Representatives give preliminary approval by a vote of 77-42

By NOAH TABORDA and SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/16/house-republicans-push-for-kansas-voters-to-limit-executive-branch-authority-agency-regulations/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Republican representatives are eager Wednesday to approve a 
constitutional amendment that could provide legislators with new powers 
over the executive branch should it receive Senate and public approval.

If passed by two-thirds of the House and Senate and approved by a vote of the people of Kansas, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/HCR5014/">the resolution</a>
 proposed would amend article 1 of the Kansas state constitution. By 
adding a new section to the constitution, the measure provides the 
Legislature a new authority to set and revoke new rules within state 
agencies housed under the executive branch.

Throughout the debate, House Republicans batted away concerns over 
the effect of the provisions on the separation of powers and amendment 
to place other issues like Medicaid expansion and legalizing Marijuana 
on the ballot.

“We’ve been given broad authority to not only carry out the law but 
also to create it,” said Rep. Barbra Wasinger, R-Hays. “This amendment 
approves that legislative oversight and allows us to be responsible for 
creating laws.”

The measure received preliminary approval 77-42 with five Republicans
 — Rep. Dave Baker, of Council Grove; Rep. Owen Donohoe, of Shawnee; 
Rep. Boyd Orr, of Fowler; Rep. Mark Schreiber, of Emporia;&nbsp;and Rep. John
 Wheeler, of Garden City — voting against it. The measure will need 84 
votes tomorrow to pass.

If passed by the House and Senate, the constitutional amendment would be on the general election ballot in 2022.

Republicans are motivated primarily by a recent decision by the 
Kansas Department of Labor to add or amend six regulations regarding 
workers’ compensation. The decision drew the frustrations of several 
business groups and legislators <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/22/kansas-republican-lawmakers-target-bureaucratic-government-regulations-pro-workers-compensation/8643706002/">during a November hearing</a> who believed the regulations impeded statute and legislative authority.

Currently, the Legislature can only adopt a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/statute/077_000_0000_chapter/077_004_0000_article/077_004_0026_section/077_004_0026_k/">concurrent resolution expressing concern or requesting the revocation of a regulation</a>. The rules and regulations committee issues comments and recommendations on proposals from these agencies.

However, Rep. Boog Highberger, a Lawrence Democrat, said the systems 
in place already function to address any overreach in regulations by 
executive branch agencies.

“I think it’s clear that if there’s a problem in the system, it’s 
sent to the attorney general’s office, and the problem needs to be fixed
 there,” Highberger said. “I’ve been involved in the process during my 
time in state government over the years. It really works, and there are a
 lot of checks and balances on it, a lot of guardrails.”

A 1984 Kansas Supreme Court ruling held that a previous measure 
allowing the Legislature to suspend or revoke administrative rule was 
unconstitutional because it violated the separation of powers.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office signed off on the legality of
 this new resolution in July, after the state’s budget office and 
Department of Administration signed off in January.

House Speaker Ron Ryckman told House Republicans in a meeting before 
the House session Wednesday that Schmidt came up with the idea that 
“basically eliminates the fourth branch of government,” a reference to 
employees at state agencies who determine how to carry out the laws 
passed by the Legislature. Schmidt, a Republican, is running against 
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly in this year’s election.

Ryckman asked House Republicans if they want “these folks” to make 
decisions like closing churches, shutting down businesses and giving 
overseas fraudsters money from the unemployment fund, or allow the 
Legislature to have a final say.

“It doesn’t matter who the governor is,” Ryckman said. “Bureaucrats 
have been here longer than us. They’ll stay here longer than us.”

The proposed constitutional amendment would not apply to the examples
 Ryckman provided. The governor closed churches and shut down businesses
 in April 2020 through executive orders in response to COVID-19. Bogus 
unemployment claims were filed in every state.

Majority Leader Dan Hawkins told Republican representatives prior to debate that he is “really passionate” about securing the ability to usurp the authority of the executive branch.

He said the committee that oversees rules and regulations can voice 
complaints, but bureaucrats at state agencies rarely listen. The 
committee lacks the power to block new rules and regulations from taking
 effect.

“It doesn’t make any difference what the governor is,” Hawkins said. 
“Those bureaucrats stay year in and year out, and they literally change 
the course of any law they want.”

Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, said if the amendment was such a 
pressing need, the measure ought to be on the August 2022 ballot,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/attorney-general-seeks-abortion-appeal-delay-until-after-constitutional-amendment-vote/">alongside the Value Them Both Amendment</a>.

When an amendment to do just that failed, Carmichael asked to push the vote back until after the gubernatorial election.

“In the event Derek Schmidt should be our governor, people can decide
 whether or not they want to do to Derek Schmidt what this is designed 
to do to Laura Kelly, because it’s bad legislation,” Carmichael told 
House Democrats in a meeting before the debate.

Other amendments offered by Democrats during the deliberation also 
fell short, including a revision to allow the governor the authority to 
veto a revocation, subject to a supermajority vote from the Legislature 
to override.

House minority leader Tom Sawyer and Rep. Jason Probst, who earlier 
this year offered constitutional amendments to expand Medicaid and 
legalize Marijuana, again proposed to let Kansas voters decide on these 
hot-button issues.

The House Rules Committee ruled the amendments not germane to the resolution, promptly rejecting them.

“There are some other things I think people care about quite a bit,” 
Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat, said. “We’ve demonstrated to an excessive
 degree this year that we enjoy the opportunity to allow Kansans to vote
 on things.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645046631697.png" alt="Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, touted a measure that would leave up to Kansas voters whether the Legislature should have the authority to curtail rules and regulations from executive branch agencies. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, touted a measure that would leave up to Kansas voters whether the Legislature should have the authority to curtail rules and regulations from executive branch agencies. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Representatives give preliminary approval by a vote of 77-42</h2>By NOAH TABORDA and SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/16/house-republicans-push-for-kansas-voters-to-limit-executive-branch-authority-agency-regulations/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Republican representatives are eager Wednesday to approve a 
constitutional amendment that could provide legislators with new powers 
over the executive branch should it receive Senate and public approval.If passed by two-thirds of the House and Senate and approved by a vote of the people of Kansas, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/HCR5014/">the resolution</a>
 proposed would amend article 1 of the Kansas state constitution. By 
adding a new section to the constitution, the measure provides the 
Legislature a new authority to set and revoke new rules within state 
agencies housed under the executive branch.Throughout the debate, House Republicans batted away concerns over 
the effect of the provisions on the separation of powers and amendment 
to place other issues like Medicaid expansion and legalizing Marijuana 
on the ballot.“We’ve been given broad authority to not only carry out the law but 
also to create it,” said Rep. Barbra Wasinger, R-Hays. “This amendment 
approves that legislative oversight and allows us to be responsible for 
creating laws.”The measure received preliminary approval 77-42 with five Republicans
 — Rep. Dave Baker, of Council Grove; Rep. Owen Donohoe, of Shawnee; 
Rep. Boyd Orr, of Fowler; Rep. Mark Schreiber, of Emporia;&nbsp;and Rep. John
 Wheeler, of Garden City — voting against it. The measure will need 84 
votes tomorrow to pass.If passed by the House and Senate, the constitutional amendment would be on the general election ballot in 2022.Republicans are motivated primarily by a recent decision by the 
Kansas Department of Labor to add or amend six regulations regarding 
workers’ compensation. The decision drew the frustrations of several 
business groups and legislators <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/2021/11/22/kansas-republican-lawmakers-target-bureaucratic-government-regulations-pro-workers-compensation/8643706002/">during a November hearing</a> who believed the regulations impeded statute and legislative authority.Currently, the Legislature can only adopt a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/statute/077_000_0000_chapter/077_004_0000_article/077_004_0026_section/077_004_0026_k/">concurrent resolution expressing concern or requesting the revocation of a regulation</a>. The rules and regulations committee issues comments and recommendations on proposals from these agencies.However, Rep. Boog Highberger, a Lawrence Democrat, said the systems 
in place already function to address any overreach in regulations by 
executive branch agencies.“I think it’s clear that if there’s a problem in the system, it’s 
sent to the attorney general’s office, and the problem needs to be fixed
 there,” Highberger said. “I’ve been involved in the process during my 
time in state government over the years. It really works, and there are a
 lot of checks and balances on it, a lot of guardrails.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645046694700.jpeg" alt="House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins told House Republicans he is “really passionate” about securing the abilities prescribed in the resolution allowing the Legislature to overrule the authority of the executive branch. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins told House Republicans he is “really passionate” about securing the abilities prescribed in the resolution allowing the Legislature to overrule the authority of the executive branch. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>A 1984 Kansas Supreme Court ruling held that a previous measure 
allowing the Legislature to suspend or revoke administrative rule was 
unconstitutional because it violated the separation of powers.Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office signed off on the legality of
 this new resolution in July, after the state’s budget office and 
Department of Administration signed off in January.House Speaker Ron Ryckman told House Republicans in a meeting before 
the House session Wednesday that Schmidt came up with the idea that 
“basically eliminates the fourth branch of government,” a reference to 
employees at state agencies who determine how to carry out the laws 
passed by the Legislature. Schmidt, a Republican, is running against 
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly in this year’s election.Ryckman asked House Republicans if they want “these folks” to make 
decisions like closing churches, shutting down businesses and giving 
overseas fraudsters money from the unemployment fund, or allow the 
Legislature to have a final say.“It doesn’t matter who the governor is,” Ryckman said. “Bureaucrats 
have been here longer than us. They’ll stay here longer than us.”The proposed constitutional amendment would not apply to the examples
 Ryckman provided. The governor closed churches and shut down businesses
 in April 2020 through executive orders in response to COVID-19. Bogus 
unemployment claims were filed in every state.Majority Leader Dan Hawkins told Republican representatives prior to debate that he is “really passionate” about securing the ability to usurp the authority of the executive branch.He said the committee that oversees rules and regulations can voice 
complaints, but bureaucrats at state agencies rarely listen. The 
committee lacks the power to block new rules and regulations from taking
 effect.“It doesn’t make any difference what the governor is,” Hawkins said. 
“Those bureaucrats stay year in and year out, and they literally change 
the course of any law they want.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645046722598.jpeg" alt="Rep. John Carmichael was among those to propose amendments and subsequently see them rejected. Democrat House members argued the measure was highly partisan and hypocritical, pointing to action taken by Republicans to deny amendments placing other issues on the ballot. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. John Carmichael was among those to propose amendments and subsequently see them rejected. Democrat House members argued the measure was highly partisan and hypocritical, pointing to action taken by Republicans to deny amendments placing other issues on the ballot. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, said if the amendment was such a 
pressing need, the measure ought to be on the August 2022 ballot,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/attorney-general-seeks-abortion-appeal-delay-until-after-constitutional-amendment-vote/">alongside the Value Them Both Amendment</a>.When an amendment to do just that failed, Carmichael asked to push the vote back until after the gubernatorial election.“In the event Derek Schmidt should be our governor, people can decide
 whether or not they want to do to Derek Schmidt what this is designed 
to do to Laura Kelly, because it’s bad legislation,” Carmichael told 
House Democrats in a meeting before the debate.Other amendments offered by Democrats during the deliberation also 
fell short, including a revision to allow the governor the authority to 
veto a revocation, subject to a supermajority vote from the Legislature 
to override.House minority leader Tom Sawyer and Rep. Jason Probst, who earlier 
this year offered constitutional amendments to expand Medicaid and 
legalize Marijuana, again proposed to let Kansas voters decide on these 
hot-button issues.The House Rules Committee ruled the amendments not germane to the resolution, promptly rejecting them.“There are some other things I think people care about quite a bit,” 
Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat, said. “We’ve demonstrated to an excessive
 degree this year that we enjoy the opportunity to allow Kansans to vote
 on things.”

House GOP pushes for Kan. voters to limit executive branch authority

INDEPENDENCE — A Coffeyville man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years for first-degree murder in a 2019 shooting death in southeast Kansas, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

Benjamin Job Mason II, 20, of Coffeyville, was sentenced Tuesday in Montgomery County District Court by Judge F. William Cullins on one count of first-degree murder.

Mason pleaded no contest to the charges on December 20, 2021, for his role in the 2019 shooting death of Kimberly Meeks in Independence. The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Independence Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff and U.S. Postal Inspectors.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Michael Gayoso and Stephanie Plaschka of Schmidt’s office.

Office of the Attorney GeneralINDEPENDENCE — A Coffeyville man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years for first-degree murder in a 2019 shooting death in southeast Kansas, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.Benjamin Job Mason II, 20, of Coffeyville, was sentenced Tuesday in Montgomery County District Court by Judge F. William Cullins on one count of first-degree murder.Mason pleaded no contest to the charges on December 20, 2021, for his role in the 2019 shooting death of Kimberly Meeks in Independence. The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Independence Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff and U.S. Postal Inspectors.The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Michael Gayoso and Stephanie Plaschka of Schmidt’s office.

Kan. man sentenced to life for for 2019 shooting death

By Dr. KARISSA L. NIEHOFF NFHS

Several times in the past three years, the NFHS has 
shared concerns about the declining number of officials for high school 
sports. Last fall, in fact, the headline stated that the officiating 
shortage had reached a crisis level across the country. A recent survey 
now provides solid proof for those concerns.

A survey of state 
high school associations indicates that approximately 50,000 individuals
 have discontinued their service as high school officials since the 
2018-19 season – the last full school year unaffected by the pandemic.

Dana
 Pappas, who has been on board as NFHS director of officiating services 
since last summer, said 43 states have reported losses totaling more 
than 33,000 officials. However, several larger states have not reported 
yet, so the exact figure is likely to approach 50,000.

While there
 are several contributing factors to this sizeable decline, such as the 
age-old problem of unsportsmanlike behavior by students, coaches, 
parents and other fans, Pappas said one of the latest challenges is 
related to the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“In talking to some of the state 
directors, many of these losses are people who were probably on the 
brink of retirement, and then COVID kind of forced the issue,” Pappas 
said. “Nationally, we’ve gone from about 240,000 to 200,000, which has 
become an area of concern for states just to cover games at all or with 
the maximum number of officials on a crew.”

Interestingly, about 
the same number of individuals – between 50,000 and 60,000 – have 
expressed an interest in officiating the past four years through the 
NFHS’&nbsp;#BecomeAnOfficial Program, but the number of officials actually 
coming in the front door do not come close to matching those going out 
the back door.

There is some good news on the horizon, however. 
After hearing the same message – shortage of officials – from every 
level of sport in the country, the NFHS is orchestrating and leading a 
first-ever National Officials Consortium Summit in April to collectively
 address the concerns.

“What we discovered was that everyone was 
working on the same problem, but there is no strategic collaboration 
between the entities,” Pappas said. “We understand that everybody is 
reliant upon our pipeline at the high school level. So, we want to work 
together to replenish and keep that pipeline healthy and figure out ways
 that we can do the work collectively instead of everyone doing it on 
their own.”

In addition to the NCAA, more than 30 national-level 
sports organizations have committed to be a part of the consortium 
hosted by the NFHS in Indianapolis April 12-14. Various youth, high 
school, college and professional sports organizations, as well as 
national governing bodies for Olympic sports, have expressed an interest
 in coming together to address the growing shortage of officials.

“In
 our discussions with these groups, we realize that instead of just 
talking about the problem, they want to be a part of the solution, which
 is exciting,” Pappas said. “We want to get all hands on deck instead of
 everyone trying to do their own thing to accomplish the same goal.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

While
 unsportsmanlike behavior continues to be a major issue, it’s not one 
unique to high school sports. It will be helpful to address this issue –
 and others – with ideas on solutions from all levels of sport.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In
 the meantime, the NFHS is continuing in its attempt to recruit more 
individuals to officiating, including current high school athletes and 
current parents of athletes.

“Many sport parents have been around 
the sport for 18 years, and then their kid graduates, so we’re trying to
 reach out to those individuals to get them to stay involved on the 
field, on the court or on the mat as officials,” Pappas said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Kids
 coming out of high school think they have two options – to play sports 
or to coach sports. They forget about the people who are officiating 
their games! So, how do we make officiating something that is at the 
forefront of their minds? When they are leaving high school or leaving 
college, they need to understand that there is an entire career path 
they could follow in the world of high school officiating.”

In an 
attempt to encourage more individuals to consider officiating high 
school sports, the NFHS is trying to celebrate those involved and turn 
negatives into positives.

“A lot of times in the news we hear 
people blaming officials because they lost a game,” Pappas said. “We 
hear stories about assaults and stories about poor treatment of 
officials. So, we are trying to highlight individuals within the 
officiating community to talk about how officiating was transformative 
for them in their lives, and why it’s important to get involved.”&nbsp;

While
 work continues to retain more officials by improving behavior of 
players, coaches and fans, recruitment efforts must intensify to keep 
high school sports going in our nation’s schools. 

Apply online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highschoolofficials.com/">www.HighSchoolOfficials.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;Become a High School Official.

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations in Indianapolis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645048539273.jpeg" alt="Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations in Indianapolis." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations in Indianapolis.</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dr. KARISSA L. NIEHOFF NFHSSeveral times in the past three years, the NFHS has 
shared concerns about the declining number of officials for high school 
sports. Last fall, in fact, the headline stated that the officiating 
shortage had reached a crisis level across the country. A recent survey 
now provides solid proof for those concerns.A survey of state 
high school associations indicates that approximately 50,000 individuals
 have discontinued their service as high school officials since the 
2018-19 season – the last full school year unaffected by the pandemic.Dana
 Pappas, who has been on board as NFHS director of officiating services 
since last summer, said 43 states have reported losses totaling more 
than 33,000 officials. However, several larger states have not reported 
yet, so the exact figure is likely to approach 50,000.While there
 are several contributing factors to this sizeable decline, such as the 
age-old problem of unsportsmanlike behavior by students, coaches, 
parents and other fans, Pappas said one of the latest challenges is 
related to the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“In talking to some of the state 
directors, many of these losses are people who were probably on the 
brink of retirement, and then COVID kind of forced the issue,” Pappas 
said. “Nationally, we’ve gone from about 240,000 to 200,000, which has 
become an area of concern for states just to cover games at all or with 
the maximum number of officials on a crew.”Interestingly, about 
the same number of individuals – between 50,000 and 60,000 – have 
expressed an interest in officiating the past four years through the 
NFHS’&nbsp;#BecomeAnOfficial Program, but the number of officials actually 
coming in the front door do not come close to matching those going out 
the back door.There is some good news on the horizon, however. 
After hearing the same message – shortage of officials – from every 
level of sport in the country, the NFHS is orchestrating and leading a 
first-ever National Officials Consortium Summit in April to collectively
 address the concerns.“What we discovered was that everyone was 
working on the same problem, but there is no strategic collaboration 
between the entities,” Pappas said. “We understand that everybody is 
reliant upon our pipeline at the high school level. So, we want to work 
together to replenish and keep that pipeline healthy and figure out ways
 that we can do the work collectively instead of everyone doing it on 
their own.”In addition to the NCAA, more than 30 national-level 
sports organizations have committed to be a part of the consortium 
hosted by the NFHS in Indianapolis April 12-14. Various youth, high 
school, college and professional sports organizations, as well as 
national governing bodies for Olympic sports, have expressed an interest
 in coming together to address the growing shortage of officials.“In
 our discussions with these groups, we realize that instead of just 
talking about the problem, they want to be a part of the solution, which
 is exciting,” Pappas said. “We want to get all hands on deck instead of
 everyone trying to do their own thing to accomplish the same goal.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While
 unsportsmanlike behavior continues to be a major issue, it’s not one 
unique to high school sports. It will be helpful to address this issue –
 and others – with ideas on solutions from all levels of sport.&nbsp;&nbsp;In
 the meantime, the NFHS is continuing in its attempt to recruit more 
individuals to officiating, including current high school athletes and 
current parents of athletes.“Many sport parents have been around 
the sport for 18 years, and then their kid graduates, so we’re trying to
 reach out to those individuals to get them to stay involved on the 
field, on the court or on the mat as officials,” Pappas said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Kids
 coming out of high school think they have two options – to play sports 
or to coach sports. They forget about the people who are officiating 
their games! So, how do we make officiating something that is at the 
forefront of their minds? When they are leaving high school or leaving 
college, they need to understand that there is an entire career path 
they could follow in the world of high school officiating.”In an 
attempt to encourage more individuals to consider officiating high 
school sports, the NFHS is trying to celebrate those involved and turn 
negatives into positives.“A lot of times in the news we hear 
people blaming officials because they lost a game,” Pappas said. “We 
hear stories about assaults and stories about poor treatment of 
officials. So, we are trying to highlight individuals within the 
officiating community to talk about how officiating was transformative 
for them in their lives, and why it’s important to get involved.”&nbsp;While
 work continues to retain more officials by improving behavior of 
players, coaches and fans, recruitment efforts must intensify to keep 
high school sports going in our nation’s schools. Apply online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highschoolofficials.com/">www.HighSchoolOfficials.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;Become a High School Official.Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations in Indianapolis.

With loss of 50,000 officials, consortium organized to find solutions

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 28-year-old man who killed one person and injured three others when he fired into a party in Wichita has pleaded guilty to murder. 

Markeithen "Red" McClaine pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and three counts of attempted second-degree murder. Prosecutors said the July 27, 2019, shooting at an apartment complex killed 20-year-old Airman 1st Class Chancelor Williams, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, who was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base. 

Prosecutors said McClaine was picking someone up from a party when an argument broke out. Investigators said the car he was in began to drive away, but McClaine got out and fired into the crowd.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 28-year-old man who killed one person and injured three others when he fired into a party in Wichita has pleaded guilty to murder. Markeithen "Red" McClaine pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and three counts of attempted second-degree murder. Prosecutors said the July 27, 2019, shooting at an apartment complex killed 20-year-old Airman 1st Class Chancelor Williams, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, who was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base. Prosecutors said McClaine was picking someone up from a party when an argument broke out. Investigators said the car he was in began to drive away, but McClaine got out and fired into the crowd.

Man who fired into Wichita party pleads guilty to murder

OTTAWA, Ontario — Police in Canada's capital are telling protesting truckers who have paralyzed the city for more than two weeks that it's time to leave. 

Meanwhile, the last of the truck blockades at the U.S.-Canadian border has come to an end. Authorities say the final blockaders have left Emerson, Manitoba, and the crossing into North Dakota has reopened. 

Now all of the attention in the protests over the country's COVID-19 restrictions has shifted to Canada's capital, where hundreds of trucks remain parked in the center city. 

Authorities in Ottawa are warning protesters that they are risking arrest.

Associated PressOTTAWA, Ontario — Police in Canada's capital are telling protesting truckers who have paralyzed the city for more than two weeks that it's time to leave. Meanwhile, the last of the truck blockades at the U.S.-Canadian border has come to an end. Authorities say the final blockaders have left Emerson, Manitoba, and the crossing into North Dakota has reopened. Now all of the attention in the protests over the country's COVID-19 restrictions has shifted to Canada's capital, where hundreds of trucks remain parked in the center city. Authorities in Ottawa are warning protesters that they are risking arrest.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Truckers end U.S. border blockade, continue in Ottawa

By GEORGE KAMEL Courtesy the Ramsey Network

There’s an elephant in the room, or at least, in the economy: inflation. Inflation is blowing up in the headlines, causing many Americans to feel a little deflated about their money. So, let’s talk about what inflation is and what you can do about it.&nbsp;

Inflation is simply an increase in prices. Fifty years ago, we saw some crazy inflation rates of around 10–12%. This past year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf">inflation rates clocked in at 7%.</a>That’s not in the 10–12% range, but it’s a heck of a lot higher than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/consumer-price-index-2020-in-review.htm">1.4% rate the previous year</a>—five times higher if you’re doing the math at home.

Inflation and Your Personal Finances

Dave Ramsey explains that inflation in the 1970s was caused by monetary policies, and the Fed (Federal Reserve) shrinking and growing the money supply. Today’s inflation, however, is for a completely different reason—it’s the tsunami surge that followed the global pandemic of 2020. Shutting down production created a shortage of almost every kind of good and service worldwide, and that drove up the prices. It’s basic supply and demand.

The good news is this type of inflation won’t last for a long time. Why? Factories will catch up on production, and we’ll have more to buy. On top of that, people have slowed down on their purchases due to prices being so high. Those factors should allow everything to even out sooner rather than later.

So, what can you do about it? For starters, stop freaking out and start controlling the controllables. The biggest thing you can control is where your money is going. Enter: budgeting.

Budgeting every month before the month begins is mega important—especially in times of inflation. The margin you may have had in your budget last year has felt so much smaller this year, right? With increased costs to put gas in the car, buy groceries, and eat out, we’re all feeling the financial pinch. Remember: You’re in control of your money.

So, what’s the antidote to all the fear that comes with inflation? Margin. There’s that word again. Margin is space. It’s breathing room. It means there’s money left over at the end of the month, and you don’t have a panic attack when you open your banking app.

Let’s talk about some ways you can create margin with your money to fight against the tyranny of inflation. Here’s a simple formula: Spend less + make more = margin. &nbsp;

Finding ways to spend less is like a can of Pringles: Once you pop, you can’t stop. It’s an addictive money-saving game once you realize there are so many “money leaks” in your budget. Here are some budget hacks to get you started:

• Do a budget audit. Look at how you spend every dollar. &nbsp;&nbsp;

• Challenge your family to a spending freeze—for a day, a week or even a month.

• Eat at home. Go to the grocery store instead of a restaurant.

• Look at all your subscriptions. Cancel the ones you don’t use.

• Call phone and TV providers to get a better rate—or switch providers.

• Cut back on travel. Airfare, gas and lodging add up fast.

• Do an insurance checkup. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/insurance/coverage-checkup/e4726f81-abcd-4b6f-8fbb-3511218bb2f8/extended-basic-info">Ramsey 5-Minute Coverage Checkup</a>tool will get you started.&nbsp;

• Get creative with date night and entertainment—without spending tons of money.

Making more is going to take some&nbsp;literal&nbsp;work. You don’t have to side hustle forever. But you need margin now—especially if you’re paying off debt. Here are some ideas:

• Sell stuff on Facebook Marketplace or Mercari, or at a garage sale or work.

• Flip furniture, appliances, you name it. Buy it cheap, clean it up, take some good photos, write a nice description, and sell it for more than you paid.

• Work an on-demand or delivery job for places like Uber, Grubhub, DoorDash, Amazon Prime, Shipt or a local business.

• Tutor others in things you’re skilled at, like a school subject or instrument.

• Do some UX testing. Companies will pay you to test their websites, products and apps.

• Babysit, dog sit, or walk dogs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Clean houses. It can be flexible with your schedule.

• Yard work. You just need some basic tools.

• Turn your talent into money—building websites, woodworking, taking photos, hand-lettering, baking or coaching.

I just rattled off a bunch of ideas, and I know you can’t do them all. Here’s my challenge: Choose two ways you want to save money and two ways you want to make money. You&nbsp;can&nbsp;beat inflation. You won’t have to do these things your whole life, but the lessons and habits you learn now can change the way you handle money forever!

George Kamel&nbsp;is a personal finance expert with a countercultural approach to money. He’s the host of&nbsp;The Fine Print&nbsp;podcast and&nbsp;The EntreLeadership Podcast&nbsp;on the Ramsey Network. Since 2013 George has served at Ramsey Solutions, where his goal is to help people spend less, save more, and avoid consumer traps, so that they can make the most of their money. Follow George on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeKamel?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/georgekamel/?hl=en">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGeorgeKamel">Facebook</a>&nbsp;or find out more about him online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/personalities">ramseysolutions.com/personalities</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645041440957.jpeg" alt="George Kamel" />
 <figcaption>George Kamel</figcaption>
 </figure>By GEORGE KAMEL Courtesy the Ramsey NetworkThere’s an elephant in the room, or at least, in the economy: inflation. Inflation is blowing up in the headlines, causing many Americans to feel a little deflated about their money. So, let’s talk about what inflation is and what you can do about it.&nbsp;Inflation is simply an increase in prices. Fifty years ago, we saw some crazy inflation rates of around 10–12%. This past year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf">inflation rates clocked in at 7%.</a>That’s not in the 10–12% range, but it’s a heck of a lot higher than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/consumer-price-index-2020-in-review.htm">1.4% rate the previous year</a>—five times higher if you’re doing the math at home.Inflation and Your Personal FinancesDave Ramsey explains that inflation in the 1970s was caused by monetary policies, and the Fed (Federal Reserve) shrinking and growing the money supply. Today’s inflation, however, is for a completely different reason—it’s the tsunami surge that followed the global pandemic of 2020. Shutting down production created a shortage of almost every kind of good and service worldwide, and that drove up the prices. It’s basic supply and demand.The good news is this type of inflation won’t last for a long time. Why? Factories will catch up on production, and we’ll have more to buy. On top of that, people have slowed down on their purchases due to prices being so high. Those factors should allow everything to even out sooner rather than later.Don’t Let Fear Control YouSo, what can you do about it? For starters, stop freaking out and start controlling the controllables. The biggest thing you can control is where your money is going. Enter: budgeting.Budgeting every month before the month begins is mega important—especially in times of inflation. The margin you may have had in your budget last year has felt so much smaller this year, right? With increased costs to put gas in the car, buy groceries, and eat out, we’re all feeling the financial pinch. Remember: You’re in control of your money.So, what’s the antidote to all the fear that comes with inflation? Margin. There’s that word again. Margin is space. It’s breathing room. It means there’s money left over at the end of the month, and you don’t have a panic attack when you open your banking app.Tips to Protect Against InflationLet’s talk about some ways you can create margin with your money to fight against the tyranny of inflation. Here’s a simple formula: Spend less + make more = margin. &nbsp;First: Spend LessFinding ways to spend less is like a can of Pringles: Once you pop, you can’t stop. It’s an addictive money-saving game once you realize there are so many “money leaks” in your budget. Here are some budget hacks to get you started:• Do a budget audit. Look at how you spend every dollar. &nbsp;&nbsp;• Challenge your family to a spending freeze—for a day, a week or even a month.• Eat at home. Go to the grocery store instead of a restaurant.• Look at all your subscriptions. Cancel the ones you don’t use.• Call phone and TV providers to get a better rate—or switch providers.• Cut back on travel. Airfare, gas and lodging add up fast.• Do an insurance checkup. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/insurance/coverage-checkup/e4726f81-abcd-4b6f-8fbb-3511218bb2f8/extended-basic-info">Ramsey 5-Minute Coverage Checkup</a>tool will get you started.&nbsp;• Get creative with date night and entertainment—without spending tons of money.Second: Make More MoneyMaking more is going to take some&nbsp;literal&nbsp;work. You don’t have to side hustle forever. But you need margin now—especially if you’re paying off debt. Here are some ideas:• Sell stuff on Facebook Marketplace or Mercari, or at a garage sale or work.• Flip furniture, appliances, you name it. Buy it cheap, clean it up, take some good photos, write a nice description, and sell it for more than you paid.• Work an on-demand or delivery job for places like Uber, Grubhub, DoorDash, Amazon Prime, Shipt or a local business.• Tutor others in things you’re skilled at, like a school subject or instrument.• Do some UX testing. Companies will pay you to test their websites, products and apps.• Babysit, dog sit, or walk dogs.&nbsp;&nbsp;• Clean houses. It can be flexible with your schedule.• Yard work. You just need some basic tools.• Turn your talent into money—building websites, woodworking, taking photos, hand-lettering, baking or coaching.I just rattled off a bunch of ideas, and I know you can’t do them all. Here’s my challenge: Choose two ways you want to save money and two ways you want to make money. You&nbsp;can&nbsp;beat inflation. You won’t have to do these things your whole life, but the lessons and habits you learn now can change the way you handle money forever!George Kamel&nbsp;is a personal finance expert with a countercultural approach to money. He’s the host of&nbsp;The Fine Print&nbsp;podcast and&nbsp;The EntreLeadership Podcast&nbsp;on the Ramsey Network. Since 2013 George has served at Ramsey Solutions, where his goal is to help people spend less, save more, and avoid consumer traps, so that they can make the most of their money. Follow George on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeKamel?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/georgekamel/?hl=en">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGeorgeKamel">Facebook</a>&nbsp;or find out more about him online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/personalities">ramseysolutions.com/personalities</a>.

KAMEL: Money hacks to protect against inflation

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/16/house-republican-wants-bonus-pay-for-teachers-to-replace-funding-for-at-risk-students/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Rep. Kristey Williams dueled Tuesday with school board 
lobbyist Mark Tallman over her proposal to create a bonus pay system for
 teachers by redirecting money earmarked for schools with high 
concentrations of low-income families.

<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2690/">House Bill 2690</a>
 would reward teachers in schools where students show 5% gains in 
standardized tests over the previous four years, or maintain a 90% level
 of proficiency. The $5,000 bonuses — or $2,500 for marginal student 
progress — would begin in the 2025-26 school year.

Funding for the merit pay program would come from a $50 million 
annual boost intended to raise the performance of at-risk students. That
 funding source is set to expire in 2024, which would leave a one-year 
gap in funding for public schools.

The Kansas Policy Institute, a longstanding adversary of public 
school funding, was the only supporter of the bill. Opponents include 
the Kansas Association of School Boards, which Tallman represents, as 
well as the teachers union, a coalition of public school advocates, the 
Kansas State Board of Education, and the Kansas PTA.

Williams, a Republican from Augusta and chairwoman of the House K-12 
Education Budget Committee, said the funding for at-risk students is 
supposed to drive achievement. Without those gains, the money is “lost,”
 she said.

“We can’t just keep doing the same thing that we’ve always done, and 
we can’t not expect achievement gains, and we can’t not incentivize or 
reward achievement gains,” Williams said.

She asked Tallman: “What do you think incentivizes schools to increase proficiency?”

Tallman said he doesn’t know a school board or teacher that isn’t concerned about achievement gains.

He offered a historical perspective: When resources for Kansas public
 schools have increased, districts have used those funds to improve 
educational outcomes. When resources declined from 2009-2017, he said, 
achievement measures fell.

Lawmakers in 2018 adopted a plan to increase spending for public 
schools over a five-year period to restore funding to 2009 levels, 
adjusted for inflation. Progress was interrupted by the COVID-19 
pandemic, Tallman said.

Williams claimed that funding actually increased during the timespan 
Tallman referenced — a claim based on KPI’s strategy to conflate 
spending levels before Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration with spending
 levels plus contributions to the state employee retirement fund.

Tallman said the districts that have the biggest needs would see the 
biggest loss under Williams’ plan, including eight districts that would 
lose $300 per pupil. Another 27 districts would lose between $200 and 
$300 per pupil.

“If the answer to better student performance is just better teachers 
or better teaching, why is low performance so disproportionately focused
 on lower-income families and schools with high percentage of these 
kids?” Tallman said. “It seems to us because these kids bring so many 
other factors to school that teaching alone cannot overcome.”

By converting at-risk money into incentives for teachers, Tallman 
said, the Legislature would impose a single strategy for improving 
education outcomes.

“If you take those dollars away, then that teacher may be able to get
 a bonus, but there would be fewer aides or assistants, or one-on-one or
 summer school programs,” Tallman said.

Rep. Susan Estes, a Republican from Wichita, said she was 
disappointed the school boards that Tallman represents have not used 
funding increases to pay teachers what they deserve.

“It’s hard to do your job well when you’re worrying about paying your
 bills,” Estes said. “We have teachers who qualify for free and reduced 
lunches — and that’s shameful.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645040761734.png" alt="Mark Tallman, lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards, appears Tuesday before the K-12 Education Budget Committee at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Mark Tallman, lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards, appears Tuesday before the K-12 Education Budget Committee at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/16/house-republican-wants-bonus-pay-for-teachers-to-replace-funding-for-at-risk-students/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Rep. Kristey Williams dueled Tuesday with school board 
lobbyist Mark Tallman over her proposal to create a bonus pay system for
 teachers by redirecting money earmarked for schools with high 
concentrations of low-income families.<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2690/">House Bill 2690</a>
 would reward teachers in schools where students show 5% gains in 
standardized tests over the previous four years, or maintain a 90% level
 of proficiency. The $5,000 bonuses — or $2,500 for marginal student 
progress — would begin in the 2025-26 school year.Funding for the merit pay program would come from a $50 million 
annual boost intended to raise the performance of at-risk students. That
 funding source is set to expire in 2024, which would leave a one-year 
gap in funding for public schools.The Kansas Policy Institute, a longstanding adversary of public 
school funding, was the only supporter of the bill. Opponents include 
the Kansas Association of School Boards, which Tallman represents, as 
well as the teachers union, a coalition of public school advocates, the 
Kansas State Board of Education, and the Kansas PTA.Williams, a Republican from Augusta and chairwoman of the House K-12 
Education Budget Committee, said the funding for at-risk students is 
supposed to drive achievement. Without those gains, the money is “lost,”
 she said.“We can’t just keep doing the same thing that we’ve always done, and 
we can’t not expect achievement gains, and we can’t not incentivize or 
reward achievement gains,” Williams said.She asked Tallman: “What do you think incentivizes schools to increase proficiency?”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645040814779.jpeg" alt="Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, questions Mark Tallman during a hearing Tuesday at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, questions Mark Tallman during a hearing Tuesday at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Tallman said he doesn’t know a school board or teacher that isn’t concerned about achievement gains.He offered a historical perspective: When resources for Kansas public
 schools have increased, districts have used those funds to improve 
educational outcomes. When resources declined from 2009-2017, he said, 
achievement measures fell.Lawmakers in 2018 adopted a plan to increase spending for public 
schools over a five-year period to restore funding to 2009 levels, 
adjusted for inflation. Progress was interrupted by the COVID-19 
pandemic, Tallman said.Williams claimed that funding actually increased during the timespan 
Tallman referenced — a claim based on KPI’s strategy to conflate 
spending levels before Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration with spending
 levels plus contributions to the state employee retirement fund.Tallman said the districts that have the biggest needs would see the 
biggest loss under Williams’ plan, including eight districts that would 
lose $300 per pupil. Another 27 districts would lose between $200 and 
$300 per pupil.“If the answer to better student performance is just better teachers 
or better teaching, why is low performance so disproportionately focused
 on lower-income families and schools with high percentage of these 
kids?” Tallman said. “It seems to us because these kids bring so many 
other factors to school that teaching alone cannot overcome.”By converting at-risk money into incentives for teachers, Tallman 
said, the Legislature would impose a single strategy for improving 
education outcomes.“If you take those dollars away, then that teacher may be able to get
 a bonus, but there would be fewer aides or assistants, or one-on-one or
 summer school programs,” Tallman said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645040847157.jpeg" alt="Rep. Susan Estes, R-Wichita, questions Mark Tallman during a hearing Tuesday at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Susan Estes, R-Wichita, questions Mark Tallman during a hearing Tuesday at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Rep. Susan Estes, a Republican from Wichita, said she was 
disappointed the school boards that Tallman represents have not used 
funding increases to pay teachers what they deserve.“It’s hard to do your job well when you’re worrying about paying your
 bills,” Estes said. “We have teachers who qualify for free and reduced 
lunches — and that’s shameful.”

Kan. Republican wants bonus pay for teachers to replace at-risk student funding

WICHITA (AP) — Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting two people to death in Wichita earlier this week. 

Television station <a href="https://www.kake.com/story/45880775/wichita-man-arrested-in-connection-to-fatal-shooting-in-southeast-wichita">KAKE</a> reports that 20-year-old Brandon Prouse Jr. was arrested on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder in the Sunday afternoon shooting deaths of 38-year-old Bonnie Galloway and 30-year-old Connor O'Callaghan.

Both victims were unresponsive and had been shot when they were found by police, who had been called to the Wichita home for reports of a shooting. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645037540218.png" alt="Sedgwick County Detention Facility" />
 <figcaption>Sedgwick County Detention Facility</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA (AP) — Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting two people to death in Wichita earlier this week. Television station <a href="https://www.kake.com/story/45880775/wichita-man-arrested-in-connection-to-fatal-shooting-in-southeast-wichita">KAKE</a> reports that 20-year-old Brandon Prouse Jr. was arrested on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder in the Sunday afternoon shooting deaths of 38-year-old Bonnie Galloway and 30-year-old Connor O'Callaghan. Both victims were unresponsive and had been shot when they were found by police, who had been called to the Wichita home for reports of a shooting. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrest man suspected in Kan. double fatal shooting

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,362 to a total of 760,599 since Monday, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The state reported 30 additional COVID-19 deaths since Monday for a total of 7,890. UPDATED 12:40 p.m. Wednesday to correct death figure.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

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

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,362 to a total of 760,599 since Monday, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;The state reported 30 additional COVID-19 deaths since Monday for a total of 7,890. UPDATED 12:40 p.m. Wednesday to correct death figure.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645036201926.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: 2,362 new COVID cases, 30 additional deaths

By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>

GREAT BEND — The Great Bend Recreation Commission was contacted by the City of Great
Bend to help with applying for a grant that could get the ball moving in
developing two soccer fields and two football fields, all with artificial turf,
at the Great Bend Sports Complex. 

The Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas
program is a one-time opportunity for the enhancement of Kansas attraction
assets. 

Great Bend Rec Executive Director Diann Henderson said the grant would
not include construction but would be a good first step. 
"That type of expansion would cost many dollars," said Henderson. "The 
monies available with this grant would provide the first step in 
assessments and what needs to be done. Construction would cost more and 
need many more meetings to develop." 
The grant is a matching 50%/50% grant to spur local economic recovery and
improve the quality of life in the community. A maximum of 10 grants will be
awarded with the smallest amount given out being $100,000 and the largest
amount being $250,000. 
The Sports Complex was constructed in 2012 and a $1.37 million project to place
turf on the five baseball and softball fields wrapped up last December. 
Henderson noted it was always in the master plan for the Sports Complex to
develop the soccer and football fields along with a guest service area,
lighting, a shaded spectator area and additional parking. 
"In 2001, a survey showed improving facilities was a primary focus," 
said Henderson. "47% of Great Bend residents at that time said it was 
important to&nbsp; improve our existing parks and recreation facilities."

"We
 continue to hear needs for soccer and a place for flag football 
programs. There are a lot of youth sports activities that are not being 
served through our facilities in Great Bend." 
Grants awarded will be announced May 2.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645035655030.png" alt="Master plan for the Great Bend Sports Complex" />
 <figcaption>Master plan for the Great Bend Sports Complex</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — The Great Bend Recreation Commission was contacted by the City of Great
Bend to help with applying for a grant that could get the ball moving in
developing two soccer fields and two football fields, all with artificial turf,
at the Great Bend Sports Complex. The Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas
program is a one-time opportunity for the enhancement of Kansas attraction
assets. Great Bend Rec Executive Director Diann Henderson said the grant would
not include construction but would be a good first step. 
"That type of expansion would cost many dollars," said Henderson. "The 
monies available with this grant would provide the first step in 
assessments and what needs to be done. Construction would cost more and 
need many more meetings to develop." 
The grant is a matching 50%/50% grant to spur local economic recovery and
improve the quality of life in the community. A maximum of 10 grants will be
awarded with the smallest amount given out being $100,000 and the largest
amount being $250,000. 
The Sports Complex was constructed in 2012 and a $1.37 million project to place
turf on the five baseball and softball fields wrapped up last December. 
Henderson noted it was always in the master plan for the Sports Complex to
develop the soccer and football fields along with a guest service area,
lighting, a shaded spectator area and additional parking. 
"In 2001, a survey showed improving facilities was a primary focus," 
said Henderson. "47% of Great Bend residents at that time said it was 
important to&nbsp; improve our existing parks and recreation facilities.""We
 continue to hear needs for soccer and a place for flag football 
programs. There are a lot of youth sports activities that are not being 
served through our facilities in Great Bend." 
Grants awarded will be announced May 2.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Great Bend looks to add turf soccer, football fields to sports complex

By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The State of Kansas is still challenging the federal CMS vaccine mandate, but Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt wants help from Gov. Laura Kelly since the mandate has been allowed to go on while the case continues.

"The problem with that, as we've talked about before, is that, especially in small, rural communities, where there's not a large labor pool and where many of these facilities were already in crisis staffing, they were down substantially because they couldn't find people to work there," Schmidt said. "They've lost more during the pandemic from burnout. If the federal government essentially pushes another group of nurses and workers out of those facilities because either they quit or they are terminated because they won't get the shot, the effect is to close some of those facilities or have to shrink their capacity, neither of which is good for access to care in our rural communities."

Schmidt wants the Kelly administration to apply for a waiver from the requirements for small facilities in crisis settings.

"There's nothing in the specific mandate that talks about waivers," Schmidt said. "There is general authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to, in effect, grant waivers, to provide relief from regulatory requirements, if there are certain findings, such as the requirements are going to result in damaging health care access in particular markets."

Governors in West Virginia, Virginia and Montana have asked CMS for this flexibility. Those states all have Republican governors.

"We know we disagree with the Biden administration and they disagree with us," Schmidt said. "That will have to play out in court in the big picture. Surely, we can agree that in some of these very small communities where the choice is either allow a small number of unvaccinated staff to work or your facility is going to shut down temporarily or permanently and then everybody in a nursing home is out of a place to live, everybody in the community has no access to health care, surely, in those crisis situations, we can agree that the secretary should exercise that discretion and allow more flexibility."

CMS has not appeared to budge on the mandate anywhere at this point.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643166827968.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The State of Kansas is still challenging the federal CMS vaccine mandate, but Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt wants help from Gov. Laura Kelly since the mandate has been allowed to go on while the case continues."The problem with that, as we've talked about before, is that, especially in small, rural communities, where there's not a large labor pool and where many of these facilities were already in crisis staffing, they were down substantially because they couldn't find people to work there," Schmidt said. "They've lost more during the pandemic from burnout. If the federal government essentially pushes another group of nurses and workers out of those facilities because either they quit or they are terminated because they won't get the shot, the effect is to close some of those facilities or have to shrink their capacity, neither of which is good for access to care in our rural communities."Schmidt wants the Kelly administration to apply for a waiver from the requirements for small facilities in crisis settings."There's nothing in the specific mandate that talks about waivers," Schmidt said. "There is general authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to, in effect, grant waivers, to provide relief from regulatory requirements, if there are certain findings, such as the requirements are going to result in damaging health care access in particular markets."Governors in West Virginia, Virginia and Montana have asked CMS for this flexibility. Those states all have Republican governors."We know we disagree with the Biden administration and they disagree with us," Schmidt said. "That will have to play out in court in the big picture. Surely, we can agree that in some of these very small communities where the choice is either allow a small number of unvaccinated staff to work or your facility is going to shut down temporarily or permanently and then everybody in a nursing home is out of a place to live, everybody in the community has no access to health care, surely, in those crisis situations, we can agree that the secretary should exercise that discretion and allow more flexibility."CMS has not appeared to budge on the mandate anywhere at this point.

Schmidt wants Kelly to ask CMS for vaccine mandate waiver

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/15/refugees-seen-as-partial-solution-to-workforce-shortage-if-housing-available/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — An Afghan refugee who is living a version of the American dream urged
 Nebraska state lawmakers Tuesday to help others fleeing violence and 
wars to find a “landing place” in the United States.

Shafiq
 Jahish, a former interpreter for the U.S. military, said that when 
refugees arrive, they often can’t find immediate housing, in part 
because they don’t have any money, a job or a rental history needed to 
lease an apartment.

Without a permanent address, Jahish said, they cannot obtain a driver’s license or enroll their children in school.

Jahish,
 who now works as an IT professional for an Omaha bank, was among those 
testifying in favor of a proposal that would earmark $10 million of the 
state’s American Rescue Plan Act funds for discounted housing for 
low-income individuals, including refugees.

Despite
 the barriers, Jahish said he was able to work his way up from working 
as a truck driver and then as a supervisor, to earning a college degree.
 The 34-year-old now owns a home for his growing family of seven.

“I
 hope that we can all come together and give these people a hand so that
 they, too, can become homeowners,” Jahish told the Legislature’s 
Appropriations Committee.

That
 eight-member committee is considering dozens of ideas on how to spend 
the state’s $1 billion in ARPA funds. Tuesday, it took testimony about a
 handful of proposals to use some of those funds to address a shortage 
of low-income and “workforce” housing in the state.&nbsp;

The
 lack of decent housing has been identified as a major impediment in 
filling the state’s estimated 60,000 unfilled jobs, the committee was 
told.

Chris
 Tonniges of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, which has resettled 
700 Afghan refugees, said immigrants can help solve Nebraska’s current 
labor shortage.

In
 the Omaha-Council Bluffs area, immigrants, including those with refugee
 status, allowed local companies to “preserve or create” 3,400 
manufacturing jobs, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/city/omaha/">according to a report</a>
 just released by New American Economy, a bipartisan immigration 
advocacy group. Those workers paid an estimated $483 million in taxes 
and held $1.4 billion in spending power in 2019, the organization said.

“Mayors
 and business leaders from Hastings, Grand Island, Kearney and other 
communities where unemployment is dangerously low recognize the 
workforce solution that people with refugee status can provide,” 
Tonniges&nbsp;said.

He was among advocates for refugees supporting Legislative Bill 968, introduced by State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams.

The
 bill would allocate $8 million in ARPA funds to nonprofit groups to 
develop affordable housing — either new or refurbished apartments — for 
low-income workers, including those with refugee status.

Another $2 million would be earmarked for job training.

Dorn
 said a recent study found that the state’s housing shortage was 
particularly acute for those in “extreme poverty,” with only 41 
affordable units per 1,000 people.

“There’s
 no place like home,” the senator said, and refugees especially “are 
anxious to build a new home and new life” in the United States.

Also
 supporting the bill was a representative of Catholic Social Services in
 Lincoln, which has resettled 150 Afghan refugees so far and 50 refugees
 from other countries.

Tom
 Venzor of the Nebraska Catholic Conference said that because there’s a 
shortage of safe and affordable housing for refugee families, Catholic 
Social Services has had to spend $50,000 on hotels that could have been 
spent in better ways.&nbsp;

Venzor
 added that Jesus was once a refugee, when his family fled to Egypt to 
escape King Herod’s order to kill all baby boys in Bethlehem.&nbsp;

Mohammed
 Jimale of East African Development Association of Nebraska, which helps
 450 low-income families in the Omaha area, also spoke in support of the
 bill. No one testified against the measure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645031435351.png" alt="Shafiq Jahish, a refugee from Afghanistan who worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military, testified Tuesday at the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Shafiq Jahish, a refugee from Afghanistan who worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military, testified Tuesday at the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/15/refugees-seen-as-partial-solution-to-workforce-shortage-if-housing-available/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — An Afghan refugee who is living a version of the American dream urged
 Nebraska state lawmakers Tuesday to help others fleeing violence and 
wars to find a “landing place” in the United States.Shafiq
 Jahish, a former interpreter for the U.S. military, said that when 
refugees arrive, they often can’t find immediate housing, in part 
because they don’t have any money, a job or a rental history needed to 
lease an apartment.Without a permanent address, Jahish said, they cannot obtain a driver’s license or enroll their children in school.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645031501709.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Jahish,
 who now works as an IT professional for an Omaha bank, was among those 
testifying in favor of a proposal that would earmark $10 million of the 
state’s American Rescue Plan Act funds for discounted housing for 
low-income individuals, including refugees.Despite
 the barriers, Jahish said he was able to work his way up from working 
as a truck driver and then as a supervisor, to earning a college degree.
 The 34-year-old now owns a home for his growing family of seven.“I
 hope that we can all come together and give these people a hand so that
 they, too, can become homeowners,” Jahish told the Legislature’s 
Appropriations Committee.That
 eight-member committee is considering dozens of ideas on how to spend 
the state’s $1 billion in ARPA funds. Tuesday, it took testimony about a
 handful of proposals to use some of those funds to address a shortage 
of low-income and “workforce” housing in the state.&nbsp;The
 lack of decent housing has been identified as a major impediment in 
filling the state’s estimated 60,000 unfilled jobs, the committee was 
told.<h2>Immigrants have buying power</h2>Chris
 Tonniges of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, which has resettled 
700 Afghan refugees, said immigrants can help solve Nebraska’s current 
labor shortage.In
 the Omaha-Council Bluffs area, immigrants, including those with refugee
 status, allowed local companies to “preserve or create” 3,400 
manufacturing jobs, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/city/omaha/">according to a report</a>
 just released by New American Economy, a bipartisan immigration 
advocacy group. Those workers paid an estimated $483 million in taxes 
and held $1.4 billion in spending power in 2019, the organization said.“Mayors
 and business leaders from Hastings, Grand Island, Kearney and other 
communities where unemployment is dangerously low recognize the 
workforce solution that people with refugee status can provide,” 
Tonniges&nbsp;said.He was among advocates for refugees supporting Legislative Bill 968, introduced by State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams.<h2>‘There’s no place like home’</h2>The
 bill would allocate $8 million in ARPA funds to nonprofit groups to 
develop affordable housing — either new or refurbished apartments — for 
low-income workers, including those with refugee status.Another $2 million would be earmarked for job training.Dorn
 said a recent study found that the state’s housing shortage was 
particularly acute for those in “extreme poverty,” with only 41 
affordable units per 1,000 people.“There’s
 no place like home,” the senator said, and refugees especially “are 
anxious to build a new home and new life” in the United States.Also
 supporting the bill was a representative of Catholic Social Services in
 Lincoln, which has resettled 150 Afghan refugees so far and 50 refugees
 from other countries.<h2>Jesus was a refugee</h2>Tom
 Venzor of the Nebraska Catholic Conference said that because there’s a 
shortage of safe and affordable housing for refugee families, Catholic 
Social Services has had to spend $50,000 on hotels that could have been 
spent in better ways.&nbsp;Venzor
 added that Jesus was once a refugee, when his family fled to Egypt to 
escape King Herod’s order to kill all baby boys in Bethlehem.&nbsp;Mohammed
 Jimale of East African Development Association of Nebraska, which helps
 450 low-income families in the Omaha area, also spoke in support of the
 bill. No one testified against the measure.

Refugees seen as partial solution to Neb. worker shortage if housing available

By DEREK KRAVITZ and BETSY LADYZHETS <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/16/missouri-plotting-official-end-to-covid-19-pandemic-as-soon-as-march-document-says/">Missouri Independent</a>

The state of Missouri
 is planning an official end to the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health
 crisis and will transition to treating the virus as endemic, much like 
it does the seasonal flu.

The target date for when Missouri’s 
public health agencies would begin treating COVID-19 as endemic is 
mid-March, the two-year anniversary of when the virus first showed up in
 the U.S., according to internal meeting notes.&nbsp;

But the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a statement that no specific date has been set.&nbsp;

“There is no set timeline in place,” 
the department’s spokeswoman said in a statement. “When the time is 
right, we believe our approach is sensible and flexible should the need 
arise to revert to standards of reporting, contact tracing and case 
investigations as they exist today.”

Treating COVID-19 as an endemic 
illness will have far-reaching consequences for Missouri and other 
states that follow similar paths, according to internal meeting minutes 
about the transition obtained by the Documenting COVID-19 project and 
The Independent as part of a Sunshine Law request. (The full PowerPoint 
presentation <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21211106-endemic-covid-ttx">can be found here</a>.)&nbsp;

Missouri state epidemiologist Dr. 
George Turabelidze, according to meeting minutes, said the endemic 
change “will snowball really quickly once a few states move in this 
direction.”

The state has been internally 
planning for the shift since December, even as the omicron variant of 
the virus surged across the U.S. The
 Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence, a nonprofit that 
represents local health departments on state issues, is working with its
 members “to help align our questions, ideas and opportunities for how 
we can all address COVID as a system,” it said in a statement.&nbsp;

“We are happy to partner with the state on planning for the next phase of the pandemic,” the group said.

‘Crystal ball has been broken every time with COVID’

Missouri’s shift to treating COVID-19 as endemic is not wholly unexpected.&nbsp;

The Biden administration has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/03/white-house-omicron-next-phase-pandemic-00005033">working internally to shift its COVID-19 strategy toward an endemic model</a>.
 The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, which 
represents U.S. health agencies, has been convening calls amongst its 
members in recent weeks to develop guidelines and recommendations.&nbsp;

Other states have begun working behind the scenes on endemic transition plans, including <a target="_blank" href="https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2022/02/covid-endemic-newsom-strategy/">California</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradosun.com/2022/02/03/colorado-covid-endemic-response-cdphe-bid-health/">Colorado</a>,
 hoping to bring a sense of normalcy given that many Americans have 
grown increasingly tired and frustrated with shifting public health 
messaging

Despite the trend, some 
epidemiologists have criticized the political use of the term “endemic,”
 saying that a desire to return to a pre-COVID normal doesn’t align with
 the actual science around how pandemics end.

Ellie Murray, an epidemiologist at Boston University’s School of Public Health <a target="_blank" href="https://medium.com/@EpiEllie/what-does-endemic-mean-9cc22a7f0f97">who has been particularly vocal about this issue</a>, has defined an endemic disease as “controlled at or below an acceptable level.”

This “acceptable” level is typically 
determined by health experts based on how much of a risk a disease poses
 to humans. But an endemic status shouldn’t lead to less data 
collection, Murray wrote in a recent Medium post. “Endemic means someone
 is ALWAYS thinking about covid,” she wrote.&nbsp;

For the seasonal flu — a common 
comparison to “endemic COVID” — thousands of scientists and health 
providers work to monitor and respond to this disease each year.

Internal meeting notes from the 
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services show the challenges in
 making a pivot like the one Murray described, going from an all-hands 
approach to combating the virus to something more like regular 
monitoring of the flu — albeit a pivot that is not tied to clear metrics
 indicating the disease has reached an acceptable level in Missouri.

Some metro local health departments, 
including those in Springfield and St. Louis, are expected to continue 
collecting case-specific COVID-19 data in order to track the virus’s 
spread in hard-hit communities. The state health department’s planning 
document notes that at least six health departments might have “issues” 
with the shift from daily to weekly reporting while also noting that the
 change could elicit “some criticism from media” and questions from the 
public.&nbsp;

Some health departments have already <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/12/13/missouris-largest-counties-seek-to-appeal-ruling-overturning-local-health-orders/">stopped posting COVID-19 data</a>
 after the state attorney general and a circuit court judge in Cole 
County said health departments can’t issue their own local COVID-19 
orders.

“We do need to be thinking about 
entire systems of operation that need to switch, how data is collected, 
housed and disseminated,” said Lynelle Phillips, who serves as vice 
president of the Missouri Public Health Association and president of the
 Missouri Immunization Coalition. “We don’t have one singular system in 
Missouri and setting a timeline for having these discussions is good.”

And several public health experts 
have cautioned against setting a specific deadline for the endemic 
transition, as Missouri plans to do, given the ever-shifting nature of 
the virus and its variants.

“Most epidemiologists would say their
 crystal ball has been broken every time with COVID. I’m very leery of 
saying that, in March, this is all a good idea,” Phillips said.&nbsp;

Waiting until COVID-19 infection 
rates were at a low, sustained level for at least two full incubation 
periods, possibly as long as four weeks, would help Missouri health 
departments prepare for the transition, said Enbal Shacham, an 
epidemiologist and professor of behavioral at Saint Louis University.&nbsp;

“We had hoped for a quiet season last
 spring and summer and it didn’t happen,” Shacham said. “Unlike the flu,
 it doesn’t stay dormant.”&nbsp;

But from a practical perspective, 
deadlines help policymakers, giving employers time to make operating 
decisions and agencies time to institute new reporting methods, said Dr.
 Georges Benjamin, a former emergency room physician who serves as 
executive director of the American Public Health Association, a 
nonprofit representing public health leaders.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645031273303.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By DEREK KRAVITZ and BETSY LADYZHETS <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/16/missouri-plotting-official-end-to-covid-19-pandemic-as-soon-as-march-document-says/">Missouri Independent</a>The state of Missouri
 is planning an official end to the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health
 crisis and will transition to treating the virus as endemic, much like 
it does the seasonal flu.The target date for when Missouri’s 
public health agencies would begin treating COVID-19 as endemic is 
mid-March, the two-year anniversary of when the virus first showed up in
 the U.S., according to internal meeting notes.&nbsp;But the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a statement that no specific date has been set.&nbsp;“There is no set timeline in place,” 
the department’s spokeswoman said in a statement. “When the time is 
right, we believe our approach is sensible and flexible should the need 
arise to revert to standards of reporting, contact tracing and case 
investigations as they exist today.”Treating COVID-19 as an endemic 
illness will have far-reaching consequences for Missouri and other 
states that follow similar paths, according to internal meeting minutes 
about the transition obtained by the Documenting COVID-19 project and 
The Independent as part of a Sunshine Law request. (The full PowerPoint 
presentation <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21211106-endemic-covid-ttx">can be found here</a>.)&nbsp;Missouri state epidemiologist Dr. 
George Turabelidze, according to meeting minutes, said the endemic 
change “will snowball really quickly once a few states move in this 
direction.”Among the planned changes:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Case 
investigations and contact tracing, where local health departments’ 
staffers reach out to people exposed to the virus in workplace or other 
public settings, will cease, unless a new, more transmissive or deadly 
variant emerges;</li><li>Daily 
reports on COVID-19 cases and deaths by the state health department will
 be replaced by aggregate weekly reports. In some cases, metro health 
departments, including those in St. Louis and Springfield, will likely 
continue collecting and disseminating daily reports but the state will 
stop its reporting;</li><li>Positivity
 rates will be phased out, as they are already difficult to interpret, 
with many Americans having switched from PCR tests to at-home antigen 
tests. Most people don’t report their results to local health 
departments. Missouri officials in January said they were prepared to be
 a “trend setter” in eliminating positivity rate reporting.</li><li>Hospitalization data will become even more important, with state health officials hoping to make reporting more timely;</li><li>Wastewater
 surveillance will become a more relied-on data point for public health 
officials, as a way to spot COVID-19 early in its life cycle and 
identify potential hot spots. Missouri is a leader in wastewater 
surveillance, as the state has the highest number of collection sites 
reported on <a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance">a new CDC dashboard</a>.</li>
 </ul>The state has been internally 
planning for the shift since December, even as the omicron variant of 
the virus surged across the U.S. The
 Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence, a nonprofit that 
represents local health departments on state issues, is working with its
 members “to help align our questions, ideas and opportunities for how 
we can all address COVID as a system,” it said in a statement.&nbsp;“We are happy to partner with the state on planning for the next phase of the pandemic,” the group said.<h2>‘Crystal ball has been broken every time with COVID’</h2>Missouri’s shift to treating COVID-19 as endemic is not wholly unexpected.&nbsp;The Biden administration has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/03/white-house-omicron-next-phase-pandemic-00005033">working internally to shift its COVID-19 strategy toward an endemic model</a>.
 The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, which 
represents U.S. health agencies, has been convening calls amongst its 
members in recent weeks to develop guidelines and recommendations.&nbsp;Other states have begun working behind the scenes on endemic transition plans, including <a target="_blank" href="https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2022/02/covid-endemic-newsom-strategy/">California</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradosun.com/2022/02/03/colorado-covid-endemic-response-cdphe-bid-health/">Colorado</a>,
 hoping to bring a sense of normalcy given that many Americans have 
grown increasingly tired and frustrated with shifting public health 
messagingDespite the trend, some 
epidemiologists have criticized the political use of the term “endemic,”
 saying that a desire to return to a pre-COVID normal doesn’t align with
 the actual science around how pandemics end.Ellie Murray, an epidemiologist at Boston University’s School of Public Health <a target="_blank" href="https://medium.com/@EpiEllie/what-does-endemic-mean-9cc22a7f0f97">who has been particularly vocal about this issue</a>, has defined an endemic disease as “controlled at or below an acceptable level.”This “acceptable” level is typically 
determined by health experts based on how much of a risk a disease poses
 to humans. But an endemic status shouldn’t lead to less data 
collection, Murray wrote in a recent Medium post. “Endemic means someone
 is ALWAYS thinking about covid,” she wrote.&nbsp;For the seasonal flu — a common 
comparison to “endemic COVID” — thousands of scientists and health 
providers work to monitor and respond to this disease each year.Internal meeting notes from the 
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services show the challenges in
 making a pivot like the one Murray described, going from an all-hands 
approach to combating the virus to something more like regular 
monitoring of the flu — albeit a pivot that is not tied to clear metrics
 indicating the disease has reached an acceptable level in Missouri.Some metro local health departments, 
including those in Springfield and St. Louis, are expected to continue 
collecting case-specific COVID-19 data in order to track the virus’s 
spread in hard-hit communities. The state health department’s planning 
document notes that at least six health departments might have “issues” 
with the shift from daily to weekly reporting while also noting that the
 change could elicit “some criticism from media” and questions from the 
public.&nbsp;Some health departments have already <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/12/13/missouris-largest-counties-seek-to-appeal-ruling-overturning-local-health-orders/">stopped posting COVID-19 data</a>
 after the state attorney general and a circuit court judge in Cole 
County said health departments can’t issue their own local COVID-19 
orders.“We do need to be thinking about 
entire systems of operation that need to switch, how data is collected, 
housed and disseminated,” said Lynelle Phillips, who serves as vice 
president of the Missouri Public Health Association and president of the
 Missouri Immunization Coalition. “We don’t have one singular system in 
Missouri and setting a timeline for having these discussions is good.”And several public health experts 
have cautioned against setting a specific deadline for the endemic 
transition, as Missouri plans to do, given the ever-shifting nature of 
the virus and its variants.“Most epidemiologists would say their
 crystal ball has been broken every time with COVID. I’m very leery of 
saying that, in March, this is all a good idea,” Phillips said.&nbsp;Waiting until COVID-19 infection 
rates were at a low, sustained level for at least two full incubation 
periods, possibly as long as four weeks, would help Missouri health 
departments prepare for the transition, said Enbal Shacham, an 
epidemiologist and professor of behavioral at Saint Louis University.&nbsp;“We had hoped for a quiet season last
 spring and summer and it didn’t happen,” Shacham said. “Unlike the flu,
 it doesn’t stay dormant.”&nbsp;But from a practical perspective, 
deadlines help policymakers, giving employers time to make operating 
decisions and agencies time to institute new reporting methods, said Dr.
 Georges Benjamin, a former emergency room physician who serves as 
executive director of the American Public Health Association, a 
nonprofit representing public health leaders.“You do have to decide a date in which to go forward,” said Benjamin, who previously served as Maryland’s secretary of health.Given declining cases and 
hospitalizations after the wintertime Omicron surge, Benjamin called the
 endemic transition process in Missouri “a reasonable debate.” Still, he
 said that three metrics related to the virus stand out as especially 
important to continue — hospitalization rates, community prevalence of 
COVID-19 and vaccination rates.&nbsp;<h2>155 wastewater testing sites in Missouri, and a few holdouts</h2>The rise of wastewater surveillance 
as a trusted tool to identify COVID-19 variants and spread is somewhat 
new. Missouri is one of a handful states and jurisdictions that publicly
 reports weekly results of wastewater analysis, at 155 sewershed sites 
across the state.&nbsp;In early February, the CDC<a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#wastewater-surveillance"> added wastewater tracking to its COVID-19 data dashboard</a>.
 Wastewater has been an important COVID-tracking tool throughout the 
pandemic but it gained more public interest in recent months as 
omicron’s rapid spread showed its utility as an early warning system.&nbsp;Experts say this surveillance is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wired.com/story/sewage-sampling-already-tracks-covid-what-else-can-it-find/">particularly useful in the era of at-home rapid tests</a>,
 because everyone is included in a sewershed regardless of whether they 
can access a PCR test that would be reported to the public health 
system.Missouri’s wastewater surveillance system, which includes genetic sequencing for variants, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/betsyladyzhets/status/1453777686229311491">identified Delta cases last summer</a> weeks before PCR testing did. However, at the time, the state <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/10/28/soooo-frustrating-infighting-bad-predictions-hindered-missouri-response-to-delta/">failed to respond to this wastewater warning</a>;
 it wasn’t until beds were filling up in Springfield hospitals that DHSS
 provided additional resources to address the highly contagious variant.Some public health officials caution 
that making wastewater results public could stigmatize local communities
 but those involved in wastewater sampling say testing sites cover large
 enough areas as to avoid individually identifying those who are 
infected.“I am philosophically almost always 
in favor of transparency,” said Marc Johnson, the University of Missouri
 virologist who oversees the state’s wastewater work. “In Missouri, we 
started out limiting the information and have gradually made the 
information more public. So far, there have been no negative 
consequences from making data public that I am aware of.”Just a handful of Missouri counties 
have opted out of the program, either citing a lack of funds to pay for 
sampling or some other political or privacy-related concern.&nbsp;One such example: In December, Macon County, a 15,000-population agricultural region of northern Missouri, <a target="_blank" href="https://maconutilities.com/board-minutes-dec-20-2021/">rejected federal funding</a> to continue wastewater surveillance. That amounted to roughly $100 per sample test for up to $6,000 per year,The reason for the rejection is unclear but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article253147128.html">Macon County made headlines last summer</a>
 when the local coroner acknowledged that he let families decide whether
 to omit COVID-19 as a cause of death on death certificates.&nbsp;The Independent’s Tessa Weinberg contributed to this report.