WASHINGTON (AP) — In a flurry of diplomacy across two continents, President Joe Biden emerged from a meeting with Germany’s new leader Monday vowing the crucial Nord Stream 2 Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline would be blocked if Russia further invades Ukraine. Russia's Vladimir Putin said the U.S. and its allies were the only ones talking about invasion.

Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron met for hours in Moscow at the same time Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke at the White House in efforts to defuse the crisis before armed conflict breaks out. Russia has massed thousands of troops at the Ukraine border, adding military might almost daily.

The White House has expressed increasing alarm about the prospects of a war, and Biden has been looking to solidify support among European allies for economy-jarring sanctions against Russia if it moves further with an invasion.

“We are jointly ready, and all of NATO is ready,” Biden said, referring to the powerful Western alliance, though Ukraine is not a member.

While Biden reiterated with certitude that the pipeline would not move forward, Scholz stressed the need to keep some ambiguity about sanctions in order to press Russia to de-escalate the crisis.

“It’s necessary for Russia to understand that a lot more could happen than they’ve perhaps calculated with themselves,.” Scholz said.

The buildup of over 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine has fueled Western worries of a possible offensive. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Sunday that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day,” triggering a conflict that would come at an “enormous human cost.”

Putin described his lengthy talks with Macron at the Kremlin as businesslike. He noted that the U.S. and its NATO allies have ignored Moscow’s demands for security guarantees.

He said that NATO’s expansion eastward to Russia's border has violated the security principles of international agreements and scoffed at Western assurances that it is a defensive alliance that doesn’t threaten Russia.

“People of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan have had learned it from their own experience,” the Russian leader said in a sarcastic reference to the U.S. allies' involvement in military campaigns in those countries. He also referenced NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign in the former Yugoslavia.

He derided the Western criticism of the Russian military buildup near Ukraine, saying that “NATO members consider it possible to lecture us about our troops movements on our own territory and cast them as a threat of Russian invasion in Ukraine.”

Russia has denied any plans to attack its neighbor but demands that the U.S. and its allies bar Ukraine and other former Soviet nations from joining NATO, halt weapons deployments there and roll back NATO forces from Eastern Europe. Washington and NATO reject those demands.

Unswayed, Biden on Monday said “it would be wise” for Americans other than essential diplomats to leave Ukraine amid the Russian military threat.

On a positive note, Putin said without elaboration that some of Macron’s proposals could serve as a basis for a settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, adding that they agreed to have a call after Macron’s visit to Kyiv Tuesday.

Likewise, Biden said when asked if there remained an “offramp” for Russia in the standoff: “The answer is yes.”

Macron said after his “substantial, deep” meeting with Putin: “The upcoming days will be crucial and deep discussions together will be needed ... to build new guarantees for peace and security” for the European continent.

Macron and Putin spent several hours in a meeting with a meal that included fish soup, the choice of sturgeon or reindeer with sweet potatoes and pear pie with vanilla ice cream.

Macron, who heads Tuesday to Ukraine, spoke by phone Sunday with Biden. Before the Putin meeting, Macron said: “I don’t believe in spontaneous miracles.”

“The security and sovereignty of Ukraine or any other European state cannot be a subject for compromise, while it is also legitimate for Russia to pose the question of its own security,” Macron told the French newspaper Journal du Dimanche.

The State Department has been warning American citizens to reconsider any plans to travel to Ukraine since last year due to the buildup of Russian forces near the border. In January, it upgraded that advice, urging U.S. citizens not to travel to Ukraine or to leave the country if they are already there. That stepped-up warning came as the department ordered the families of all American staffers at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv to depart and allowed non-essential diplomats there leave

Before meeting Biden, Scholz told German media that "there will be a very high price if Ukraine is attacked militarily. And we are preparing for this very precisely and have been talking about the details for a long time.” Scholz will travel to Kyiv and Moscow Feb. 14-15..

Separately German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said her country would add up to 350 troops within a few days to about 500 already a part of a NATO battlegroup in Lithuania. “With this, we are strengthening our contribution to forces on NATO’s eastern flank and sending a very clear signal of unity to our allies,” she said.

Biden already has deployed additional U.S. troops to Poland, Romania and Germany, and a few dozen elite U.S troops and equipment landed Sunday in southeastern Poland near the border with Ukraine, with hundreds more infantry troops of the 82nd Airborne Division set to arrive.

Britain said it was sending 350 troops to Poland to bolster NATO forces, joining 100 Royal Engineers already there.

At a news conference in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the U.S. and Europe defended the increasingly dire Western warnings that a Russian invasion may be imminent.

“This is not alarmism. This is simply the facts,” Blinken said. “And the facts are that we’ve seen over the last few months a massive amassing of Russian forces on Ukraine’s borders."

Borrell noted that “140,000 troops massed on the border is not to go to have tea.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is weighing a more permanent military presence in southeast Europe in response to Russia’s “massive military deployment” near Ukraine.

“We are considering more longer-term adjustments to our posture, our presence in the eastern part of the alliance,” Stoltenberg said after talks in Brussels with Polish President Andrzej Duda. “If Russia really wants less NATO close to the borders, they get the opposite.”

Stoltenberg gave no details and said no final decision has been made, but the move could mirror NATO’s long-term military presence in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, where about 5,000 troops are stationed. It would see a similar force based in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

That would mean NATO troops stationed long-term near Ukraine’s western border and in the Black Sea area. The aim would be only to bolster the defenses of NATO allies in the region and the troops would not cross into Ukraine should Russia invade.

In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal for eastern Ukraine in a bid to end the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists that erupted the previous year following the Russian annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644271333333.png" alt="“We are jointly ready, and all of NATO is ready,” Biden said, referring to the powerful Western alliance, though Ukraine is not a member.-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>“We are jointly ready, and all of NATO is ready,” Biden said, referring to the powerful Western alliance, though Ukraine is not a member.-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a flurry of diplomacy across two continents, President Joe Biden emerged from a meeting with Germany’s new leader Monday vowing the crucial Nord Stream 2 Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline would be blocked if Russia further invades Ukraine. Russia's Vladimir Putin said the U.S. and its allies were the only ones talking about invasion.Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron met for hours in Moscow at the same time Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke at the White House in efforts to defuse the crisis before armed conflict breaks out. Russia has massed thousands of troops at the Ukraine border, adding military might almost daily.The White House has expressed increasing alarm about the prospects of a war, and Biden has been looking to solidify support among European allies for economy-jarring sanctions against Russia if it moves further with an invasion.“We are jointly ready, and all of NATO is ready,” Biden said, referring to the powerful Western alliance, though Ukraine is not a member.While Biden reiterated with certitude that the pipeline would not move forward, Scholz stressed the need to keep some ambiguity about sanctions in order to press Russia to de-escalate the crisis.“It’s necessary for Russia to understand that a lot more could happen than they’ve perhaps calculated with themselves,.” Scholz said.The buildup of over 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine has fueled Western worries of a possible offensive. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Sunday that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day,” triggering a conflict that would come at an “enormous human cost.”Putin described his lengthy talks with Macron at the Kremlin as businesslike. He noted that the U.S. and its NATO allies have ignored Moscow’s demands for security guarantees.He said that NATO’s expansion eastward to Russia's border has violated the security principles of international agreements and scoffed at Western assurances that it is a defensive alliance that doesn’t threaten Russia.“People of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan have had learned it from their own experience,” the Russian leader said in a sarcastic reference to the U.S. allies' involvement in military campaigns in those countries. He also referenced NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign in the former Yugoslavia.He derided the Western criticism of the Russian military buildup near Ukraine, saying that “NATO members consider it possible to lecture us about our troops movements on our own territory and cast them as a threat of Russian invasion in Ukraine.”Russia has denied any plans to attack its neighbor but demands that the U.S. and its allies bar Ukraine and other former Soviet nations from joining NATO, halt weapons deployments there and roll back NATO forces from Eastern Europe. Washington and NATO reject those demands.Unswayed, Biden on Monday said “it would be wise” for Americans other than essential diplomats to leave Ukraine amid the Russian military threat.On a positive note, Putin said without elaboration that some of Macron’s proposals could serve as a basis for a settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, adding that they agreed to have a call after Macron’s visit to Kyiv Tuesday.Likewise, Biden said when asked if there remained an “offramp” for Russia in the standoff: “The answer is yes.”Macron said after his “substantial, deep” meeting with Putin: “The upcoming days will be crucial and deep discussions together will be needed ... to build new guarantees for peace and security” for the European continent.Macron and Putin spent several hours in a meeting with a meal that included fish soup, the choice of sturgeon or reindeer with sweet potatoes and pear pie with vanilla ice cream.Macron, who heads Tuesday to Ukraine, spoke by phone Sunday with Biden. Before the Putin meeting, Macron said: “I don’t believe in spontaneous miracles.”“The security and sovereignty of Ukraine or any other European state cannot be a subject for compromise, while it is also legitimate for Russia to pose the question of its own security,” Macron told the French newspaper Journal du Dimanche.The State Department has been warning American citizens to reconsider any plans to travel to Ukraine since last year due to the buildup of Russian forces near the border. In January, it upgraded that advice, urging U.S. citizens not to travel to Ukraine or to leave the country if they are already there. That stepped-up warning came as the department ordered the families of all American staffers at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv to depart and allowed non-essential diplomats there leaveBefore meeting Biden, Scholz told German media that "there will be a very high price if Ukraine is attacked militarily. And we are preparing for this very precisely and have been talking about the details for a long time.” Scholz will travel to Kyiv and Moscow Feb. 14-15..Separately German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said her country would add up to 350 troops within a few days to about 500 already a part of a NATO battlegroup in Lithuania. “With this, we are strengthening our contribution to forces on NATO’s eastern flank and sending a very clear signal of unity to our allies,” she said.Biden already has deployed additional U.S. troops to Poland, Romania and Germany, and a few dozen elite U.S troops and equipment landed Sunday in southeastern Poland near the border with Ukraine, with hundreds more infantry troops of the 82nd Airborne Division set to arrive.Britain said it was sending 350 troops to Poland to bolster NATO forces, joining 100 Royal Engineers already there.At a news conference in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the U.S. and Europe defended the increasingly dire Western warnings that a Russian invasion may be imminent.“This is not alarmism. This is simply the facts,” Blinken said. “And the facts are that we’ve seen over the last few months a massive amassing of Russian forces on Ukraine’s borders."Borrell noted that “140,000 troops massed on the border is not to go to have tea.”NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is weighing a more permanent military presence in southeast Europe in response to Russia’s “massive military deployment” near Ukraine.“We are considering more longer-term adjustments to our posture, our presence in the eastern part of the alliance,” Stoltenberg said after talks in Brussels with Polish President Andrzej Duda. “If Russia really wants less NATO close to the borders, they get the opposite.”Stoltenberg gave no details and said no final decision has been made, but the move could mirror NATO’s long-term military presence in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, where about 5,000 troops are stationed. It would see a similar force based in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.That would mean NATO troops stationed long-term near Ukraine’s western border and in the Black Sea area. The aim would be only to bolster the defenses of NATO allies in the region and the troops would not cross into Ukraine should Russia invade.In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal for eastern Ukraine in a bid to end the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists that erupted the previous year following the Russian annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

Biden: It 'would be wise' for Americans to leave Ukraine

By JULIE FREIJAT <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/06/new-bill-would-allow-year-round-sale-of-fireworks-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — As it stands, retail fireworks sellers in Kansas are only allowed to 
sell their wares from June 27 to July 6, a shorter time period than some
 neighboring states.

Seasonal retailers in Missouri can sell fireworks from <a target="_blank" href="https://dfs.dps.mo.gov/programs/fireworks/">June 20 to July 10 and from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2.</a> Missouri also allows the sale of fireworks year round.&nbsp;

The Senate Commerce Committee is 
considering a bill that looks to expand the timeframe in Kansas from 
June 15 through July 6 — and allow for year-round sales.

<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb378/">Senate Bill 378</a> was introduced by Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker. The legislation closely resembles a bill from 2020.&nbsp;The
 new bill introduces a definition for annual retailers. Those looking to
 sell fireworks throughout the year must meet state and local fire 
safety regulations and obtain a license.

Doug Jorgenson, Kansas fire marshal, 
said licenses would be issued through the Office of the State Fire 
Marshal, which doesn’t intend to charge for the license.&nbsp;

Local governments would still control how fireworks are regulated in their jurisdictions.

Sarah Beagle, a retail firework owner in southeast Kansas, said fireworks can be shot off all year round in Allen County.

“Each individual city in the county 
sets their own regulations, and then the county itself sets their 
regulations,” Beagle said. “A hundred percent, our bigger counties, our 
higher-populated areas, absolutely — they shouldn’t be lighting 
fireworks at midnight on a Tuesday in the middle of October when kids 
are in school and people have jobs. It makes sense.”

Philip Bradley of the Kansas Fireworks Association said he thinks the bill covers almost everyone’s concerns.&nbsp;

“In no way does the bill or does our 
association want to impinge upon the rights of local government to make 
the rules that are appropriate to that area, and we support that, and 
that was one of the amendments we insisted on having,” Bradley said.

Beagle said the bill would match Kansas’ fireworks season to its surrounding states’ seasons.

“We are losing a lot of revenue to 
our surrounding states — just from things I have heard from my 
customers,” Beagle said. “For me, when we won the Super Bowl in 2020, 
there were so many fireworks that were lit off, the National Weather 
Service was able to see it on their radar. For me, that’s just 
incredible, because where’d they get them from? Sure, some people might 
save fireworks after the season. But for most people, if you’re like my 
family, it’s getting blown up that night.”

Beagle said she favored expanding the seasonal retail period, as it would help both local and bigger retailers.&nbsp;

“I believe it’s 13 days would be what
 we would add to the sell season — and that is a lot of revenue we can 
make in those few days,” Beagle said.

Many seasonal retailers are looking to expand in the future, Bradley said.&nbsp;

“They’re looking down the road, and 
if the law passed so that they could do that, they would start laying 
those plans, getting the financing they need and go into that type of a 
business,” Bradley said. “And, most of them would have one location in 
their local area, so it would make even more of those sales for the 
folks … who go to Oklahoma and go to Missouri stay in the state of 
Kansas.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644244288665.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JULIE FREIJAT <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/06/new-bill-would-allow-year-round-sale-of-fireworks-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — As it stands, retail fireworks sellers in Kansas are only allowed to 
sell their wares from June 27 to July 6, a shorter time period than some
 neighboring states.Seasonal retailers in Missouri can sell fireworks from <a target="_blank" href="https://dfs.dps.mo.gov/programs/fireworks/">June 20 to July 10 and from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2.</a> Missouri also allows the sale of fireworks year round.&nbsp;The Senate Commerce Committee is 
considering a bill that looks to expand the timeframe in Kansas from 
June 15 through July 6 — and allow for year-round sales.<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb378/">Senate Bill 378</a> was introduced by Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker. The legislation closely resembles a bill from 2020.&nbsp;The
 new bill introduces a definition for annual retailers. Those looking to
 sell fireworks throughout the year must meet state and local fire 
safety regulations and obtain a license.Doug Jorgenson, Kansas fire marshal, 
said licenses would be issued through the Office of the State Fire 
Marshal, which doesn’t intend to charge for the license.&nbsp;Local governments would still control how fireworks are regulated in their jurisdictions.Sarah Beagle, a retail firework owner in southeast Kansas, said fireworks can be shot off all year round in Allen County.“Each individual city in the county 
sets their own regulations, and then the county itself sets their 
regulations,” Beagle said. “A hundred percent, our bigger counties, our 
higher-populated areas, absolutely — they shouldn’t be lighting 
fireworks at midnight on a Tuesday in the middle of October when kids 
are in school and people have jobs. It makes sense.”Philip Bradley of the Kansas Fireworks Association said he thinks the bill covers almost everyone’s concerns.&nbsp;“In no way does the bill or does our 
association want to impinge upon the rights of local government to make 
the rules that are appropriate to that area, and we support that, and 
that was one of the amendments we insisted on having,” Bradley said.Beagle said the bill would match Kansas’ fireworks season to its surrounding states’ seasons.“We are losing a lot of revenue to 
our surrounding states — just from things I have heard from my 
customers,” Beagle said. “For me, when we won the Super Bowl in 2020, 
there were so many fireworks that were lit off, the National Weather 
Service was able to see it on their radar. For me, that’s just 
incredible, because where’d they get them from? Sure, some people might 
save fireworks after the season. But for most people, if you’re like my 
family, it’s getting blown up that night.”Beagle said she favored expanding the seasonal retail period, as it would help both local and bigger retailers.&nbsp;“I believe it’s 13 days would be what
 we would add to the sell season — and that is a lot of revenue we can 
make in those few days,” Beagle said.Many seasonal retailers are looking to expand in the future, Bradley said.&nbsp;“They’re looking down the road, and 
if the law passed so that they could do that, they would start laying 
those plans, getting the financing they need and go into that type of a 
business,” Bradley said. “And, most of them would have one location in 
their local area, so it would make even more of those sales for the 
folks … who go to Oklahoma and go to Missouri stay in the state of 
Kansas.”

New bill would allow year-round sale of fireworks in Kansas

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Feb. 1 accident have identified the victim as 48-year-old Lori Lynn Long of Kansas City, Kansas.

A vehicle struck Long who was on a motorized scooter trying to cross in the 5500 block of Leavenworth Road, according to a media release.

Long was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;The driver of the vehicle fled, but reported the crash to police a short time later.

Police reported no additional details on Monday afternoon.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Feb. 1 accident have identified the victim as 48-year-old Lori Lynn Long of Kansas City, Kansas.A vehicle struck Long who was on a motorized scooter trying to cross in the 5500 block of Leavenworth Road, according to a media release.Long was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;The driver of the vehicle fled, but reported the crash to police a short time later.Police reported no additional details on Monday afternoon.

Police ID Kan. woman who died crossing the street on motorized scooter

JEWELL COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating after a Jewell County Sheriff’s deputy was found deceased inside his home in Mankato, Kansas.

The investigation indicates that just after 2a.m. Monday, two calls were made to the Jewell County Sheriff’s Office from different subjects inside a home at 507 E. Madison in Mankato, according to a media release from the KBI.

 Both calls requested police assistance due to a domestic incident in progress. When the responding deputy arrived at the home, he discovered that 27-year-old Colton Koch, of Mankato, had suffered a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Deputy Koch served at the Jewell County Sheriff’s Office for approximately 2 1/2 years. An autopsy is scheduled.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.&nbsp;

JEWELL COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating after a Jewell County Sheriff’s deputy was found deceased inside his home in Mankato, Kansas.The investigation indicates that just after 2a.m. Monday, two calls were made to the Jewell County Sheriff’s Office from different subjects inside a home at 507 E. Madison in Mankato, according to a media release from the KBI. Both calls requested police assistance due to a domestic incident in progress. When the responding deputy arrived at the home, he discovered that 27-year-old Colton Koch, of Mankato, had suffered a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.Deputy Koch served at the Jewell County Sheriff’s Office for approximately 2 1/2 years. An autopsy is scheduled.Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.&nbsp;

KBI: Kansas sheriff's deputy found dead in his home

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2022-02-07/salina-parents-want-lgbtq-memoir-removed-from-school-libraries">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA&nbsp;— Some parents in the Salina school 
district want a book removed from high school libraries, citing sexually
 explicit passages that they say are not appropriate for young readers.

The book “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by nonbinary author and activist <a href="https://iamgmjohnson.com/" target="_blank">George M. Johnson</a>, bills itself as a “memoir-manifesto” intended for adolescent readers. It <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2021-10-12/shawnee-mission-weighs-policy-change-after-parents-raise-concerns-about-books-descriptions-of-sex" target="_blank">came under fire</a> in the Shawnee Mission school district last fall and has been <a href="https://flaglerlive.com/170745/books-returned-withheld/" target="_blank">removed from school libraries</a> or classrooms in several states.

Chad Farber, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Salina, submitted one of two requests to review the book on Jan. 25.

In
 his request to district officials, Farber says the book contains 
“pornographic, lude (sic), and obscene content described in great 
detail” and that “this material could be used by some to experiment 
w/anal sex on other students (and) groom some to be molested by 
predators.”

Another parent, Jessica A. Henton, filed a request the same day to review “All Boys Aren’t Blue.”

“While,
 to my understanding, there is great educational content in the rest of 
the book, the obscene (and) descriptive text about ‘sex’ has no place on
 school library shelves,” Henton wrote.

District officials say the
 book is being reviewed by a school-level committee that includes a 
principal, librarian, teachers and parents. The Salina school board is 
expected to hear from people on both sides of the debate during its 
meeting Tuesday.

The case reflects a national trend that has 
school districts trying to balance parental outrage with students’ 
access to certain books. In recent months, dozens of books have been <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">challenged by parents and community members</a> who contend that they’re sexually explicit or <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/calls-to-ban-books-by-black-authors-are-increasing-amid-critical-race-theory-debates/2021/09" target="_blank">promote critical race theory</a>.

<a href="https://pen.org/user/james-tager/" target="_blank">James Tager</a>,
 research director for the free expression group PEN America, has 
tracked book challenges since 2016 and says the number and intensity of 
challenges is increasing dramatically. But the targets are largely the 
same.

“Most of the books have to do with the presentation of 
diverse viewpoints, which is to say that they feature characters or 
they're written by people of color,” Tager said.

Challenges focused on obscenity tend to target books by LGBTQ authors, he said.

“Whenever
 these arguments are raised, I hardly ever see an effort to evaluate 
this against the literary and educational merit of the book,” he said. 
“There’s a focus on a few passages or a few parts rather than on the 
book in and of itself.”

In an author’s note at the start of “All 
Boys Aren’t Blue,” Johnson acknowledges that his book features 
provocative and potentially controversial material.

“As heavy as 
these subjects may be, it is necessary that they are not only told, but 
also read by teens who may have to navigate many of these same 
experiences in their own lives,” Johnson writes.

“This book will 
touch on sexual assault (including molestation), loss of virginity, 
homophobia, racism, and anti-Blackness. These discussions at times may 
be a bit graphic, but nonetheless they are experiences that many reading
 this book will encounter or have already encountered. And I want those 
readers to be seen and heard in these pages.”

Both people who 
filed complaints in Salina said they had not read “All Boys Aren’t 
Blue,” but saw portions of the book shared on social media.

Parent
 groups have raised issues about a four-page passage near the end of the
 book. In a chapter titled “Losing My Virginity Twice,” Johnson relates a
 consensual homosexual encounter in detail, including oral sex, 
masturbation and intercourse.

Rodney Penn, a Salina father and founder of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/990859254309004/" target="_blank">Kansas Parents Involved in Education</a>,
 said books containing explicit material should be removed from school 
libraries or labeled as explicit, like movies and music, and kept in a 
section that requires parental consent before students can check them 
out.

“We have statutes in the state of Kansas that talk about how a
 school district must monitor and protect kids from internet-based 
obscenities. But what about print obscenities?” Penn said.

Kansas law prohibits the <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2012/b2011_12/statute/021_000_0000_chapter/021_064_0000_article/021_064_0001_section/021_064_0001_k/#:~:text=2012%20Statute&amp;text=(b)%20Promoting%20obscenity%20to%20minors,the%20age%20of%2018%20years" target="_blank">promotion of obscenity to minors</a>.
 But the law exempts “institutions having scientific, educational or 
governmental justification,” such as schools, universities and public 
libraries.

A school district in North Kansas City, Mo., pulled 
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” and another LGBTQ-themed title, “Fun Home,” from 
high school shelves last October but <a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/education/north-kansas-city-school-district-returning-lgbtq-books-to-shelves-after-pushback/#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20North%20Kansas%20City%20School%20District,said%20it%20was%20sent%20Friday." target="_blank">returned them</a> after students petitioned to keep the books.

“All Boys Aren’t Blue” was on a list of books briefly <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">pulled from circulation</a> at school libraries in Goddard in November. The district <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">reversed its decision</a> after receiving national pushback from authors and free-speech advocates.

Chris
 Field, a former Salina teacher who ran unsuccessfully for school board 
in November, said he’s disturbed by challenges that target materials 
dealing with race, gender and sexuality. He said libraries need diverse 
materials to help students navigate real-life experiences.

“To be 
able to find books that they can identify with and know that other 
people in the world are struggling with these issues also. … That’s got 
to be comforting to these children,” he said.

“Ninety-nine percent
 of the books that are on these lists and being attacked are not harming
 children. They’re actually helping them get through life.”

Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644244121019.png" alt=""All Boys Aren't Blue," a memoir by LGBTQ author George M. Johnson, has been the target of book challenges nationwide. Suzanne Perez / KMUW" />
 <figcaption>"All Boys Aren't Blue," a memoir by LGBTQ author George M. Johnson, has been the target of book challenges nationwide. Suzanne Perez / KMUW</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2022-02-07/salina-parents-want-lgbtq-memoir-removed-from-school-libraries">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA&nbsp;— Some parents in the Salina school 
district want a book removed from high school libraries, citing sexually
 explicit passages that they say are not appropriate for young readers.The book “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by nonbinary author and activist <a href="https://iamgmjohnson.com/" target="_blank">George M. Johnson</a>, bills itself as a “memoir-manifesto” intended for adolescent readers. It <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2021-10-12/shawnee-mission-weighs-policy-change-after-parents-raise-concerns-about-books-descriptions-of-sex" target="_blank">came under fire</a> in the Shawnee Mission school district last fall and has been <a href="https://flaglerlive.com/170745/books-returned-withheld/" target="_blank">removed from school libraries</a> or classrooms in several states.Chad Farber, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Salina, submitted one of two requests to review the book on Jan. 25.In
 his request to district officials, Farber says the book contains 
“pornographic, lude (sic), and obscene content described in great 
detail” and that “this material could be used by some to experiment 
w/anal sex on other students (and) groom some to be molested by 
predators.”Another parent, Jessica A. Henton, filed a request the same day to review “All Boys Aren’t Blue.”“While,
 to my understanding, there is great educational content in the rest of 
the book, the obscene (and) descriptive text about ‘sex’ has no place on
 school library shelves,” Henton wrote.District officials say the
 book is being reviewed by a school-level committee that includes a 
principal, librarian, teachers and parents. The Salina school board is 
expected to hear from people on both sides of the debate during its 
meeting Tuesday.The case reflects a national trend that has 
school districts trying to balance parental outrage with students’ 
access to certain books. In recent months, dozens of books have been <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">challenged by parents and community members</a> who contend that they’re sexually explicit or <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/calls-to-ban-books-by-black-authors-are-increasing-amid-critical-race-theory-debates/2021/09" target="_blank">promote critical race theory</a>.<a href="https://pen.org/user/james-tager/" target="_blank">James Tager</a>,
 research director for the free expression group PEN America, has 
tracked book challenges since 2016 and says the number and intensity of 
challenges is increasing dramatically. But the targets are largely the 
same.“Most of the books have to do with the presentation of 
diverse viewpoints, which is to say that they feature characters or 
they're written by people of color,” Tager said.Challenges focused on obscenity tend to target books by LGBTQ authors, he said.“Whenever
 these arguments are raised, I hardly ever see an effort to evaluate 
this against the literary and educational merit of the book,” he said. 
“There’s a focus on a few passages or a few parts rather than on the 
book in and of itself.”In an author’s note at the start of “All 
Boys Aren’t Blue,” Johnson acknowledges that his book features 
provocative and potentially controversial material.“As heavy as 
these subjects may be, it is necessary that they are not only told, but 
also read by teens who may have to navigate many of these same 
experiences in their own lives,” Johnson writes.“This book will 
touch on sexual assault (including molestation), loss of virginity, 
homophobia, racism, and anti-Blackness. These discussions at times may 
be a bit graphic, but nonetheless they are experiences that many reading
 this book will encounter or have already encountered. And I want those 
readers to be seen and heard in these pages.”Both people who 
filed complaints in Salina said they had not read “All Boys Aren’t 
Blue,” but saw portions of the book shared on social media.Parent
 groups have raised issues about a four-page passage near the end of the
 book. In a chapter titled “Losing My Virginity Twice,” Johnson relates a
 consensual homosexual encounter in detail, including oral sex, 
masturbation and intercourse.Rodney Penn, a Salina father and founder of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/990859254309004/" target="_blank">Kansas Parents Involved in Education</a>,
 said books containing explicit material should be removed from school 
libraries or labeled as explicit, like movies and music, and kept in a 
section that requires parental consent before students can check them 
out.“We have statutes in the state of Kansas that talk about how a
 school district must monitor and protect kids from internet-based 
obscenities. But what about print obscenities?” Penn said.Kansas law prohibits the <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2012/b2011_12/statute/021_000_0000_chapter/021_064_0000_article/021_064_0001_section/021_064_0001_k/#:~:text=2012%20Statute&amp;text=(b)%20Promoting%20obscenity%20to%20minors,the%20age%20of%2018%20years" target="_blank">promotion of obscenity to minors</a>.
 But the law exempts “institutions having scientific, educational or 
governmental justification,” such as schools, universities and public 
libraries.A school district in North Kansas City, Mo., pulled 
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” and another LGBTQ-themed title, “Fun Home,” from 
high school shelves last October but <a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/education/north-kansas-city-school-district-returning-lgbtq-books-to-shelves-after-pushback/#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20North%20Kansas%20City%20School%20District,said%20it%20was%20sent%20Friday." target="_blank">returned them</a> after students petitioned to keep the books.“All Boys Aren’t Blue” was on a list of books briefly <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">pulled from circulation</a> at school libraries in Goddard in November. The district <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-11-10/goddard-school-district-reverses-decision-to-pull-library-books" target="_blank">reversed its decision</a> after receiving national pushback from authors and free-speech advocates.Chris
 Field, a former Salina teacher who ran unsuccessfully for school board 
in November, said he’s disturbed by challenges that target materials 
dealing with race, gender and sexuality. He said libraries need diverse 
materials to help students navigate real-life experiences.“To be 
able to find books that they can identify with and know that other 
people in the world are struggling with these issues also. … That’s got 
to be comforting to these children,” he said.“Ninety-nine percent
 of the books that are on these lists and being attacked are not harming
 children. They’re actually helping them get through life.”Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

Kan. parents want LGBTQ memoir removed from school libraries

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 4,027 to a total of 748,520, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The state reported nine additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,725.

<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 4,027 to a total of 748,520, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported nine additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,725.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644256693876.png" alt="Monday February 7, 2022 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday February 7, 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: 4,000 new cases, 9 additional COVID deaths

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged arson involving an 11-year-old boy.

On Sunday, officers filed a report for aggravated arson in the 2317 block&nbsp; Tuttle Creek Blvd. in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.. RC McGraws Tavern reported an 11-year-old suspect started a fire in the bathroom of RC McGraws Blue Hills Room.&nbsp;

The single-story bar and grill was occupied at the time of the fire. There were no injuries and everyone evacuated safely. Fire loss is estimated at $5000 to the structure and $7000 to the contents. The owner is listed as RLD Properties LLC of Summerfield, Kansas.

MANHATTAN— Investigators with the Manhattan fire department along with Riley County Police Department determined the cause of the fire just after 11:30a.m. Sunday at RC McGraws 2317 Tuttle Creek Boulevard to be intentional, according to&nbsp;Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Almes.

An 11-year-old&nbsp; has been identified as the suspect.&nbsp; The single-story bar and grill was occupied at the time of the fire.&nbsp;There were no injuries and everyone evacuated safely.&nbsp;Fire loss is estimated at $5000 to the structure and $7000 to the contents. The owner is listed as RLD Properties LLC of Summerfield, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp; ------------

MANHATTAN —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Sunday fire at a bar and grill in Manhattan.

Just after 11:30a.m. Sunday, fire crews were dispatched t0&nbsp;RC McGraws, 2317 Tuttle Creek Boulevard for a report of fire, according to a media release.&nbsp;

Upon arrival, crews found a small fire that had been partially extinguished.&nbsp; The remaining fire was extinguished within five minutes of arrival and all incoming crews were downgraded to non-emergent to assist with checking for extension and to assist with ventilating the structure. The building, a single-story bar and grill was occupied at the time of the fire.&nbsp; There were no injuries and everyone evacuated safely.&nbsp;Fire loss is estimated at $5000 to the structure and $7000 to the contents. The owner is listed as RLD Properties LLC of Summerfield, Kansas.&nbsp; The fire cause is under investigation at this time. Please contact Assistant Chief Sam Dameron, Manhattan Fire Department, at 785-587-4504 with any questions.

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged arson involving an 11-year-old boy.On Sunday, officers filed a report for aggravated arson in the 2317 block&nbsp; Tuttle Creek Blvd. in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.. RC McGraws Tavern reported an 11-year-old suspect started a fire in the bathroom of RC McGraws Blue Hills Room.&nbsp;The single-story bar and grill was occupied at the time of the fire. There were no injuries and everyone evacuated safely. Fire loss is estimated at $5000 to the structure and $7000 to the contents. The owner is listed as RLD Properties LLC of Summerfield, Kansas.--------MANHATTAN— Investigators with the Manhattan fire department along with Riley County Police Department determined the cause of the fire just after 11:30a.m. Sunday at RC McGraws 2317 Tuttle Creek Boulevard to be intentional, according to&nbsp;Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Almes.An 11-year-old&nbsp; has been identified as the suspect.&nbsp; The single-story bar and grill was occupied at the time of the fire.&nbsp;There were no injuries and everyone evacuated safely.&nbsp;Fire loss is estimated at $5000 to the structure and $7000 to the contents. The owner is listed as RLD Properties LLC of Summerfield, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp; ------------MANHATTAN —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Sunday fire at a bar and grill in Manhattan.Just after 11:30a.m. Sunday, fire crews were dispatched t0&nbsp;RC McGraws, 2317 Tuttle Creek Boulevard for a report of fire, according to a media release.&nbsp;Upon arrival, crews found a small fire that had been partially extinguished.&nbsp; The remaining fire was extinguished within five minutes of arrival and all incoming crews were downgraded to non-emergent to assist with checking for extension and to assist with ventilating the structure. The building, a single-story bar and grill was occupied at the time of the fire.&nbsp; There were no injuries and everyone evacuated safely.&nbsp;Fire loss is estimated at $5000 to the structure and $7000 to the contents. The owner is listed as RLD Properties LLC of Summerfield, Kansas.&nbsp; The fire cause is under investigation at this time. Please contact Assistant Chief Sam Dameron, Manhattan Fire Department, at 785-587-4504 with any questions.

Police: 11-year-old started fire in bathroom of Kan. bar and grill

WASHINGTON — The IRS announced it will transition away from using a 
third-party service for facial recognition to help authenticate people 
creating new online accounts. The transition will occur over the coming 
weeks in order to prevent larger disruptions to taxpayers during filing 
season.

During the transition, the IRS will quickly develop and bring online 
an additional authentication process that does not involve facial 
recognition. The IRS will also continue to work with its 
cross-government partners to develop authentication methods that protect
 taxpayer data and ensure broad access to online tools.

"The IRS takes taxpayer privacy and security seriously, and we 
understand the concerns that have been raised," said IRS Commissioner 
Chuck Rettig. "Everyone should feel comfortable with how their personal 
information is secured, and we are quickly pursuing short-term options 
that do not involve facial recognition."

The transition announced today does not interfere with the taxpayer's
 ability to file their return or pay taxes owed. During this period, the
 IRS will continue to accept tax filings, and it has no other impact on 
the current tax season. People should continue to file their taxes as 
they normally would.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The IRS announced it will transition away from using a 
third-party service for facial recognition to help authenticate people 
creating new online accounts. The transition will occur over the coming 
weeks in order to prevent larger disruptions to taxpayers during filing 
season.During the transition, the IRS will quickly develop and bring online 
an additional authentication process that does not involve facial 
recognition. The IRS will also continue to work with its 
cross-government partners to develop authentication methods that protect
 taxpayer data and ensure broad access to online tools."The IRS takes taxpayer privacy and security seriously, and we 
understand the concerns that have been raised," said IRS Commissioner 
Chuck Rettig. "Everyone should feel comfortable with how their personal 
information is secured, and we are quickly pursuing short-term options 
that do not involve facial recognition."The transition announced today does not interfere with the taxpayer's
 ability to file their return or pay taxes owed. During this period, the
 IRS will continue to accept tax filings, and it has no other impact on 
the current tax season. People should continue to file their taxes as 
they normally would.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644265319943.jpg" alt="Image courtesy Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>

IRS moving away from use of third-party facial recognition system

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police officers called early Monday morning to a home for a domestic disturbance fatally shot a man who exited the home wielding a knife, investigators said.

The shooting happened shortly before 3 a.m. Monday in the Blue Hills neighborhood in southeastern Kansas City, police said. Police had been called to the home for a report of a domestic disturbance involving a child.

When officers arrived at the home, a man came outside holding a knife, refused commands to drop the knife and instead advanced on officers with the weapon and was shot, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

The man was taken to a hospital, where he died, patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said.

Police did not immediately release the man's name or the names of the officers involved.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol‘s division of drug and crime control is investigating the shooting.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting at 52nd and Olive in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 3a.m. Monday, police responded to a disturbance call and shots were fired, according to a social media report from Kansas City Police.

EMS transported a man to the hospital with life threatening injuries and declared deceased a short time later. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of this investigation. Police released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police officers called early Monday morning to a home for a domestic disturbance fatally shot a man who exited the home wielding a knife, investigators said.The shooting happened shortly before 3 a.m. Monday in the Blue Hills neighborhood in southeastern Kansas City, police said. Police had been called to the home for a report of a domestic disturbance involving a child.When officers arrived at the home, a man came outside holding a knife, refused commands to drop the knife and instead advanced on officers with the weapon and was shot, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.The man was taken to a hospital, where he died, patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said.Police did not immediately release the man's name or the names of the officers involved.The Missouri State Highway Patrol‘s division of drug and crime control is investigating the shooting.------------KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting at 52nd and Olive in Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 3a.m. Monday, police responded to a disturbance call and shots were fired, according to a social media report from Kansas City Police.EMS transported a man to the hospital with life threatening injuries and declared deceased a short time later. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of this investigation. Police released no additional details.&nbsp;

Officer fatally shot knife-wielding man outside Kansas City home

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

GREAT BEND — A major 
increase in coronavirus cases in the past several weeks has put an end 
to contract tracing by KDHE, the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment. Barton County Health Director Karen Winkelman told the 
Barton County Board of Health this&nbsp;week what people should do now if 
they are diagnosed with the virus.&nbsp;

“The responsibility is going 
to be on the person themselves or on the parent of a minor to alert 
people they’ve been in contact with,” Winkelman reported. “A close 
contact definition is if you’ve been within six feet for more than 15 
minutes cumulated time over a 24-hour period.”&nbsp;

State health 
officials plan to continue COVID-19 investigations to determine how the 
virus was transmitted and by whom, but their ability to do that is being
 limited by the large number of cases statewide.&nbsp;

“During this 
really high surge, they are looking at prioritizing those under 18 and 
those above 65,” Winkelman said. “The cases that are between that 18 and
 65 range, the plan is for them [KDHE] to send a text message out saying
 that you have been reported as positive. If you need a letter of 
isolation recommendation for your job or for any situation, then they 
will provide that.”&nbsp;

Winkelman added that her department is still 
offering COVID testing each working day from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at
 the department's offices at 1300 Kansas Avenue in Great Bend. If you 
would like to get tested, you need to call the Health Department in 
advance to schedule the test. The Health Department will fill out the 
required testing forms. Vaccines are also available there.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644246556182.jpeg" alt="Barton County Health Director Karen Winkelman" />
 <figcaption>Barton County Health Director Karen Winkelman</figcaption>
 </figure>By KEN CARPENTER <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — A major 
increase in coronavirus cases in the past several weeks has put an end 
to contract tracing by KDHE, the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment. Barton County Health Director Karen Winkelman told the 
Barton County Board of Health this&nbsp;week what people should do now if 
they are diagnosed with the virus.&nbsp;“The responsibility is going 
to be on the person themselves or on the parent of a minor to alert 
people they’ve been in contact with,” Winkelman reported. “A close 
contact definition is if you’ve been within six feet for more than 15 
minutes cumulated time over a 24-hour period.”&nbsp;State health 
officials plan to continue COVID-19 investigations to determine how the 
virus was transmitted and by whom, but their ability to do that is being
 limited by the large number of cases statewide.&nbsp;“During this 
really high surge, they are looking at prioritizing those under 18 and 
those above 65,” Winkelman said. “The cases that are between that 18 and
 65 range, the plan is for them [KDHE] to send a text message out saying
 that you have been reported as positive. If you need a letter of 
isolation recommendation for your job or for any situation, then they 
will provide that.”&nbsp;Winkelman added that her department is still 
offering COVID testing each working day from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at
 the department's offices at 1300 Kansas Avenue in Great Bend. If you 
would like to get tested, you need to call the Health Department in 
advance to schedule the test. The Health Department will fill out the 
required testing forms. Vaccines are also available there.&nbsp;

COVID management entering new phase in Barton County 

DERBY, Kan. (AP) — Police have identified a man and woman who died in an apparent murder-suicide in the Wichita suburb of Derby. 

The Wichita Eagle reports that 19-year-old Haley Powell, of Wichita, died after being shot Friday afternoon outside the Trails at Derby Apartments. 

Police called to the scene found Powell with gunshot wounds and rushed her to a hospital, where she died. 

Police said witnesses told officers that 21-year-old Tiryn Young had shot Powell. Police later spotted Young at the Derby Golf &amp; Country Club about a mile north of the apartments, but say he shot himself in the head as officers ran to arrest him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644246036277.png" alt="The apartment complex 1300 block of East Meadowlark in Derby-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>The apartment complex 1300 block of East Meadowlark in Derby-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>DERBY, Kan. (AP) — Police have identified a man and woman who died in an apparent murder-suicide in the Wichita suburb of Derby. The Wichita Eagle reports that 19-year-old Haley Powell, of Wichita, died after being shot Friday afternoon outside the Trails at Derby Apartments. Police called to the scene found Powell with gunshot wounds and rushed her to a hospital, where she died. Police said witnesses told officers that 21-year-old Tiryn Young had shot Powell. Police later spotted Young at the Derby Golf &amp; Country Club about a mile north of the apartments, but say he shot himself in the head as officers ran to arrest him.

Police ID Kan. woman who died in case of domestic violence 

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/modern-375-million-soybean-crushing-plant-planned-near-norfolk/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

NORFOLK, Neb. — A $375-million soybean crushing plant is planned near this northeast Nebraska city.

The
 plant, planned by Norfolk Crush LLC, will be the “first modern soybean 
processing plant” in the state, according to a news release issued 
Friday.

Fifty
 to 55 jobs would be created, and 38.5 million bushels of soybeans would
 be crushed annually, or 110,000 bushels daily. Modern unloading 
facilities will speed deliveries from farmers, according to the release.

“A
 modern crush plant is a farmer’s dream,” said Craig Ebberson, who farms
 in the Belden area. “Our closest plant is an hour away, and it’s 
notorious for having 3- to 4- hour waits.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Groundbreaking
 on the 480-acre site is scheduled for this spring, according to Nick 
Bowdish, president and CEO of N Bowdish Company. Soybean meal is used as
 livestock feed, with soybean oil destined for use as bio-diesel and 
other products.&nbsp;

Bowdish’s
 firm is spearheading development of the Norfolk Crush plant, as well as
 one in Buena Vista, Iowa. Construction on that plant is scheduled to 
begin this month.

Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning and Gov. Pete Ricketts&nbsp; both praised the announcement in the release. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644245059390.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/modern-375-million-soybean-crushing-plant-planned-near-norfolk/">Nebraska Examiner</a>NORFOLK, Neb. — A $375-million soybean crushing plant is planned near this northeast Nebraska city.The
 plant, planned by Norfolk Crush LLC, will be the “first modern soybean 
processing plant” in the state, according to a news release issued 
Friday.Fifty
 to 55 jobs would be created, and 38.5 million bushels of soybeans would
 be crushed annually, or 110,000 bushels daily. Modern unloading 
facilities will speed deliveries from farmers, according to the release.“A
 modern crush plant is a farmer’s dream,” said Craig Ebberson, who farms
 in the Belden area. “Our closest plant is an hour away, and it’s 
notorious for having 3- to 4- hour waits.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Groundbreaking
 on the 480-acre site is scheduled for this spring, according to Nick 
Bowdish, president and CEO of N Bowdish Company. Soybean meal is used as
 livestock feed, with soybean oil destined for use as bio-diesel and 
other products.&nbsp;Bowdish’s
 firm is spearheading development of the Norfolk Crush plant, as well as
 one in Buena Vista, Iowa. Construction on that plant is scheduled to 
begin this month.Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning and Gov. Pete Ricketts&nbsp; both praised the announcement in the release.

‘Modern’ $375M soybean crushing plant planned in Nebraska

NEW YORK (AP) — Any person convicted of a disruption on board a flight should be added to the national “no fly” list, Delta Air Lines told the U.S. Department of Justice.

In a letter to the Justice Department Attorney General Merrick Garland dated Thursday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said there should be “zero tolerance” for any behavior that affects flight safety. Bastian noted that while such incidents of bad behavior represent a small fraction of overall flights on Delta, the rate of incidents on the airline has increased nearly 100% since 2019.

“This action will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” Bastian wrote in the letter furnished to The Associated Press by Delta Air Lines.

Delta has, along with its industry partner Airlines for America, been pushing since last year for heightened reporting, investigation and prosecution of those who interfere with on-board safety. The airlines, based in Atlanta, said it has put nearly 1,900 people on Delta’s “no-fly” list for refusing to comply with masking requirements and submitted more than 900 banned names to the Transportation Security Administration to pursue civil penalties.

A spokesperson with TSA, which enforces the FBI “no fly” list of potential terrorist threats, referred a reporter to the FBI since that agency maintains the database. Both the FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment. The Federal Aviation Administration cited 4.9 reported unruly incidents per 10,000 flights the week ending Jan. 23, according to its website.

In December, the TSA announced a new partnership with the FAA that would call for unruly airline passengers facing additional consequences for bad behavior under a new partnership. Under the alliance, the FAA will share information of passengers facing fines for unruly behavior with the TSA, which may remove the passenger from its pre-check screening eligibility, a privilege reserved for low-risk travelers.

ADVERTISEMENTTrending on AP News<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-france-environment-and-nature-environment-fish-bfa019ef14e646ab14b215aba1311045">Mass swarm of dead fish in Atlantic prompts European inquiry</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-entertainment-health-business-race-and-ethnicity-cf03e3ec11422a155da59e998a11aa64">Joe Rogan apologizes for racial slur after video surfaces</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-new-york-new-york-city-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-d4996a1414bb014476a12df3a8a3b120">NYC Mayor Eric Adams apologizes for using racial slur</a><a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=associatedpress-apnews&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=organic-thumbnails-rr:Right%20Rail%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">by Taboola</a>ADVERTISEMENT

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640348737573.png" alt="Delta has, along with its industry partner Airlines for America, been pushing since last year for heightened reporting, investigation and prosecution of those who interfere with on-board safety-photo Eisenhower Wichita Airport&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Delta has, along with its industry partner Airlines for America, been pushing since last year for heightened reporting, investigation and prosecution of those who interfere with on-board safety-photo Eisenhower Wichita Airport&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Any person convicted of a disruption on board a flight should be added to the national “no fly” list, Delta Air Lines told the U.S. Department of Justice.In a letter to the Justice Department Attorney General Merrick Garland dated Thursday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said there should be “zero tolerance” for any behavior that affects flight safety. Bastian noted that while such incidents of bad behavior represent a small fraction of overall flights on Delta, the rate of incidents on the airline has increased nearly 100% since 2019.“This action will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” Bastian wrote in the letter furnished to The Associated Press by Delta Air Lines.Delta has, along with its industry partner Airlines for America, been pushing since last year for heightened reporting, investigation and prosecution of those who interfere with on-board safety. The airlines, based in Atlanta, said it has put nearly 1,900 people on Delta’s “no-fly” list for refusing to comply with masking requirements and submitted more than 900 banned names to the Transportation Security Administration to pursue civil penalties.A spokesperson with TSA, which enforces the FBI “no fly” list of potential terrorist threats, referred a reporter to the FBI since that agency maintains the database. Both the FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment. The Federal Aviation Administration cited 4.9 reported unruly incidents per 10,000 flights the week ending Jan. 23, according to its website.In December, the TSA announced a new partnership with the FAA that would call for unruly airline passengers facing additional consequences for bad behavior under a new partnership. Under the alliance, the FAA will share information of passengers facing fines for unruly behavior with the TSA, which may remove the passenger from its pre-check screening eligibility, a privilege reserved for low-risk travelers.ADVERTISEMENTTrending on AP News<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-france-environment-and-nature-environment-fish-bfa019ef14e646ab14b215aba1311045">Mass swarm of dead fish in Atlantic prompts European inquiry</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-entertainment-health-business-race-and-ethnicity-cf03e3ec11422a155da59e998a11aa64">Joe Rogan apologizes for racial slur after video surfaces</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-new-york-new-york-city-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-d4996a1414bb014476a12df3a8a3b120">NYC Mayor Eric Adams apologizes for using racial slur</a><a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=associatedpress-apnews&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=organic-thumbnails-rr:Right%20Rail%20Thumbnails:" target="_blank">by Taboola</a>ADVERTISEMENT

Airline asks U.S. Dept. of Justice to put unruly passengers on no-fly list

MANHATTAN—Kansas State University is encouraging students affected by the second shooting in the Aggieville district in less than two months to get counseling.

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, three officers from RCPD were working in the police substation in Aggieville when they heard gunshots, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

 The officers immediately responded&nbsp;outside a bar near 12th&nbsp;and Moro Street and they found a 21-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. They also observed an armed man nearby who ran from the area. Two officers chased the suspect on foot, while the third officer remained with the shooting victim and rendered first-aid. The victim was later identified as Joshua J. Wardi, 21, of Fort Riley who died.

The shooting suspect was identified as Tremelle R. Montgomery, 19, of Fort Riley. EMS transported him to Ascension Via Christi hospital in Manhattan where he was then transferred to a Topeka hospital. .

On December 12, two 24-year-old men were injured during gunfire at Tate's Bar, 1109 Moro in Aggieville.

The university says student Counseling and Psychological Services are available at 785-532-6927 or the Office of Student Life at 785-532-6432 or via email at stulife@k-state.edu.

Both offices will be open at 8 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 7. A wide range of university support resources is available to the K-State community, if you or someone you know is experiencing distress, please seek help.

Learn more about the Office of Student Life at&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fk-state.edu%2Fstudentlife%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0pMb484AcrG4E36XKZfx2YiParL8WpwOBnIiUAVoo0K7PsK-FmEb2bP14&amp;h=AT1SFEw9-d66B1ztcFETHIvvQnlSt1DObPC2G12zemsB3upjqxVCYhXOsxeuRuJ4kR1u1dYYGOKuf_7NuuUWWLNtMXgKNerq1FNZg5Y3mnQruKe_o6edEWmB_2AhN-YWDsDVdBl8eQdexFVs0azB5cU3BOWzUytGapc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">k-state.edu/studentlife</a>.

Learn about Counseling and Psychological Services at&nbsp;<a href="http://k-state.edu/counseling?fbclid=IwAR01P6AwlkW_bhVdkE1_GpPvTdg58ZaoSPSU9Y3b1BvGiwra6LGINjx0Igw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">k-state.edu/counseling</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644236423354.png" alt="Police tape on Sunday in the Aggieville business district -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police tape on Sunday in the Aggieville business district -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN—Kansas State University is encouraging students affected by the second shooting in the Aggieville district in less than two months to get counseling.At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, three officers from RCPD were working in the police substation in Aggieville when they heard gunshots, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The officers immediately responded&nbsp;outside a bar near 12th&nbsp;and Moro Street and they found a 21-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. They also observed an armed man nearby who ran from the area. Two officers chased the suspect on foot, while the third officer remained with the shooting victim and rendered first-aid. The victim was later identified as Joshua J. Wardi, 21, of Fort Riley who died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644236764866.png" alt="KBI on the scene of the officer-involved shooting in Aggieville-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>KBI on the scene of the officer-involved shooting in Aggieville-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>The shooting suspect was identified as Tremelle R. Montgomery, 19, of Fort Riley. EMS transported him to Ascension Via Christi hospital in Manhattan where he was then transferred to a Topeka hospital. .On December 12, two 24-year-old men were injured during gunfire at Tate's Bar, 1109 Moro in Aggieville.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKState%2Fposts%2F10160447267952873&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="416" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The university says student Counseling and Psychological Services are available at 785-532-6927 or the Office of Student Life at 785-532-6432 or via email at stulife@k-state.edu.Both offices will be open at 8 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 7. A wide range of university support resources is available to the K-State community, if you or someone you know is experiencing distress, please seek help.Learn more about the Office of Student Life at&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fk-state.edu%2Fstudentlife%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0pMb484AcrG4E36XKZfx2YiParL8WpwOBnIiUAVoo0K7PsK-FmEb2bP14&amp;h=AT1SFEw9-d66B1ztcFETHIvvQnlSt1DObPC2G12zemsB3upjqxVCYhXOsxeuRuJ4kR1u1dYYGOKuf_7NuuUWWLNtMXgKNerq1FNZg5Y3mnQruKe_o6edEWmB_2AhN-YWDsDVdBl8eQdexFVs0azB5cU3BOWzUytGapc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">k-state.edu/studentlife</a>.Learn about Counseling and Psychological Services at&nbsp;<a href="http://k-state.edu/counseling?fbclid=IwAR01P6AwlkW_bhVdkE1_GpPvTdg58ZaoSPSU9Y3b1BvGiwra6LGINjx0Igw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">k-state.edu/counseling</a>.

KSU supporting students affected by 2nd Aggieville shooting

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/07/assisted-living-facility-residents-in-kansas-lack-right-to-appeal-involuntary-discharge/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Early-onset Alzheimer’s 
disease led to rancher Charles Imthurn’s placement in a Kansas assisted 
living facility and it was dementia that prompted his involuntary 
discharge.

Imthurn’s wife, Rachel, said the facility providing care for her 
husband and five other Alzheimer’s patients with issues related to 
memory, thinking and behavior decided without warning to get out of that
 line of business. The facility fired nursing staff and told the 
residents to get out, she said. No 30-day grace period. No physician’s 
order. No explanation.

“It was critical that he stay there and never move again, because 
Alzheimer’s patients do not move well,” she said in testimony during 
2021 to a Kansas House committee. “It is called transfer trauma, and it 
cost Charlie his life. He died nine days after being evicted.”

Imthurn, of Maple Hill, reported the 2011 incident to the Kansas 
Department for Aging and Disability Services, which conducted an inquiry
 but took no action. She contacted lawyers and was told no case could be
 made. She notified the Kansas attorney general’s office, but was 
informed state law didn’t forbid the involuntary discharge.

Here’s why: Kansas nursing homes operating under federal law must 
grant a person the right to appeal an involuntary discharge. Kansas 
assisted living facilities, however, offer residential support and 
services not directly covered by Medicaid or Medicare. These facilities 
are bound to licensing requirements set by the state, which hasn’t 
established the right to appeal involuntary discharges.

Imthurn and a collection of organizations led by the Alzheimer’s 
Association in Kansas are pressing for change with House Bill 2004. The 
legislation, known as “Charlie’s Bill,” would require an assisted living
 facility to give notice and a reason for the forced transfer. It would 
create the right to a state administrative appeal for a person living at
 an adult care facility.

“It’s kind of amazing,” said Jamie Gideon, who represents the Kansas 
and national Alzheimer’s associations at the Capitol. “People basically 
being dripped dropped off a hotels, at homeless shelters.”

In 2020, an estimated 55,000 Kansans were living with Alzheimer’s Disease. That number is expected to increase by 12% by 2025.

Linda MowBray, president of the Kansas Health Care Association and 
Kansas Center for Assisted Living, said during testimony last year that 
an appeals process leading to a requirement that a facility retain or 
readmit a resident they don’t believe they’re capable of serving would 
be wrong “for the resident, the staff and potentially for the other 
residents.”

“Appeal after appeal could drag on for months. It would be 
irresponsible with the potential for grave consequences for a community 
to attempt to care for someone whose needs are clearly outside of the 
services they can provide,” MowBray said.

It’s not clear what the 2022 Legislature intends to do with Charlie’s
 Bill or two other pieces of legislation sought by the Alzheimer’s 
Association.

The organization is championing House Bill 2122, which would provide 
an option for people with dementia needing guidance with decision-making
 that fell in the gap between independence and legal guardianship. The 
bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee a year ago, but has 
been hung up in the full House.

Gideon said it was natural for people to seek support when making 
decision, including consultation with an attorney, accountant or 
physician. The bill would enable a trusted adult to serve as an informal
 advisor on medical issues by outlining choices, benefits and risks.

“The idea behind supported decision making is not a new concept,” she
 said. “However, what is new is employing the main principles to help 
persons with disabilities, including changes in memory and cognition, 
maintain control of their lives by working with supporters to understand
 issues and options, receive guidance and help to make choices and 
decisions about simple and complex issues.”

In addition, the Alzheimer’s Association is lobbying at the 
Statehouse on behalf of House Bill 2543. It would extend support under 
the Senior Care Act to people under 60 years of age with the disease.

The measure would be helpful to an estimated 2,000 Kansans through 
delivery of services such as attendant care, respite care, chore 
services and adult day care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644251061900.png" alt="Jamie Gideon of the Kansas Alzheimer’s Association said the organization seeks passage of three bills during the 2022 legislation session designed to improve quality of life for people with the disease. (Submitted, courtesy Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jamie Gideon of the Kansas Alzheimer’s Association said the organization seeks passage of three bills during the 2022 legislation session designed to improve quality of life for people with the disease. (Submitted, courtesy Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/07/assisted-living-facility-residents-in-kansas-lack-right-to-appeal-involuntary-discharge/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Early-onset Alzheimer’s 
disease led to rancher Charles Imthurn’s placement in a Kansas assisted 
living facility and it was dementia that prompted his involuntary 
discharge.Imthurn’s wife, Rachel, said the facility providing care for her 
husband and five other Alzheimer’s patients with issues related to 
memory, thinking and behavior decided without warning to get out of that
 line of business. The facility fired nursing staff and told the 
residents to get out, she said. No 30-day grace period. No physician’s 
order. No explanation.“It was critical that he stay there and never move again, because 
Alzheimer’s patients do not move well,” she said in testimony during 
2021 to a Kansas House committee. “It is called transfer trauma, and it 
cost Charlie his life. He died nine days after being evicted.”Imthurn, of Maple Hill, reported the 2011 incident to the Kansas 
Department for Aging and Disability Services, which conducted an inquiry
 but took no action. She contacted lawyers and was told no case could be
 made. She notified the Kansas attorney general’s office, but was 
informed state law didn’t forbid the involuntary discharge.Here’s why: Kansas nursing homes operating under federal law must 
grant a person the right to appeal an involuntary discharge. Kansas 
assisted living facilities, however, offer residential support and 
services not directly covered by Medicaid or Medicare. These facilities 
are bound to licensing requirements set by the state, which hasn’t 
established the right to appeal involuntary discharges.Imthurn and a collection of organizations led by the Alzheimer’s 
Association in Kansas are pressing for change with House Bill 2004. The 
legislation, known as “Charlie’s Bill,” would require an assisted living
 facility to give notice and a reason for the forced transfer. It would 
create the right to a state administrative appeal for a person living at
 an adult care facility.“It’s kind of amazing,” said Jamie Gideon, who represents the Kansas 
and national Alzheimer’s associations at the Capitol. “People basically 
being dripped dropped off a hotels, at homeless shelters.”In 2020, an estimated 55,000 Kansans were living with Alzheimer’s Disease. That number is expected to increase by 12% by 2025.Linda MowBray, president of the Kansas Health Care Association and 
Kansas Center for Assisted Living, said during testimony last year that 
an appeals process leading to a requirement that a facility retain or 
readmit a resident they don’t believe they’re capable of serving would 
be wrong “for the resident, the staff and potentially for the other 
residents.”“Appeal after appeal could drag on for months. It would be 
irresponsible with the potential for grave consequences for a community 
to attempt to care for someone whose needs are clearly outside of the 
services they can provide,” MowBray said.It’s not clear what the 2022 Legislature intends to do with Charlie’s
 Bill or two other pieces of legislation sought by the Alzheimer’s 
Association.The organization is championing House Bill 2122, which would provide 
an option for people with dementia needing guidance with decision-making
 that fell in the gap between independence and legal guardianship. The 
bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee a year ago, but has 
been hung up in the full House.Gideon said it was natural for people to seek support when making 
decision, including consultation with an attorney, accountant or 
physician. The bill would enable a trusted adult to serve as an informal
 advisor on medical issues by outlining choices, benefits and risks.“The idea behind supported decision making is not a new concept,” she
 said. “However, what is new is employing the main principles to help 
persons with disabilities, including changes in memory and cognition, 
maintain control of their lives by working with supporters to understand
 issues and options, receive guidance and help to make choices and 
decisions about simple and complex issues.”In addition, the Alzheimer’s Association is lobbying at the 
Statehouse on behalf of House Bill 2543. It would extend support under 
the Senior Care Act to people under 60 years of age with the disease.The measure would be helpful to an estimated 2,000 Kansans through 
delivery of services such as attendant care, respite care, chore 
services and adult day care.

Advocates push for appeal for involuntarily discharged assisted-living patients

RZESZOW-JASIONKA, Poland (AP) — A few dozen elite U.S troops and equipment were seen landing Sunday in southeastern Poland near the border with Ukraine, following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-national-security-jake-sullivan-4f766b3b07014bddb9006d44a9f240b8">President Joe Biden’s orders to deploy 1,700 soldiers there amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.</a>

Hundreds more infantry troops of the 82nd Airborne Division are still expected to arrive at the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Poland’s border with Ukraine. A U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster plane brought a few dozen troops and vehicles.

Their commander is Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who on Aug. 30 was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan.

“Our national contribution here in Poland shows our solidarity with all of our allies here in Europe and, obviously, during this period of uncertainty, we know that we are stronger together,” Donahue said at the airport.

In Warsaw, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak hailed the deployment, saying that “deterrence and solidarity are the best response to Moscow’s aggressive policy, to the aggressive attempt at reconstructing the Russian empire.”

Russia has amassed some 100,000 troops on the borders of Ukraine, some for joint military exercises in Belarus, but insists it has no intentions of invading Ukraine.

A collective response by NATO members is “the best response to a threat, the only method of assuring security to Poland and to other NATO countries on the alliance’s eastern flank,” Blaszczak said.

He stressed he has held a number of talks on the subject with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644201847534.png" alt="Photo courtesy Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>RZESZOW-JASIONKA, Poland (AP) — A few dozen elite U.S troops and equipment were seen landing Sunday in southeastern Poland near the border with Ukraine, following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-national-security-jake-sullivan-4f766b3b07014bddb9006d44a9f240b8">President Joe Biden’s orders to deploy 1,700 soldiers there amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.</a>Hundreds more infantry troops of the 82nd Airborne Division are still expected to arrive at the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Poland’s border with Ukraine. A U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster plane brought a few dozen troops and vehicles.Their commander is Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who on Aug. 30 was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan.“Our national contribution here in Poland shows our solidarity with all of our allies here in Europe and, obviously, during this period of uncertainty, we know that we are stronger together,” Donahue said at the airport.In Warsaw, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak hailed the deployment, saying that “deterrence and solidarity are the best response to Moscow’s aggressive policy, to the aggressive attempt at reconstructing the Russian empire.”Russia has amassed some 100,000 troops on the borders of Ukraine, some for joint military exercises in Belarus, but insists it has no intentions of invading Ukraine.A collective response by NATO members is “the best response to a threat, the only method of assuring security to Poland and to other NATO countries on the alliance’s eastern flank,” Blaszczak said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644202040531.png" alt="Photo courtesy Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>He stressed he has held a number of talks on the subject with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.Biden ordered additional U.S. troops deployed to Poland, Romania and Germany to demonstrate to both allies and foes America’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. NATO’s eastern member Poland borders both Russia and Ukraine. Romania borders Ukraine.The division can rapidly deploy within 18 hours and conduct parachute assaults to secure key objectives. Based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the division’s history goes back to 1917.Earlier in the week, U.S. planes brought equipment and logistics troops in preparation for the arrival of part of the division to the airport.Polish soldiers have previously worked together with the U.S. division on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and have trained together, according to Maj. Przemyslaw Lipczynski, a spokesman for the Polish Army’s 18th Mechanized Division.Some 4,000 U.S. troops have been stationed in Poland since 2017 on a rotating basis, as a security boost in the face of Russia’s increased military activity.European officials fear that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-russia-germany-82a7ebf6617dfc86b09f4d1b69209d5b">the continent’s energy supplies are vulnerable i</a>&nbsp;n the case of hostilities over Ukraine.RZESZOW-JASIONKA, Poland (AP) — Hundreds of U.S elite troops arrived in southeastern Poland near the border with Ukraine on Sunday on President Joe Biden’s orders to deploy 1,700 soldiers there amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630369004289.png" alt="Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, shown here as the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan Aug. 30, is in charge of the 82nd Airborne Division now in eastern Europe-photo Dept. of Defense." />
 <figcaption>Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, shown here as the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan Aug. 30, is in charge of the 82nd Airborne Division now in eastern Europe-photo Dept. of Defense.</figcaption>
 </figure>The airborne infantry troops of the 82nd Airborne Division were expected at the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport. Their commander is Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan Aug. 30.Biden ordered additional U.S. troops deployed to Poland, Romania and Germany to demonstrate to both allies and foes America’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. NATO’s eastern member Poland borders both Russia and Ukraine. Romania borders Ukraine.The division can rapidly deploy within 18 hours and conduct parachute assaults to secure key objectives. Based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the division’s history goes back to 1917.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644151735079.png" alt="Defense Department&nbsp;photo courtesy Army Chief of Staff GEN James C. McConville" />
 <figcaption>Defense Department&nbsp;photo courtesy Army Chief of Staff GEN James C. McConville</figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier in the week, U.S. planes brought equipment and logistics troops in preparation for the arrival of elements of the division to the airport, located some 56 miles from Poland’s border with Ukraine.Polish soldiers have previously worked together with the U.S. division on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Maj. Przemyslaw Lipczynski, spokesman for the Polish Army 18th Mechanized Division.Some 4,000 U.S. troops have been stationed in Poland since 2017, on a rotating basis.