TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas could phase out its corporate income tax under a measure that also would expand its incentives for attracting new businesses, and the provision is a problem as lawmakers rush to help the state attract an undisclosed multibillion-dollar project.

The state House Commerce Committee’s leader on Thursday derided the measure as “messed up” and delayed a vote until Monday on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb347_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a bill</a>&nbsp;authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives for billion-dollar business projects.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-kansas-topeka-933bcd1586567b445f643e57de554cea">The Senate approved</a>&nbsp;the measure with bipartisan support last week, and the GOP-controlled Legislature still hopes to wrap up work on the bill next week.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the state Department of Commerce are pushing for quick passage so that the agency can offer an unnamed company $1 billion or more in incentives to make Kansas home to what department officials say would be a $4 billion facility. Kelly’s office and the department were negotiating with lawmakers.

“It came over here a train wreck,” said House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican.

Republican senators added a cut in corporate income taxes, arguing that other businesses, particularly small ones, should also get a break if the state is going to offer huge incentives to single companies. But the provision is written so that the state would keep reducing the tax in future years, possibly until it was eliminated.

Kelly, other Democrats and the Department of Commerce favor one modest cut in the corporate income tax rate. Even some Republicans who favor a series of cuts acknowledge that the disputed provision’s language is unclear enough that the reductions could be more aggressive than intended.

“Whatever we do, we want to be sure it’s sustainable,” said state Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican.

The measure would give the Department of Commerce the authority to cut a company’s state income tax burden, cover part of its payroll, reimburse some employee training costs and reduce its local property taxes. It also could offer some breaks to up to five major suppliers named by that firm.

Some GOP conservatives have criticized the measure as crony capitalism that has the state improperly picking economic winners and losers.

Deputy Commerce Secretary Paul Hughes told the House committee this week that Kansas is pursuing “a massive advanced manufacturing facility” that will employ 4,000 people earning an average of $50,000 a year. Officials and lawmakers who know more details say they’ve been required to sign an agreement not to disclose the information publicly.

The bill also would cut the state’s corporate income tax by a half-percentage point once that company begins receiving the incentives, dropping the top rate to 6.5% from 7%. The bill says that the tax will continue to drop by a half-percentage point for each year “that a qualified firm or qualified supplier receives benefits.”

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said the goal was to have multiple reductions in the corporate income tax so that Kansas is more competitive with other states. Texas has no corporate income tax; Oklahoma’s top tax rate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ok-state-wire-oklahoma-business-education-health-f4e89a3434ad560d545e408394ccfb39">dropped to 4%</a>&nbsp;this year, and&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/state-corporate-income-tax-rates-brackets-2022/" target="_blank">the top rates</a>&nbsp;in Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri and New Mexico are lower than 6%, according to the nonprofit Tax Foundation.

“Taking it down a half-percent one time is not going to get a competitive level,” Erickson said.

The first corporate tax cut is expected to cost the state about $48 million a year in revenue. The state is on track to collect more than $660 million in corporate income taxes during the current budget year.

The big-incentives program has had bipartisan support, but Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat, said if GOP lawmakers stick to ongoing corporate tax cuts, “I can see a lot of senators running like scalded cats away from that deal.”

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said the intent was to cut the rate every time the state closed a “mega-deal” with a company, so it would take 14 such deals to phase out the corporate income tax. In both chambers, GOP lawmakers also want to require legislators to review the big-incentives program after a year or two.

In the House, Republicans were leaning toward Masterson’s position that the corporate tax rate would drop only when the Commerce Department lands such a deal.

“Now I’ve got to get conservative Republicans to fix a bill,” Tarwater said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643984923007.png" alt="Members of the House Commerce Committee during a discussion Thursday on the measure-image State Legislative YouTube&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Members of the House Commerce Committee during a discussion Thursday on the measure-image State Legislative YouTube&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas could phase out its corporate income tax under a measure that also would expand its incentives for attracting new businesses, and the provision is a problem as lawmakers rush to help the state attract an undisclosed multibillion-dollar project.The state House Commerce Committee’s leader on Thursday derided the measure as “messed up” and delayed a vote until Monday on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb347_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a bill</a>&nbsp;authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives for billion-dollar business projects.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-kansas-topeka-933bcd1586567b445f643e57de554cea">The Senate approved</a>&nbsp;the measure with bipartisan support last week, and the GOP-controlled Legislature still hopes to wrap up work on the bill next week.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the state Department of Commerce are pushing for quick passage so that the agency can offer an unnamed company $1 billion or more in incentives to make Kansas home to what department officials say would be a $4 billion facility. Kelly’s office and the department were negotiating with lawmakers.“It came over here a train wreck,” said House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican.Republican senators added a cut in corporate income taxes, arguing that other businesses, particularly small ones, should also get a break if the state is going to offer huge incentives to single companies. But the provision is written so that the state would keep reducing the tax in future years, possibly until it was eliminated.Kelly, other Democrats and the Department of Commerce favor one modest cut in the corporate income tax rate. Even some Republicans who favor a series of cuts acknowledge that the disputed provision’s language is unclear enough that the reductions could be more aggressive than intended.“Whatever we do, we want to be sure it’s sustainable,” said state Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican.The measure would give the Department of Commerce the authority to cut a company’s state income tax burden, cover part of its payroll, reimburse some employee training costs and reduce its local property taxes. It also could offer some breaks to up to five major suppliers named by that firm.Some GOP conservatives have criticized the measure as crony capitalism that has the state improperly picking economic winners and losers.Deputy Commerce Secretary Paul Hughes told the House committee this week that Kansas is pursuing “a massive advanced manufacturing facility” that will employ 4,000 people earning an average of $50,000 a year. Officials and lawmakers who know more details say they’ve been required to sign an agreement not to disclose the information publicly.The bill also would cut the state’s corporate income tax by a half-percentage point once that company begins receiving the incentives, dropping the top rate to 6.5% from 7%. The bill says that the tax will continue to drop by a half-percentage point for each year “that a qualified firm or qualified supplier receives benefits.”Senate Commerce Committee Chair Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said the goal was to have multiple reductions in the corporate income tax so that Kansas is more competitive with other states. Texas has no corporate income tax; Oklahoma’s top tax rate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ok-state-wire-oklahoma-business-education-health-f4e89a3434ad560d545e408394ccfb39">dropped to 4%</a>&nbsp;this year, and&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/state-corporate-income-tax-rates-brackets-2022/" target="_blank">the top rates</a>&nbsp;in Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri and New Mexico are lower than 6%, according to the nonprofit Tax Foundation.“Taking it down a half-percent one time is not going to get a competitive level,” Erickson said.The first corporate tax cut is expected to cost the state about $48 million a year in revenue. The state is on track to collect more than $660 million in corporate income taxes during the current budget year.The big-incentives program has had bipartisan support, but Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat, said if GOP lawmakers stick to ongoing corporate tax cuts, “I can see a lot of senators running like scalded cats away from that deal.”Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said the intent was to cut the rate every time the state closed a “mega-deal” with a company, so it would take 14 such deals to phase out the corporate income tax. In both chambers, GOP lawmakers also want to require legislators to review the big-incentives program after a year or two.In the House, Republicans were leaning toward Masterson’s position that the corporate tax rate would drop only when the Commerce Department lands such a deal.“Now I’ve got to get conservative Republicans to fix a bill,” Tarwater said.

Kan. considers ending corporate income tax to lure big project

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 4,871 to a total of 744,493, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The state reported 139 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,716.

<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 4,871 to a total of 744,493, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 139 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,716.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643997947569.png" alt="Friday February 4, 2022 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday February 4, 2022 KDHE image</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 reports 139 additional COVID-19 deaths

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

Salina police have asked the Saline County Attorney's Office to file a charge of felony cruelty to animals: malicious torture against a 55-year-old Salina resident.

On Jan. 19, officers responded to the 900 block of Choctaw Avenue to assist the Salina Animal Services.

"On contact with the shelter employees, there was a report that the shelter was taking into custody a four-year-old black and white lab/retriever mix named Molly. There was an allegation that the dog had been abused," according to a media release from the Salina Police Department.

Through a joint investigation between Salina Animal Services and the police, Salina Police detectives were able to establish a probable cause to request a felony cruelty to animals: malicious torture charge. The investigation included interviewing several witnesses, collecting evidentiary items, and reviewing veterinarian records.

According to information from the Salina Police Department, an affidavit was delivered to the Saline County Attorney's Office on Wednesday "for a 55-year-old Salina resident who is the owner of Molly."

&nbsp;Molly is currently being cared for in a safe and protected location," the department noted.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSalina police have asked the Saline County Attorney's Office to file a charge of felony cruelty to animals: malicious torture against a 55-year-old Salina resident.On Jan. 19, officers responded to the 900 block of Choctaw Avenue to assist the Salina Animal Services."On contact with the shelter employees, there was a report that the shelter was taking into custody a four-year-old black and white lab/retriever mix named Molly. There was an allegation that the dog had been abused," according to a media release from the Salina Police Department.Through a joint investigation between Salina Animal Services and the police, Salina Police detectives were able to establish a probable cause to request a felony cruelty to animals: malicious torture charge. The investigation included interviewing several witnesses, collecting evidentiary items, and reviewing veterinarian records.According to information from the Salina Police Department, an affidavit was delivered to the Saline County Attorney's Office on Wednesday "for a 55-year-old Salina resident who is the owner of Molly."&nbsp;Molly is currently being cared for in a safe and protected location," the department noted.

Police investigate alleged animal cruelty in Salina

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery.

Just after 2a.m. Friday, police were dispatched to the 500 block of Conkling Avenue in Garden City for an Aggravated Robbery involving a taxi driver who had been robbed at knifepoint, according to a media release.

The investigation revealed that the taxi driver picked up a customer in the 1800 block of Comanche Drive and provided a ride for him to the 500 block of Conkling Avenue. 

Upon arrival, the suspect pulled out a knife and demanded the driver to give him all the money he had. The victim gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money, and the suspect ran southbound from the vehicle.  Officers searched the area and were unable to locate the suspect.

At the time of the incident, the suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his early 20s, heavy set, wearing a black coat and circular prescription-style glasses.&nbsp;

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery.Just after 2a.m. Friday, police were dispatched to the 500 block of Conkling Avenue in Garden City for an Aggravated Robbery involving a taxi driver who had been robbed at knifepoint, according to a media release.The investigation revealed that the taxi driver picked up a customer in the 1800 block of Comanche Drive and provided a ride for him to the 500 block of Conkling Avenue. Upon arrival, the suspect pulled out a knife and demanded the driver to give him all the money he had. The victim gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money, and the suspect ran southbound from the vehicle. Officers searched the area and were unable to locate the suspect.At the time of the incident, the suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his early 20s, heavy set, wearing a black coat and circular prescription-style glasses.&nbsp;

Police: Taxi driver robbed at knifepoint in SW Kansas

Washington–&nbsp;U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Rick Scott of Florida offered their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/files/99776085-C772-4114-A3A1-35582528B379" target="_blank">No Taxpayer Dollars for Communist Chinese COVID Tests Act</a>, a bill to prohibit the use of federal funds to purchase at-home tests for COVID-19 that are imported from, or manufactured in, Communist China, according to a statement from Marshall's office.

The legislation was blocked by Senate Democrats. Senators Marshall and Scott introduced this bill following the Biden administration’s purchase of $1.28 billion worth of COVID-19 at-home tests from iHealth Labs Inc., a unit of Andon Health Co., a medical device manufacturer headquartered in Communist China.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed just how reliant our country is on medical supplies from China. Under President Biden, minimal actions have been taken to bring this manufacturing back to the United States and instead this administration is now sending taxpayer money to China for millions of COVID tests. We should be investing in American manufacturing and creating jobs at home instead of continuing to fund the CCP, particularly when their obstruction to uncover the origins of this virus’ outbreak is ongoing,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.

“It is imperative that the federal government do everything in its power to complete our public health mission in a cost-effective manner that prioritizes support for domestic manufacturing. Unfortunately, instead of supporting American manufacturing, the Biden administration is handing nearly $1.3 billion of taxpayer funds to a company in Communist China. The Biden administration’s willingness to fund the Communist Chinese economy, instead of the American economy, is a disgrace. And Senate Democrats’ decision to block my bill to support American jobs so that they can cover for the president’s failure is a dereliction of duty and&nbsp;a shameful&nbsp;choice to&nbsp;again&nbsp;appease Communist China,”&nbsp;said Senator Scott.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643990633068.png" alt="Senator Marshall" />
 <figcaption>Senator Marshall</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington–&nbsp;U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Rick Scott of Florida offered their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/files/99776085-C772-4114-A3A1-35582528B379" target="_blank">No Taxpayer Dollars for Communist Chinese COVID Tests Act</a>, a bill to prohibit the use of federal funds to purchase at-home tests for COVID-19 that are imported from, or manufactured in, Communist China, according to a statement from Marshall's office.The legislation was blocked by Senate Democrats. Senators Marshall and Scott introduced this bill following the Biden administration’s purchase of $1.28 billion worth of COVID-19 at-home tests from iHealth Labs Inc., a unit of Andon Health Co., a medical device manufacturer headquartered in Communist China.“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed just how reliant our country is on medical supplies from China. Under President Biden, minimal actions have been taken to bring this manufacturing back to the United States and instead this administration is now sending taxpayer money to China for millions of COVID tests. We should be investing in American manufacturing and creating jobs at home instead of continuing to fund the CCP, particularly when their obstruction to uncover the origins of this virus’ outbreak is ongoing,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall.“It is imperative that the federal government do everything in its power to complete our public health mission in a cost-effective manner that prioritizes support for domestic manufacturing. Unfortunately, instead of supporting American manufacturing, the Biden administration is handing nearly $1.3 billion of taxpayer funds to a company in Communist China. The Biden administration’s willingness to fund the Communist Chinese economy, instead of the American economy, is a disgrace. And Senate Democrats’ decision to block my bill to support American jobs so that they can cover for the president’s failure is a dereliction of duty and&nbsp;a shameful&nbsp;choice to&nbsp;again&nbsp;appease Communist China,”&nbsp;said Senator Scott.

Marshall's bill would stop U.S. purchase of Chinese-made COVID tests

My husband and I are 30, and we are on Baby Step 2. 
He wants to go back to school and become a social worker. He currently 
makes about $20,000 a year as a teacher’s assistant, and he wants to 
take out student loans to do this. He already has an associate’s degree,
 which wouldn’t mean four years of loans, but the idea scares me a lot. I
 have a good job, so how can I still support him and his desire to 
further his education without agreeing to go deeper into debt?

So, it’s kind of a situation where&nbsp;you’re&nbsp;working the Baby Steps and he’s not. On top of this, he wants to go into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator" target="_blank">debt</a>&nbsp;to do social work. Does he know what social workers make these days?

This
 guy obviously has a heart for helping people. That’s a great thing. But
 I’ve got to believe there are ways to expand his options. Social work 
is one path, but there are probably several paths he could follow to get
 involved in what he loves about the idea of social work.

I’m 
guessing he has a passion for counseling and advocating, too. Finishing a
 four-year degree would put him in a position where he could potentially
 move into a guidance counselor role or something along those lines, 
considering his background. But taking out loans isn’t necessary. He 
just needs to be patient, and wait a little bit while you two buckle 
down on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Steps</a>&nbsp;and
 get out of debt. He could get a second job for a while nights or 
weekends, and then you’d be able to pay off your debt faster&nbsp;and&nbsp;avoid those stupid loans thanks to the cash you set aside. Plus, there are millions of dollars in&nbsp;scholarships out there for traditional&nbsp;and&nbsp;non-traditional students.

Sometimes
 when people feel stuck in a job, they automatically default to the idea
 they need a degree. What your husband really needs right now is a clear
 idea and direction. Then, you determine if a degree is necessary to get
 there. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against social work. But I’ve 
talked to so many people who went six-figures into debt, only to wind up
 making $38,000 as a social worker for the state. That’s crazy!

You two need to sit down&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/money-marriage-communication-research" target="_blank">together</a>,
 and talk all this out. Tell him why you’re worried, and point out that 
borrowing a bunch of money isn’t the only way—and definitely isn’t the 
smart way—to make this happen. If you really want to support him, 
Britney, you need to help him see there are steps he can take to pursue 
his dream without it turning into a financial nightmare for both of you.

<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has
 appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox 
News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped 
people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their 
lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635524005597.png" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,My husband and I are 30, and we are on Baby Step 2. 
He wants to go back to school and become a social worker. He currently 
makes about $20,000 a year as a teacher’s assistant, and he wants to 
take out student loans to do this. He already has an associate’s degree,
 which wouldn’t mean four years of loans, but the idea scares me a lot. I
 have a good job, so how can I still support him and his desire to 
further his education without agreeing to go deeper into debt?BritneyDear Britney,So, it’s kind of a situation where&nbsp;you’re&nbsp;working the Baby Steps and he’s not. On top of this, he wants to go into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator" target="_blank">debt</a>&nbsp;to do social work. Does he know what social workers make these days?This
 guy obviously has a heart for helping people. That’s a great thing. But
 I’ve got to believe there are ways to expand his options. Social work 
is one path, but there are probably several paths he could follow to get
 involved in what he loves about the idea of social work.I’m 
guessing he has a passion for counseling and advocating, too. Finishing a
 four-year degree would put him in a position where he could potentially
 move into a guidance counselor role or something along those lines, 
considering his background. But taking out loans isn’t necessary. He 
just needs to be patient, and wait a little bit while you two buckle 
down on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Steps</a>&nbsp;and
 get out of debt. He could get a second job for a while nights or 
weekends, and then you’d be able to pay off your debt faster&nbsp;and&nbsp;avoid those stupid loans thanks to the cash you set aside. Plus, there are millions of dollars in&nbsp;scholarships out there for traditional&nbsp;and&nbsp;non-traditional students.Sometimes
 when people feel stuck in a job, they automatically default to the idea
 they need a degree. What your husband really needs right now is a clear
 idea and direction. Then, you determine if a degree is necessary to get
 there. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against social work. But I’ve 
talked to so many people who went six-figures into debt, only to wind up
 making $38,000 as a social worker for the state. That’s crazy!You two need to sit down&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/money-marriage-communication-research" target="_blank">together</a>,
 and talk all this out. Tell him why you’re worried, and point out that 
borrowing a bunch of money isn’t the only way—and definitely isn’t the 
smart way—to make this happen. If you really want to support him, 
Britney, you need to help him see there are steps he can take to pursue 
his dream without it turning into a financial nightmare for both of you.Dave. . .<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has
 appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox 
News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped 
people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their 
lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Be patient, find your path … and forget about student loans

KANSAS CITY —A 24-year-old Kansas City man has been charged in the fatal shooting on Sept. 28, 2021 of Wyshaud Smith, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.

Corey Marrett faces Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and two counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records, &nbsp;the defendant drove down to a tow lot where a family member and Smith had been in a dispute. The defendant's vehicle is captured on LPR and surveillance footage pulling up next to victim’s vehicle before the victim’s car pulls forward and crashes into a pole. Victim was shot behind his left ear. Defendant’s phone also shows him to be in the area at the time of the shooting.

Prosecutors is being held on a $250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643927241933.png" alt="Marrett-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Marrett-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A 24-year-old Kansas City man has been charged in the fatal shooting on Sept. 28, 2021 of Wyshaud Smith, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.Corey Marrett faces Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and two counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records, &nbsp;the defendant drove down to a tow lot where a family member and Smith had been in a dispute. The defendant's vehicle is captured on LPR and surveillance footage pulling up next to victim’s vehicle before the victim’s car pulls forward and crashes into a pole. Victim was shot behind his left ear. Defendant’s phone also shows him to be in the area at the time of the shooting.Prosecutors is being held on a $250,000 bond.

Suspect's phone shows him at scene of fatal KC shooting

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/federal-law-allocates-58-6-million-to-plug-thousands-of-orphan-oil-gas-wells-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The bipartisan federal 
infrastructure law appropriated $58.6 million to cap more than 5,400 oil
 and gas wells in Kansas that have been abandoned by owners and threaten
 water supplies or pose other environmental hazards.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat serving the Third District in 
eastern Kansas, said the state had thousands of wells polluting public 
spaces, recreational areas or private property.

The federal law included aid to deal with an estimated 5,400 orphan 
wells in Kansas, Davids said. She said the list of defunct wells 
included 34 in Johnson County and at least 375 in Miami County. In 
Kansas, 14 well sites are listed as high-priority projects due to&nbsp; 
urgent threats to public water supplies.

“Abandoned oil and gas wells pose a serious
 threat to the health and well-being of communities across Kansas, with 
the vast majority of these sites in the eastern part of our state,” said
 Davids, who serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee.

Dwight Keen, chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission, said 
infusion of federal investment in abandon well remediation would 
accelerate well-plugging efforts in Kansas and help protect freshwater 
resources in the state. The KCC has regulatory responsibilities for oil 
and gas wells.

“Addressing the abandoned-well issue in Kansas is critical to our 
environmental protection mission,” Keen said. “Given the potential costs
 associated with plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, we appreciate the
 availability of federal funds to compliment the state’s well-plugging 
fund.”

Overall, the legislation adopted by Congress and signed by President 
Joe Biden earmarked $4.7 billion for dealing with orphan oil and gas 
wells.

The initial phase of the program allocated $1.15 billion for 
abandoned wells in Kansas and 25 other states. Each state was eligible 
for $25 million in federal grants, with opportunity to apply for 
additional aid.

An estimated 81,000 abandoned drilling sites in the United States 
leak pollution and emit methane gas into the environment. About 9 
million Americans live within one mile of these sites.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643927264973.png" alt="U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat, said the federal infrastructure law earmarked $58.6 million to plug more than 5,400 abandoned oil and gas wells in Kansas. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat, said the federal infrastructure law earmarked $58.6 million to plug more than 5,400 abandoned oil and gas wells in Kansas. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/federal-law-allocates-58-6-million-to-plug-thousands-of-orphan-oil-gas-wells-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The bipartisan federal 
infrastructure law appropriated $58.6 million to cap more than 5,400 oil
 and gas wells in Kansas that have been abandoned by owners and threaten
 water supplies or pose other environmental hazards.U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat serving the Third District in 
eastern Kansas, said the state had thousands of wells polluting public 
spaces, recreational areas or private property.The federal law included aid to deal with an estimated 5,400 orphan 
wells in Kansas, Davids said. She said the list of defunct wells 
included 34 in Johnson County and at least 375 in Miami County. In 
Kansas, 14 well sites are listed as high-priority projects due to&nbsp; 
urgent threats to public water supplies.“Abandoned oil and gas wells pose a serious
 threat to the health and well-being of communities across Kansas, with 
the vast majority of these sites in the eastern part of our state,” said
 Davids, who serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee.Dwight Keen, chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission, said 
infusion of federal investment in abandon well remediation would 
accelerate well-plugging efforts in Kansas and help protect freshwater 
resources in the state. The KCC has regulatory responsibilities for oil 
and gas wells.“Addressing the abandoned-well issue in Kansas is critical to our 
environmental protection mission,” Keen said. “Given the potential costs
 associated with plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, we appreciate the
 availability of federal funds to compliment the state’s well-plugging 
fund.”Overall, the legislation adopted by Congress and signed by President 
Joe Biden earmarked $4.7 billion for dealing with orphan oil and gas 
wells.The initial phase of the program allocated $1.15 billion for 
abandoned wells in Kansas and 25 other states. Each state was eligible 
for $25 million in federal grants, with opportunity to apply for 
additional aid.An estimated 81,000 abandoned drilling sites in the United States 
leak pollution and emit methane gas into the environment. About 9 
million Americans live within one mile of these sites.

Feds allocate $58.6M to plug thousands of orphan oil, gas wells in Kan.

NEW YORK (AP) — Running through a grim tally of recent gun deaths, President Joe Biden pledged to New Yorkers and the nation on Thursday that the federal government would step up its fight against gun violence by working more closely with police and communities to stop the surging bloodshed.

“It’s enough. Enough is enough,” Biden told police, law enforcement officials and lawmakers gathered at the city’s police headquarters. “We can do something about this.”

But Biden’s crimefighting strategy relies heavily on buy-in from state and local officials as he suggests ways to spend federal dollars and expands on initiatives already under way. The modest initiatives demonstrate the limits to what he can do when there is no appetite in Congress to pass gun legislation.

Biden came to New York a day after the funeral for the second of two New York City cops shot and killed during a domestic violence call on Jan. 21. Officials wrapped up the event to get to the hospital, where another officer was being released after an injury in yet another shooting.

The visit gave the president a chance to push back against Republicans who claim he’s soft on crime, and to distance himself from those in the left flank of his Democratic Party who want to shift funding away from police departments to social spending programs.

“The answer is not to defund the police,” Biden said. “It is to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors and know the community.”

Biden ticked through how 316 people are shot every day and 106 killed, including 26 children who died in gun violence so far this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-new-york-violence-police-new-york-city-a15d5986b309ef0721deed74fabd08eb">In New York last month</a>, an 11-month-old girl was wounded by a stray bullet and a teenage fast-food cashier was shot to death. Thirty-two officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year nationwide, seven of them killed.

Biden is navigating complex politics: He’s working to find ways to combat crime while also pushing for greater accountability after high-profile killings of Black people by police.

“The answer is not to abandon our streets,” Biden said. “The answer is to come together, policing communities, building trust and making us all safer.”

Most of the talk Thursday was centered on better policing. Efforts to take stronger legislative action in recent years have failed, even after 20 children and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting">six adults were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.</a>

Like Democratic presidents before him, Biden called on Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But he also spoke of the powerful gun lobby that has been effective at curbing any effort to rein in guns and that points to the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

“There’s no amendment that’s absolute,” Biden insisted. “When the amendment was passed, it didn’t say anybody can own a gun — any kind of gun — and any kind of weapon.”

The president was joined by New York lawmakers, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain. Once an outspoken critic of his own department and someone who was beaten by police as a teenager, Adams portrayed himself during his campaign as someone who could bridge the divide between the New York Police Department and activists pushing for major change.

“We understand how serious this moment is,” Adams said, telling Biden, “Mayor Adams, reporting for duty, ready to serve.”

Biden listened in on a gun violence strategic partnership meeting, a daily get-together for local, state and federal leaders who share intelligence and information on specific cases. He then headed to a school in Queens to hear firsthand from a frontline violence intervention community group about efforts to prevent violence.

Guns are at the center of the debate as the nation grapples with homicides that spiked nationally in 2020, the final year of the Trump administration. Even before the spike, 75% of all homicides in the U.S. were due to firearm injuries and guns were responsible for 91% of youth homicides, according to a January report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on gun violence and suicides over 2018-19.

This comes as Americans purchased a record number of firearms in 2020. Law enforcement officers recovered historically high numbers of firearms last year and are coming across more firearms stripped of serial numbers, making them impossible to trace. And early data suggests that the period between when a gun was purchased and used in a crime and recovered by police has shortened, compared with earlier years.

To combat this, the Biden administration is clamping down more on traders of “ghost guns,” homemade firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them and that are often purchased without a background check.

The Justice Department is working to stop the movement of guns north along the “iron pipeline” on the Interstate 95 corridor from Southern states with lax gun laws. Federal prosecutors will prioritize cases of those who sell or transfer guns used in violent crime and, if Biden’s budget is enacted, get specific agents dedicated to the effort.

Federal strike forces are deployed to New York and other cities, aimed at cracking down on gun trafficking. Federal agents are embedded in homicide units in police departments around the country, and the U.S. Marshals Service regularly conducts fugitive sweeps to arrest people with outstanding state or federal warrants.

In May, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will host police executives from across the country to collaborate on solutions to gun violence. But the agency has been without a permanent leader since 2013. Biden’s first nominee, a former ATF agent who had advocated for stricter gun control, was withdrawn in September amid opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. There’s no sign of a new nominee.

Biden has also proposed a large increase in dollars for local community policing programs, and if his social spending agenda were to pass, even more funds would be made available — but that effort is stalled in Congress, too.

And he encouraged cities to invest some of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">COVID-19 relief money</a>&nbsp;into policing and pushed alternative crime reduction steps such as increased community support and summer jobs for teenagers, and better resources for those coming out of prison.

“When someone finishes their time in prison ... you can’t give them $25 bucks and a bus ticket,” he said. “They need to be able to train for and get a job, find stable housing, reenter society and have a second chance at life.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Running through a grim tally of recent gun deaths, President Joe Biden pledged to New Yorkers and the nation on Thursday that the federal government would step up its fight against gun violence by working more closely with police and communities to stop the surging bloodshed.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F310719364350322%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=37" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“It’s enough. Enough is enough,” Biden told police, law enforcement officials and lawmakers gathered at the city’s police headquarters. “We can do something about this.”But Biden’s crimefighting strategy relies heavily on buy-in from state and local officials as he suggests ways to spend federal dollars and expands on initiatives already under way. The modest initiatives demonstrate the limits to what he can do when there is no appetite in Congress to pass gun legislation.Biden came to New York a day after the funeral for the second of two New York City cops shot and killed during a domestic violence call on Jan. 21. Officials wrapped up the event to get to the hospital, where another officer was being released after an injury in yet another shooting.The visit gave the president a chance to push back against Republicans who claim he’s soft on crime, and to distance himself from those in the left flank of his Democratic Party who want to shift funding away from police departments to social spending programs.“The answer is not to defund the police,” Biden said. “It is to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors and know the community.”Biden ticked through how 316 people are shot every day and 106 killed, including 26 children who died in gun violence so far this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-new-york-violence-police-new-york-city-a15d5986b309ef0721deed74fabd08eb">In New York last month</a>, an 11-month-old girl was wounded by a stray bullet and a teenage fast-food cashier was shot to death. Thirty-two officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year nationwide, seven of them killed.Biden is navigating complex politics: He’s working to find ways to combat crime while also pushing for greater accountability after high-profile killings of Black people by police.“The answer is not to abandon our streets,” Biden said. “The answer is to come together, policing communities, building trust and making us all safer.”Most of the talk Thursday was centered on better policing. Efforts to take stronger legislative action in recent years have failed, even after 20 children and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting">six adults were killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.</a>Like Democratic presidents before him, Biden called on Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But he also spoke of the powerful gun lobby that has been effective at curbing any effort to rein in guns and that points to the Second Amendment right to bear arms.“There’s no amendment that’s absolute,” Biden insisted. “When the amendment was passed, it didn’t say anybody can own a gun — any kind of gun — and any kind of weapon.”The president was joined by New York lawmakers, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain. Once an outspoken critic of his own department and someone who was beaten by police as a teenager, Adams portrayed himself during his campaign as someone who could bridge the divide between the New York Police Department and activists pushing for major change.“We understand how serious this moment is,” Adams said, telling Biden, “Mayor Adams, reporting for duty, ready to serve.”Biden listened in on a gun violence strategic partnership meeting, a daily get-together for local, state and federal leaders who share intelligence and information on specific cases. He then headed to a school in Queens to hear firsthand from a frontline violence intervention community group about efforts to prevent violence.Guns are at the center of the debate as the nation grapples with homicides that spiked nationally in 2020, the final year of the Trump administration. Even before the spike, 75% of all homicides in the U.S. were due to firearm injuries and guns were responsible for 91% of youth homicides, according to a January report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on gun violence and suicides over 2018-19.This comes as Americans purchased a record number of firearms in 2020. Law enforcement officers recovered historically high numbers of firearms last year and are coming across more firearms stripped of serial numbers, making them impossible to trace. And early data suggests that the period between when a gun was purchased and used in a crime and recovered by police has shortened, compared with earlier years.To combat this, the Biden administration is clamping down more on traders of “ghost guns,” homemade firearms that lack serial numbers used to trace them and that are often purchased without a background check.The Justice Department is working to stop the movement of guns north along the “iron pipeline” on the Interstate 95 corridor from Southern states with lax gun laws. Federal prosecutors will prioritize cases of those who sell or transfer guns used in violent crime and, if Biden’s budget is enacted, get specific agents dedicated to the effort.Federal strike forces are deployed to New York and other cities, aimed at cracking down on gun trafficking. Federal agents are embedded in homicide units in police departments around the country, and the U.S. Marshals Service regularly conducts fugitive sweeps to arrest people with outstanding state or federal warrants.In May, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will host police executives from across the country to collaborate on solutions to gun violence. But the agency has been without a permanent leader since 2013. Biden’s first nominee, a former ATF agent who had advocated for stricter gun control, was withdrawn in September amid opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. There’s no sign of a new nominee.Biden has also proposed a large increase in dollars for local community policing programs, and if his social spending agenda were to pass, even more funds would be made available — but that effort is stalled in Congress, too.And he encouraged cities to invest some of their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">COVID-19 relief money</a>&nbsp;into policing and pushed alternative crime reduction steps such as increased community support and summer jobs for teenagers, and better resources for those coming out of prison.“When someone finishes their time in prison ... you can’t give them $25 bucks and a bus ticket,” he said. “They need to be able to train for and get a job, find stable housing, reenter society and have a second chance at life.”__

🎥 Biden: Nation must come together to end gun violence

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County District Attorney's office on Thursday charged Wichita Police Department officer Andrew Barnett with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of disorderly conduct, according to police department spokesman Officer Trevor Macy.

The charges involved two separate incidents that occurred in 2021. The first incident occurred on May 14, when Barnett was accused of battery against a prisoner. 

At that time, he was moved to an administrative assignment within the department pending the outcome of the investigation, which was conducted by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to avoid conflicts of interest.

On December 2, Wichita police officials learned of another incident involving Barnett while off-duty at the Eisenhower National Airport. The Airport Police Department investigated that incident.

Barnett has been with the Wichita Police Department for five years and has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigation.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County District Attorney's office on Thursday charged Wichita Police Department officer Andrew Barnett with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of disorderly conduct, according to police department spokesman Officer Trevor Macy.The charges involved two separate incidents that occurred in 2021. The first incident occurred on May 14, when Barnett was accused of battery against a prisoner. At that time, he was moved to an administrative assignment within the department pending the outcome of the investigation, which was conducted by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to avoid conflicts of interest.On December 2, Wichita police officials learned of another incident involving Barnett while off-duty at the Eisenhower National Airport. The Airport Police Department investigated that incident.Barnett has been with the Wichita Police Department for five years and has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigation.

Wichita police officer charged with battery, disorderly conduct

HASKELL COUNTY—Two Kansas men were injured in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Thursday in Haskell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris ATV driven by&nbsp; Claudy R.&nbsp;Reynolds, 88, Sublette, was eastbound in the 900 Block Edelle Avenue in Sublette.

 The ATV became unstable, crossed the center line, entered the north ditch and overturned.

EMS transported&nbsp;Reynolds and a passenger James H Barton, 69, Sublette, to Satanta District Hospital. Reynolds was later flown to a hospital in Wichita.

HASKELL COUNTY—Two Kansas men were injured in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Thursday in Haskell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Polaris ATV driven by&nbsp; Claudy R.&nbsp;Reynolds, 88, Sublette, was eastbound in the 900 Block Edelle Avenue in Sublette. The ATV became unstable, crossed the center line, entered the north ditch and overturned.EMS transported&nbsp;Reynolds and a passenger James H Barton, 69, Sublette, to Satanta District Hospital. Reynolds was later flown to a hospital in Wichita.

88-year-old Kan. man airlifted to hospital after ATV accident

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

GREAT BEND — A conceptual budget for the new Great Bend police station to
be presented before the Great Bend City Council this upcoming Monday will be
more than $380,000 over budget. 
Less than a year ago, the construction was not to exceed $5 million and as of
February 2022, the project budget is nearly $7.7 million. GLMV Architecture and
McCown-Gordon Construction will present a proposal of over $8 million. 
On Monday’s agenda, city staff noted the amount is not necessarily the guaranteed
maximum price and there are significant contingencies built into the total
project cost. The city pointed out there are coronavirus aid and relief and
economic security funds available to cover the upfront cost if needed. 
Citizens voted in favor of a .10% sales tax increase this past November to go
toward bond debt with a sunset in 20 years. The city anticipates more than $5.6
million from the bond proceeds and currently have over $2 million in savings
for the project. 
The new police station will be constructed on the city-owned parking lot at the
intersection of 12th Street and Baker Avenue. The new facility will
roughly triple the size of the existing police station that was built in 1938. 
In June of 2021, it was reported the anticipated cost was not to exceed $5
million. In September, the projected cost was $5.8 million. In October, the
anticipated cost was $6.7 million. In December, the design and construction was
estimated at $7.3 million. 
Construction costs per square foot jumped much higher than what Great Bend initially
anticipated. 
McCown-Gordon proposed beginning the site demolition in July and finishing the
construction in April of 2023. 
The update and proposal will go before the city council Monday, Feb. 7.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643991808272.png" alt="When preliminary talks were had to construct a new police station in Great Bend, the anticipated cost of construction was not to exceed $5 million. The Great Bend City Council will receive an update Monday, Feb. 7 of a proposal costing over $8 million." />
 <figcaption>When preliminary talks were had to construct a new police station in Great Bend, the anticipated cost of construction was not to exceed $5 million. The Great Bend City Council will receive an update Monday, Feb. 7 of a proposal costing over $8 million.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — A conceptual budget for the new Great Bend police station to
be presented before the Great Bend City Council this upcoming Monday will be
more than $380,000 over budget. 
Less than a year ago, the construction was not to exceed $5 million and as of
February 2022, the project budget is nearly $7.7 million. GLMV Architecture and
McCown-Gordon Construction will present a proposal of over $8 million. 
On Monday’s agenda, city staff noted the amount is not necessarily the guaranteed
maximum price and there are significant contingencies built into the total
project cost. The city pointed out there are coronavirus aid and relief and
economic security funds available to cover the upfront cost if needed. 
Citizens voted in favor of a .10% sales tax increase this past November to go
toward bond debt with a sunset in 20 years. The city anticipates more than $5.6
million from the bond proceeds and currently have over $2 million in savings
for the project. 
The new police station will be constructed on the city-owned parking lot at the
intersection of 12th Street and Baker Avenue. The new facility will
roughly triple the size of the existing police station that was built in 1938. 
In June of 2021, it was reported the anticipated cost was not to exceed $5
million. In September, the projected cost was $5.8 million. In October, the
anticipated cost was $6.7 million. In December, the design and construction was
estimated at $7.3 million. 
Construction costs per square foot jumped much higher than what Great Bend initially
anticipated. 
McCown-Gordon proposed beginning the site demolition in July and finishing the
construction in April of 2023. 
The update and proposal will go before the city council Monday, Feb. 7.

Price tag for new Great Bend police station keeps rising

WASHINGTON – As part of a larger effort to help people during this 
year's filing season, the Internal Revenue Service today announced 
special Saturday hours at many Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across
 the country.

TACs provide taxpayers with in-person help. Select TACs are open from
 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., February 12, March 12, April 9 and May 14. Normally, 
these centers are not open on Saturdays. No appointments are required.

"The IRS continues to do everything we can to help people during this
 unprecedented period," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Opening 
these assistance centers for special Saturday hours is designed to 
provide yet another way for people to get the help they need. We 
encourage people to review the details on these special Saturday hours 
so we can help serve them. I'm also extremely grateful to our employees 
who have stepped up to provide this special assistance."

People can receive walk-in help on all services, however, the TACs 
will not accept cash payments on these Saturdays. During the extra 
operating hours, people can also ask about reconciling <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit</a> payments and receive other help.

To see which TACs will be open, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/irs-face-to-face-saturday-help">IRS.gov/saturdayhours</a>.

To arrive prepared, individuals should bring the following information:

During the visit, IRS staff may also request the following information:

"We encourage people to receive payments and their tax refunds 
via direct deposit, which is faster and more secure than other payment 
methods," said IRS Wage &amp; Investment Commissioner and Taxpayer 
Experience Officer Ken Corbin. "People who don't have a bank account 
should visit the <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/about/initiatives/getbanked/index.html">Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation</a> website for details on opening an account online. They can also use the FDIC's <a href="https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfind">BankFind</a> tool to find an FDIC-insured bank."

<a href="https://covidbanking.joinbankon.org/">BankOn</a>, <a href="https://www.aba.com/advocacy/community-programs/consumer-resources/manage-your-money/choosing-safe-affordable-account">American Bankers Association</a>, <a href="https://www.icba.org/about/find-a-community-bank/open-a-bank-account-remotely">Independent Community Bankers of America</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mycreditunion.gov/about-credit-unions/credit-union-locator">National Credit Union Administration</a> have lists of banks and credit unions that allow opening an account online. Veterans can use the <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/banking.asp">Veterans Benefits Banking Program</a> to learn about financial services at participating banks.

The IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">Contact Your Local Office</a> site lists all services provided at specific TACs.

If someone has a question(s) about a tax bill or an IRS audit, or 
needs help resolving a tax problem, they will receive assistance from 
IRS employees specializing in these services. If these employees are not
 available, the individual will receive a referral for these services. 
Taxpayer Advocate Service employees may also be available to assist with
 issues that meet certain criteria.

IRS staff will schedule appointments for a later date for Deaf or 
Hard of Hearing individuals who need sign language interpreter services.
 Foreign language interpreters will also be available.

The IRS follows <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html">Centers for Disease Control social distancing guidelines</a>
 for COVID-19, and availability may change without notice. People are 
required to wear face masks and social distance at these events.

People who need assistance preparing tax returns can visit a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly location</a>. VITA sites offer free tax help to qualified individuals who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:

People who need to pay their federal taxes with cash can visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> to get information on several payment options.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON – As part of a larger effort to help people during this 
year's filing season, the Internal Revenue Service today announced 
special Saturday hours at many Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across
 the country.TACs provide taxpayers with in-person help. Select TACs are open from
 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., February 12, March 12, April 9 and May 14. Normally, 
these centers are not open on Saturdays. No appointments are required."The IRS continues to do everything we can to help people during this
 unprecedented period," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Opening 
these assistance centers for special Saturday hours is designed to 
provide yet another way for people to get the help they need. We 
encourage people to review the details on these special Saturday hours 
so we can help serve them. I'm also extremely grateful to our employees 
who have stepped up to provide this special assistance."People can receive walk-in help on all services, however, the TACs 
will not accept cash payments on these Saturdays. During the extra 
operating hours, people can also ask about reconciling <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit</a> payments and receive other help.To see which TACs will be open, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/irs-face-to-face-saturday-help">IRS.gov/saturdayhours</a>.<h2>Come prepared</h2>To arrive prepared, individuals should bring the following information:<ul>
 <li>Current government-issued photo identification,</li><li>Social Security cards for members of their household, including spouse and dependents (if applicable) and</li><li>Any IRS letters or notices received and related documents.</li>
 </ul>During the visit, IRS staff may also request the following information:<ul>
 <li>A current mailing address,</li><li>An email address and</li><li>Bank account information, to receive payments or refunds by direct deposit.</li>
 </ul>"We encourage people to receive payments and their tax refunds 
via direct deposit, which is faster and more secure than other payment 
methods," said IRS Wage &amp; Investment Commissioner and Taxpayer 
Experience Officer Ken Corbin. "People who don't have a bank account 
should visit the <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/about/initiatives/getbanked/index.html">Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation</a> website for details on opening an account online. They can also use the FDIC's <a href="https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfind">BankFind</a> tool to find an FDIC-insured bank."<a href="https://covidbanking.joinbankon.org/">BankOn</a>, <a href="https://www.aba.com/advocacy/community-programs/consumer-resources/manage-your-money/choosing-safe-affordable-account">American Bankers Association</a>, <a href="https://www.icba.org/about/find-a-community-bank/open-a-bank-account-remotely">Independent Community Bankers of America</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mycreditunion.gov/about-credit-unions/credit-union-locator">National Credit Union Administration</a> have lists of banks and credit unions that allow opening an account online. Veterans can use the <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/banking.asp">Veterans Benefits Banking Program</a> to learn about financial services at participating banks.<h2>Services provided</h2>The IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">Contact Your Local Office</a> site lists all services provided at specific TACs.If someone has a question(s) about a tax bill or an IRS audit, or 
needs help resolving a tax problem, they will receive assistance from 
IRS employees specializing in these services. If these employees are not
 available, the individual will receive a referral for these services. 
Taxpayer Advocate Service employees may also be available to assist with
 issues that meet certain criteria.IRS staff will schedule appointments for a later date for Deaf or 
Hard of Hearing individuals who need sign language interpreter services.
 Foreign language interpreters will also be available.The IRS follows <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html">Centers for Disease Control social distancing guidelines</a>
 for COVID-19, and availability may change without notice. People are 
required to wear face masks and social distance at these events.People who need assistance preparing tax returns can visit a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly location</a>. VITA sites offer free tax help to qualified individuals who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:<ul>
 <li>People who earn $58,000 or less,</li><li>Persons with disabilities and</li><li>Limited English-speaking taxpayers.</li>
 </ul>People who need to pay their federal taxes with cash can visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> to get information on several payment options.<h2>More information:</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/secure-access-how-to-register-for-certain-online-self-help-tools">How to Register for Certain Online Self-Help Tools</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-topic-h-reconciling-your-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-on-your-2021-tax-return">Reconciling Your Advance Child Tax Credit Payments on Your 2021 Tax Return</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">IRS.gov/rrc</a> to learn about filing requirements for the Recovery Rebate Credit</li>
 </ul>

Some IRS centers open on special Saturdays for face-to-face help

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 2a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; a sheriff’s deputy stopped a Toyota Camry&nbsp; near U.S. Highway 75 and 112th Access in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Following an investigation, the deputy arrested the driver, Chase Andrew Thompson, 28, of Lawrence on requested charges that include&nbsp;unlawfully obtaining a prescription drug,  possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643814926204.png" alt="Thompson photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Thompson photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just after 2a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; a sheriff’s deputy stopped a Toyota Camry&nbsp; near U.S. Highway 75 and 112th Access in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Following an investigation, the deputy arrested the driver, Chase Andrew Thompson, 28, of Lawrence on requested charges that include&nbsp;unlawfully obtaining a prescription drug, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container.

Kan. man accused of unlawfully obtaining a prescription drug

Salina Regional Health Center (SRHC) can count among its accomplishments being a first in the world.

On Wednesday, SRHC became the first hospital in the world to implement Stryker’s SurgiCount+ Safety Sponge System, a process aimed at reducing surgical risk, improving workflow, and reducing stress for surgical staff members, according to information from SRHC.

"SurgiCount+ uses ultra-high radio frequency identification (RFID) technology embedded in each surgical sponge to track its use during surgery. Nurses count-in and count-out each sponge used during a procedure using a RFID reader. If a sponge is missing after a procedure, nurses can use the wireless reader to scan the room and locate it," the hospital noted in a news release this afternoon.

Why is this new and different? According to SRHC, optical scanning technology previously was used to scan bar codes on sponges, which didn't help locate missing sponges.

“The technology provides an added level of security over manual counts, which can have human errors,” said Kelley Drake, Surgical Services nursing director at Salina Regional. “It’s also a step towards achieving the new Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety, which we are striving for.”

Salina Regional has implemented the technology for use in all of its operating rooms, Cardiac Cath Lab, and Labor and Delivery Department, the hospital noted. 

"Major surgeries like heart bypass and trauma surgeries can use up to 100 sponges in each surgery. Counting out and locating all of the sponges used during a surgery is important. Retained sponges, while rare, can lead to adverse patient outcomes. For this reason, accurate sponge counting has always been a critical component to surgical safety," SRHC reported.

“We’re excited to be a leader in using this advanced technology,” Drake said.

According to SRHC, a number of hospitals in the United States are converting to the new SurgiCount+ system in the coming months. 

"Advances in the technology are also planned for release in the upcoming months that will allow the device to optically measure blood loss, which will help minimize manual calculating errors," the hospital noted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643939014497.jpeg" alt="Andrea Zornman, right, marketing manager with Stryker, trains Salina Regional Health Center surgery nurses on Tuesday for the use of the new SurgiCount+ Safety Sponge System. Photo courtesy SRHC" />
 <figcaption>Andrea Zornman, right, marketing manager with Stryker, trains Salina Regional Health Center surgery nurses on Tuesday for the use of the new SurgiCount+ Safety Sponge System. Photo courtesy SRHC</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTSalina Regional Health Center (SRHC) can count among its accomplishments being a first in the world.On Wednesday, SRHC became the first hospital in the world to implement Stryker’s SurgiCount+ Safety Sponge System, a process aimed at reducing surgical risk, improving workflow, and reducing stress for surgical staff members, according to information from SRHC."SurgiCount+ uses ultra-high radio frequency identification (RFID) technology embedded in each surgical sponge to track its use during surgery. Nurses count-in and count-out each sponge used during a procedure using a RFID reader. If a sponge is missing after a procedure, nurses can use the wireless reader to scan the room and locate it," the hospital noted in a news release this afternoon.Why is this new and different? According to SRHC, optical scanning technology previously was used to scan bar codes on sponges, which didn't help locate missing sponges.“The technology provides an added level of security over manual counts, which can have human errors,” said Kelley Drake, Surgical Services nursing director at Salina Regional. “It’s also a step towards achieving the new Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety, which we are striving for.”Salina Regional has implemented the technology for use in all of its operating rooms, Cardiac Cath Lab, and Labor and Delivery Department, the hospital noted. "Major surgeries like heart bypass and trauma surgeries can use up to 100 sponges in each surgery. Counting out and locating all of the sponges used during a surgery is important. Retained sponges, while rare, can lead to adverse patient outcomes. For this reason, accurate sponge counting has always been a critical component to surgical safety," SRHC reported.“We’re excited to be a leader in using this advanced technology,” Drake said.According to SRHC, a number of hospitals in the United States are converting to the new SurgiCount+ system in the coming months. "Advances in the technology are also planned for release in the upcoming months that will allow the device to optically measure blood loss, which will help minimize manual calculating errors," the hospital noted.

Salina hospital first to use new surgical sponge technology

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for the hit-and-run death of a teenager in Leavenworth.

Amber Alexander, 28, was sentenced Wednesday in Leavenworth County District Court for the August 2021 death of 16-year-old Miranda Lynch,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kairfm.com/">radio station KAIR reports</a>.

Alexander was convicted in December of second-degree murder, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and evidence tampering in the the girl’s death. Prosecutors presented evidence in her trial showing that Alexander had several drinks before leaving a bar in Lansing and driving to Leavenworth, where she hit Lynch around 2 a.m. on Aug. 7, 2021.

Alexander fled the crash and crossed a bridge into Missouri, prosecutors said.

Following the deadly hit and run, Alexander reported to her insurance carrier that her car had been hit in her apartment complex parking lot during the night, investigators said. Later that same day, officials said, she drove her car off a road into a wooded area in an attempt to cover up her involvement in the fatal hit-and-run crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628642854304.png" alt="Alexander-photo Leavenworth Co." />
 <figcaption>Alexander-photo Leavenworth Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for the hit-and-run death of a teenager in Leavenworth.Amber Alexander, 28, was sentenced Wednesday in Leavenworth County District Court for the August 2021 death of 16-year-old Miranda Lynch,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kairfm.com/">radio station KAIR reports</a>.Alexander was convicted in December of second-degree murder, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and evidence tampering in the the girl’s death. Prosecutors presented evidence in her trial showing that Alexander had several drinks before leaving a bar in Lansing and driving to Leavenworth, where she hit Lynch around 2 a.m. on Aug. 7, 2021.Alexander fled the crash and crossed a bridge into Missouri, prosecutors said.Following the deadly hit and run, Alexander reported to her insurance carrier that her car had been hit in her apartment complex parking lot during the night, investigators said. Later that same day, officials said, she drove her car off a road into a wooded area in an attempt to cover up her involvement in the fatal hit-and-run crash.

Kan. woman lied to her insurance carrier after fatal hit-and-run crash

TOPEKA&nbsp;–Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed a controversial congressional redistricting plan, Senate Bill 355, easily approved by the GOP-dominated Kansas Legislature.

The bill would split the Kansas City area into two congressional districts and move the liberal northeast Kansas city of Lawrence into a district with central and western Kansas. In the plan, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids would lose some of the neighborhoods in her Kansas City-area 3rd District where her support is strongest.

In a statement from her office, Governor Kelly stated, “The process of drawing districts each decade is the core to ensuring that all Kansans&nbsp;have the opportunity to&nbsp;participate in their government and have their voices heard. The courts and the Legislature have established case law and criteria on how to draw Kansas districts fairly and constitutionally.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Those guidelines call for ensuring that districts are nearly equal to 734,470 in population as practicable while ensuring that plans have neither the purpose nor effect of diluting minority communities’ voting strength. The guidelines call for protecting communities of interest, preserving the core of existing congressional districts, and ensuring that whole counties are in the same congressional district if possible. The Legislature’s guidelines further state that 'to a considerable degree most counties in Kansas are economic, social, and cultural units, or parts of a larger socioeconomic unit. These communities of interest should be considered during the creation of congressional districts.'

“Senate Bill 355, known as Ad Astra 2, does not follow these guidelines and provides no justification for deviation from those guidelines. Wyandotte County is carved into two separate congressional districts. Without explanation, this map shifts 46% of the Black population and 33% of the Hispanic population out of the third congressional district by dividing the Hispanic neighborhoods of&nbsp;Quindaro&nbsp;Bluffs, Bethel-Welborn, Strawberry Hill,&nbsp;Armourdale&nbsp;and others from Argentine, Turner and the rest of Kansas City, Kansas south of I-70. To replace lost population in the third district, this map adds in counties that are more rural to the south and west of the core of the Kansas City metropolitan area.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Ad Astra 2 also separates the city of Lawrence from Douglas County and inserts urban precincts of Lawrence into the largely rural Big First Congressional District, reducing the strength of communities of interest in Western Kansas and unnecessarily dividing communities of interest in Eastern Kansas.&nbsp;

“Several alternatives would allow for the same deviation as Ad Astra 2 while protecting the core of the existing congressional districts and without diluting minority communities’ voting&nbsp;strength. I am ready to work with the Legislature in a bipartisan fashion to pass a new congressional map that addresses the constitutional issues in Senate Bill 355. Together, we can come to a consensus and pass a compromise that&nbsp;empowers all&nbsp;people of Kansas.&nbsp;

“For those reasons, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 355.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643147273216.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed a controversial congressional redistricting plan, Senate Bill 355, easily approved by the GOP-dominated Kansas Legislature.The bill would split the Kansas City area into two congressional districts and move the liberal northeast Kansas city of Lawrence into a district with central and western Kansas. In the plan, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids would lose some of the neighborhoods in her Kansas City-area 3rd District where her support is strongest.In a statement from her office, Governor Kelly stated, “The process of drawing districts each decade is the core to ensuring that all Kansans&nbsp;have the opportunity to&nbsp;participate in their government and have their voices heard. The courts and the Legislature have established case law and criteria on how to draw Kansas districts fairly and constitutionally.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Those guidelines call for ensuring that districts are nearly equal to 734,470 in population as practicable while ensuring that plans have neither the purpose nor effect of diluting minority communities’ voting strength. The guidelines call for protecting communities of interest, preserving the core of existing congressional districts, and ensuring that whole counties are in the same congressional district if possible. The Legislature’s guidelines further state that 'to a considerable degree most counties in Kansas are economic, social, and cultural units, or parts of a larger socioeconomic unit. These communities of interest should be considered during the creation of congressional districts.'“Senate Bill 355, known as Ad Astra 2, does not follow these guidelines and provides no justification for deviation from those guidelines. Wyandotte County is carved into two separate congressional districts. Without explanation, this map shifts 46% of the Black population and 33% of the Hispanic population out of the third congressional district by dividing the Hispanic neighborhoods of&nbsp;Quindaro&nbsp;Bluffs, Bethel-Welborn, Strawberry Hill,&nbsp;Armourdale&nbsp;and others from Argentine, Turner and the rest of Kansas City, Kansas south of I-70. To replace lost population in the third district, this map adds in counties that are more rural to the south and west of the core of the Kansas City metropolitan area.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Ad Astra 2 also separates the city of Lawrence from Douglas County and inserts urban precincts of Lawrence into the largely rural Big First Congressional District, reducing the strength of communities of interest in Western Kansas and unnecessarily dividing communities of interest in Eastern Kansas.&nbsp;“Several alternatives would allow for the same deviation as Ad Astra 2 while protecting the core of the existing congressional districts and without diluting minority communities’ voting&nbsp;strength. I am ready to work with the Legislature in a bipartisan fashion to pass a new congressional map that addresses the constitutional issues in Senate Bill 355. Together, we can come to a consensus and pass a compromise that&nbsp;empowers all&nbsp;people of Kansas.&nbsp;“For those reasons, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 355.”

Gov. vetoes controversial plan to change Kan. congressional map

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man accused of duping hundreds of people into paying for autopsies that his company did not perform is expected to plead guilty to fraud charges next month. The Kansas City Star reports that Shawn Parcells on Tuesday filed a notice of intent to change his plea to 10 federal charges of wire fraud. A change of plea hearing is scheduled for March 3. Prosecutors say he used his business, National Autopsy Services in Topeka, to charge clients $3,000 for autopsies on their loved ones but never performed the procedures. He reportedly made more than $1 million from the alleged scheme.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574875994992.png" alt="Shawn Parcells photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shawn Parcells photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man accused of duping hundreds of people into paying for autopsies that his company did not perform is expected to plead guilty to fraud charges next month. The Kansas City Star reports that Shawn Parcells on Tuesday filed a notice of intent to change his plea to 10 federal charges of wire fraud. A change of plea hearing is scheduled for March 3. Prosecutors say he used his business, National Autopsy Services in Topeka, to charge clients $3,000 for autopsies on their loved ones but never performed the procedures. He reportedly made more than $1 million from the alleged scheme.

Kan. man accused $1M autopsy fraud expected to plead guilty

Lawmakers wondered aloud Thursday how a showdown between two federal agencies over the rollout of new high-speed wireless service reached crisis proportions last month, but they were short on answers to a dispute that raised concerns about interference with key equipment on some planes.

Some flights have been canceled since Verizon and AT&amp;T turned on their new networks last month, but predictions of widespread cancellations turned out to be wrong. The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared 90% of the nation’s airline fleet to land during poor visibility at airports near 5G cell towers.

Those approvals are being made each month, plane by plane, based on the model of radio altimeter that they use to measure their height above the ground. Some “lower-performing” planes are still restricted, and a permanent fix for the entire fleet is likely at least a year away, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said during a hearing of the House aviation subcommittee.

The CEOs of American Airlines and United Airlines have said they don’t expect any more disruptions. However, more than half of the planes operated by regional airlines remain restricted during bad weather, said Faye Malarkey Black, president of a trade group for the smaller carriers, some of which operate flights for American Eagle, United Express and Delta Connection.

Black said cancellations are still occurring, and more than one-fourth of flights at the three major airports in the New York City areas are operated by smaller planes that can’t land there during bad weather because of restrictions related to 5G.

Verizon and AT&amp;T agreed to two delays before launching most of their planned new 5G service on Jan. 19 except near airports, where they agreed not to turn on new cell towers for the time being.

Dozens of flights were canceled because of 5G concerns after the services went live, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-travel-lifestyle-business-air-travel-2e94c5d153ad6dd756196e9b1577dcd3">widespread cancellations were avoided</a>.

The current, temporary fix came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-business-federal-aviation-administration-658c00d4d281bf11772b7ce457c3e244">after the White House stepped&nbsp;</a>in to settle a lack of cooperation between the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission that threatened to create massive disruptions for airlines and passengers.

Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., told Dickson that FAA’s last-minute directives about operating around 5G indicates “that you really didn’t have a plan and didn’t understand the gravity of the situation ahead of time.”

Dickson said FAA couldn’t authorize low-visibility flights near the new signals until it got information from the telecom companies about the location, height and power of their 5G towers.

The FAA chief said regulators and experts from both industries are now working together. Last week, the FAA said that new data from the companies cleared the way for activating more towers close to airports.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., blamed the clash on the FCC, which approved plans by Verizon and AT&amp;T to launch faster and more reliable 5G service using the C-Band part of the radio spectrum that is close to the range used by airplane altimeters, which are critical for landing in poor visibility.

DeFazio said he and aviation interests raised concerns about possible interference for several years, but the FCC ignored them and auctioned off 5G spectrum without ensuring there would be no interference with aviation.

“Having a dropped call is way less serious than having a dropped airplane,” he said.

The FCC has said it provided enough buffer between C-Band and radio altimeters to prevent interference.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was invited to testify but had a conflict, according to an agency spokesman, who declined to describe the conflict. He said that Rosenworcel spoke separately on Wednesday with DeFazio and the chairman of the aviation subcommittee, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

The FCC and the telecom companies say that 40 other countries have rolled out C-Band 5G service without any reports of radio interference with planes. Aviation groups say those countries have lower-power 5G signals or impose other restrictions on the service to prevent interference, a claim that is disputed by the telecom industry.

Meredith Baker, president of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, said that an aviation group’s 2020 study that raised serious concern about interference was flawed and distorted by presenting worst-case scenarios.

DeFazio and Larsen countered that aviation safety requires considering even implausible events.

“That’s what we plan for — the worst case,” DeFazio said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643918987411.png" alt="Missouri 6th District Rep. Sam Graves, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives, during his opening statement Thursday-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Missouri 6th District Rep. Sam Graves, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives, during his opening statement Thursday-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines WriterLawmakers wondered aloud Thursday how a showdown between two federal agencies over the rollout of new high-speed wireless service reached crisis proportions last month, but they were short on answers to a dispute that raised concerns about interference with key equipment on some planes.Some flights have been canceled since Verizon and AT&amp;T turned on their new networks last month, but predictions of widespread cancellations turned out to be wrong. The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared 90% of the nation’s airline fleet to land during poor visibility at airports near 5G cell towers.Those approvals are being made each month, plane by plane, based on the model of radio altimeter that they use to measure their height above the ground. Some “lower-performing” planes are still restricted, and a permanent fix for the entire fleet is likely at least a year away, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said during a hearing of the House aviation subcommittee.The CEOs of American Airlines and United Airlines have said they don’t expect any more disruptions. However, more than half of the planes operated by regional airlines remain restricted during bad weather, said Faye Malarkey Black, president of a trade group for the smaller carriers, some of which operate flights for American Eagle, United Express and Delta Connection.Black said cancellations are still occurring, and more than one-fourth of flights at the three major airports in the New York City areas are operated by smaller planes that can’t land there during bad weather because of restrictions related to 5G.Verizon and AT&amp;T agreed to two delays before launching most of their planned new 5G service on Jan. 19 except near airports, where they agreed not to turn on new cell towers for the time being.Dozens of flights were canceled because of 5G concerns after the services went live, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-travel-lifestyle-business-air-travel-2e94c5d153ad6dd756196e9b1577dcd3">widespread cancellations were avoided</a>.The current, temporary fix came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-business-federal-aviation-administration-658c00d4d281bf11772b7ce457c3e244">after the White House stepped&nbsp;</a>in to settle a lack of cooperation between the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission that threatened to create massive disruptions for airlines and passengers.Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., told Dickson that FAA’s last-minute directives about operating around 5G indicates “that you really didn’t have a plan and didn’t understand the gravity of the situation ahead of time.”Dickson said FAA couldn’t authorize low-visibility flights near the new signals until it got information from the telecom companies about the location, height and power of their 5G towers.The FAA chief said regulators and experts from both industries are now working together. Last week, the FAA said that new data from the companies cleared the way for activating more towers close to airports.House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., blamed the clash on the FCC, which approved plans by Verizon and AT&amp;T to launch faster and more reliable 5G service using the C-Band part of the radio spectrum that is close to the range used by airplane altimeters, which are critical for landing in poor visibility.DeFazio said he and aviation interests raised concerns about possible interference for several years, but the FCC ignored them and auctioned off 5G spectrum without ensuring there would be no interference with aviation.“Having a dropped call is way less serious than having a dropped airplane,” he said.The FCC has said it provided enough buffer between C-Band and radio altimeters to prevent interference.FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was invited to testify but had a conflict, according to an agency spokesman, who declined to describe the conflict. He said that Rosenworcel spoke separately on Wednesday with DeFazio and the chairman of the aviation subcommittee, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.The FCC and the telecom companies say that 40 other countries have rolled out C-Band 5G service without any reports of radio interference with planes. Aviation groups say those countries have lower-power 5G signals or impose other restrictions on the service to prevent interference, a claim that is disputed by the telecom industry.Meredith Baker, president of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, said that an aviation group’s 2020 study that raised serious concern about interference was flawed and distorted by presenting worst-case scenarios.DeFazio and Larsen countered that aviation safety requires considering even implausible events.“That’s what we plan for — the worst case,” DeFazio said.___

Congress takes up controversy over 5G service near airports

NEW YORK (AP) — Meta is putting a lot of virtual eggs — and billions of dollars — into the metaverse basket, and Wall Street is pretty anxious about it.

Shares of the company formerly known as Facebook saw a historic plunge Thursday after the social media giant reported a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-shares-plunge-mark-zuckerberg-d01a0a4c12dc24fa2150a1a3ea2ac836">rare profit decline</a>&nbsp;due to a sharp rise in expenses, shaky ad revenue growth, competition from TikTok and fewer daily U.S. users on its flagship platform.

At the same time, it invested more than $10 billion in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-mark-zuckerberg-technology-business-5ad543ab7780caae435935f0aca9fac6">transform Meta Platforms Inc.</a>&nbsp;into a virtual reality — actually, make that “metaverse-based” — company.

Meta’s shares fell more than 23% to $246.76 in afternoon trading Thursday, lopping more than $215 billion off the company’s overall value, known as its market capitalization. A drop that big would be the largest ever for a single company on a single day.

“Meta is sacrificing its core business model for its fascination with the metaverse,” said Rachel Jones, an analyst with the research firm GlobalData. “Betting big on the metaverse isn’t a bad thing — the technology is set to be huge and provide a multitude of opportunities — but it will take at least another decade to really get going.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643910542552.png" alt="Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Meta is putting a lot of virtual eggs — and billions of dollars — into the metaverse basket, and Wall Street is pretty anxious about it.Shares of the company formerly known as Facebook saw a historic plunge Thursday after the social media giant reported a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-shares-plunge-mark-zuckerberg-d01a0a4c12dc24fa2150a1a3ea2ac836">rare profit decline</a>&nbsp;due to a sharp rise in expenses, shaky ad revenue growth, competition from TikTok and fewer daily U.S. users on its flagship platform.At the same time, it invested more than $10 billion in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-meta-mark-zuckerberg-technology-business-5ad543ab7780caae435935f0aca9fac6">transform Meta Platforms Inc.</a>&nbsp;into a virtual reality — actually, make that “metaverse-based” — company.Meta’s shares fell more than 23% to $246.76 in afternoon trading Thursday, lopping more than $215 billion off the company’s overall value, known as its market capitalization. A drop that big would be the largest ever for a single company on a single day.“Meta is sacrificing its core business model for its fascination with the metaverse,” said Rachel Jones, an analyst with the research firm GlobalData. “Betting big on the metaverse isn’t a bad thing — the technology is set to be huge and provide a multitude of opportunities — but it will take at least another decade to really get going.”While tech companies are accustomed to making big bets on futuristic-sounding ideas that sometimes become reality — and come with a huge payoff — Wall Street doesn’t like uncertainty. There’s also the inconvenient fact of Facebook’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/the-facebook-papers-covid-vaccine-misinformation-c8bbc569be7cc2ca583dadb4236a0613">continued difficulty</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-haugen-congress-testimony-1daac7a76ca7bf0b0802cc46e732b51b">dealing with toxic real-world effects</a>&nbsp;on its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/the-facebook-papers-whistleblower-misinfo-trafficking-64f11ccae637cdfb7a89e049c5095dca">existing platform</a>.There’s “continued concern that Facebook’s past challenges will follow Meta into the metaverse,” said Mike Proulx, research director at Forrester Research. “The company has work to do to convince consumers that Meta’s expression of the metaverse is a good thing,”Since Meta took on its new name last fall, the company has been shifting resources and hiring engineers — including from competitors like Apple and Google — who can help Zuckerberg realize his vision.Think of the metaverse as the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” in which you can immerse yourself instead of just staring at a screen. Theoretically, the metaverse would be a place where people can meet, work and play using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps or other devices.It might sound like science fiction, but then again, not long ago so were computers that fit in your pocket, driverless cars and microwaves that talk to you. Technology barrels ahead whether we like it or not and, to quote a vintage Facebook motivational poster in the company’s headquarters, “fortune favors the bold.” Despite an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers">enormous backlash&nbsp;</a>to Facebook’s problems ranging from misinformation and privacy mishaps to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?mod=article_inline" target="_blank">teen mental health</a>&nbsp;and hate speech, Zuckerberg continues to believe that bold bets to steer the company in new directions have generally paid off.In a Wednesday conference call, Zuckerberg said the company’s investments this year will focus on Reels — a TikTok-esque short form video service on Instagram — as well as messaging, ads, commerce, privacy, artificial intelligence “and, of course, the metaverse.”“Making meaningful progress across all seven of these areas is going to improve the services we offer today and will help power a social, intuitive, and entertaining metaverse,” he said. But he acknowledged that “this fully realized vision is still a ways off, and although the direction is clear, our path ahead is not perfectly defined.”But while Wall Street’s metaverse optimism appears to fall well short off Zuckerberg’s, Meta’s rivals are ramping up their own metaverse projects. This includes Apple, Google and Microsoft, which recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-activision-blizzard-acquisition-call-of-duty-7a9e2bcc8f0b7b9049e4f93fe3e0a4dd">bought the video game company</a>&nbsp;Activision Blizzard with the hopes of accelerating its ambitions for the metaverse.But it’s not just the big companies. According to app analytics company SensorTower, 86 apps added “metaverse” to their title or description from November 2021 through January of this year. To date, 552 mobile apps include the term “metaverse” in their title or description.Stifel analyst Mark Kelley sought to calm investors, noting that Zuckerberg outlined not one but seven investment priorities for the company this year. He said he doesn’t think Meta’s initial goal of reaching 1 billion metaverse users is a stretch — and importantly, he believes only 40% would be gamers, signaling its broader appeal.Meta’s stock plunge doesn’t discourage metaverse enthusiast and venture capitalist Matthew Ball, who months before Facebook’s renaming started an index fund of metaverse-related companies. Meta the company is one of the 45 stocks in Ball’s index.“Mark’s focus on the next-generation internet is actually justified by the fact they can see in their core business that growth is slowing, that users are shifting elsewhere, and in particular, young users are shifting to these virtual and immersive worlds where they’re a small participant and where their investments are focused,” he said.___