SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kan. teacher accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student made her first court appearance in the case Wednesday.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Christin Covel, 31, was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail, according to the daily booking report. On Wednesday, she made her first court appearance and was charged with 3 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count of unlawful sexual relations, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. She is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

On Jan. 4, police arrested Covel, a teacher at Edison Preparatory Schools in Tulsa, on complaints out of Sedgewick County, according to Tulsa Police Department. She is accused of having inappropriate relations with a boy while working at Mead Middle School&nbsp;2601 E Skinner Street in Wichita.

The incidents involving the boy happened between 2018 and 2019, according to police. Covel worked in the district from 2015 to 2020, according to USD 259.

The Tulsa school district sent a letter to parents Jan. 4 to inform them of her arrest, according to the district web site.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641428925404.png" alt="Covel from the Tulsa County jail booking photo" />
 <figcaption>Covel from the Tulsa County jail booking photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kan. teacher accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student made her first court appearance in the case Wednesday.&nbsp;On Tuesday, Christin Covel, 31, was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail, according to the daily booking report. On Wednesday, she made her first court appearance and was charged with 3 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count of unlawful sexual relations, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. She is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.On Jan. 4, police arrested Covel, a teacher at Edison Preparatory Schools in Tulsa, on complaints out of Sedgewick County, according to Tulsa Police Department. She is accused of having inappropriate relations with a boy while working at Mead Middle School&nbsp;2601 E Skinner Street in Wichita.The incidents involving the boy happened between 2018 and 2019, according to police. Covel worked in the district from 2015 to 2020, according to USD 259.The Tulsa school district sent a letter to parents Jan. 4 to inform them of her arrest, according to the district web site.

Teacher arrested in Okla. charged with child sex crimes in Kansas

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate a Kansas felon with nearly two dozen convictions in connection with a probation violation, according the&nbsp;&nbsp;Douglas County 

On Dec. 29, Tyrone “Ty” Leroy Alexander, 48, of Baldwin City, fled a traffic stop and led deputies on a high speed chase through portions of Lawrence.

Alexander has 23 previous convictions that include robbery, burglary, forgery, theft, criminal use of a financial card, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

The new charges would include aggravated assault, felony flee and elude and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sheriff's office.

Anyone with information about Alexander’s whereabouts can contact our office, 785-843-0250, or anonymously at Crime Stoppers, 785-843-TIPS (8477).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642021103301.png" alt="Alexander has&nbsp;convictions that include robbery, burglary, forgery, theft, criminal use of a financial card, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Alexander has&nbsp;convictions that include robbery, burglary, forgery, theft, criminal use of a financial card, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate a Kansas felon with nearly two dozen convictions in connection with a probation violation, according the&nbsp;&nbsp;Douglas County On Dec. 29, Tyrone “Ty” Leroy Alexander, 48, of Baldwin City, fled a traffic stop and led deputies on a high speed chase through portions of Lawrence.Alexander has 23 previous convictions that include robbery, burglary, forgery, theft, criminal use of a financial card, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.The new charges would include aggravated assault, felony flee and elude and interference with law enforcement, according to the Sheriff's office.Anyone with information about Alexander’s whereabouts can contact our office, 785-843-0250, or anonymously at Crime Stoppers, 785-843-TIPS (8477).

Search continues for wanted Kan. felon who fled traffic stop

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Amid this crisis, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available, according to a statement from the organization.

Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.

“While some types of medical care can wait, others can’t,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross. “Hospitals are still seeing accident victims, cancer patients, those with blood disorders like sickle cell disease, and individuals who are seriously ill who all need blood transfusions to live even as Omicron cases surge across the country. We’re doing everything we can to increase blood donations to ensure every patient can receive medical treatments without delay, but we cannot do it without more donors. We need the help of the American people.”

The Red Cross asks the country to roll up a sleeve to help ensure people receive the care they need. Make an appointment to give blood or platelets as soon as possible by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://www.redcrossblood.org/">RedCrossBlood.org</a>&nbsp;or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)

The Red Cross has experienced a 10% decline in the number of people donating blood since the beginning of the pandemic and continues to confront relentless issues due to the pandemic, including ongoing blood drive cancellations and staffing limitations. Adding to the concern is the surge of COVID-19 cases. The Red Cross has experienced low donor turnout ever since the delta variant began spreading in August, and that trend continues as the Omicron variant takes over.

All types are needed now, especially types O positive and O negative, as well as platelet donations, to help reverse this national blood crisis. If there is not an immediate opportunity available to donate, donors are asked to make an appointment in the days and weeks ahead to ensure the Red Cross can replenish and maintain a sufficient blood supply

Supplying 40% of the nation’s blood, the Red Cross has had to limit blood distributions to hospitals in recent weeks. In fact, on certain days, some hospitals may not receive as much as one-quarter of the blood products requested. Blood cannot be manufactured or stockpiled and can only be made available through the kindness of volunteer donors.

All of this comes as January marks National Blood Donor Month, a time to raise awareness about the need for blood donations when regular seasonal illnesses like colds and the flu, as well as winter weather often leads to a decline in donations.

“Every community in America needs blood on a daily basis. At a time when many businesses and organizations across the country are experiencing pandemic challenges – the Red Cross is no different. And while we are all learning how to live in this new environment, how we spend our time, where we work, how we give back, how we make a difference in the lives of others – donating blood must continue to be part of it,” added Dr. Young.

The Red Cross appreciates the patience of blood donors and blood drive hosts. As the nation faces the latest challenges of this pandemic environment, there may not be an immediate appointment available or an individual may be asked to reschedule an appointment — but the Red Cross still needs donors. The Red Cross is grateful for donors’ understanding as the organization works tirelessly to meet the needs of patients.

The Personal Impact of Blood Shortages

Kristen Mill of Spring Grove, Illinois, suffers from ongoing health problems caused by a tick bite in 2008. Her body doesn’t produce enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen in her blood, and when her hemoglobin levels drop, blood transfusions are essential for her to survive. She has needed weekly transfusions to treat this condition for much of the summer and fall of 2021.

On a recent visit to the hospital for a transfusion, she was told the hospital had no blood that matched her blood type and she would have to wait until the right match became available.

“The hospital came to me and they apologized, and they said, ‘We’re so sorry, our blood bank is depleted to the point where we don’t have anyone that matches with you,’” said Kristen. “It’s very scary, especially if you don’t know if the blood is coming, because this is something that you need to live.”

Unfortunately, Kristen has had to wait for blood on multiple occasions in recent weeks. “It has become quite common that I would have to wait two or three days for blood. Then my condition would get worse, and I’d need to be hospitalized while waiting for blood. It usually took two days, sometimes three days, which is a long time when you are waiting for something that could save your life,” said Kristen.

Kristen worries that the next time she needs blood, it may not arrive in time to keep her alive. After seeing firsthand what a blood shortage means, she has become an advocate for blood donation.

“I don’t want this to happen to other people,” Kristen said. “There is nothing greater you can give someone than the gift of life. To have people donating lifesaving blood is just incredible and essential.”

Special Thank You to Those Who Come to Give

The Red Cross and the NFL are partnering this January, during National Blood Donor Month, to urge individuals to kick off 2022 with a blood or platelet donation. Those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma in January will automatically be entered for a chance to win a getaway to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. As an extra thank-you from the Red Cross, those who come to donate will also be automatically entered to win a home theater package and a $500 e-gift card. Terms apply; visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/events/super_bowl.html">RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl</a>&nbsp;for more information.

In addition to blood donors, the Red Cross also needs the help of volunteers to support critical blood collections across the country. Blood drive volunteers play an important role by greeting, registering, answering questions and providing information to blood donors throughout the donation process. Blood transportation specialists – another volunteer opportunity – provide a critical link between blood donors and blood recipients by delivering blood to hospitals in communities across the country. To volunteer to support Red Cross blood collections, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.redcross.org/volunteertoday">redcross.org/volunteertoday</a>.

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. Individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are still eligible to donate blood and platelets. Knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they receive is important in determining blood donation eligibility.

A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive">donate blood</a>. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass®&nbsp;to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpass">RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass</a>&nbsp;or use the Blood Donor App.

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Amid this crisis, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available, according to a statement from the organization.Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.“While some types of medical care can wait, others can’t,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross. “Hospitals are still seeing accident victims, cancer patients, those with blood disorders like sickle cell disease, and individuals who are seriously ill who all need blood transfusions to live even as Omicron cases surge across the country. We’re doing everything we can to increase blood donations to ensure every patient can receive medical treatments without delay, but we cannot do it without more donors. We need the help of the American people.”The Red Cross asks the country to roll up a sleeve to help ensure people receive the care they need. Make an appointment to give blood or platelets as soon as possible by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://www.redcrossblood.org/">RedCrossBlood.org</a>&nbsp;or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)The Red Cross has experienced a 10% decline in the number of people donating blood since the beginning of the pandemic and continues to confront relentless issues due to the pandemic, including ongoing blood drive cancellations and staffing limitations. Adding to the concern is the surge of COVID-19 cases. The Red Cross has experienced low donor turnout ever since the delta variant began spreading in August, and that trend continues as the Omicron variant takes over.All types are needed now, especially types O positive and O negative, as well as platelet donations, to help reverse this national blood crisis. If there is not an immediate opportunity available to donate, donors are asked to make an appointment in the days and weeks ahead to ensure the Red Cross can replenish and maintain a sufficient blood supplyBlood Donation ChallengesSupplying 40% of the nation’s blood, the Red Cross has had to limit blood distributions to hospitals in recent weeks. In fact, on certain days, some hospitals may not receive as much as one-quarter of the blood products requested. Blood cannot be manufactured or stockpiled and can only be made available through the kindness of volunteer donors.All of this comes as January marks National Blood Donor Month, a time to raise awareness about the need for blood donations when regular seasonal illnesses like colds and the flu, as well as winter weather often leads to a decline in donations.“Every community in America needs blood on a daily basis. At a time when many businesses and organizations across the country are experiencing pandemic challenges – the Red Cross is no different. And while we are all learning how to live in this new environment, how we spend our time, where we work, how we give back, how we make a difference in the lives of others – donating blood must continue to be part of it,” added Dr. Young.The Red Cross appreciates the patience of blood donors and blood drive hosts. As the nation faces the latest challenges of this pandemic environment, there may not be an immediate appointment available or an individual may be asked to reschedule an appointment — but the Red Cross still needs donors. The Red Cross is grateful for donors’ understanding as the organization works tirelessly to meet the needs of patients.The Personal Impact of Blood ShortagesKristen Mill of Spring Grove, Illinois, suffers from ongoing health problems caused by a tick bite in 2008. Her body doesn’t produce enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen in her blood, and when her hemoglobin levels drop, blood transfusions are essential for her to survive. She has needed weekly transfusions to treat this condition for much of the summer and fall of 2021.On a recent visit to the hospital for a transfusion, she was told the hospital had no blood that matched her blood type and she would have to wait until the right match became available.“The hospital came to me and they apologized, and they said, ‘We’re so sorry, our blood bank is depleted to the point where we don’t have anyone that matches with you,’” said Kristen. “It’s very scary, especially if you don’t know if the blood is coming, because this is something that you need to live.”Unfortunately, Kristen has had to wait for blood on multiple occasions in recent weeks. “It has become quite common that I would have to wait two or three days for blood. Then my condition would get worse, and I’d need to be hospitalized while waiting for blood. It usually took two days, sometimes three days, which is a long time when you are waiting for something that could save your life,” said Kristen.Kristen worries that the next time she needs blood, it may not arrive in time to keep her alive. After seeing firsthand what a blood shortage means, she has become an advocate for blood donation.“I don’t want this to happen to other people,” Kristen said. “There is nothing greater you can give someone than the gift of life. To have people donating lifesaving blood is just incredible and essential.”Special Thank You to Those Who Come to GiveThe Red Cross and the NFL are partnering this January, during National Blood Donor Month, to urge individuals to kick off 2022 with a blood or platelet donation. Those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma in January will automatically be entered for a chance to win a getaway to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. As an extra thank-you from the Red Cross, those who come to donate will also be automatically entered to win a home theater package and a $500 e-gift card. Terms apply; visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/events/super_bowl.html">RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl</a>&nbsp;for more information.Blood Drive Volunteers NeededIn addition to blood donors, the Red Cross also needs the help of volunteers to support critical blood collections across the country. Blood drive volunteers play an important role by greeting, registering, answering questions and providing information to blood donors throughout the donation process. Blood transportation specialists – another volunteer opportunity – provide a critical link between blood donors and blood recipients by delivering blood to hospitals in communities across the country. To volunteer to support Red Cross blood collections, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.redcross.org/volunteertoday">redcross.org/volunteertoday</a>.COVID-19 Safety ProtocolsEach Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. Individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are still eligible to donate blood and platelets. Knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they receive is important in determining blood donation eligibility.About Blood DonationA blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive">donate blood</a>. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass®&nbsp;to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpass">RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass</a>&nbsp;or use the Blood Donor App.

Red Cross declares first-ever blood crisis amid Omicron surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation jumped at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month, a 7% spike from a year earlier that is increasing household expenses, eating into wage gains and heaping pressure on President Joe Biden and the Federal Reserve to address what has become the biggest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-prices-inflation-jerome-powell-9521329e7a977c78f7765784112e5c63">threat to the U.S. economy</a>.

Prices rose sharply in 2021 for cars, gas, food and furniture&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-consumer-prices-economy-5f69bed77f98221f9936ae99f96fd361">as part of a rapid recovery</a>&nbsp;from the pandemic recession. Vast infusions of government aid and ultra-low interest rates helped spur demand for goods, while vaccinations gave people confidence to dine out and travel.

As Americans ramped up spending,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-business-health-hurricanes-46bce9cc36dab2b330309dae0354cf53">supply chains remained squeezed</a>&nbsp;by shortages of workers and raw materials and this magnified price pressures.

The Labor Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf" target="_blank">reported Wednesday&nbsp;</a>that a measure of inflation that excludes volatile food and gas prices jumped 5.5% in December, also the highest in decades. Overall inflation rose 0.5% from November, down from 0.8% the previous month.

Price gains could slow further as snags in supply chains ease, but most economists say inflation won’t fall back to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

“U.S. inflation pressures show no sign of easing,” said James Knightley, chief international economist at the financial services company ING. “It hasn’t been this high since the days of Thatcher and Reagan. We could be close to the peak, but the risk is that inflation stays higher for longer.’’

High inflation isn’t only a problem for the U.S. In the 19 European countries that use the euro currency, inflation rose 5% in December compared with a year earlier, the biggest increase on record.

Companies large and small are adapting as best they can.

Nicole Pomije, a bakery owner in the Minneapolis area, said she plans to raise prices for cookies because of surging ingredient costs.

Her basic cookies were priced at 99 cents each, while premium versions were selling for $1.50 each. But Pomije said she will have to jack up the prices of her basic cookies to the premium price.

“We have to make money,” she said. “We don’t want to lose our customers. But I think we might.”

Businesses struggling to hire have hiked pay, but rising prices for goods and services have eroded those income gains for many Americans. Lower-income families have felt it the most, and polls show that inflation has started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-elections-bb16c5c52e2bf719ec8a0c5415aaf66c">displacing even the coronavirus as a public concern.</a>

The United States hasn’t seen anything like it since the early 1980s. Back then, Fed Chair Paul Volcker responded by pushing interest rates to painful levels — the prime rate for banks’ best customers hit 20% in 1980 — and sent the economy into a deep recession. But Volcker succeeded in taming inflation that had been running at double-digit year-over-year levels for much of 1979-1981.

High inflation has put President Biden on the defensive. His administration, echoing officials at the Fed, initially suggested that price increases would be temporary. Now that inflation has persisted, Biden and some congressional Democrats have begun to blame large corporations. They say meat producers and other industries are taking advantage of pandemic-induced shortages to drive up prices and profits. But even some left-of-center economists disagree with that diagnosis.

On Wednesday, the president issued a statement arguing that the drop in gas prices in December and a smaller increase in food costs showed progress.

One trend experts fear is a wage-price spiral. That happens when workers seek more pay to offset higher costs, and then companies raise costs further to cover that higher pay. On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told a Senate panel that he has yet to see evidence that wages are broadly driving up prices across the economy.

The biggest driver of inflation, according to economists, are mismatches between supply and demand. Used car prices have soared more than 37% over the past year because a shortage of semiconductors has prevented auto companies from making enough new cars. Supply-chain constraints have driven furniture prices nearly 14% higher over the past year.

Shoppers are feeling the pinch all around them, from the gas station to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-weather-166cc40b0ff095af9d0bf4041fa1b5fc">the grocery store.</a>

Vicki Bernardo Hill, 65, an occupational therapist in Gaithersburg, Maryland, says she no longer throws extra canned food, boxes of cereal or bakery items into her shopping cart at the Giant Food store.

“I am trying to stick to my list and buying things that are on sale, ” said Hill.

Because she couldn’t find a good deal on a used car, Hill recently bought a new Mazda, spending $5,000 more than she had planned.

Inflation could ease as the omicron wave fades and as Americans shift more of their spending to services such as travel, eating out and movie-going. That would reduce the demand for goods and help clear supply chains.

But some higher prices, such as rents, could prove to be stickier. Rental costs, which have accelerated since summer, rose 0.4% in December, the third consecutive monthly increase. That’s significant because housing costs make up one-third of the government’s consumer price index.

Powell told Congress that if it becomes necessary to fight high inflation more aggressively, the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-prices-inflation-jerome-powell-9521329e7a977c78f7765784112e5c63">is prepared to accelerate the interest rate hikes&nbsp;</a>it plans to begin this year. The Fed’s benchmark short-term rate, now pegged near zero, is expected to be bumped up at least three times this year.

Rate increases would make borrowing for a home or car more expensive, and therefore help to cool off the economy.

Some economists and members of Congress fear the Fed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-inflation-jerome-powell-2fb1b598126f5a26a0388033e277c7bc">has acted too slowly</a>&nbsp;to head off inflation and that this could eventually force even sharper rate increases that could damage the economy.

Republicans in Congress and even some liberal economists say Biden deserves at least some of the blame for high inflation, arguing that the financial rescue package he pushed through Congress last March added significant stimulus to an already strengthening economy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638185017979.png" alt="President Biden during a November shopping trip-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during a November shopping trip-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation jumped at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month, a 7% spike from a year earlier that is increasing household expenses, eating into wage gains and heaping pressure on President Joe Biden and the Federal Reserve to address what has become the biggest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-prices-inflation-jerome-powell-9521329e7a977c78f7765784112e5c63">threat to the U.S. economy</a>.Prices rose sharply in 2021 for cars, gas, food and furniture&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-consumer-prices-economy-5f69bed77f98221f9936ae99f96fd361">as part of a rapid recovery</a>&nbsp;from the pandemic recession. Vast infusions of government aid and ultra-low interest rates helped spur demand for goods, while vaccinations gave people confidence to dine out and travel.As Americans ramped up spending,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-business-health-hurricanes-46bce9cc36dab2b330309dae0354cf53">supply chains remained squeezed</a>&nbsp;by shortages of workers and raw materials and this magnified price pressures.The Labor Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf" target="_blank">reported Wednesday&nbsp;</a>that a measure of inflation that excludes volatile food and gas prices jumped 5.5% in December, also the highest in decades. Overall inflation rose 0.5% from November, down from 0.8% the previous month.Price gains could slow further as snags in supply chains ease, but most economists say inflation won’t fall back to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.“U.S. inflation pressures show no sign of easing,” said James Knightley, chief international economist at the financial services company ING. “It hasn’t been this high since the days of Thatcher and Reagan. We could be close to the peak, but the risk is that inflation stays higher for longer.’’High inflation isn’t only a problem for the U.S. In the 19 European countries that use the euro currency, inflation rose 5% in December compared with a year earlier, the biggest increase on record.Companies large and small are adapting as best they can.Nicole Pomije, a bakery owner in the Minneapolis area, said she plans to raise prices for cookies because of surging ingredient costs.Her basic cookies were priced at 99 cents each, while premium versions were selling for $1.50 each. But Pomije said she will have to jack up the prices of her basic cookies to the premium price.“We have to make money,” she said. “We don’t want to lose our customers. But I think we might.”Businesses struggling to hire have hiked pay, but rising prices for goods and services have eroded those income gains for many Americans. Lower-income families have felt it the most, and polls show that inflation has started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-elections-bb16c5c52e2bf719ec8a0c5415aaf66c">displacing even the coronavirus as a public concern.</a>The United States hasn’t seen anything like it since the early 1980s. Back then, Fed Chair Paul Volcker responded by pushing interest rates to painful levels — the prime rate for banks’ best customers hit 20% in 1980 — and sent the economy into a deep recession. But Volcker succeeded in taming inflation that had been running at double-digit year-over-year levels for much of 1979-1981.High inflation has put President Biden on the defensive. His administration, echoing officials at the Fed, initially suggested that price increases would be temporary. Now that inflation has persisted, Biden and some congressional Democrats have begun to blame large corporations. They say meat producers and other industries are taking advantage of pandemic-induced shortages to drive up prices and profits. But even some left-of-center economists disagree with that diagnosis.On Wednesday, the president issued a statement arguing that the drop in gas prices in December and a smaller increase in food costs showed progress.One trend experts fear is a wage-price spiral. That happens when workers seek more pay to offset higher costs, and then companies raise costs further to cover that higher pay. On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told a Senate panel that he has yet to see evidence that wages are broadly driving up prices across the economy.The biggest driver of inflation, according to economists, are mismatches between supply and demand. Used car prices have soared more than 37% over the past year because a shortage of semiconductors has prevented auto companies from making enough new cars. Supply-chain constraints have driven furniture prices nearly 14% higher over the past year.Shoppers are feeling the pinch all around them, from the gas station to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-health-weather-166cc40b0ff095af9d0bf4041fa1b5fc">the grocery store.</a>Vicki Bernardo Hill, 65, an occupational therapist in Gaithersburg, Maryland, says she no longer throws extra canned food, boxes of cereal or bakery items into her shopping cart at the Giant Food store.“I am trying to stick to my list and buying things that are on sale, ” said Hill.Because she couldn’t find a good deal on a used car, Hill recently bought a new Mazda, spending $5,000 more than she had planned.Inflation could ease as the omicron wave fades and as Americans shift more of their spending to services such as travel, eating out and movie-going. That would reduce the demand for goods and help clear supply chains.But some higher prices, such as rents, could prove to be stickier. Rental costs, which have accelerated since summer, rose 0.4% in December, the third consecutive monthly increase. That’s significant because housing costs make up one-third of the government’s consumer price index.Powell told Congress that if it becomes necessary to fight high inflation more aggressively, the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-prices-inflation-jerome-powell-9521329e7a977c78f7765784112e5c63">is prepared to accelerate the interest rate hikes&nbsp;</a>it plans to begin this year. The Fed’s benchmark short-term rate, now pegged near zero, is expected to be bumped up at least three times this year.Rate increases would make borrowing for a home or car more expensive, and therefore help to cool off the economy.Some economists and members of Congress fear the Fed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-inflation-jerome-powell-2fb1b598126f5a26a0388033e277c7bc">has acted too slowly</a>&nbsp;to head off inflation and that this could eventually force even sharper rate increases that could damage the economy.Republicans in Congress and even some liberal economists say Biden deserves at least some of the blame for high inflation, arguing that the financial rescue package he pushed through Congress last March added significant stimulus to an already strengthening economy.______

Inflation at 40-year high as prices spike another 7%

New legislation will reduce backlogs, and advocates say it's step in the right direction

By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-01-12/kansas-finally-cleared-a-2-000-plus-backlog-of-rape-kits-and-is-poised-to-require-quicker-processing">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;— In the mid-2010s, Kansas left as many as 
2,200 rape kits languishing after they’d been used to document possible 
sexual assaults. That slowed prosecutions and undercut a valuable law 
enforcement tool for identifying serial rapists.

Now state 
lawmakers look ready to pass a law demanding that those evidence packs 
head to labs for testing quickly. And, thanks partly to a federal $2 
million grant Kansas landed in 2015, a bottleneck that overwhelmed the 
state’s ability to process the kits has been cleared away.

The 
Kansas Bureau of Investigations wasn’t available for an interview, but 
it told lawmakers in 2021 that the most common reason kits weren’t 
tested in the last decade was because the agency didn’t have the 
capacity to test kits.

Sandy Horton, executive director with the 
Kansas Sheriff’s Association, said it used to take months or years for 
results. That is not the case anymore.

“I don’t hear or see that there’s an issue with getting test results now from these kits,” he said.

Victoria
 Pickering, director of advocacy at the Metropolitan Organization to 
Counter Sexual Assault, said the bill will prevent backlogs because 
tests can’t sit on the self anymore. It is recommended that tests be 
sent to the lab, she said, “but that’s not a guarantee right now.”

“It's
 important for survivors to know for sure when they make a decision 
about allowing their body to be treated as a crime scene,” she said, 
“that that evidence will be looked at, will be evaluated and will be 
taken seriously.”

Joyce Grover, executive director of the Kansas 
Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence — a group that worked on 
the Sexual Assault Kit initiative — said that the program went far in 
reducing delays.

The group worked to educate officers and the 
public about sexual assault. Grover said kits used to go unsubmitted 
because the person requesting a rape kit would be drunk and officers 
would think they didn’t have a case.

“(They’d think), ‘Oh, she was
 drinking, so we’re not going to be able to take this anywhere, let’s 
just put this kit on the shelf,’” she said. “Not testing these kits is a
 way that they play into the hands of the perpetrator.”

Grover said society is becoming more educated on sexual assault.

Her
 organization also established working groups of industry professionals 
who are still examining the issues to prevent future backlogs, and it 
helped create a database that links offenders to other crimes through 
their DNA.

“It leads to some other kinds of criminal accountability,” Grover said.

The bill unanimously passed the Kansas House last year and has a hearing in the Senate judiciary committee on Thursday.

Pickering said there is still more work to improve the state’s response to sexual assault, but this is an important step.

“This
 is a strong message that we send as a state to tell survivors that what
 happened to them mattered and that at the bare minimum we are going to 
evaluate the evidence in their case,” she said. “It’s really not only 
practical, but it’s also symbolic.”

The Kansas Crisis Hotline is <a href="tel:18883632287" target="_blank">1-888-363-2287</a>.
 It is a toll-free line available 24-hours a day for anyone needing 
help. The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault can be 
reached at <a href="tel:8165310233" target="_blank">816-531-0233</a> or <a href="tel:9136420233" target="_blank">913-642-0233</a>.

Blaise
 Mesa reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas 
News Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or 
email him at&nbsp;blaise@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642005772378.png" alt="Pending legislation would require that all rape kits get sent to labs, which doesn’t necessarily happen today. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Pending legislation would require that all rape kits get sent to labs, which doesn’t necessarily happen today. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>New legislation will reduce backlogs, and advocates say it's step in the right direction</h2>By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-01-12/kansas-finally-cleared-a-2-000-plus-backlog-of-rape-kits-and-is-poised-to-require-quicker-processing">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA&nbsp;— In the mid-2010s, Kansas left as many as 
2,200 rape kits languishing after they’d been used to document possible 
sexual assaults. That slowed prosecutions and undercut a valuable law 
enforcement tool for identifying serial rapists.Now state 
lawmakers look ready to pass a law demanding that those evidence packs 
head to labs for testing quickly. And, thanks partly to a federal $2 
million grant Kansas landed in 2015, a bottleneck that overwhelmed the 
state’s ability to process the kits has been cleared away.The 
Kansas Bureau of Investigations wasn’t available for an interview, but 
it told lawmakers in 2021 that the most common reason kits weren’t 
tested in the last decade was because the agency didn’t have the 
capacity to test kits.Sandy Horton, executive director with the 
Kansas Sheriff’s Association, said it used to take months or years for 
results. That is not the case anymore.“I don’t hear or see that there’s an issue with getting test results now from these kits,” he said.Victoria
 Pickering, director of advocacy at the Metropolitan Organization to 
Counter Sexual Assault, said the bill will prevent backlogs because 
tests can’t sit on the self anymore. It is recommended that tests be 
sent to the lab, she said, “but that’s not a guarantee right now.”“It's
 important for survivors to know for sure when they make a decision 
about allowing their body to be treated as a crime scene,” she said, 
“that that evidence will be looked at, will be evaluated and will be 
taken seriously.”Joyce Grover, executive director of the Kansas 
Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence — a group that worked on 
the Sexual Assault Kit initiative — said that the program went far in 
reducing delays.The group worked to educate officers and the 
public about sexual assault. Grover said kits used to go unsubmitted 
because the person requesting a rape kit would be drunk and officers 
would think they didn’t have a case.“(They’d think), ‘Oh, she was
 drinking, so we’re not going to be able to take this anywhere, let’s 
just put this kit on the shelf,’” she said. “Not testing these kits is a
 way that they play into the hands of the perpetrator.”Grover said society is becoming more educated on sexual assault.Her
 organization also established working groups of industry professionals 
who are still examining the issues to prevent future backlogs, and it 
helped create a database that links offenders to other crimes through 
their DNA.“It leads to some other kinds of criminal accountability,” Grover said.The bill unanimously passed the Kansas House last year and has a hearing in the Senate judiciary committee on Thursday.Pickering said there is still more work to improve the state’s response to sexual assault, but this is an important step.“This
 is a strong message that we send as a state to tell survivors that what
 happened to them mattered and that at the bare minimum we are going to 
evaluate the evidence in their case,” she said. “It’s really not only 
practical, but it’s also symbolic.”The Kansas Crisis Hotline is <a href="tel:18883632287" target="_blank">1-888-363-2287</a>.
 It is a toll-free line available 24-hours a day for anyone needing 
help. The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault can be 
reached at <a href="tel:8165310233" target="_blank">816-531-0233</a> or <a href="tel:9136420233" target="_blank">913-642-0233</a>.Blaise
 Mesa reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas 
News Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or 
email him at&nbsp;blaise@kcur.org.

Kansas finally clears 2,000-plus backlog of rape kits

The Kansas State Board of Education unanimously approved an emergency declaration on Wednesday that allows any individual meeting certain qualifications to apply for a Temporary Emergency Authorized License (TEAL), according to a statement from the board.

This action will help solve the substitute teacher shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Any TEAL obtained through the emergency declaration will expire June 1, 2022. After that date, individuals will have to meet the more rigorous requirements for a substitute teacher license.

Usually there is a minimum requirement of 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university in order to obtain an emergency substitute license. The emergency declaration removes this minimum requirement for the TEAL. However, candidates must:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594835679205.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas State Board of Education unanimously approved an emergency declaration on Wednesday that allows any individual meeting certain qualifications to apply for a Temporary Emergency Authorized License (TEAL), according to a statement from the board.This action will help solve the substitute teacher shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Any TEAL obtained through the emergency declaration will expire June 1, 2022. After that date, individuals will have to meet the more rigorous requirements for a substitute teacher license.Usually there is a minimum requirement of 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university in order to obtain an emergency substitute license. The emergency declaration removes this minimum requirement for the TEAL. However, candidates must:<ul>
 <li>Meet the minimum age requirement of 18.</li><li>Have a high school diploma. Individuals with a general educational development (GED) diploma/certificate aren’t eligible.</li><li>Have a verified employment commitment from a district or system.</li><li>Be fingerprinted and pass a background check.</li><li>Submit a completed application to KSDE.</li>
 </ul>

COVID emergency: Kan. lowers requirements for substitute teachers

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday proposed that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;set aside $600 million of its surplus revenues in a rainy day fund and spend nearly $1.8 billion more in cash reserves on a host of one-time projects.

<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EMBARGOED-2022-SOTS-address.pdf">Click here to read </a>a transcript of Gov. Kelly's State of the State address

The projects Kelly proposed in her spending blueprint for state government through June 2023 included paying off bonds early, undoing financial maneuvers lawmakers did in previous years to deal with budget shortfalls and one-time items such as a new state health department laboratory, renovation of a state office building and new Kansas Highway Patrol aircraft.

She also last month proposed giving a one-time $250 rebate to all Kansas residents who filed a state income tax return last year. Republicans have said they prefer ongoing tax relief.

The Democratic governor's budget director outline her proposals to the Republican-controlled Legislature's budget committees.

Repeated monthly surpluses in tax collections have left the state on track to have $3.9 billion in treasury reserves at the end of June 2023. Kelly's proposals would shrink that figure to $671 million.

Kelly's proposal to set aside $600 million in a rainy day fund would give the state an extra cushion in future years — something top Republicans have said they want to do.

By JOHN HANNA, AP Political WriterTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday proposed that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;set aside $600 million of its surplus revenues in a rainy day fund and spend nearly $1.8 billion more in cash reserves on a host of one-time projects.<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EMBARGOED-2022-SOTS-address.pdf">Click here to read </a>a transcript of Gov. Kelly's State of the State addressClick below to watch the address.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PnwlhtiUBiY?start=4769" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The projects Kelly proposed in her spending blueprint for state government through June 2023 included paying off bonds early, undoing financial maneuvers lawmakers did in previous years to deal with budget shortfalls and one-time items such as a new state health department laboratory, renovation of a state office building and new Kansas Highway Patrol aircraft.She also last month proposed giving a one-time $250 rebate to all Kansas residents who filed a state income tax return last year. Republicans have said they prefer ongoing tax relief.The Democratic governor's budget director outline her proposals to the Republican-controlled Legislature's budget committees.Repeated monthly surpluses in tax collections have left the state on track to have $3.9 billion in treasury reserves at the end of June 2023. Kelly's proposals would shrink that figure to $671 million.Kelly's proposal to set aside $600 million in a rainy day fund would give the state an extra cushion in future years — something top Republicans have said they want to do.

🎥 Kansas governor proposes to set aside $600M, spend reserves

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 22,240 to a total of 601,859 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The state reported 27 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,141.

<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 22,240 to a total of 601,859 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 27 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,141.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642012456946.png" alt="Wednesday January 12, 2022 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday January 12, 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: 22,000 new cases, 27 more COVID-19 deaths

GEARY COUNTY—The United State's Army is asking the public for help and offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of&nbsp;Enfinnity Hayes.

According to the Geary County Sheriff,&nbsp; On October 3, a man described as 6-foot-1 or taller and dressed in all black approached 22-year-old Enfinnity Hayes and her husband at the&nbsp; Milford State Park Group Shelter. The suspect&nbsp; attempted to rob the couple at gun point and shot&nbsp;Enfinnity. Her husband drove her to Geary Community Hospital where she died.

Anyone with any information on a suspect is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 785-238-2261, or after hours at 785-762-5912.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637156736481.png" alt="Enfinnity Hayes- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Enfinnity Hayes- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY—The United State's Army is asking the public for help and offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of&nbsp;Enfinnity Hayes.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGearyCountySheriffsDepartment%2Fposts%2F237576788555786&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="497" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>According to the Geary County Sheriff,&nbsp; On October 3, a man described as 6-foot-1 or taller and dressed in all black approached 22-year-old Enfinnity Hayes and her husband at the&nbsp; Milford State Park Group Shelter. The suspect&nbsp; attempted to rob the couple at gun point and shot&nbsp;Enfinnity. Her husband drove her to Geary Community Hospital where she died.Anyone with any information on a suspect is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 785-238-2261, or after hours at 785-762-5912.

Army offers $25,000 reward for info in murder of Kan. woman

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged theft by deception.

Just after 1p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for theft by deception in the 600 block of Schurle Way in Riley. A 68-year-old man reported an unknown suspect posing as customer service for Amazon Prime scammed him out of $1,500 in Visa gift cards as payment for a "fraudulent return."

Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged theft by deception.Just after 1p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for theft by deception in the 600 block of Schurle Way in Riley. A 68-year-old man reported an unknown suspect posing as customer service for Amazon Prime scammed him out of $1,500 in Visa gift cards as payment for a "fraudulent return."Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police: Kan. man lost $1,500 in Amazon Prime scam

By Scott Edger&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;

The Omicron variant is burying the&nbsp;Riley County Health&nbsp;Department in cases.&nbsp;Guidance changes&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;are&nbsp;issued&nbsp;at every slight turn, sending local&nbsp;health&nbsp;officials into a scramble to&nbsp;modify public policy.&nbsp;

RCHD&nbsp;Director Julie Gibbs&nbsp;said Omicron is driving the surge in cases beyond&nbsp;the department’s capacity.&nbsp;More than 500 cases have erupted in the county since&nbsp;Christmas.&nbsp;

“We're seeing so much now and&nbsp;it's&nbsp;just come on so quickly,” Gibbs said. “I can almost guarantee that it’s the&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;variant.&nbsp;

Gibbs said the Health Department has&nbsp;unfortunately had to send some cases to KDHE, but “we're hanging on to all of our cases 18 and younger, and 55 and older.”&nbsp;

RCHD can&nbsp;send KDHE up to 50 cases per day&nbsp;and they have maxed that limit on several recent days.&nbsp;

After assigning some cases to KDHE, the Health Department&nbsp;manages 40 to 50 cases per day.&nbsp;

Currently,&nbsp;RCHD is following the latest guidance&nbsp;from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment; KDHE&nbsp;is trying to follow the latest&nbsp;guidance from the&nbsp;CDC; and CDC&nbsp;issues&nbsp;confusing,&nbsp;and&nbsp;often contradictory,&nbsp;new&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;with alacrity.&nbsp;

RCHD is&nbsp;still offering&nbsp;in-house,&nbsp;rapid symptomatic testing Monday through Friday&nbsp;form 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KDHE is still available&nbsp;on the west end of the Manhattan Town Center&nbsp;mall&nbsp;parking lot. The location was&nbsp;shut down for a couple days last week due to the cold, creating a logjam of patients seeking tests once the weather broke.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gibbs said she is&nbsp;working on “Plan B”:&nbsp;looking for a suitable facility that will allow inside testing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

RCHD is adequately supplied for the time being, but Gibbs said her department is seeking other options for test kits and other vital supplies.&nbsp;

“We're actively searching for another source&nbsp;of&nbsp;tests,” Gibbs said.&nbsp;“We're just trying to keep up with the demand.&nbsp;

“We're OK right now but it's a matter of time before our supplies run out.”&nbsp;

RCHD is&nbsp;still&nbsp;waiting on the final written&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;from KDHE&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;schools,&nbsp;but&nbsp;Gibbs said her department is working with USD 383 to&nbsp;formulate&nbsp;guidance.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It's been very confusing especially when CDC comes out with&nbsp;new&nbsp;guidance,” Gibbs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

RCHD is communicating directly with district health personnel&nbsp;to clarify guidelines.&nbsp;

"We&nbsp;work with the&nbsp;school&nbsp;nurses to make it more streamlined,” Gibbs said.&nbsp;“We&nbsp;finally have some really good written guidance out for all the schools to follow.”

Under the best of circumstances, access to daycare facilities is challenging. COVID regulations forced&nbsp;them&nbsp;to shut down&nbsp;temporarily,&nbsp;creating financial devastation in the industry.&nbsp;

As&nbsp;regulations&nbsp;have&nbsp;eased, daycares that survived&nbsp;still face challenges – they either cannot find&nbsp;enough workers, or they don’t have enough&nbsp;kids to sustain themselves because&nbsp;far fewer&nbsp;people are working now.&nbsp;

“We haven't seen any&nbsp;new&nbsp;information for&nbsp;daycare settings,” Gibbs said,&nbsp;“and so they're sticking with the&nbsp;old&nbsp;guidance.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gibbs said&nbsp;several&nbsp;Riley County daycares&nbsp;have&nbsp;been forced to close.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641916485398.png" alt="CDC Director Rochelle Walensky wore her mask during testimony before the Senate Health Committee Tuesday. -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Rochelle Walensky wore her mask during testimony before the Senate Health Committee Tuesday. -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By Scott Edger&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;The Omicron variant is burying the&nbsp;Riley County Health&nbsp;Department in cases.&nbsp;Guidance changes&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;are&nbsp;issued&nbsp;at every slight turn, sending local&nbsp;health&nbsp;officials into a scramble to&nbsp;modify public policy.&nbsp;RCHD&nbsp;Director Julie Gibbs&nbsp;said Omicron is driving the surge in cases beyond&nbsp;the department’s capacity.&nbsp;More than 500 cases have erupted in the county since&nbsp;Christmas.&nbsp;“We're seeing so much now and&nbsp;it's&nbsp;just come on so quickly,” Gibbs said. “I can almost guarantee that it’s the&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;variant.&nbsp;Gibbs said the Health Department has&nbsp;unfortunately had to send some cases to KDHE, but “we're hanging on to all of our cases 18 and younger, and 55 and older.”&nbsp;RCHD can&nbsp;send KDHE up to 50 cases per day&nbsp;and they have maxed that limit on several recent days.&nbsp;After assigning some cases to KDHE, the Health Department&nbsp;manages 40 to 50 cases per day.&nbsp;Currently,&nbsp;RCHD is following the latest guidance&nbsp;from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment; KDHE&nbsp;is trying to follow the latest&nbsp;guidance from the&nbsp;CDC; and CDC&nbsp;issues&nbsp;confusing,&nbsp;and&nbsp;often contradictory,&nbsp;new&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;with alacrity.&nbsp;RCHD is&nbsp;still offering&nbsp;in-house,&nbsp;rapid symptomatic testing Monday through Friday&nbsp;form 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;KDHE is still available&nbsp;on the west end of the Manhattan Town Center&nbsp;mall&nbsp;parking lot. The location was&nbsp;shut down for a couple days last week due to the cold, creating a logjam of patients seeking tests once the weather broke.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gibbs said she is&nbsp;working on “Plan B”:&nbsp;looking for a suitable facility that will allow inside testing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Supply Situation</h2> RCHD is adequately supplied for the time being, but Gibbs said her department is seeking other options for test kits and other vital supplies.&nbsp;“We're actively searching for another source&nbsp;of&nbsp;tests,” Gibbs said.&nbsp;“We're just trying to keep up with the demand.&nbsp;“We're OK right now but it's a matter of time before our supplies run out.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641989388091.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>K-12 Schools</h2>RCHD is&nbsp;still&nbsp;waiting on the final written&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;from KDHE&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;schools,&nbsp;but&nbsp;Gibbs said her department is working with USD 383 to&nbsp;formulate&nbsp;guidance.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It's been very confusing especially when CDC comes out with&nbsp;new&nbsp;guidance,” Gibbs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;RCHD is communicating directly with district health personnel&nbsp;to clarify guidelines.&nbsp;"We&nbsp;work with the&nbsp;school&nbsp;nurses to make it more streamlined,” Gibbs said.&nbsp;“We&nbsp;finally have some really good written guidance out for all the schools to follow.”<h2>Daycares</h2>Under the best of circumstances, access to daycare facilities is challenging. COVID regulations forced&nbsp;them&nbsp;to shut down&nbsp;temporarily,&nbsp;creating financial devastation in the industry.&nbsp;As&nbsp;regulations&nbsp;have&nbsp;eased, daycares that survived&nbsp;still face challenges – they either cannot find&nbsp;enough workers, or they don’t have enough&nbsp;kids to sustain themselves because&nbsp;far fewer&nbsp;people are working now.&nbsp;“We haven't seen any&nbsp;new&nbsp;information for&nbsp;daycare settings,” Gibbs said,&nbsp;“and so they're sticking with the&nbsp;old&nbsp;guidance.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Gibbs said&nbsp;several&nbsp;Riley County daycares&nbsp;have&nbsp;been forced to close.&nbsp;

COVID variants, inconsistent guidance mire health departments

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the Christmas morning theft of a U-Haul truck that held most of the belongings of a family traveling through Kansas have made arrests.

Just after 4a.m. on Dec. 25, police reported a U-Haul truck was stolen from 1351 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka,&nbsp;according to Lt. Aaron Jones. The truck&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wibw.com/2022/01/07/tpd-officers-chip-help-family-recover-christmas-day-theft/" target="_blank">contained most of the belongings&nbsp;</a>of a family traveling through the area.

Later that day, Police Lt. Ron Ekis reported the truck was seen in Wabaunsee County.

As a result of the investigation, a series of search warrants were served and on Monday police arrested four Topeka men including 25-year-old Jayden Flowers on requested charges of Burglary to Vehicle to Commit Felony, Theft $25,000&lt;$100,000 from Motor Vehicle (2 counts) and Criminal Possession of a Weapon by a Felon; 26-year-old Joshua Long on requested charges of&nbsp;Theft of $25,000&lt;$100,000 from a Motor Vehicle; 27-year-old Jacob Slusser&nbsp;on requested charges of Theft of $25,000&lt;$100,000 from a Motor Vehicle and 

Police also arrested 28-year-old Nicholas Mora on requested charge of Theft $25,000&lt;$100,000 from Motor Vehicle. He is&nbsp; Fugitive from Justice in another state.

According to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz,&nbsp; some of the items seized from the warrants were stolen from the U-Haul, among other places. The investigation continues to identify those items and other potential victims.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the theft of a U-Haul truck early Christmas morning.

Just after 4a.m. Saturday,&nbsp;a U-haul truck was stolen from 1351 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka, according to Lt. Aaron Jones.

The victim is a family traveling with most of their belongings. Those belongings were in the truck at the time of the theft. The truck is a 2021 Ford F650 with Arizona tag:&nbsp;AK25435.

Image of the actual vehicle -photo Topeka Police

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368- 9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641929519733.png" alt="Flowers-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Flowers-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the Christmas morning theft of a U-Haul truck that held most of the belongings of a family traveling through Kansas have made arrests.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641930122174.png" alt="Long photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Long photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 4a.m. on Dec. 25, police reported a U-Haul truck was stolen from 1351 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka,&nbsp;according to Lt. Aaron Jones. The truck&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wibw.com/2022/01/07/tpd-officers-chip-help-family-recover-christmas-day-theft/" target="_blank">contained most of the belongings&nbsp;</a>of a family traveling through the area.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641930188091.png" alt="Slusser-photo Shawnee Co" />
 <figcaption>Slusser-photo Shawnee Co</figcaption>
 </figure>Later that day, Police Lt. Ron Ekis reported the truck was seen in Wabaunsee County.As a result of the investigation, a series of search warrants were served and on Monday police arrested four Topeka men including 25-year-old Jayden Flowers on requested charges of Burglary to Vehicle to Commit Felony, Theft $25,000&lt;$100,000 from Motor Vehicle (2 counts) and Criminal Possession of a Weapon by a Felon; 26-year-old Joshua Long on requested charges of&nbsp;Theft of $25,000&lt;$100,000 from a Motor Vehicle; 27-year-old Jacob Slusser&nbsp;on requested charges of Theft of $25,000&lt;$100,000 from a Motor Vehicle and <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641930280239.png" alt="Mora-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Mora-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Police also arrested 28-year-old Nicholas Mora on requested charge of Theft $25,000&lt;$100,000 from Motor Vehicle. He is&nbsp; Fugitive from Justice in another state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640443765750.png" alt="Photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>According to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz,&nbsp; some of the items seized from the warrants were stolen from the U-Haul, among other places. The investigation continues to identify those items and other potential victims.----------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the theft of a U-Haul truck early Christmas morning.Just after 4a.m. Saturday,&nbsp;a U-haul truck was stolen from 1351 SW Arvonia Place in Topeka, according to Lt. Aaron Jones.The victim is a family traveling with most of their belongings. Those belongings were in the truck at the time of the theft. The truck is a 2021 Ford F650 with Arizona tag:&nbsp;AK25435.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640443741162.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Image of the actual vehicle -photo Topeka PoliceAnyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to email telltpd@topeka.org or contact the Topeka Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at 785-368- 9400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785

Grinch: 4 jailed in Kan. for Christmas theft of family's loaded U-Haul 

ATLANTA (AP) — Pounding his hand for emphasis, President Joe Biden challenged senators Tuesday to “stand against voter suppression” by changing Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation that Republicans are blocking from debate and votes.

Biden told a crowd in Atlanta gathered on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University that he’d been having quiet conversations with senators for months over the two bills — a lack of progress that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-atlanta-stacey-abrams-7bb6e8cd4ad78267cc56d713ecdbf39d">brought him criticism from activists</a>&nbsp;in his own party.

“I’m tired of being quiet!” he shouted to cheers from the crowd.

In his remarks, Biden invoked the civil rights battles of the 1960s. He likened the wrongs of the past to modern-day efforts to subvert elections through the Capitol riot a year ago and a series of GOP-backed laws passed after former President Donald Trump lost in 2020 and then falsely claimed widespread voter fraud. Biden chastised Republicans for falling in line behind Trump’s election lies.

“Today, we call on Congress to get done what history will judge,” Biden said. “Pass the freedom to vote act.”

Biden’s speech was forceful, blunt and explicit, referring to new efforts to limit voting access as “Jim Crow 2.0.” For the first time, he directly advocated eliminating the Senate’s vote-blocking device called the filibuster in order to debate and vote on election and voting rights legislation. Though his focus brings more national attention to the debate ahead, it’s not clear what impact his newfound fire will have.

Current rules require 60 votes to advance most legislation — a threshold that Senate Democrats can’t meet alone because they have just a 50-50 majority with Vice President Kamala Harris to break ties. Republicans unanimously oppose the voting rights measures.

There also aren’t enough Democratic votes to change the Senate rule. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin threw more cold water on the idea Tuesday, saying he believes any changes should be made with substantial Republican buy-in. And there aren’t any Republican senators willing to sign on.

“Not a single Republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect Americans’ right to vote,” Biden said. “Not one. Not one.”

Congressional Democrats have written voting legislation that would usher in the biggest overhaul of U.S. elections in a generation by striking down hurdles to voting enacted in the name of election security. The legislation also would reduce the influence of big money in politics and limit partisan influence over the drawing of congressional districts.

The package would create national election standards that would trump state-level GOP laws. It would also restore the ability of the Justice Department to police election laws in states with a history of discrimination.

Republicans say the changes are not aimed at fairness but at giving Democrats an advantage in elections.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky accused Biden of invoking “the brutal racial hatred of Jim Crow Segregation to smear states’” new voting laws.

And it is coming from “a sitting president of the United States who pledged to lower the temperature and unite America,” McConnell said.

Even if Democrats clear the obstacles to passing the legislation, it could be too late to counter voting restrictions passed in 19 states following Trump’s 2020 loss and his lies — embraced by many in the GOP -- that the election was stolen through voter fraud.

Voting rights advocates in Georgia and nationwide are increasingly anxious about what may happen in 2022 and beyond. They view the changes in many states as a subtler form of ballot restrictions like literacy tests and poll taxes once used to disenfranchise Black voters, a key Democratic constituency.

“This matters to all of us,” Biden insisted. “The goal of the former president and his allies is to disenfranchise anyone who votes against him, simple as that.”

The president spent decades in the Senate, and he spoke with regret of how much it’s changed for the worse, calling it “a shell of its former self.” He spoke of an era not long ago when an issue like voting rights would never have been so rancorously partisan.

He recalled working with segregationist lawmakers in the Senate to get legislation passed and for it then to be signed into law by Republican presidents. But now, the filibuster has been used frequently to block even the debating of some legislation.

“How do you want to be remembered?” he asked his former congressional colleagues.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has set next Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a deadline to either pass voting legislation or consider revising the rules. Biden told his audience, “The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation’s history.”

“Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch,” he declared. “I will defend the right to vote, our democracy, against all enemies foreign, yes and domestic. The question is where will the institution of the United States Senate stand?”

Biden also visited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-georgia-senate-2563753b703f7a46af9a0e75565b84db">Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church</a>, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once held forth from the pulpit. He stood quietly as Martin Luther King III placed a wreath outside at the crypt of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.

Some voting rights advocates boycotted Biden’s speech out of frustration over Washington’s inaction. Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, known for her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-georgia-731808e4a90a398acb104150054f304b">untiring voting rights work</a>, said she skipped the event because of a scheduling conflict, which she did not explain further.

King said in a statement that he was happy to host Biden, but that he also supported those who chose to skip the speech.

“We’ve seen what’s possible when President Biden uses the full weight of his office to deliver for bridges,” he said, referencing Biden’s successful push for a $1 trillion infrastructure spending deal. “And now we need to see him do the same for voting rights.”

Republicans who have fallen in line behind Trump’s election misinformation are separately promoting efforts to influence future elections by installing sympathetic leaders in local election posts and by backing for elective office some of those who participated in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke before Biden on Tuesday, warning that the barrage of new state laws means there is “a danger of becoming accustomed to these laws, a danger of adjusting to these laws as though they are normal.”

“There is nothing normal about a law that makes it illegal to pass out water or food to people standing in long voting lines,” she said, to cheers.

Georgia is at the center of it all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-georgia-elections-bb997641ca36805c0f53f406a3529d87">one of the key battleground states in the 2020 elections</a>. After the votes were counted and recounted, Trump told the top state election official he wanted the official to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss. The state’s votes nonetheless went to Biden, and both of its Senate seats went to Democrats as well.

Last year, the state’s Republican governor signed a sweeping rewrite of election rules that, among other things, gives the State Election Board new powers to intervene in county election offices and to remove and replace local election officials. That has led to concerns that the Republican-controlled state board could exert more influence over the administration of elections, including the certification of county results.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641939310468.png" alt="President Biden and&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris on the stage in Atlanta Tuesday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden and&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris on the stage in Atlanta Tuesday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Pounding his hand for emphasis, President Joe Biden challenged senators Tuesday to “stand against voter suppression” by changing Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation that Republicans are blocking from debate and votes.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F4807407156007994%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=642" 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>Biden told a crowd in Atlanta gathered on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University that he’d been having quiet conversations with senators for months over the two bills — a lack of progress that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-atlanta-stacey-abrams-7bb6e8cd4ad78267cc56d713ecdbf39d">brought him criticism from activists</a>&nbsp;in his own party.“I’m tired of being quiet!” he shouted to cheers from the crowd.In his remarks, Biden invoked the civil rights battles of the 1960s. He likened the wrongs of the past to modern-day efforts to subvert elections through the Capitol riot a year ago and a series of GOP-backed laws passed after former President Donald Trump lost in 2020 and then falsely claimed widespread voter fraud. Biden chastised Republicans for falling in line behind Trump’s election lies.“Today, we call on Congress to get done what history will judge,” Biden said. “Pass the freedom to vote act.”Biden’s speech was forceful, blunt and explicit, referring to new efforts to limit voting access as “Jim Crow 2.0.” For the first time, he directly advocated eliminating the Senate’s vote-blocking device called the filibuster in order to debate and vote on election and voting rights legislation. Though his focus brings more national attention to the debate ahead, it’s not clear what impact his newfound fire will have.Current rules require 60 votes to advance most legislation — a threshold that Senate Democrats can’t meet alone because they have just a 50-50 majority with Vice President Kamala Harris to break ties. Republicans unanimously oppose the voting rights measures.There also aren’t enough Democratic votes to change the Senate rule. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin threw more cold water on the idea Tuesday, saying he believes any changes should be made with substantial Republican buy-in. And there aren’t any Republican senators willing to sign on.“Not a single Republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect Americans’ right to vote,” Biden said. “Not one. Not one.”Congressional Democrats have written voting legislation that would usher in the biggest overhaul of U.S. elections in a generation by striking down hurdles to voting enacted in the name of election security. The legislation also would reduce the influence of big money in politics and limit partisan influence over the drawing of congressional districts.The package would create national election standards that would trump state-level GOP laws. It would also restore the ability of the Justice Department to police election laws in states with a history of discrimination.Republicans say the changes are not aimed at fairness but at giving Democrats an advantage in elections.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky accused Biden of invoking “the brutal racial hatred of Jim Crow Segregation to smear states’” new voting laws.And it is coming from “a sitting president of the United States who pledged to lower the temperature and unite America,” McConnell said.Even if Democrats clear the obstacles to passing the legislation, it could be too late to counter voting restrictions passed in 19 states following Trump’s 2020 loss and his lies — embraced by many in the GOP -- that the election was stolen through voter fraud.Voting rights advocates in Georgia and nationwide are increasingly anxious about what may happen in 2022 and beyond. They view the changes in many states as a subtler form of ballot restrictions like literacy tests and poll taxes once used to disenfranchise Black voters, a key Democratic constituency.“This matters to all of us,” Biden insisted. “The goal of the former president and his allies is to disenfranchise anyone who votes against him, simple as that.”The president spent decades in the Senate, and he spoke with regret of how much it’s changed for the worse, calling it “a shell of its former self.” He spoke of an era not long ago when an issue like voting rights would never have been so rancorously partisan.He recalled working with segregationist lawmakers in the Senate to get legislation passed and for it then to be signed into law by Republican presidents. But now, the filibuster has been used frequently to block even the debating of some legislation.“How do you want to be remembered?” he asked his former congressional colleagues.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has set next Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a deadline to either pass voting legislation or consider revising the rules. Biden told his audience, “The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation’s history.”“Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch,” he declared. “I will defend the right to vote, our democracy, against all enemies foreign, yes and domestic. The question is where will the institution of the United States Senate stand?”Biden also visited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-georgia-senate-2563753b703f7a46af9a0e75565b84db">Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church</a>, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once held forth from the pulpit. He stood quietly as Martin Luther King III placed a wreath outside at the crypt of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.Some voting rights advocates boycotted Biden’s speech out of frustration over Washington’s inaction. Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, known for her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-georgia-731808e4a90a398acb104150054f304b">untiring voting rights work</a>, said she skipped the event because of a scheduling conflict, which she did not explain further.King said in a statement that he was happy to host Biden, but that he also supported those who chose to skip the speech.“We’ve seen what’s possible when President Biden uses the full weight of his office to deliver for bridges,” he said, referencing Biden’s successful push for a $1 trillion infrastructure spending deal. “And now we need to see him do the same for voting rights.”Republicans who have fallen in line behind Trump’s election misinformation are separately promoting efforts to influence future elections by installing sympathetic leaders in local election posts and by backing for elective office some of those who participated in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.Vice President Kamala Harris spoke before Biden on Tuesday, warning that the barrage of new state laws means there is “a danger of becoming accustomed to these laws, a danger of adjusting to these laws as though they are normal.”“There is nothing normal about a law that makes it illegal to pass out water or food to people standing in long voting lines,” she said, to cheers.Georgia is at the center of it all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-georgia-elections-bb997641ca36805c0f53f406a3529d87">one of the key battleground states in the 2020 elections</a>. After the votes were counted and recounted, Trump told the top state election official he wanted the official to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss. The state’s votes nonetheless went to Biden, and both of its Senate seats went to Democrats as well.Last year, the state’s Republican governor signed a sweeping rewrite of election rules that, among other things, gives the State Election Board new powers to intervene in county election offices and to remove and replace local election officials. That has led to concerns that the Republican-controlled state board could exert more influence over the administration of elections, including the certification of county results.

🎥 Biden wants to change Senate rules to overhaul U.S. elections

KANSAS CITY —Police reported just after 5:30a.m. they had located the parents of a child found wandering alone in Kansas City overnight.

The child was found on the northeast corner of Parvin Road and Davidson Road in Kansas City.

Family has been located and detectives are now in touch with them.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities asked the public for help to locate the family of child found just before 2a.m. Wednesday. according to a social media report from Kansas City Police

The child is described as 3-foot-6, 40 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes. The child was found in a grey T-Shirt, grey sweatpants, and black socks. 

If you have any information on the juvenile please call the Juvenile Unit at 816-234-5150 or the Shoal Creek Division, 816-413-3400,

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641987011361.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police reported just after 5:30a.m. they had located the parents of a child found wandering alone in Kansas City overnight.The child was found on the northeast corner of Parvin Road and Davidson Road in Kansas City.Family has been located and detectives are now in touch with them.Police released no additional details.-------KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities asked the public for help to locate the family of child found just before 2a.m. Wednesday. according to a social media report from Kansas City PoliceThe child was found on the northeast corner of Parvin Road and Davidson Road in Kansas City.The child is described as 3-foot-6, 40 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes. The child was found in a grey T-Shirt, grey sweatpants, and black socks. If you have any information on the juvenile please call the Juvenile Unit at 816-234-5150 or the Shoal Creek Division, 816-413-3400,