JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a stark message Friday: The Fed will likely impose more large interest rate hikes in coming months and is resolutely focused on taming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-july-report-ec477624de30115dd49f35009b2659c0">highest inflation in four decades</a>.

Powell also warned more explicitly than he has in the past that the Fed's continued tightening of credit will cause pain for many households and businesses as its higher rates further slow the economy and potentially lead to job losses.

“These are the unfortunate costs of reducing inflation,” he said in a high-profile speech at the Fed's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole. “But a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain.”

Investors had been hoping for a signal that the Fed might soon moderate its rate increases later this year if inflation were to show further signs of easing. But the Fed chair indicated that that time may not be near.

After hiking its key short term rate by three-quarters of a point at each of its past two meetings — part of the Fed's fastest series of rate increases since the early 1980s — Powell said the Fed might ease up on that pace “at some point” — suggesting that any such slowing isn't near.

Powell said the size of the Fed’s rate increase at its next meeting in late September — whether one-half or three-quarters of a percentage point — will depend on inflation and jobs data. An increase of either size, though, would exceed the Fed’s traditional quarter-point hike, a reflection of how severe inflation has become.

The Fed chair said that while lower inflation readings that have been reported for July have been “welcome,” “a single month’s improvement falls far short of what the Committee will need to see before we are confident that inflation is moving down.”

He noted that the history of high inflation in the 1970s, when the central bank sought to counter high prices with only intermittent rate hikes, shows that the Fed must stay focused.

“The historical record cautions strongly against prematurely” lowering interest rates, he said. “We must keep at it until the job is done.”

Powell's speech is the marquee event of the the Fed's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-4ab8b3d8fdbcf3a783af334fd251d0bf?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_8">annual economic symposium at Jackson Hole</a>, the first time the conference of central bankers is being held in person since 2019, after it went virtual for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since March, the Fed has implemented its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-be1b698e48327d3a33847be25aba3e3d">fastest pace of rate increases in decades</a>&nbsp;to try to curbinflation, which has punished households with soaring costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities. The central bank has lifted its benchmark rate by 2 full percentage points in just four meetings, to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.

Those hikes have led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-economic-growth-mortgages-d5297d06bcb33fb77f3bd17792225865">higher costs for mortgages</a>, car loans and other consumer and business borrowing. Home sales&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-sales-prices-1331a8bd045d3cef81174e81154bb26d">have been plunging</a>&nbsp;since the Fed first signaled it would raise borrowing costs.

In June, the Fed's policymakers signaled that they expected their key rate to end 2022 in a range of 3.25% to 3.5% and then to rise further next year to between 3.75% and 4%. If rates reached their projected level at the end of this year, they would be at the highest point since 2008.

Powell is betting that he can engineer a high-risk outcome: Slow the economy enough to ease inflation pressures yet not so much as to trigger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-health-gross-domestic-product-economy-89cbfc145ad34a91679ffa43e617c896">a recession</a>.

His task has been complicated by the economy's cloudy picture: On Thursday, the government said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-gross-domestic-product-government-and-politics-bf6801a39f90e0751dd67eac112d82fe">the economy shrank at a 0.6% annual rate</a>&nbsp;in the April-June period, the second straight quarter of contraction. Yet employers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-united-states-economy-unemployment-4895f1aa41fbe904400df8261446b737">still hiring rapidly,</a>&nbsp;and the number of people seeking unemployment aid, a measure of layoffs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-economy-unemployment-4cb5aa27ce25cb1d84f156ea81816cbb">remains relatively low</a>.

At the same time, inflation is still crushingly high, though it has shown some signs of easing, notably in the form of declining gas prices.

At its meeting in July, Fed policymakers expressed two competing concerns that highlighted their delicate task.

According&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-91275cfd195b4fe6ce4a709c19225557">to minutes from that meeting</a>, the officials — who aren't identified by name — have prioritized their inflation fight. Still, some officials said there was a risk that the Fed would raise borrowing costs more than necessary, risking a recession. If inflation were to fall closer to the Fed's 2% target and the economy weakened further, those diverging views could become hard to reconcile.

At last year's Jackson Hole symposium, Powell listed five reasons why he thought inflation would be “transitory.” Yet instead it has persisted, and many economists have noted that those remarks haven't aged well.

Powell indirectly acknowledged that history at the outset of his remarks Friday, when he said that, “at past Jackson Hole conferences, I have discussed broad topics such as the ever-changing structure of the economy and the challenges of conducting monetary policy."

“Today," he said, “my remarks will be shorter, my focus narrower and my message more direct.”

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a stark message Friday: The Fed will likely impose more large interest rate hikes in coming months and is resolutely focused on taming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-july-report-ec477624de30115dd49f35009b2659c0">highest inflation in four decades</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Complete remarks from Fed Chair Powell <a href="https://t.co/PlcKPiyjgd">pic.twitter.com/PlcKPiyjgd</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1563172138688753664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Powell also warned more explicitly than he has in the past that the Fed's continued tightening of credit will cause pain for many households and businesses as its higher rates further slow the economy and potentially lead to job losses.“These are the unfortunate costs of reducing inflation,” he said in a high-profile speech at the Fed's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole. “But a failure to restore price stability would mean far greater pain.”Investors had been hoping for a signal that the Fed might soon moderate its rate increases later this year if inflation were to show further signs of easing. But the Fed chair indicated that that time may not be near.After hiking its key short term rate by three-quarters of a point at each of its past two meetings — part of the Fed's fastest series of rate increases since the early 1980s — Powell said the Fed might ease up on that pace “at some point” — suggesting that any such slowing isn't near.Powell said the size of the Fed’s rate increase at its next meeting in late September — whether one-half or three-quarters of a percentage point — will depend on inflation and jobs data. An increase of either size, though, would exceed the Fed’s traditional quarter-point hike, a reflection of how severe inflation has become.The Fed chair said that while lower inflation readings that have been reported for July have been “welcome,” “a single month’s improvement falls far short of what the Committee will need to see before we are confident that inflation is moving down.”He noted that the history of high inflation in the 1970s, when the central bank sought to counter high prices with only intermittent rate hikes, shows that the Fed must stay focused.“The historical record cautions strongly against prematurely” lowering interest rates, he said. “We must keep at it until the job is done.”Powell's speech is the marquee event of the the Fed's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-jackson-wyoming-4ab8b3d8fdbcf3a783af334fd251d0bf?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_8">annual economic symposium at Jackson Hole</a>, the first time the conference of central bankers is being held in person since 2019, after it went virtual for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.Since March, the Fed has implemented its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fed-interest-rates-inflation-be1b698e48327d3a33847be25aba3e3d">fastest pace of rate increases in decades</a>&nbsp;to try to curbinflation, which has punished households with soaring costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities. The central bank has lifted its benchmark rate by 2 full percentage points in just four meetings, to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.Those hikes have led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-economic-growth-mortgages-d5297d06bcb33fb77f3bd17792225865">higher costs for mortgages</a>, car loans and other consumer and business borrowing. Home sales&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-sales-prices-1331a8bd045d3cef81174e81154bb26d">have been plunging</a>&nbsp;since the Fed first signaled it would raise borrowing costs.In June, the Fed's policymakers signaled that they expected their key rate to end 2022 in a range of 3.25% to 3.5% and then to rise further next year to between 3.75% and 4%. If rates reached their projected level at the end of this year, they would be at the highest point since 2008.Powell is betting that he can engineer a high-risk outcome: Slow the economy enough to ease inflation pressures yet not so much as to trigger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-health-gross-domestic-product-economy-89cbfc145ad34a91679ffa43e617c896">a recession</a>.His task has been complicated by the economy's cloudy picture: On Thursday, the government said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-gross-domestic-product-government-and-politics-bf6801a39f90e0751dd67eac112d82fe">the economy shrank at a 0.6% annual rate</a>&nbsp;in the April-June period, the second straight quarter of contraction. Yet employers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-united-states-economy-unemployment-4895f1aa41fbe904400df8261446b737">still hiring rapidly,</a>&nbsp;and the number of people seeking unemployment aid, a measure of layoffs,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-economy-unemployment-4cb5aa27ce25cb1d84f156ea81816cbb">remains relatively low</a>.At the same time, inflation is still crushingly high, though it has shown some signs of easing, notably in the form of declining gas prices.At its meeting in July, Fed policymakers expressed two competing concerns that highlighted their delicate task.According&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-91275cfd195b4fe6ce4a709c19225557">to minutes from that meeting</a>, the officials — who aren't identified by name — have prioritized their inflation fight. Still, some officials said there was a risk that the Fed would raise borrowing costs more than necessary, risking a recession. If inflation were to fall closer to the Fed's 2% target and the economy weakened further, those diverging views could become hard to reconcile.At last year's Jackson Hole symposium, Powell listed five reasons why he thought inflation would be “transitory.” Yet instead it has persisted, and many economists have noted that those remarks haven't aged well.Powell indirectly acknowledged that history at the outset of his remarks Friday, when he said that, “at past Jackson Hole conferences, I have discussed broad topics such as the ever-changing structure of the economy and the challenges of conducting monetary policy."“Today," he said, “my remarks will be shorter, my focus narrower and my message more direct.”

🎥Fed Chair warns: Economic pain for households, businesses 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A hard-right Kansas state senator who has clashed with Republican leaders has gained a spot on the November general election ballot as an independent candidate for govenor.

The Kansas Secretary of State's office announced Thursday that Sen. Dennis Pyle, of Hiawatha, had turned in more than the 5,000 required petition signatures to gain a spot on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Allies of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly helped Pyle gather some of the necessary signatures. Pyle’s candidacy could complicate GOP nominee and state Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s bid to unseat Kelly. Some Democrats hope Pyle and Schmidt will split conservative Republican votes just enough for Kelly to win a second four-year term.

Pyle this year opposed plans from the state Senate’s top Republicans for redrawing congressional and legislative boundaries — and was stripped of most of his committee assignments as a result. He left the Republican Party in June.

The Kansas Republican Party tried earlier this month to thwart Pyle's efforts to get on the ballot by texting people who signed his petitions to urge them to remove their names.

The texts told the signers that their names were on petitions to help Kelly win reelection. Pyle called the text message “a blatant lie.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584563854326.png" alt="Sen. Dennis Pyle" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Dennis Pyle</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A hard-right Kansas state senator who has clashed with Republican leaders has gained a spot on the November general election ballot as an independent candidate for govenor.The Kansas Secretary of State's office announced Thursday that Sen. Dennis Pyle, of Hiawatha, had turned in more than the 5,000 required petition signatures to gain a spot on the Nov. 8 ballot.Allies of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly helped Pyle gather some of the necessary signatures. Pyle’s candidacy could complicate GOP nominee and state Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s bid to unseat Kelly. Some Democrats hope Pyle and Schmidt will split conservative Republican votes just enough for Kelly to win a second four-year term.Pyle this year opposed plans from the state Senate’s top Republicans for redrawing congressional and legislative boundaries — and was stripped of most of his committee assignments as a result. He left the Republican Party in June.The Kansas Republican Party tried earlier this month to thwart Pyle's efforts to get on the ballot by texting people who signed his petitions to urge them to remove their names.The texts told the signers that their names were on petitions to help Kelly win reelection. Pyle called the text message “a blatant lie.

Independent lawmaker wins spot on Kansas ballot for governor

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities investigating another inmate death in Wichita have release the name of the man who died.

Just before 1p.m. Wednesday, staff at the Sedgwick County Detention facility found a 38-year-old&nbsp;Joseph Brueggeman of Wichita unresponsive in a housing unit, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.

Detention staff immediately started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (C.P.R.). Medical Staff responded to the housing until and continued C.P.R. on the inmate.

Emergency Medical Services (E.M.S.) was called. E.M.S. declared the Brueggeman deceased and C.P.R. was ceased at approximately 1:15 p.m. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Investigation’s Unit and the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (K.B.I.) were notified of the in-custody death.

The Investigation’s Unit and K.B.I. processed the scene. A preliminary investigation indicates the death appears to be from natural causes. An autopsy is pending at the Forensic Science Center. Brueggeman's immediate family members were notified. This is the fourth in-custody death in 2022.

Brueggeman was a pretrial detainee on a municipal misdemeanor charge of violating a protection order. He was in custody since August 11, 2022.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661520694328.png" alt="Brueggeman as seen in his August 11, 2022 Sedgwick County booking report" />
 <figcaption>Brueggeman as seen in his August 11, 2022 Sedgwick County booking report</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities investigating another inmate death in Wichita have release the name of the man who died.Just before 1p.m. Wednesday, staff at the Sedgwick County Detention facility found a 38-year-old&nbsp;Joseph Brueggeman of Wichita unresponsive in a housing unit, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.Detention staff immediately started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (C.P.R.). Medical Staff responded to the housing until and continued C.P.R. on the inmate.Emergency Medical Services (E.M.S.) was called. E.M.S. declared the Brueggeman deceased and C.P.R. was ceased at approximately 1:15 p.m. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Investigation’s Unit and the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (K.B.I.) were notified of the in-custody death.The Investigation’s Unit and K.B.I. processed the scene. A preliminary investigation indicates the death appears to be from natural causes. An autopsy is pending at the Forensic Science Center. Brueggeman's immediate family members were notified. This is the fourth in-custody death in 2022.Brueggeman was a pretrial detainee on a municipal misdemeanor charge of violating a protection order. He was in custody since August 11, 2022.&nbsp;

Sheriff IDs 4th inmate who died this year at Kan. county jail

WICHITA Kan— Merchants from across Kansas met with Senator Roger Marshall Friday to emphasize how lack of competition over credit card processing drives up prices paid by consumers and thanked him for introducing the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, according to a media release from Merchants Payment Coalition. “Kansans and other Americans pay the highest ‘swipe’ fees in the industrialized world and lack of competition is the reason why,” Merchants Payments Coalition Executive Committee member and National Association of Convenience Stores Director of Government Relations Anna Ready Blom said. “These fees drive up prices paid by consumers and Visa and Mastercard have refused to hold off on increases despite raging inflation. This legislation is carefully crafted to apply only to giant Wall Street banks and would have no impact on community banks or credit unions in Kansas. Consumers’ credit card rewards would be protected since banks, not processing networks, issue those rewards. And security would be enhanced because independent networks have less fraud and networks backed by foreign governments like China’s Union Pay would be barred from entering the U.S. market.” “This bill is a win for everybody except the largest big-city banks that have profited off small businesses and consumers across America for far too long,” Blom said. Blom was one of about 20 merchants and trade association executives who met with the Republican senator at the district office the Dillons supermarket chain in Wichita today. The gathering included retailers, restaurants, grocers, convenience store owners and fuel merchants, among others. Marshall and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin, D-Ill., joined last month to introduce the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-marshall-introduce-bipartisan-credit-card-competition-act" target="_blank">Credit Card Competition Act</a>. The action came three months after Visa and Mastercard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.durbin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Letter%20to%20Mr.%20Kelly%20and%20Mr.%20Miebach%20-%20April%2015,%202022.pdf" target="_blank">refused a request</a>&nbsp;from the two senators and other members of Congress to withdraw an increase in fees that the lawmakers said would add to inflationary pressures. The bill is aimed at “swipe” fees averaging more than 2 percent of the transaction that banks and payment networks like Visa and Mastercard charge merchants to process credit card transactions. Credit and debit card swipe fees have more than doubled over the past decade, soaring 25 percent last year alone to a record $137.8 billion. They are most merchants’ highest cost after labor and drive up consumer prices by about $900 a year for the average family. Visa and Mastercard, which control more than 80 percent of the credit card market, restrict processing to their own networks and set the fees the banks charge, prohibiting competition among those banks and blocking innovative independent payment networks that offer both lower fees and better security. To address the issue, the legislation would require that credit cards issued by the nation’s largest banks be enabled to be processed over at least two unaffiliated networks – Visa or Mastercard plus an independent network such as NYCE, Star or Shazam. Domestic credit card networks like American Express or Discover could also be the second network, but not networks supported by foreign governments like China’s Union Pay. Merchants would be allowed to choose which of the two networks to use, meaning networks would have to compete on pricing, security and service. The bill would apply only to financial institutions with at least $100 billion in assets – fewer than three dozen institutions nationwide but 90 percent of Visa and Mastercard credit card volume – and would have no impact on small community banks or small credit unions.

WICHITA Kan— Merchants from across Kansas met with Senator Roger Marshall Friday to emphasize how lack of competition over credit card processing drives up prices paid by consumers and thanked him for introducing the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, according to a media release from Merchants Payment Coalition. “Kansans and other Americans pay the highest ‘swipe’ fees in the industrialized world and lack of competition is the reason why,” Merchants Payments Coalition Executive Committee member and National Association of Convenience Stores Director of Government Relations Anna Ready Blom said. “These fees drive up prices paid by consumers and Visa and Mastercard have refused to hold off on increases despite raging inflation. This legislation is carefully crafted to apply only to giant Wall Street banks and would have no impact on community banks or credit unions in Kansas. Consumers’ credit card rewards would be protected since banks, not processing networks, issue those rewards. And security would be enhanced because independent networks have less fraud and networks backed by foreign governments like China’s Union Pay would be barred from entering the U.S. market.” “This bill is a win for everybody except the largest big-city banks that have profited off small businesses and consumers across America for far too long,” Blom said. Blom was one of about 20 merchants and trade association executives who met with the Republican senator at the district office the Dillons supermarket chain in Wichita today. The gathering included retailers, restaurants, grocers, convenience store owners and fuel merchants, among others. Marshall and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin, D-Ill., joined last month to introduce the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-marshall-introduce-bipartisan-credit-card-competition-act" target="_blank">Credit Card Competition Act</a>. The action came three months after Visa and Mastercard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.durbin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Letter%20to%20Mr.%20Kelly%20and%20Mr.%20Miebach%20-%20April%2015,%202022.pdf" target="_blank">refused a request</a>&nbsp;from the two senators and other members of Congress to withdraw an increase in fees that the lawmakers said would add to inflationary pressures. The bill is aimed at “swipe” fees averaging more than 2 percent of the transaction that banks and payment networks like Visa and Mastercard charge merchants to process credit card transactions. Credit and debit card swipe fees have more than doubled over the past decade, soaring 25 percent last year alone to a record $137.8 billion. They are most merchants’ highest cost after labor and drive up consumer prices by about $900 a year for the average family. Visa and Mastercard, which control more than 80 percent of the credit card market, restrict processing to their own networks and set the fees the banks charge, prohibiting competition among those banks and blocking innovative independent payment networks that offer both lower fees and better security. To address the issue, the legislation would require that credit cards issued by the nation’s largest banks be enabled to be processed over at least two unaffiliated networks – Visa or Mastercard plus an independent network such as NYCE, Star or Shazam. Domestic credit card networks like American Express or Discover could also be the second network, but not networks supported by foreign governments like China’s Union Pay. Merchants would be allowed to choose which of the two networks to use, meaning networks would have to compete on pricing, security and service. The bill would apply only to financial institutions with at least $100 billion in assets – fewer than three dozen institutions nationwide but 90 percent of Visa and Mastercard credit card volume – and would have no impact on small community banks or small credit unions.

Marshall meets with Kan. merchants on credit card ‘swipe’ fees

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman for crimes involving small children.

Just after 2 p.m. Thursday, police arrested 26-year-old Maria Bryan of Manhattan on a Riley County District Court Warrant for aggravated battery and three counts of endangering a child, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

The arrest is in connection with a March 22, incident where where Bryan allegedly caused bodily harm to and placed a two-year-old girl in a situation where the child's wellbeing was endangered and a June 5,&nbsp; incident where she placed the same victim and a now seven-year-old boy in an additional situation where the child's wellbeing was endangered. 

Bryan remains jailed on a bond of $13,000, according to the RCPD.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman for crimes involving small children.Just after 2 p.m. Thursday, police arrested 26-year-old Maria Bryan of Manhattan on a Riley County District Court Warrant for aggravated battery and three counts of endangering a child, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.The arrest is in connection with a March 22, incident where where Bryan allegedly caused bodily harm to and placed a two-year-old girl in a situation where the child's wellbeing was endangered and a June 5,&nbsp; incident where she placed the same victim and a now seven-year-old boy in an additional situation where the child's wellbeing was endangered. Bryan remains jailed on a bond of $13,000, according to the RCPD.

Kansas woman jailed for alleged child endangerment 

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a southwest Kansas man for alleged possession of a stolen vehicle.

On Wednesday, police in Guymon, Oklahoma&nbsp;contacted Garden City Police&nbsp; about a stolen vehicle in the Garden City area, according to a media release.

On Tuesday, officers located the vehicle and initiated a high-risk traffic stop in the 400 block of N. 4th Street in Garden City.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as 29-year-old Manuel Melendez-Davila of Garden City was taken into custody without incident. 

He is being held in the Finney County Jail on four active felony warrants and an active misdemeanor warrant.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661350874328.png" alt="Melendez-Davila-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Melendez-Davila-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a southwest Kansas man for alleged possession of a stolen vehicle.On Wednesday, police in Guymon, Oklahoma&nbsp;contacted Garden City Police&nbsp; about a stolen vehicle in the Garden City area, according to a media release.On Tuesday, officers located the vehicle and initiated a high-risk traffic stop in the 400 block of N. 4th Street in Garden City.The driver of the vehicle, identified as 29-year-old Manuel Melendez-Davila of Garden City was taken into custody without incident. He is being held in the Finney County Jail on four active felony warrants and an active misdemeanor warrant.&nbsp;

Police: Kan. man captured driving vehicle stolen in Oklahoma

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/25/house-democrats-offer-package-of-state-tax-reforms-to-alleviate-cost-of-college-education/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Democratic Kansas House 
candidate Kim Zito earned an undergraduate degree in 1997 and finished 
graduate school a decade later, and still grapples with unpaid college 
loan debt.

President Joe Biden’s new federal loan forgiveness initiative would 
slash federal student loan balances of millions of people by as much as 
$20,000, but wouldn’t offer relief to Zito because she took out private 
loans to attend New York University and University of London.

Zito, a Manhattan resident challenging Republican Rep. Mike Dodson in
 November, said the three-pronged package unveiled Thursday by House 
Democratic representatives and candidates would benefit students, 
parents and employers interested in making Kansas higher education more 
affordable.

“I have a five-year-old son,” she said. “I’m still paying my student loans and I have to save for his education.”

Under the proposal from Democrats to be filed prior to the 2023 
legislative session in January, a $150 tax rebate would be available to 
parents of college-age children to help pay for college fees, books and 
supplies.

The annual deadline for contributing to a Kansas Learning Quest 529 
college savings account would be extended to April 15. This&nbsp; change 
would enable individuals to make contributions to the college savings 
account retroactively to the previous tax year. The adjustment would be 
in line with federal law on backdating IRA contributions.

The plan also would create a tax credit for Kansas businesses 
voluntarily contributing to student loan payments on behalf of 
employees. The credit modeled on Connecticut law would allow companies 
to claim a refundable 50% state tax credit for subsidizing loan 
repayments. The maximum credit would be $5,250 per student per year. No 
single employer could claim more than $500,000 in credits in a single 
tax year. The measure would cap cost of the program to the state at $5 
million annually.

Each provision of the plan from Democrats would be applicable to 
students attending a university, community college or technical college 
in Kansas.

“I hear from Kansans on a weekly basis about their financial 
concerns,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer of Wichita. “More often
 than not, student loans are one of the pain points. Parents worry about
 paying their own student loans while taking on the burden of a child’s 
student loans, too.”

The Kansas Department of Revenue estimated the annual cost of the 
package would be $44 million. The bulk of the total, potentially $39 
million per year, would be tied to the $150 individual income tax credit
 on college expenditures.

State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, who administers the Learning Quest 
saving program, said the reform bill would extend from Dec. 31 to April 
15 the deadine for people to qualify for state income tax deductions on 
the prior tax year’s income. The maximum annual deduction through the 
program is $6,000 for joint filers.

“A well-educated Kansas workforce remains one of the most critical components to the economic growth of our state,” Rogers said.

Chris Courtright, who served on the tax reform council assembled by 
Gov. Laura Kelly, said elements of the plan were considered by the 
council before the decision to focus on eliminating the state’s sales 
tax on groceries by July 1.

The Legislature adopted a three-year phase out of the 6.5% sales tax 
on groceries, but the governor recommended the 2023 Legislature adopt an
 immediate end to the state’s portion of that tax.

“A lot of us anticipate a robust debate on tax policy in the upcoming
 2023 session,” said Courtright, who indicated the $44 million package 
would be a modest component of the next round of state tax reforms.

State Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Prairie Village Democrat, said lifting 
the weight of college cost and debt ought to be a bipartisan issue at 
the Capitol.

“We want to make sure that any post-secondary student has the means 
to gain the education to become a productive, skilled and 
well-compensated employee or business owner,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican from Wichita, said he opposed 
Biden’s student loan forgiveness program because the program would cost 
as much as $300 billion over the next decade. He linked the Biden 
strategy to legislation adopted by Congress that conservatives believe 
contributed to rising inflation.

“This election-year gimmick does nothing for Kansans who worked 
through school to avoid debt, took side jobs to pay off loans early 
after graduating or chose to invest in other career paths outside of a 
four-year degree,” Estes said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661450504681.png" alt="State Treasurer Lynn Rogers joins House Democrats on Thursday to outline a three-piece, $44 million package of tax reform designed to alleviate the cost of higher education in Kansas. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>State Treasurer Lynn Rogers joins House Democrats on Thursday to outline a three-piece, $44 million package of tax reform designed to alleviate the cost of higher education in Kansas. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/25/house-democrats-offer-package-of-state-tax-reforms-to-alleviate-cost-of-college-education/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Democratic Kansas House 
candidate Kim Zito earned an undergraduate degree in 1997 and finished 
graduate school a decade later, and still grapples with unpaid college 
loan debt.President Joe Biden’s new federal loan forgiveness initiative would 
slash federal student loan balances of millions of people by as much as 
$20,000, but wouldn’t offer relief to Zito because she took out private 
loans to attend New York University and University of London.Zito, a Manhattan resident challenging Republican Rep. Mike Dodson in
 November, said the three-pronged package unveiled Thursday by House 
Democratic representatives and candidates would benefit students, 
parents and employers interested in making Kansas higher education more 
affordable.“I have a five-year-old son,” she said. “I’m still paying my student loans and I have to save for his education.”Under the proposal from Democrats to be filed prior to the 2023 
legislative session in January, a $150 tax rebate would be available to 
parents of college-age children to help pay for college fees, books and 
supplies.The annual deadline for contributing to a Kansas Learning Quest 529 
college savings account would be extended to April 15. This&nbsp; change 
would enable individuals to make contributions to the college savings 
account retroactively to the previous tax year. The adjustment would be 
in line with federal law on backdating IRA contributions.The plan also would create a tax credit for Kansas businesses 
voluntarily contributing to student loan payments on behalf of 
employees. The credit modeled on Connecticut law would allow companies 
to claim a refundable 50% state tax credit for subsidizing loan 
repayments. The maximum credit would be $5,250 per student per year. No 
single employer could claim more than $500,000 in credits in a single 
tax year. The measure would cap cost of the program to the state at $5 
million annually.Each provision of the plan from Democrats would be applicable to 
students attending a university, community college or technical college 
in Kansas.“I hear from Kansans on a weekly basis about their financial 
concerns,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer of Wichita. “More often
 than not, student loans are one of the pain points. Parents worry about
 paying their own student loans while taking on the burden of a child’s 
student loans, too.”The Kansas Department of Revenue estimated the annual cost of the 
package would be $44 million. The bulk of the total, potentially $39 
million per year, would be tied to the $150 individual income tax credit
 on college expenditures.State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, who administers the Learning Quest 
saving program, said the reform bill would extend from Dec. 31 to April 
15 the deadine for people to qualify for state income tax deductions on 
the prior tax year’s income. The maximum annual deduction through the 
program is $6,000 for joint filers.“A well-educated Kansas workforce remains one of the most critical components to the economic growth of our state,” Rogers said.Chris Courtright, who served on the tax reform council assembled by 
Gov. Laura Kelly, said elements of the plan were considered by the 
council before the decision to focus on eliminating the state’s sales 
tax on groceries by July 1.The Legislature adopted a three-year phase out of the 6.5% sales tax 
on groceries, but the governor recommended the 2023 Legislature adopt an
 immediate end to the state’s portion of that tax.“A lot of us anticipate a robust debate on tax policy in the upcoming
 2023 session,” said Courtright, who indicated the $44 million package 
would be a modest component of the next round of state tax reforms.State Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Prairie Village Democrat, said lifting 
the weight of college cost and debt ought to be a bipartisan issue at 
the Capitol.“We want to make sure that any post-secondary student has the means 
to gain the education to become a productive, skilled and 
well-compensated employee or business owner,” he said.U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican from Wichita, said he opposed 
Biden’s student loan forgiveness program because the program would cost 
as much as $300 billion over the next decade. He linked the Biden 
strategy to legislation adopted by Congress that conservatives believe 
contributed to rising inflation.“This election-year gimmick does nothing for Kansans who worked 
through school to avoid debt, took side jobs to pay off loans early 
after graduating or chose to invest in other career paths outside of a 
four-year degree,” Estes said.

House Democrats pitch Kan. tax reforms to alleviate cost of college

JUNCTION CITY —Geary County Commissioners outlined the plan Thursday night to save Geary Community Hospital through an agreement with Stormont Vail Health. That company will oversee the operations at the hospital completely in January, and they are already providing assistance.

Some of the key points during a public presentation at the C.L. Hoover Opera House included the fact that GCH has been operating at a one million dollar per month deficit.&nbsp; That is expected to change in the future.

Stormont Vail will install the record management billing system called Epic, which should lead to monetary savings, will schedule more surgeries including nine yesterday ( Thursday ) alone, and will employ some of their own doctors in the emergency room. Stormont will be investing $20 million of their own money into the GCH facility for infrastructure improvements over the next five years. Geary County will issue revenue bonds totaling approximately $32 million to cover existing debt, short term operational funds and infrastructure improvements needed this year and money for $20 million in future infrastructure improvements. County debt would be retired in 2048.&nbsp;

All current GCH employees are being given the opportunity to interview for jobs if they would like to remain at the hospital, and there is no reason to expect they would not be retained.

Annual property taxes to support the hospital will not increase.

Commissioner Keith Ascher told the audience at the Opera House this has been a long struggle but officials wanted to be sure that they had all the i's dotted and t's crossed before they could share information with the public.&nbsp;

During&nbsp; the process to make a future decision on the hospital, Commissioner Trish Giordano commented that they had three options. They included operating at a $1 million per month deficit, closing the hospital but with debt the building couldn't be reopened until grandfathered code violations were addressed, or they could partner with someone. The latter option was chosen.

The end goal was to ensure Junction City still has a hospital.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661481153771.jpeg" alt="-Commissioner Trish Giordano speaking at the podium. Seated were County Finance Director Tami Robison plus Commissioners Alex Tyson and Keith Ascher." />
 <figcaption>-Commissioner Trish Giordano speaking at the podium. Seated were County Finance Director Tami Robison plus Commissioners Alex Tyson and Keith Ascher.</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey TerrillJC PostJUNCTION CITY —Geary County Commissioners outlined the plan Thursday night to save Geary Community Hospital through an agreement with Stormont Vail Health. That company will oversee the operations at the hospital completely in January, and they are already providing assistance.Some of the key points during a public presentation at the C.L. Hoover Opera House included the fact that GCH has been operating at a one million dollar per month deficit.&nbsp; That is expected to change in the future.Stormont Vail will install the record management billing system called Epic, which should lead to monetary savings, will schedule more surgeries including nine yesterday ( Thursday ) alone, and will employ some of their own doctors in the emergency room. Stormont will be investing $20 million of their own money into the GCH facility for infrastructure improvements over the next five years. Geary County will issue revenue bonds totaling approximately $32 million to cover existing debt, short term operational funds and infrastructure improvements needed this year and money for $20 million in future infrastructure improvements. County debt would be retired in 2048.&nbsp;All current GCH employees are being given the opportunity to interview for jobs if they would like to remain at the hospital, and there is no reason to expect they would not be retained.Annual property taxes to support the hospital will not increase.Commissioner Keith Ascher told the audience at the Opera House this has been a long struggle but officials wanted to be sure that they had all the i's dotted and t's crossed before they could share information with the public.&nbsp;During&nbsp; the process to make a future decision on the hospital, Commissioner Trish Giordano commented that they had three options. They included operating at a $1 million per month deficit, closing the hospital but with debt the building couldn't be reopened until grandfathered code violations were addressed, or they could partner with someone. The latter option was chosen.The end goal was to ensure Junction City still has a hospital.

Commissioners outline plan to save Kansas hospital

FURNAS COUNTY, Neb. — Authorities in Nebraska are trying to determine who released 16 million gallons of water by opening a dam on an irrigation channel one night this month — and why.

The puzzling water release from the Cambridge Canal reduced the flow to some 18,000 acres of crops and jeopardized expensive irrigation equipment, according to Brad Edgerton, the general manager of the Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District that runs the nearly 48-mile-long waterway.

The canal was flowing at its normal rate of 150 cubic feet per second when Edgerton checked on his computer on the night of Aug. 13, but by the following morning the flow had been cut in half. Something had happened at the canal's dam near the town of Cambridge, about 200 miles west of Lincoln.

Edgerton drove there and discovered that someone had wrenched open the dam’s two 10-foot sluice gates, sending the precious water down the Republican River. He estimates that about 50-acre-feet of water was lost during the roughly eight hours that the gates were open, and that the water was worth around $2,600 based on the $52-per-acre-foot price that farmers pay.

“It was an unfortunate situation. In the scheme of things, it wasn’t a lot of water, but it was an inconvenience,” he said.

Edgerton scrambled to notify farmers downstream about the problem, called the sheriff and contacted the Bureau of Reclamation to get more water released from the Harry Strunk Reservoir to replenish the canal.

Furnas County Sheriff Doug Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/crime-not-clear-in-furnas-county-s-16-million-gallon-whodunit/article_155ec3d0-75cd-59a9-bae9-d768a167988a.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">told</a>&nbsp;the Lincoln Journal Star that he could only guess why someone would release the water.

“There are a lot of different scenarios and theories,” he said. “But there is no evidence to lean one way or another, so all theories are still viable.”

Edgerton said he thinks the sheriff is following up on every rumor he hears but so far is stumped.

“I don’t believe they’re any closer to solving it,” he said Thursday.

It’s not clear if any state law governs the act of releasing canal water back into a river — or provides penalties — but Furnas County Attorney Patrick Calkins said he’ll try to find one if the sheriff does find out who grabbed the hand crank wheel from where it hung nearby and used it to open the gates.

“If we get information on who did this, I’d look at charging that person with something,” Calkins said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661512472930.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Associated PressFURNAS COUNTY, Neb. — Authorities in Nebraska are trying to determine who released 16 million gallons of water by opening a dam on an irrigation channel one night this month — and why.The puzzling water release from the Cambridge Canal reduced the flow to some 18,000 acres of crops and jeopardized expensive irrigation equipment, according to Brad Edgerton, the general manager of the Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District that runs the nearly 48-mile-long waterway.The canal was flowing at its normal rate of 150 cubic feet per second when Edgerton checked on his computer on the night of Aug. 13, but by the following morning the flow had been cut in half. Something had happened at the canal's dam near the town of Cambridge, about 200 miles west of Lincoln.Edgerton drove there and discovered that someone had wrenched open the dam’s two 10-foot sluice gates, sending the precious water down the Republican River. He estimates that about 50-acre-feet of water was lost during the roughly eight hours that the gates were open, and that the water was worth around $2,600 based on the $52-per-acre-foot price that farmers pay.“It was an unfortunate situation. In the scheme of things, it wasn’t a lot of water, but it was an inconvenience,” he said.Edgerton scrambled to notify farmers downstream about the problem, called the sheriff and contacted the Bureau of Reclamation to get more water released from the Harry Strunk Reservoir to replenish the canal.Furnas County Sheriff Doug Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/crime-not-clear-in-furnas-county-s-16-million-gallon-whodunit/article_155ec3d0-75cd-59a9-bae9-d768a167988a.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">told</a>&nbsp;the Lincoln Journal Star that he could only guess why someone would release the water.“There are a lot of different scenarios and theories,” he said. “But there is no evidence to lean one way or another, so all theories are still viable.”Edgerton said he thinks the sheriff is following up on every rumor he hears but so far is stumped.“I don’t believe they’re any closer to solving it,” he said Thursday.It’s not clear if any state law governs the act of releasing canal water back into a river — or provides penalties — but Furnas County Attorney Patrick Calkins said he’ll try to find one if the sheriff does find out who grabbed the hand crank wheel from where it hung nearby and used it to open the gates.“If we get information on who did this, I’d look at charging that person with something,” Calkins said.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ffurnascountysheriff%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0AJHRKr1f1izb1Mu47JVVdCpFwQzZ3oY8fHnvuLvxUP6Y1BAjMMyiG2gkBeGZJLB1l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="252" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Nebraska authorities baffled by missing canal water mystery

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating an attempted ATM theft have made a second arrest.&nbsp; Just after 12:30p.m. Thursday, police located 43-year-old Michael E. Frink of Topeka in the 1500 block of South Kansas Avenue, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Just after 5a.m. August 11, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a burglary alarm at a bank in the 1700 block of North Washington Street in Auburn, Kansas, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Deputies learned there was an attempted theft of an ATM. A K9 Unit located the suspect vehicle that refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated. The vehicle pursuit ended in the 5700 block of Southwest Urish Road and suspects fled.

The Shawnee County Sheriff's office asked residents from SW Fairlawn Road to Southwest Urish Road and Southwest 41st Street to Southwest 77th street, to be aware of any suspicious activity or individuals.

Just after 6p.m. that day, the sheriff's office reported they had arrested 35-year-old&nbsp; Trimaine Munroe Baker on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated criminal damage &gt;$5K; intent to obtain currency from automated cash dispenser/ATM, theft, burglary and&nbsp; Criminal damage to property; Without consent value $1000 to $25,000, according to online jail records.

"Thanks to assistance from citizens reporting timely information to deputies, Baker was apprehended near Southwest&nbsp; 53rd Street and Southwest Wanamaker Road, " according to Christian.&nbsp; The sheriff's&nbsp; office K9 units and drone operators assisted in this search, along with the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Aircraft Unit and the Topeka Police Department.

Frink is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and on requested charges of flee and elude, burglary, criminal damage, theft, attempted theft and criminal damage over $25,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660265229824.png" alt="The damaged ATM at Landmark Bank 1741 N. Washington in Auburn, Kansas --photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>The damaged ATM at Landmark Bank 1741 N. Washington in Auburn, Kansas --photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating an attempted ATM theft have made a second arrest.&nbsp; Just after 12:30p.m. Thursday, police located 43-year-old Michael E. Frink of Topeka in the 1500 block of South Kansas Avenue, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660335348360.png" alt="Frink-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Frink-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 5a.m. August 11, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a burglary alarm at a bank in the 1700 block of North Washington Street in Auburn, Kansas, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Deputies learned there was an attempted theft of an ATM. A K9 Unit located the suspect vehicle that refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated. The vehicle pursuit ended in the 5700 block of Southwest Urish Road and suspects fled.The Shawnee County Sheriff's office asked residents from SW Fairlawn Road to Southwest Urish Road and Southwest 41st Street to Southwest 77th street, to be aware of any suspicious activity or individuals.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660304454814.png" alt="Baker-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Baker-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 6p.m. that day, the sheriff's office reported they had arrested 35-year-old&nbsp; Trimaine Munroe Baker on requested charges of&nbsp;Aggravated criminal damage &gt;$5K; intent to obtain currency from automated cash dispenser/ATM, theft, burglary and&nbsp; Criminal damage to property; Without consent value $1000 to $25,000, according to online jail records."Thanks to assistance from citizens reporting timely information to deputies, Baker was apprehended near Southwest&nbsp; 53rd Street and Southwest Wanamaker Road, " according to Christian.&nbsp; The sheriff's&nbsp; office K9 units and drone operators assisted in this search, along with the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Aircraft Unit and the Topeka Police Department.Frink is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and on requested charges of flee and elude, burglary, criminal damage, theft, attempted theft and criminal damage over $25,000.

Police capture wanted Kansas ATM theft suspect 

The Biden Administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/" target="_blank">recently announced</a>
 that the federal government will cancel up to $20,000 of Federal 
student loans per person. Millions of Americans will be recipients of 
the student loan debt relief; unfortunately, this creates an excellent 
opportunity for scammers. See our <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/18066-scam-alert-student-loan-forgiveness" target="_blank">recent warning about student loan forgiveness scams</a>.

As student loan holders navigate the new forgiveness program, con 
artists will undoubtedly be there to take advantage of any confusion. It
 happens with any big government initiative, including the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/23475-bbb-scam-alert-as-covid-19-vaccine-rolls-out-scammers-cash-in" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccine roll-out</a>, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/24672-bbb-scam-alert-watch-out-for-false-promises-as-eviction-moratoriums-end" target="_blank">eviction moratorium</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/business/23585-bbb-scam-alert-covid-relief-scams-target-small-business-owners" target="_blank">pandemic relief programs</a>. Always be sure to do your research before sharing any personal information. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tips to avoid student loan forgiveness scams

Read more on BBB.org about <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22444-bbb-tip-new-college-grads-watch-out-for-these-scams" target="_blank">scams targeting recent college graduates</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22776-government-impostors-press-release" target="_blank">government impostors</a>. Get further insight by reading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tips on loans</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14106-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-services" target="_blank">credit repair services</a>.&nbsp;

If you’ve spotted a student loan forgiveness scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BBBThe Biden Administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/" target="_blank">recently announced</a>
 that the federal government will cancel up to $20,000 of Federal 
student loans per person. Millions of Americans will be recipients of 
the student loan debt relief; unfortunately, this creates an excellent 
opportunity for scammers. See our <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/18066-scam-alert-student-loan-forgiveness" target="_blank">recent warning about student loan forgiveness scams</a>.As student loan holders navigate the new forgiveness program, con 
artists will undoubtedly be there to take advantage of any confusion. It
 happens with any big government initiative, including the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/23475-bbb-scam-alert-as-covid-19-vaccine-rolls-out-scammers-cash-in" target="_blank">COVID-19 vaccine roll-out</a>, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/24672-bbb-scam-alert-watch-out-for-false-promises-as-eviction-moratoriums-end" target="_blank">eviction moratorium</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/business/23585-bbb-scam-alert-covid-relief-scams-target-small-business-owners" target="_blank">pandemic relief programs</a>. Always be sure to do your research before sharing any personal information. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Tips to avoid student loan forgiveness scams</h2><ul>
 <li>Get to know the terms of your student loan and the relief program before acting. Always
 do your research before sharing personal information. Be sure to 
understand the ins and outs of your specific loan, as well as how 
student loan relief impacts you. Go straight to official government 
websites, such as <a href="https://www.ed.gov" target="_blank">ED.gov</a> and <a href="https://www.studentaid.gov" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a>, for information. </li><li>Never pay money for a free government program.&nbsp;Scammers often <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16920-bbb-tip-government-grant-scam" target="_blank">trick victims into paying</a>
 for free government programs – or they claim you can get additional 
benefits, faster benefits, etc., for a fee. A real government agency 
will not ask for an advanced processing fee. These are all red flags of a
 scam. </li><li>Be wary of out-of-the-blue calls, emails or text messages claiming to be from the government. In general, the government will not contact you using these methods unless you grant permission. </li><li>Watch out for phony government agencies or programs. If
 you speak to someone claiming to be a government representative who is 
offering you student loan relief, do some research before you agree to 
anything. Scammers often make up <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16920-bbb-tip-government-grant-scam" target="_blank">look-alike government websites</a> that sound similar to legitimate agencies or programs.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Think something seems suspicious? Reach out to the agency directly.
 If you have any concerns about an alleged government representative's 
legitimacy, hang up the phone or stop emailing/texting. Then, report the
 suspicious calls or messages. Then, find the official contact 
information (look on <a href="https://www.ed.gov" target="_blank">ED.gov</a> and <a href="https://www.studentaid.gov" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a> or other official sites) and call to verify. </li><li>Be careful, even if the information comes from a friend.&nbsp;Even
 if a close friend or family member you trust sent you the information 
regarding student loan relief, make sure the claims are real first. 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BBB received many reports of <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/2012-bbb-scam-alert-imposters-using-facebook-for-covid-grant-scams" target="_blank">hacked social media accounts</a> being used to spread government impostor scams. </li>
 </ul><h2>For more information:</h2>Read more on BBB.org about <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22444-bbb-tip-new-college-grads-watch-out-for-these-scams" target="_blank">scams targeting recent college graduates</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22776-government-impostors-press-release" target="_blank">government impostors</a>. Get further insight by reading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tips on loans</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14106-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-services" target="_blank">credit repair services</a>.&nbsp;If you’ve spotted a student loan forgiveness scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams.

Student loan forgiveness is here. Here’s how to avoid scams

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Attorneys for a Colorado woman accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson in 2020 have requested a second evaluation of her mental health after the judge in the case received a state evaluation.

Letecia Stauch has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of Gannon Stauch.&nbsp;After her March 2020 arrest in South Carolina Stauch was held in the Saline County, Kansas jail on her return to Colorado.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Gregory Werner set a Sept. 15 hearing after defense attorneys challenged the state report and requested that Stauch be evaluated again by defense-appointed psychiatrists,&nbsp;<a href="https://gazette.com/news/courts/letecia-stauch-deemed-sane-in-mental-health-evaluation-but-trial-on-hold/article_113ac830-247b-11ed-9969-2744676d63c6.html">The Gazette reported</a>.

The report on the sanity evaluation at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo wasn't released.

Prosecutors last year presented alleged evidence linking Stauch to the January 2020 murder. They said that investigators found Gannon’s blood on Stauch’s shoe, found her DNA on a gun linked to his death and learned that she traveled to the Florida Panhandle shortly after he disappeared. The child’s remains were found there in March 2020, authorities have said.

Defense attorneys had sought to create doubt that Stauch committed the murder by suggesting someone else could have entered their Colorado Springs home around the time Gannon died.

Stauch is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with physical evidence.

After her March 2020 arrest in South Carolina Stauch was held in the Saline County jail on her return to Colorado.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583413880453.png" alt="After her March 2020 arrest in South Carolina, Letecia Stauch was held in the Saline County jail on her return to Colorado -Photo Saline County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>After her March 2020 arrest in South Carolina, Letecia Stauch was held in the Saline County jail on her return to Colorado -Photo Saline County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Attorneys for a Colorado woman accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson in 2020 have requested a second evaluation of her mental health after the judge in the case received a state evaluation.Letecia Stauch has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of Gannon Stauch.&nbsp;After her March 2020 arrest in South Carolina Stauch was held in the Saline County, Kansas jail on her return to Colorado.Fourth Judicial District Judge Gregory Werner set a Sept. 15 hearing after defense attorneys challenged the state report and requested that Stauch be evaluated again by defense-appointed psychiatrists,&nbsp;<a href="https://gazette.com/news/courts/letecia-stauch-deemed-sane-in-mental-health-evaluation-but-trial-on-hold/article_113ac830-247b-11ed-9969-2744676d63c6.html">The Gazette reported</a>.The report on the sanity evaluation at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo wasn't released.Prosecutors last year presented alleged evidence linking Stauch to the January 2020 murder. They said that investigators found Gannon’s blood on Stauch’s shoe, found her DNA on a gun linked to his death and learned that she traveled to the Florida Panhandle shortly after he disappeared. The child’s remains were found there in March 2020, authorities have said.Defense attorneys had sought to create doubt that Stauch committed the murder by suggesting someone else could have entered their Colorado Springs home around the time Gannon died.Stauch is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with physical evidence.After her March 2020 arrest in South Carolina Stauch was held in the Saline County jail on her return to Colorado.

Trial on hold for woman charged in stepson's death

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is set to release Friday a heavily blacked out document explaining the justification for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">FBI search</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate earlier this month, when agents removed top secret government records and other classified documents.

The document, expected by noon, is likely to offer at least some new details about an ongoing criminal investigation that has brought fresh legal peril for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;just as he lays the groundwork for another presidential run. Though Justice Department officials are expected to have removed sensitive details about witnesses, and the scope and direction of the probe, the affidavit may offer the fullest explanation yet about the events leading up to the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago.

The document being released is the redacted form of an affidavit, or sworn statement, that the FBI submitted to a judge so it could obtain a warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out to a judge the justification for why they want to search a particular property and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there. But affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations, making the judge’s decision to reveal portions of it all the more striking.

In an acknowledgment of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart on Thursday ordered the department by Friday to make public a redacted version of the affidavit. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-providing-redacted-trump-affidavit-a734bd242eef7f9a47fc11293c35e396">directive</a>&nbsp;came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward.

The redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation, lessening the likelihood that the document will offer a comprehensive look at the basis for the unprecedented search or significant insights about the direction of the probe. Yet even a redacted affidavit can contain at least some fresh revelations about the investigation, and is likely to help explain why federal agents who had tried for months to recover sensitive government records from Mar-a-Lago ultimately felt compelled to obtain a search warrant.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;show the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level. They also show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.

It's possible that the affidavit, particularly in its unredacted form, could shed light on key unanswered questions, including why sensitive presidential documents — classified documents, among them — were transported to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House and why Trump and his representatives did not supply the entire tranche of material to the National Archives and Records Administration despite repeated entreaties.

It could also offer additional details on the back-and-forth between Trump and the FBI, including a subpoena for documents that was issued last spring, as well as a June visit by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the materials were being stored.

The Justice Department had earlier contested arguments by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, saying the disclosure could contain private information about witnesses and about investigative tactics. But Reinhart, acknowledging the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, said last week that he was disinclined to keep the entire document sealed and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make.

In his order Thursday, Reinhart said the department had made compelling arguments to leave sealed broad swaths of the document that, if disclosed, would reveal grand jury information; the identities of witnesses and “uncharged parties"; and details about the investigation's “strategy, direction, scope, sources and methods.”

But he also said he was satisfied “that the Government has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the Government’s legitimate interest in the integrity of the ongoing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire Affidavit.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to make public a redacted version of the affidavit it relied on when federal agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to look for classified documents.

The directive from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward. The judge set a deadline of noon Friday for a redacted, or blacked-out, version of the document.

The order means the public could soon get at least some additional details about what led FBI officials to search Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 as part of an investigation into classified documents being retained at the Palm Beach property.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;as part of the investigation show that the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level.

Still, the redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation and unprecedented nature of the search, so it's unlikely that the public will receive a detailed glimpse of the basis for the search or the direction of the probe.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-3c956774e0930c6f9c2c8591c43cfddc">department had contested arguments</a>&nbsp;by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, but a judge last week said he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-west-palm-beach-bf4bd77e66e22d0b089a2a56c4ffc9a7">disinclined to keep the entire document sealed</a>&nbsp;and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make. Even so, he acknowledged that the blacked-out portions might be so extensive as to leave the public version of the document without any meaningful information.

Multiple news media organizations, including The Associated Press, argued in court last week for the disclosure of the affidavit, citing the extraordinary public interest in the federal search of a former president's home. Trump and some of his supporters have also encouraged the document's release.

After the Justice Department submitted its filing under seal on Thursday, the media coalition responded by asking the judge to unseal portions of the department's brief and to direct the government, “going forward," to file publicly a redacted version of any sealed document it submits. The groups noted that significant information about the investigation is already public.

“At a minimum, any portions of the Brief that recite those facts about the investigation, without revealing additional ones not yet publicly available — in addition to any other portions that pose no threat to the investigation — should be unsealed,” the news organizations wrote.

They added, “If and when additional facts come to light and are confirmed to be accurate, or certain facts no longer pose a threat to the investigation for any other reason, there is no justification for maintaining them under seal either.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660337904040.jpeg" alt="The receipt for property that was seized during the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)" />
 <figcaption>The receipt for property that was seized during the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is set to release Friday a heavily blacked out document explaining the justification for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">FBI search</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate earlier this month, when agents removed top secret government records and other classified documents.The document, expected by noon, is likely to offer at least some new details about an ongoing criminal investigation that has brought fresh legal peril for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;just as he lays the groundwork for another presidential run. Though Justice Department officials are expected to have removed sensitive details about witnesses, and the scope and direction of the probe, the affidavit may offer the fullest explanation yet about the events leading up to the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago.The document being released is the redacted form of an affidavit, or sworn statement, that the FBI submitted to a judge so it could obtain a warrant to search Trump's property. Affidavits typically contain vital information about an investigation, with agents spelling out to a judge the justification for why they want to search a particular property and why they believe they’re likely to find evidence of a potential crime there. But affidavits routinely remain sealed during pending investigations, making the judge’s decision to reveal portions of it all the more striking.In an acknowledgment of the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart on Thursday ordered the department by Friday to make public a redacted version of the affidavit. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-providing-redacted-trump-affidavit-a734bd242eef7f9a47fc11293c35e396">directive</a>&nbsp;came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward.The redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation, lessening the likelihood that the document will offer a comprehensive look at the basis for the unprecedented search or significant insights about the direction of the probe. Yet even a redacted affidavit can contain at least some fresh revelations about the investigation, and is likely to help explain why federal agents who had tried for months to recover sensitive government records from Mar-a-Lago ultimately felt compelled to obtain a search warrant.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;show the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level. They also show that federal agents are investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.It's possible that the affidavit, particularly in its unredacted form, could shed light on key unanswered questions, including why sensitive presidential documents — classified documents, among them — were transported to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House and why Trump and his representatives did not supply the entire tranche of material to the National Archives and Records Administration despite repeated entreaties.It could also offer additional details on the back-and-forth between Trump and the FBI, including a subpoena for documents that was issued last spring, as well as a June visit by FBI and Justice Department officials to assess how the materials were being stored.The Justice Department had earlier contested arguments by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, saying the disclosure could contain private information about witnesses and about investigative tactics. But Reinhart, acknowledging the extraordinary public interest in the investigation, said last week that he was disinclined to keep the entire document sealed and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make.In his order Thursday, Reinhart said the department had made compelling arguments to leave sealed broad swaths of the document that, if disclosed, would reveal grand jury information; the identities of witnesses and “uncharged parties"; and details about the investigation's “strategy, direction, scope, sources and methods.”But he also said he was satisfied “that the Government has met its burden of showing that its proposed redactions are narrowly tailored to serve the Government’s legitimate interest in the integrity of the ongoing investigation and are the least onerous alternative to sealing the entire Affidavit.”------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to make public a redacted version of the affidavit it relied on when federal agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to look for classified documents.The directive from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart came hours after federal law enforcement officials submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward. The judge set a deadline of noon Friday for a redacted, or blacked-out, version of the document.The order means the public could soon get at least some additional details about what led FBI officials to search Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8 as part of an investigation into classified documents being retained at the Palm Beach property.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22131425-mar-a-lago-search-documents">Documents already made public</a>&nbsp;as part of the investigation show that the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level.Still, the redactions proposed by the Justice Department are likely to be extensive given the sensitivity of the investigation and unprecedented nature of the search, so it's unlikely that the public will receive a detailed glimpse of the basis for the search or the direction of the probe.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-3c956774e0930c6f9c2c8591c43cfddc">department had contested arguments</a>&nbsp;by media organizations to make any portion of the affidavit public, but a judge last week said he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-west-palm-beach-bf4bd77e66e22d0b089a2a56c4ffc9a7">disinclined to keep the entire document sealed</a>&nbsp;and told federal officials to submit to him in private the redactions it wanted to make. Even so, he acknowledged that the blacked-out portions might be so extensive as to leave the public version of the document without any meaningful information.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660098153905.png" alt="Earlier this month, former President Trump delivered keynote remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Earlier this month, former President Trump delivered keynote remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Multiple news media organizations, including The Associated Press, argued in court last week for the disclosure of the affidavit, citing the extraordinary public interest in the federal search of a former president's home. Trump and some of his supporters have also encouraged the document's release.After the Justice Department submitted its filing under seal on Thursday, the media coalition responded by asking the judge to unseal portions of the department's brief and to direct the government, “going forward," to file publicly a redacted version of any sealed document it submits. The groups noted that significant information about the investigation is already public.“At a minimum, any portions of the Brief that recite those facts about the investigation, without revealing additional ones not yet publicly available — in addition to any other portions that pose no threat to the investigation — should be unsealed,” the news organizations wrote.They added, “If and when additional facts come to light and are confirmed to be accurate, or certain facts no longer pose a threat to the investigation for any other reason, there is no justification for maintaining them under seal either.”

Trump search redacted affidavit set to be released

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in many areas of the state are investigating&nbsp; reports of a post office scam.

According to the Garden City&nbsp; Police Department, citizens are receiving text and email notifications claiming to be from the United State's Postal Service stating they are having issues with the customer's delivery address and request your personal information to have your package(s) redelivered. 

In these notifications, the customers are provided a link to verify their address and reschedule delivery. 

Clicking on the link, however, will take you to a page where it asks for your personal information and request payment to have your package redelivered. 

Other law enforcement agencies in Kansas have encountered this scam, and citizens have also received scam calls and letters appearing to be from the Postal Service.

The Post Office will not ask for this information. Police warn&nbsp; not to give out your personal or financial information. If you have questions or believe you have been a victim of fraud, contact police. If you have given out your financial information, contact your bank and/or credit card company immediately. You can also call your local post office directly to verify the status of your parcel(s).

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in many areas of the state are investigating&nbsp; reports of a post office scam.According to the Garden City&nbsp; Police Department, citizens are receiving text and email notifications claiming to be from the United State's Postal Service stating they are having issues with the customer's delivery address and request your personal information to have your package(s) redelivered. In these notifications, the customers are provided a link to verify their address and reschedule delivery. Clicking on the link, however, will take you to a page where it asks for your personal information and request payment to have your package redelivered. Other law enforcement agencies in Kansas have encountered this scam, and citizens have also received scam calls and letters appearing to be from the Postal Service.The Post Office will not ask for this information. Police warn&nbsp; not to give out your personal or financial information. If you have questions or believe you have been a victim of fraud, contact police. If you have given out your financial information, contact your bank and/or credit card company immediately. You can also call your local post office directly to verify the status of your parcel(s).

Police investigate post office delivery scam in Kansas

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss believes that the student loan forgiveness plan from the Biden administration will have an impact on inflation.

"The expected $300 billion, which would now be, instead of the individuals paying off their loans to the government or other lending institutions, they will be buying other things, going out to restaurants or whatever," Goss said. "It will increase demand for those products and will add to inflation. Now, the impact is still up in the air, but it certainly will contribute to inflation."

Goss also can see how that might delay the return of some borrowers to the workforce.

"It certainly could have an impact on what we economists call the participation rate," Goss said. "We've already seen other programs, stimulus programs that had that same impact, encouraging individuals to engage in what we say, leisure, instead of working. The gap between what you get paid for leisure and not working and what you get paid for working is just too small."

Goss admits that higher education, including the school he works for, is complicit in the student loan debt problem.

"In my judgment, it's a real transfer of income, at least to universities," Goss said. "Universities have huge endowments and they continue, we continue, I'm part of that group, we continue our tuition. If you raise the lending to students, we tend to raise our tuition."

If the student loan forgiveness contributes to inflation as Goss expects, then it will likely take further work from the Federal Reserve in raising interest rates to get the economy to continue to cool down.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622642233344.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss believes that the student loan forgiveness plan from the Biden administration will have an impact on inflation."The expected $300 billion, which would now be, instead of the individuals paying off their loans to the government or other lending institutions, they will be buying other things, going out to restaurants or whatever," Goss said. "It will increase demand for those products and will add to inflation. Now, the impact is still up in the air, but it certainly will contribute to inflation."Goss also can see how that might delay the return of some borrowers to the workforce."It certainly could have an impact on what we economists call the participation rate," Goss said. "We've already seen other programs, stimulus programs that had that same impact, encouraging individuals to engage in what we say, leisure, instead of working. The gap between what you get paid for leisure and not working and what you get paid for working is just too small."Goss admits that higher education, including the school he works for, is complicit in the student loan debt problem."In my judgment, it's a real transfer of income, at least to universities," Goss said. "Universities have huge endowments and they continue, we continue, I'm part of that group, we continue our tuition. If you raise the lending to students, we tend to raise our tuition."If the student loan forgiveness contributes to inflation as Goss expects, then it will likely take further work from the Federal Reserve in raising interest rates to get the economy to continue to cool down.

Goss: Student loan forgiveness could have inflation, employment impact

KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City-area man has been charged in the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man in Independence on Sunday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced Wednesday.

Jayvon D. Rabb, 23, Independence, faces Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records filed today, Independence police were dispatched to the intersection of 14th Street and Scott in an Independence apartment complex on a reported fatal shooting. Officers found two deceased men at the scene. The defendant told police that he admitted to firing his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground.&nbsp;

Prosecutors requested a $300,000 cash-only bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661290244340.png" alt="Rabb-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Rabb-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— A Kansas City-area man has been charged in the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man in Independence on Sunday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced Wednesday.Jayvon D. Rabb, 23, Independence, faces Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records filed today, Independence police were dispatched to the intersection of 14th Street and Scott in an Independence apartment complex on a reported fatal shooting. Officers found two deceased men at the scene. The defendant told police that he admitted to firing his weapon at the victim while the victim was on the ground.&nbsp;Prosecutors requested a $300,000 cash-only bond.

Kansas City-area man admits firing fatal shot at victim on the ground

JOHNSON COUNTY—A small plane made an emergency landing just after 5p.m. Thursday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp;&nbsp;single engine Cessna 172 E piloted by Bruce A. Gatton, 72,&nbsp; Apollo Beach, Florida, was taking off for the pilots two year review. 

The plane was climbing and the engine died. The pilot saw the open field&nbsp; and landed the plane without damage at&nbsp;18970 Edgerton Road.

Gatton and a passenger James R. Dexter, 68, Olathe, were not injured.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661477084823.png" alt="Google map" />
 <figcaption>Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A small plane made an emergency landing just after 5p.m. Thursday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp;&nbsp;single engine Cessna 172 E piloted by Bruce A. Gatton, 72,&nbsp; Apollo Beach, Florida, was taking off for the pilots two year review. The plane was climbing and the engine died. The pilot saw the open field&nbsp; and landed the plane without damage at&nbsp;18970 Edgerton Road.Gatton and a passenger James R. Dexter, 68, Olathe, were not injured.

Small plane makes emergency landing in Kansas field

KANSAS CITY —The Missouri Supreme Court has set a Nov. 29 execution date for a man who shot and killed a suburban St. Louis police sergeant in 2005.

The court announced Wednesday that Kevin Johnson, 36, is scheduled to die by lethal injection for the death of 43-year-old Kirkwood Police Sgt. Bill McEntee.

The execution date comes despite opposition from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which wants a special prosecutor to investigate whether Johnson’s conviction and death sentence resulted from racial bias.

Johnson, who was 19 when he shot McEntee, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-government-and-politics-27917870336346e0b7f01ec8b74e8219">convicted of first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;after his second trial in 2008. His first trial ended in a hung jury.

On July 5, 2005, police were looking for Johnson on an alleged probation violation when his 12-year-old brother suffered a seizure at their home. Several officers, including McEntee, responded to the medical emergency. Johnson's brother later died at a hospital from a heart condition.

When McEntee, a 20-year veteran, returned to the neighborhood later that day to investigate a report about fireworks, Johnson shot him several times in front of witnesses, according to court records.

Then-St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch argued that Johnson believed officers had not done enough to help his brother earlier in the day and shot McEntee, the father of three, in revenge.

Johnson testified at both trials that he was in a trance-like state caused by his brother's death when he shot McEntee.

Johnson's attorneys appealed his conviction on several issues, including whether he lacked the deliberation necessary for a first-degree murder conviction.

The U.S. Supreme Court in March declined to hear the case, leading to the setting of the execution date.

Johnson's attorney, Shawn Nolan, said in a statement that Johnson's execution was the result of racial bias in McCulloch's administration. She said Johnson, who is Black, is remorseful and has been a model prisoner who does not deserve the death penalty.

Because the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's office agrees that Johnson's conviction and death sentence should be investigated, "the court should not have scheduled his execution," Nolan said. "We plan to pursue all available avenues for judicial relief and executive clemency on Kevin’s behalf.”

Johnson's execution would be the second this year in Missouri. Carman Deck, 56, of the St. Louis area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-st-louis-sentencing-missouri-30fa4991720e49efc6690f4c99244061">was put to death in May</a>&nbsp;for the killings of James and Zelma Long in in their home near De Soto in 1996.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661445268889.png" alt="Johnson-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Missouri Supreme Court has set a Nov. 29 execution date for a man who shot and killed a suburban St. Louis police sergeant in 2005.The court announced Wednesday that Kevin Johnson, 36, is scheduled to die by lethal injection for the death of 43-year-old Kirkwood Police Sgt. Bill McEntee.The execution date comes despite opposition from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which wants a special prosecutor to investigate whether Johnson’s conviction and death sentence resulted from racial bias.Johnson, who was 19 when he shot McEntee, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-government-and-politics-27917870336346e0b7f01ec8b74e8219">convicted of first-degree murder</a>&nbsp;after his second trial in 2008. His first trial ended in a hung jury.On July 5, 2005, police were looking for Johnson on an alleged probation violation when his 12-year-old brother suffered a seizure at their home. Several officers, including McEntee, responded to the medical emergency. Johnson's brother later died at a hospital from a heart condition.When McEntee, a 20-year veteran, returned to the neighborhood later that day to investigate a report about fireworks, Johnson shot him several times in front of witnesses, according to court records.Then-St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch argued that Johnson believed officers had not done enough to help his brother earlier in the day and shot McEntee, the father of three, in revenge.Johnson testified at both trials that he was in a trance-like state caused by his brother's death when he shot McEntee.Johnson's attorneys appealed his conviction on several issues, including whether he lacked the deliberation necessary for a first-degree murder conviction.The U.S. Supreme Court in March declined to hear the case, leading to the setting of the execution date.Johnson's attorney, Shawn Nolan, said in a statement that Johnson's execution was the result of racial bias in McCulloch's administration. She said Johnson, who is Black, is remorseful and has been a model prisoner who does not deserve the death penalty.Because the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's office agrees that Johnson's conviction and death sentence should be investigated, "the court should not have scheduled his execution," Nolan said. "We plan to pursue all available avenues for judicial relief and executive clemency on Kevin’s behalf.”Johnson's execution would be the second this year in Missouri. Carman Deck, 56, of the St. Louis area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-st-louis-sentencing-missouri-30fa4991720e49efc6690f4c99244061">was put to death in May</a>&nbsp;for the killings of James and Zelma Long in in their home near De Soto in 1996.

Court sets execution date for man who shot police officer

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Riley County Police Department has posted a warning on their social media accounts, letting the community know of an increase in overdoses presumably due to fake pills.

RCPD said authorities have responded to four overdoses in the last week, with two of them involving juveniles, one of them occurring at Manhattan High School during school hours.

RCPD said the overdoses are presumed to be caused by the individuals taking fake, pressed prescription pills containing Fentanyl.

Fentanyl has reached the top of the list for cause of death in Americans between the ages of 18 to 45 in just one year.

RCPD recommends parents have a conversation with their children about how dangerous the fake pills can be.

RCPD says if someone overdoses, that person is not a suspect in the investigation, their goal is to identify, apprehend and prosecute the individual(s) who are distributing the fake pills.

If you have any information about the distribution of these counterfeit pills you can submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777 or contact RCPD at (785) 537-2112 and ask to speak with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostMANHATTAN, Kan. — The Riley County Police Department has posted a warning on their social media accounts, letting the community know of an increase in overdoses presumably due to fake pills.RCPD said authorities have responded to four overdoses in the last week, with two of them involving juveniles, one of them occurring at Manhattan High School during school hours.RCPD said the overdoses are presumed to be caused by the individuals taking fake, pressed prescription pills containing Fentanyl.Fentanyl has reached the top of the list for cause of death in Americans between the ages of 18 to 45 in just one year.RCPD recommends parents have a conversation with their children about how dangerous the fake pills can be.RCPD says if someone overdoses, that person is not a suspect in the investigation, their goal is to identify, apprehend and prosecute the individual(s) who are distributing the fake pills.If you have any information about the distribution of these counterfeit pills you can submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777 or contact RCPD at (785) 537-2112 and ask to speak with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).An anonymous report can be <a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353&amp;fbclid=IwAR1SmeNcAmJq6V73iTieGr6GsaItdeNqOF4Mmq_WqGoWMo3Cg1urOwzr9bg">submitted online using this link</a>.Additional details can be found in the post below by RileyCountyPD.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRileyCountyPD%2Fposts%2Fpfbid035Ggzs3RyZf8wuMTeB5aneUPSYgX97464pyFH12FmYd9dTLrWSXhUvE1sMcfKDzHSl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="757" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>