinating 75% of 
Americans by the end of May: 1.8 million vaccinations every day. Noting 
there are 64 different rollout plans from states, cities and other 
jurisdictions, the letter asked whether HHS has “assessed whether these 
plans, taken as a whole, are capable of achieving this level of 
vaccination?”

Lack of direct national 
support or strategy means each county is essentially on its own, with 
success or failure affected by available resources and the experience of
 local officials. Most state and local health departments are 
underfunded and are under intense pressure because of the surging 
pandemic.

Still, the success of vaccination efforts depends on planning, preparation and clear communication.

In
 Lorain County, Ohio, population 310,000, local officials started 
practicing in October, said Mark Adams, deputy health commissioner. They
 set up mass vaccination clinics for influenza to study what would be 
needed for a covid vaccination effort. How many staff? What would the 
traffic flow be like? Could patients be kept 6 feet apart?

“That 
gave us an idea of what is good, what is bad and what needs to change,” 
said Adams, who has had previous experience coordinating mass 
vaccination efforts at a county level.

So, when the county got its
 first shipment of 500 doses Dec. 21, Adams had his plan ready. He 
called the fire chiefs to invite all emergency medical technicians and 
affiliated personnel to an ad hoc vaccination center set up at a large 
entertainment venue staffed by his health department. Upon arrival, 
people were greeted at the door and directed to spaced-apart “lanes” 
where they would get their shots, then to a monitoring area where they 
could wait for 15 minutes to make sure they didn’t have a reaction.

Right
 after Christmas, another 400 doses arrived — and the makeshift clinic 
opened again. This time, doses went to community-based physicians, 
dentists and other hands-on medical practitioners, 600 of whom had 
previously signed up. (Hospital workers and nursing home staff and 
residents are getting their vaccinations through their own 
institutions.)

As they move into the next phase — recipients 
include residents over 80, people with developmental disorders and 
school staff — the challenges will grow, he said. The county plans a 
multipronged approach to notify people when it’s their turn, including 
use of a website, the local media, churches, other organizations and 
word-of-mouth.

Adams shares the concerns of medical providers 
nationwide: He gets only two days’ notice of how many doses he’s going 
to receive and, at the current pace of 400 or 500 doses a week, it’s 
going to take a while before most residents in the county have a chance 
to get a shot, including the estimated 33,000 people 65 and older.

With
 10 nurses, his clinic can inject about 1,200 people a day. But many 
other health professionals have volunteered to administer the shots if 
he gets more doses.

“If I were to run three clinics, five days a 
week, I could do 15,000 vaccinations a week,” Adams said. “With all the 
volunteers, I could do almost six clinics, or 30,000 a week.”

Still,
 for those in the last public group, those age 18 and up without 
underlying medical conditions, “it could be summer,” Adams said.

<a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the <a href="http://www.kff.org/" target="_blank">Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation</a> which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

By JULIE APPLEBY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-14/private-practice-doctors-patients-wonder-when-its-their-turn-for-the-covid-19-vaccine">Kaiser Health News</a>Dr. Andrew Carroll — a family doctor in Chandler, Arizona — wants to 
help his patients get immunized against covid, so he paid more than 
$4,000 to buy an ultra-low-temperature freezer from eBay needed to store
 the Pfizer vaccine.But he’s not sure he’ll get a chance to use 
it, given health officials have so far not said when private doctor’s 
offices will get vaccine.“I’m really angry,” said Carroll.Not
 only are doctors having trouble getting vaccine for patients, but many 
of the community-based physicians and medical staff that aren’t employed
 by hospitals or health systems also report mixed results in getting 
inoculated. Some have had their shots, yet others are still waiting, 
even though health workers providing direct care to patients are in the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s top-priority group.Many
 of these doctors say they don’t know when — or if — they will get doses
 for their patients, which will soon become a bigger issue as states 
attempt to vaccinate more people.“The reason that’s important is 
patients trust their doctors when it comes to the vaccine,” said 
Carroll, who has complained on social media that his county hasn’t yet 
released plans on how primary care doctors will be brought into the 
loop.Collectively, physicians in the county could vaccinate 
thousands of patients a day, he said, and might draw some who would 
otherwise be hesitant if they had to go to a large hospital, a 
fairground or another central site.His concern comes as, 
nationally, the rollout of the vaccine is off to a slower start than 
expected, lagging far behind the initial goal of giving 20 million doses
 before the new year.But Dr. Jen Brull, a family practice doctor 
in Plainville, Kansas, said her rural area has made good progress on the
 first phase of vaccinations, crediting close working relationships 
formed well before the pandemic.This fall, before any doses 
became available, the local hospital, the health department and 
physician offices coordinated a sign-up list for medical workers who 
wanted the vaccine. So, when their county, with a population of 5,000, 
got its first 70 doses, they were ready to go. Another 80 doses came a 
week later.“We’ll be able to vaccinate almost all the health care-associated folks who wanted it in the county” Brull said recently<h2>Gaps in the Rollout</h2>But that’s not the case everywhere.Dr.
 Jason Goldman, an internist in Coral Springs, Florida, said he was able
 to get vaccinated at a local hospital that received the bulk of 
vaccines in his county and oversaw distribution.In the weeks since, however, he said several of his front-line staff members still “don’t have access to the vaccine.”Additionally,
 “a tremendous number” of patients are calling his office because 
Florida has relaxed distribution guidelines to include anyone over age 
65, Goldman said, asking when they can get the vaccine. He’s applied to 
officials about distributing the vaccines through his practice but has 
heard nothing back.Patients “are frustrated that they do not have
 clear answers and that I am not being given clear answers to provide 
them,” he said. “We have no choice but to direct them to the health 
department and some of the hospital systems.”Another troubling 
point for Goldman, who served as a liaison between the American College 
of Physicians and the expert panel drawing up the CDC distribution 
guidelines, is the tremendous variation in how those recommendations are
 being implemented in the states.The CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations-process.html" target="_blank">recommends</a>
 several phases, with front-line health care workers and nursing home 
residents and staff in the initial group. Then, in the second part of 
that phase, come people over 75 and non-health care front-line workers, 
which could include first responders, teachers and other designated 
essential workers.States have the flexibility to design their own
 rollout schedule and priority groups. Florida, for example, is offering
 doses to anyone 65 and up. In some counties, older folks were told 
vaccines were available on a first-come, first-served basis, a move that
 has resulted in long lines.“To say right now, 65-plus, when you 
haven’t even appropriately vaccinated all the health care workers, is 
negating the phasing,” said Goldman. “There needs to be a national 
standard. We have those guidelines. We need to come up with some 
oversight.”On Thursday, the American Hospital Association echoed 
that concern in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex 
Azar. Hospitals — along with health departments and large pharmacy 
chains — are doing the bulk of the vaccinations.Calling for additional coordination by federal officials, the <a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2021/01/aha-hhs-leadership-actions-needed-expedite-administration-covid-19-vaccines-lettetr-1-7-20.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>
 outlined what it would take to reach the goal of vaccinating 75% of 
Americans by the end of May: 1.8 million vaccinations every day. Noting 
there are 64 different rollout plans from states, cities and other 
jurisdictions, the letter asked whether HHS has “assessed whether these 
plans, taken as a whole, are capable of achieving this level of 
vaccination?”<h2>Making It Work</h2>Lack of direct national 
support or strategy means each county is essentially on its own, with 
success or failure affected by available resources and the experience of
 local officials. Most state and local health departments are 
underfunded and are under intense pressure because of the surging 
pandemic.Still, the success of vaccination efforts depends on planning, preparation and clear communication.In
 Lorain County, Ohio, population 310,000, local officials started 
practicing in October, said Mark Adams, deputy health commissioner. They
 set up mass vaccination clinics for influenza to study what would be 
needed for a covid vaccination effort. How many staff? What would the 
traffic flow be like? Could patients be kept 6 feet apart?“That 
gave us an idea of what is good, what is bad and what needs to change,” 
said Adams, who has had previous experience coordinating mass 
vaccination efforts at a county level.So, when the county got its
 first shipment of 500 doses Dec. 21, Adams had his plan ready. He 
called the fire chiefs to invite all emergency medical technicians and 
affiliated personnel to an ad hoc vaccination center set up at a large 
entertainment venue staffed by his health department. Upon arrival, 
people were greeted at the door and directed to spaced-apart “lanes” 
where they would get their shots, then to a monitoring area where they 
could wait for 15 minutes to make sure they didn’t have a reaction.Right
 after Christmas, another 400 doses arrived — and the makeshift clinic 
opened again. This time, doses went to community-based physicians, 
dentists and other hands-on medical practitioners, 600 of whom had 
previously signed up. (Hospital workers and nursing home staff and 
residents are getting their vaccinations through their own 
institutions.)As they move into the next phase — recipients 
include residents over 80, people with developmental disorders and 
school staff — the challenges will grow, he said. The county plans a 
multipronged approach to notify people when it’s their turn, including 
use of a website, the local media, churches, other organizations and 
word-of-mouth.Adams shares the concerns of medical providers 
nationwide: He gets only two days’ notice of how many doses he’s going 
to receive and, at the current pace of 400 or 500 doses a week, it’s 
going to take a while before most residents in the county have a chance 
to get a shot, including the estimated 33,000 people 65 and older.With
 10 nurses, his clinic can inject about 1,200 people a day. But many 
other health professionals have volunteered to administer the shots if 
he gets more doses.“If I were to run three clinics, five days a 
week, I could do 15,000 vaccinations a week,” Adams said. “With all the 
volunteers, I could do almost six clinics, or 30,000 a week.”Still,
 for those in the last public group, those age 18 and up without 
underlying medical conditions, “it could be summer,” Adams said.<a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the <a href="http://www.kff.org/" target="_blank">Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation</a> which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Private practice docs, patients wonder when it’s their turn for vaccine 

MANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) is seeking respondent feedback for the 2021 Bluestem Pasture Survey to collect information on native tallgrass pasture use and practices. The survey is administered through the K-State Land Use Survey Center and will be open through March 31, 2021.

The Bluestem Pasture Survey provides reliable, accurate information to Kansas ranchers and the agricultural community as a whole. The survey asks about native tallgrass pasture availability, leasing rates, and fencing rates, and should take less than 15 minutes to complete.

“The native tallgrass region of Kansas is a large, relatively intact grassland region including 14 counties which provides rich grazing opportunities for cattle producers. This biennial survey collects data that is used to provide a baseline comparison and can aid landowners and renters when entering into lease agreements,” said Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam. “Underwriting this important survey tool is one way our agency works to provide useful data that supports the state’s agriculture industry.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 2021 Kansas Bluestem Pasture Survey is voluntary, anonymous and confidential. To complete the survey, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fbluestem2021&amp;data=04%7C01%7CPio-stwide%40list.da.ks.gov%7Ca327c5d88078415e260008d8b733b453%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637460780989923184%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=Q76ZakjXpA10x8JXMS%2BPIrC6mHAb0zS38boTB6FgrkU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/bluestem2021</a>.&nbsp;

If you are unable to complete the survey, but wish to participate, please contact Dr. Leah Tsoodle, Director, Land Use Survey Center, at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:LTsoodle@ksu.edu" target="_blank">LTsoodle@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or Kerry Wefald, KDA Division of Agriculture Marketing, at 785-564-6758 to receive a written survey or to complete the survey over the telephone.

The Bluestem Pasture Survey is a collaborative effort between the Division of Agriculture Marketing at the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the K-State Land Use Survey Center within the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610488245522.jpeg" alt="Little Bluestem grass seed (Photo by Rachel James/Flickr)" />
 <figcaption>Little Bluestem grass seed (Photo by Rachel James/Flickr)</figcaption>
 </figure>KDAMANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) is seeking respondent feedback for the 2021 Bluestem Pasture Survey to collect information on native tallgrass pasture use and practices. The survey is administered through the K-State Land Use Survey Center and will be open through March 31, 2021.The Bluestem Pasture Survey provides reliable, accurate information to Kansas ranchers and the agricultural community as a whole. The survey asks about native tallgrass pasture availability, leasing rates, and fencing rates, and should take less than 15 minutes to complete.“The native tallgrass region of Kansas is a large, relatively intact grassland region including 14 counties which provides rich grazing opportunities for cattle producers. This biennial survey collects data that is used to provide a baseline comparison and can aid landowners and renters when entering into lease agreements,” said Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam. “Underwriting this important survey tool is one way our agency works to provide useful data that supports the state’s agriculture industry.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The 2021 Kansas Bluestem Pasture Survey is voluntary, anonymous and confidential. To complete the survey, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fbluestem2021&amp;data=04%7C01%7CPio-stwide%40list.da.ks.gov%7Ca327c5d88078415e260008d8b733b453%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637460780989923184%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=Q76ZakjXpA10x8JXMS%2BPIrC6mHAb0zS38boTB6FgrkU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/bluestem2021</a>.&nbsp;If you are unable to complete the survey, but wish to participate, please contact Dr. Leah Tsoodle, Director, Land Use Survey Center, at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:LTsoodle@ksu.edu" target="_blank">LTsoodle@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or Kerry Wefald, KDA Division of Agriculture Marketing, at 785-564-6758 to receive a written survey or to complete the survey over the telephone.The Bluestem Pasture Survey is a collaborative effort between the Division of Agriculture Marketing at the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the K-State Land Use Survey Center within the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University.

KDA announces 2021 Bluestem Pasture Survey

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City and the state of Illinois filed a lawsuit Friday against a federal agency that awarded a license to an arms manufacturer that was sued last year for illegally selling guns and went bankrupt.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City and the state of Illinois filed a lawsuit Friday against a federal agency that awarded a license to an arms manufacturer that was sued last year for illegally selling guns and went bankrupt.The lawsuit alleges the Bureau of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives awarded the license to JA Industries, renamed from Jimenez Arms, after it repeatedly broke federal firearms laws and contributed to gun trafficking. The lawsuit says the company's cheap firearms contribute to the rising violent crime in Kansas City and Chicago.Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, a national gun safety advocacy group, joined the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs want the ATF to revoke JA Industries' license.“It is inexcusable that the regulators we rely on to enforce federal gun laws have failed to take action despite the clear evidence that Jimenez Arms contributed to gun trafficking,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “This effort is about accountability — and it’s also protecting Kansas City residents by addressing an ongoing threat to public safety in our city.”Kansas City and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund sued Jimenez Arms and several others&nbsp;<a href="https://hosted.ap.org/semissourian/article/81aa4e6a13da2ff07d069ed48e5b0a1b/7dc85522aa3508583c3e1c006cf972cb">a year ago</a>, alleging they contributed to surging gun violence in the Kansas City region by ignoring evidence that guns were being sold illegally in the area.Jimenez Arms filed for bankruptcy about a month after that lawsuit was filed. The new lawsuit says the owner, Paul Jimenez, applied for a new license under the name JA Industries and that it took the ATF less than a month to award a license. Jimenez is not a defendant in the lawsuit.The lawsuit contends that Jimenez makes tens of thousands of cheap handguns every year that have turned up at crime scenes in Kansas City and Chicago “at a rate disproportionate to the company’s market share.”Alla Lefkowitz, director of affirmative litigation at Everytown Law, said it was an “appalling regulatory failure.”“With so many red flags about this company in the ATF’s own records, it should never have even been a close call whether to allow it to continue selling guns under a new name,” Lefkowitz said in a statement.The ATF said it “does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation."