WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s one of the most far-reaching of all the federal aid programs launched during the COVID-19 pandemic —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monthly-child-payments-poverty-bd4643ad09e6986ef4b526ebd5a3272b">up to $300 per child</a>&nbsp;going directly into the bank accounts of families on the 15th of every month.

But the last checks will go out Wednesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/child-tax-credit-bank-accounts-0715-24023ed3ffba98e4a65dd6006518da7a">expanded child tax credit program</a>&nbsp;expiring unless Congress revives it for 2022. That appears highly uncertain as lawmakers try to push President Joe Biden’s roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-health-lifestyle-bff841da156cb12cd47a564f9e0267eb">$2 trillion social and environmental bill</a>&nbsp;into law.

The swift launch, and potentially quick end, to the bolstered child tax credit highlights the risks of enacting sweeping social policy changes in a politically divisive environment, without consensus to make the changes stick. Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill might not have been praised by voters for adding the new benefit, but they almost surely will be blamed if the money abruptly stops flowing next month.

“We need to keep them going,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and chair of the House’s New Democrat Coalition. “Families deserve that predictability and certainty.”

The child tax credit wasn’t new when Democrats, over the objections of Republicans in Congress, altered the program as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office in January.

But rarely has it provided the boost to families seen with this year’s changes.

For more than 20 years, American taxpayers have been afforded a tax break for their children. Started as a $500 per child write-off under Bill Clinton in 1997, it changed over time and was beefed up under Donald Trump’s GOP tax cuts in 2017. Biden’s American Rescue Plan increased the credit to $3,000 a year, added 17-year-olds and boosted the amount to $3,600 for children under six years old. Most dramatically, it gave the credit to millions of families with low or no income, even if they didn’t earn enough money to pay income taxes or pay enough tax to qualify for the refund.

Studies suggest the child tax credit expansions are expected to cut child poverty by 40% — with 9 of 10 American children benefiting. All told, some 4.1 million children are on track to be lifted above the poverty line, according to analysis from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

After the first checks started arriving in July, about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/10/nearly-a-third-of-parents-spent-child-tax-credit-on-school-expenses.html" target="_blank">one-third of recipient families</a>&nbsp;used the money during the first few months to pay down outstanding debt, along with paying for school supplies and child care, according to preliminary reports from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Families in New Mexico, which has one of the country’s highest child poverty rates, spent nearly 46% of their child tax credit money on food, a study by Washington University in St. Louis’ Social Policy Institute found.

“It says a lot about what families are worried about,” said Sharon Kaye, communications director for New Mexico Voices for Children. “This is hugely important to a lot of families.”

Republicans are fully opposed to Biden’s larger policy bill, which would extend the tax credit, arguing the overall health, education and climate change package is too big and costly at a time of rising inflation.

On Tuesday, Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, said his side was fine letting the policy lapse as the coronavirus crisis eases and the temporary aid goes away.

“The thing I don’t think you want is a huge spike in spending,” Thune told reporters. “And that would probably be the most obvious example of an inflationary type policy.”

Faced with Republican opposition, Biden is trying to pass the roughly $2 trillion package with Democrats alone, which the House has already done. But the path in the evenly split 50-50 Senate is more difficult, with no room for dissent.

Biden has been in talks with one key holdout, Sen. Joe Manchin, who appears to be the final obstacle for Democrats trying to pass the big bill by Christmas.

Asked specifically about the expiring tax credit this week, Manchin did not respond to repeated questions about the potential loss.

One Democrat who has had “many, many, many conversations” with Manchin is Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, who said the West Virginian “is not at this moment a fan of the Child Tax Credit.”

Bennet said he hopes Manchin will come to see that the extension would help the country because it would enable more parents to afford child care and work. “My hope is that with the one-year extension of the enhanced credit he will become a fan and we’ll see,” he said.

When it became law this year, the expansion of the child tax credit was hailed as a potential philosophical shift in the way that government assistance programs work by emphasizing a direct, no-strings cash support.

Instead, the program delivers discretionary cash directly into parents’ bank accounts, leaving the parents to decide how best to use it. Recipients spend it on food, rent, school supplies or even recreational activities. Proponents described it as an element of trust that had been lacking in much of the American social safety net — relying on parents to make the right decisions on their family’s needs.

Robert Greenstein, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, compared the child tax credit to America’s signature safety net programs — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — which have been adjusted and changed over the years to become mainstays in American life. He said there are few policies that are more important.

Greenstein said the benefit flows not just to the families receiving the cash, but has the potential to bring long-term economic benefits. “We’ll end up having healthier, better-educated generations of children who can be more productive workers in the U.S. economy of future decades,” he said.

“People are often skeptical — the government doesn’t do things right,” he said. ”This is an example of something that they really got right.”

With the last checks now slated for Wednesday, Democrats are rushing to ensure that Jan. 15 checks will still land in families’ bank accounts. The Treasury Department has warned lawmakers that Dec. 28 is the deadline to pass the bill and ensure no disruption, though lawmakers have suggested payments could be made retroactively if Biden’s package stalls.

Emma Mehrabi, director of poverty policy at the Children’s Defense Fund, called the potential interruption of payments “a real slap in the face for families in need.”

She said, “There is no other tool in our toolkit that has significantly reduced child poverty for decades.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636249601889.png" alt="The child tax credit wasn’t new when Democrats, over the objections of Republicans in Congress, altered the program as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office in January-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The child tax credit wasn’t new when Democrats, over the objections of Republicans in Congress, altered the program as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office in January-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s one of the most far-reaching of all the federal aid programs launched during the COVID-19 pandemic —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monthly-child-payments-poverty-bd4643ad09e6986ef4b526ebd5a3272b">up to $300 per child</a>&nbsp;going directly into the bank accounts of families on the 15th of every month.But the last checks will go out Wednesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/child-tax-credit-bank-accounts-0715-24023ed3ffba98e4a65dd6006518da7a">expanded child tax credit program</a>&nbsp;expiring unless Congress revives it for 2022. That appears highly uncertain as lawmakers try to push President Joe Biden’s roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-health-lifestyle-bff841da156cb12cd47a564f9e0267eb">$2 trillion social and environmental bill</a>&nbsp;into law.The swift launch, and potentially quick end, to the bolstered child tax credit highlights the risks of enacting sweeping social policy changes in a politically divisive environment, without consensus to make the changes stick. Biden and Democrats on Capitol Hill might not have been praised by voters for adding the new benefit, but they almost surely will be blamed if the money abruptly stops flowing next month.“We need to keep them going,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and chair of the House’s New Democrat Coalition. “Families deserve that predictability and certainty.”The child tax credit wasn’t new when Democrats, over the objections of Republicans in Congress, altered the program as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill</a>&nbsp;shortly after he took office in January.But rarely has it provided the boost to families seen with this year’s changes.For more than 20 years, American taxpayers have been afforded a tax break for their children. Started as a $500 per child write-off under Bill Clinton in 1997, it changed over time and was beefed up under Donald Trump’s GOP tax cuts in 2017. Biden’s American Rescue Plan increased the credit to $3,000 a year, added 17-year-olds and boosted the amount to $3,600 for children under six years old. Most dramatically, it gave the credit to millions of families with low or no income, even if they didn’t earn enough money to pay income taxes or pay enough tax to qualify for the refund.Studies suggest the child tax credit expansions are expected to cut child poverty by 40% — with 9 of 10 American children benefiting. All told, some 4.1 million children are on track to be lifted above the poverty line, according to analysis from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.After the first checks started arriving in July, about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/10/nearly-a-third-of-parents-spent-child-tax-credit-on-school-expenses.html" target="_blank">one-third of recipient families</a>&nbsp;used the money during the first few months to pay down outstanding debt, along with paying for school supplies and child care, according to preliminary reports from the U.S. Census Bureau.Families in New Mexico, which has one of the country’s highest child poverty rates, spent nearly 46% of their child tax credit money on food, a study by Washington University in St. Louis’ Social Policy Institute found.“It says a lot about what families are worried about,” said Sharon Kaye, communications director for New Mexico Voices for Children. “This is hugely important to a lot of families.”Republicans are fully opposed to Biden’s larger policy bill, which would extend the tax credit, arguing the overall health, education and climate change package is too big and costly at a time of rising inflation.On Tuesday, Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, said his side was fine letting the policy lapse as the coronavirus crisis eases and the temporary aid goes away.“The thing I don’t think you want is a huge spike in spending,” Thune told reporters. “And that would probably be the most obvious example of an inflationary type policy.”Faced with Republican opposition, Biden is trying to pass the roughly $2 trillion package with Democrats alone, which the House has already done. But the path in the evenly split 50-50 Senate is more difficult, with no room for dissent.Biden has been in talks with one key holdout, Sen. Joe Manchin, who appears to be the final obstacle for Democrats trying to pass the big bill by Christmas.Asked specifically about the expiring tax credit this week, Manchin did not respond to repeated questions about the potential loss.One Democrat who has had “many, many, many conversations” with Manchin is Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, who said the West Virginian “is not at this moment a fan of the Child Tax Credit.”Bennet said he hopes Manchin will come to see that the extension would help the country because it would enable more parents to afford child care and work. “My hope is that with the one-year extension of the enhanced credit he will become a fan and we’ll see,” he said.When it became law this year, the expansion of the child tax credit was hailed as a potential philosophical shift in the way that government assistance programs work by emphasizing a direct, no-strings cash support.Instead, the program delivers discretionary cash directly into parents’ bank accounts, leaving the parents to decide how best to use it. Recipients spend it on food, rent, school supplies or even recreational activities. Proponents described it as an element of trust that had been lacking in much of the American social safety net — relying on parents to make the right decisions on their family’s needs.Robert Greenstein, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, compared the child tax credit to America’s signature safety net programs — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — which have been adjusted and changed over the years to become mainstays in American life. He said there are few policies that are more important.Greenstein said the benefit flows not just to the families receiving the cash, but has the potential to bring long-term economic benefits. “We’ll end up having healthier, better-educated generations of children who can be more productive workers in the U.S. economy of future decades,” he said.“People are often skeptical — the government doesn’t do things right,” he said. ”This is an example of something that they really got right.”With the last checks now slated for Wednesday, Democrats are rushing to ensure that Jan. 15 checks will still land in families’ bank accounts. The Treasury Department has warned lawmakers that Dec. 28 is the deadline to pass the bill and ensure no disruption, though lawmakers have suggested payments could be made retroactively if Biden’s package stalls.Emma Mehrabi, director of poverty policy at the Children’s Defense Fund, called the potential interruption of payments “a real slap in the face for families in need.”She said, “There is no other tool in our toolkit that has significantly reduced child poverty for decades.”___

$300 child tax credit to end as December checks go out

TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 4,138&nbsp; to a total of 493,492, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 20 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,895.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<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, Kan. — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 4,138&nbsp; to a total of 493,492, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 20 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,895.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639591735996.png" alt="Wednesday December 15, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday December 15, 2021 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: 4,100 new cases, 20 more COVID deaths

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A teenager has died after being shot several blocks south of Swope Park Campus in Kansas City, police there said.

Officers were called to the area around 7 p.m. Tuesday for reports of someone on the ground experiencing a medical emergency, police said in a news release. Medics who also arrived on the scene determined the teen had been shot and rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police have not released the victim’s name or age, but did confirm he was a teenager. Police said they did not immediately have any suspects in the case.

The teen's death marked Kansas City's 150th homicide of the year, according to records kept by the Kansas City Star. That compared with 182 homicides for all of 2020, the deadliest in the city’s history.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A teenager has died after being shot several blocks south of Swope Park Campus in Kansas City, police there said.Officers were called to the area around 7 p.m. Tuesday for reports of someone on the ground experiencing a medical emergency, police said in a news release. Medics who also arrived on the scene determined the teen had been shot and rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Police have not released the victim’s name or age, but did confirm he was a teenager. Police said they did not immediately have any suspects in the case.The teen's death marked Kansas City's 150th homicide of the year, according to records kept by the Kansas City Star. That compared with 182 homicides for all of 2020, the deadliest in the city’s history.

KCPD: Teen dies at hospital after shooting near park

GOODLAND (AP) — Much of the Midwest was bracing Wednesday for high winds, heavy rain and a chance of tornadoes as temperatures felt like summertime despite the official start of winter being only days away.

Forecasters across the Plains states predicted unusually warm weather, including likely record-breaking high temperatures in the mid-70s for much of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and parts of Missouri.

But the warmth comes with dangerously high winds and threats of violent storms.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning along a swath stretching from New Mexico to upper Michigan — including Wisconsin and Illinois — with strong sustained winds between 25 mph and 40 mph expected. Gusts could reach more than 70 mph at times, the weather service reported.

Damaging winds are likely to bring down trees and power lines, making widespread power outages possible, the weather service warned. Some schools in Nebraska canceled in-person classes and dozens of schools in Iowa planned to close early Wednesday in anticipation of bad weather.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639586809830.png" alt="A wall of dust moving east from 13 miles S of Sharon Springs at the Wallace/Greeley county line at 10:30a.m. Wednesday-photo courtesy National Weather Service Goodland" />
 <figcaption>A wall of dust moving east from 13 miles S of Sharon Springs at the Wallace/Greeley county line at 10:30a.m. Wednesday-photo courtesy National Weather Service Goodland</figcaption>
 </figure>GOODLAND (AP) — Much of the Midwest was bracing Wednesday for high winds, heavy rain and a chance of tornadoes as temperatures felt like summertime despite the official start of winter being only days away.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">842 AM 107 mph gust just occurred at Lamar, across the eastern plains! Very dangerous conditions occurring across far eastern CO at this time. Please use extreme caution! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cowx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cowx</a>&mdash; NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSPueblo/status/1471145514519252993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Forecasters across the Plains states predicted unusually warm weather, including likely record-breaking high temperatures in the mid-70s for much of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and parts of Missouri.But the warmth comes with dangerously high winds and threats of violent storms.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At 1055am....blowing dust associated with the high winds has reduced visibility to less than 1 mile in some locations west of a Garden City to Liberal line. Use caution.&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1471162944633196548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning along a swath stretching from New Mexico to upper Michigan — including Wisconsin and Illinois — with strong sustained winds between 25 mph and 40 mph expected. Gusts could reach more than 70 mph at times, the weather service reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639587182577.png" alt="Car traveling west on Interstate 70 at Kanorado just before 11a.m. Wednesday-image KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>Car traveling west on Interstate 70 at Kanorado just before 11a.m. Wednesday-image KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>Damaging winds are likely to bring down trees and power lines, making widespread power outages possible, the weather service warned. Some schools in Nebraska canceled in-person classes and dozens of schools in Iowa planned to close early Wednesday in anticipation of bad weather.

High winds, wall of dust descend on portions of Kansas

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft from&nbsp; packages in Manhattan.

Just before 9a.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for theft in the 1100 block of Hayes Drive in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

United Parcel Service (UPS) reported a 21-year-old man opened packages and stole 6 cell phones and other electronic devices. 

Authorities are still working to determine the estimated total loss associated with this case.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft from&nbsp; packages in Manhattan.Just before 9a.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report for theft in the 1100 block of Hayes Drive in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.United Parcel Service (UPS) reported a 21-year-old man opened packages and stole 6 cell phones and other electronic devices. Authorities are still working to determine the estimated total loss associated with this case.

Police: Suspect opened UPS packages, stole electronic devices

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said his office is confident that they can hire the legal specialists necessary to look into potential illegal manipulation of natural gas prices during the February 2021 frigid weather.

"Under Kansas law, in order to retain a firm for this, we have to go through a formal bidding process, a request for proposals," Schmidt said Wednesday. "We issued that early in the fall. There were actually no bidders initially, so we had to extend the proposal. We now have firms that have bid and I think we're very close to being able to retain and announce the firm with the expertise to help us with this."

Some of Schmidt's political opponents see his ownership stake in a natural gas well in southeast Kansas as a potential conflict of interest in the case.

"We have a farm we've had for years," Schmidt said. "It was my grandparents. We have one and only one gas well on it. It's a low production well as many are in southeast Kansas. We're blessed to have it. We're not getting rich off it. In any event, we don't control the price of gas. We're just landowners."

Schmidt said&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/42129b37-4066-454d-87b0-b894da782af5">when the initial RFP went out</a>&nbsp;that the intent was to get someone who is an expert in the complicated natural gas marketplace.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637784447337.png" alt=" Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt (Kansas Legislature YouTube )" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt (Kansas Legislature YouTube )</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said his office is confident that they can hire the legal specialists necessary to look into potential illegal manipulation of natural gas prices during the February 2021 frigid weather."Under Kansas law, in order to retain a firm for this, we have to go through a formal bidding process, a request for proposals," Schmidt said Wednesday. "We issued that early in the fall. There were actually no bidders initially, so we had to extend the proposal. We now have firms that have bid and I think we're very close to being able to retain and announce the firm with the expertise to help us with this."Some of Schmidt's political opponents see his ownership stake in a natural gas well in southeast Kansas as a potential conflict of interest in the case."We have a farm we've had for years," Schmidt said. "It was my grandparents. We have one and only one gas well on it. It's a low production well as many are in southeast Kansas. We're blessed to have it. We're not getting rich off it. In any event, we don't control the price of gas. We're just landowners."Schmidt said&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/42129b37-4066-454d-87b0-b894da782af5">when the initial RFP went out</a>&nbsp;that the intent was to get someone who is an expert in the complicated natural gas marketplace.

Kan. AG: Legal specialists being hired for gas price manipulation case

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting in April of a Kansas teen have arrested Clint William Smith, 23, of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Shane Hilton.

Just before 7:30p.m. April 15, police were dispatched to the area of 6th Avenue and SE Chandler Street in Topeka in reference to a shooting.

Police found 16-year-old Emmanuel I. Torres suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel,&nbsp;according to Lt. Edward Stanley.

Smith is being held on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weapon, according to Hilton.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as Emmanuel I. Torres, 16 of Topeka.

Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the area of 6th Avenue and SE Chandler Street in Topeka. in reference to a shooting, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. 

Police found the Torres suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel.&nbsp;

Police have not reported an arrest or released additional details as the Homicide Unit reviews all investigative leads and evidence.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618576172619.png" alt="Investigators on the scene of the fatal shooting&nbsp; in April-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Investigators on the scene of the fatal shooting&nbsp; in April-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting in April of a Kansas teen have arrested Clint William Smith, 23, of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Shane Hilton.Just before 7:30p.m. April 15, police were dispatched to the area of 6th Avenue and SE Chandler Street in Topeka in reference to a shooting.Police found 16-year-old Emmanuel I. Torres suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel,&nbsp;according to Lt. Edward Stanley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639567666843.png" alt="Smith-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Smith-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>Smith is being held on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree and Aggravated Assault; Use of a deadly weapon, according to Hilton.------------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as Emmanuel I. Torres, 16 of Topeka.Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the area of 6th Avenue and SE Chandler Street in Topeka. in reference to a shooting, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. Police found the Torres suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced deceased by medical care personnel.&nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest or released additional details as the Homicide Unit reviews all investigative leads and evidence.&nbsp;------------

Police arrest suspect in April killing of 16-year-old Kan. boy

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Carolyn Burnett is bracing for her first Christmas without her son Chris, a beloved high school football coach whose outdoor memorial service drew a crowd of hundreds.

The unvaccinated 34-year-old father of four died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator, and his loss has left a gaping hole for his mother, widow and family as the holidays approach.

How, she thought, could they take a holiday photo without Chris? What would Christmas Day football be like without him offering up commentary? How could they play trivia games on Christmas Eve without him beating everyone with his movie expertise?

The U.S. on Tuesday hit another depressing pandemic milestone — 800,000 deaths. It’s a sad coda to a year that held so much promise with the arrival of vaccines but is ending in heartbreak for the many grieving families trying to navigate the holiday season.

For its Christmas card photo, the Burnett family ultimately opted to hold up a football presented as a memorial by the Kansas City Chiefs to represent Chris. Carolyn Burnett also set up a special shelf for the holidays, filling it with a drawing of her son, his bronzed baby shoe, a candle, a poem and an ornament of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“These emotions come and go so quickly,” she said. “You see something. You hear something. His favorite food. You hear the song. There’s just all these little things. And then, bam.”

The year began with the COVID-19 death toll at about 350,000 in the U.S., at a time when the country was in the throes of a winter surge so bad that patients were lined up in emergency room hallways waiting for beds.

But vaccines were just getting rolled out, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-when-can-i-get-it-20de995ab6d01dd286ad3bbea46f69ce">sports stadiums and fairgrounds</a>&nbsp;were quickly transformed into mass vaccination sites. Case numbers began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-st-louis-coronavirus-pandemic-93eadee30306a42ac7be38fdd2dec1a2">falling.</a>&nbsp;By spring, nearly all schools had reopened and communities were shedding mask orders. TV newscasters began talking cheerfully about a post-pandemic world. President Joe Biden proclaimed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-joe-biden-lifestyle-coronavirus-pandemic-health-f97e0316c51d2d8362a17d149daedb14">Fourth of July</a>&nbsp;holiday as a celebration of the nation’s freedom from the virus.

It didn’t last long.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-c053fae3d462705c39e3ffcd612d8a50">Delta struck</a>&nbsp;just as vaccination rates were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-health-coronavirus-government-and-politics-108f1fd0813f0d2ecec1589fd137625d">stalling&nbsp;</a>amid a wave of misinformation, devastating poorly immunized portions of the Midwest and South. Hospitals brought back mobile morgues and opened up their pocket books in a desperate bid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">attract enough nurses</a>&nbsp;to care for the sick.

“People have no idea,” said Debbie Eaves, a lab worker, who grew weary of the wave of death as she collected swabs from patients at Oakdale Community Hospital in Louisiana amid the surge. “Oh, no. They have no idea what it is to look and see, to see it.”

In Kansas, Carolyn Burnett begged her son, who went by the nickname Coach Cheese because of his love of cheeseburgers, to get vaccinated.

“He was a part of the group that ... just didn’t trust it,” she said, pausing and sighing. “They didn’t want to be a guinea pig. They didn’t want to be experimented on.”

She thought maybe he was softening. When his dad got his first COVID-19 shot in August, Chris, a diabetic, told his mother he would discuss it with his doctor. But then one of Chris’ children got infected at a family sleepover and soon everyone was sick.

She texted him, “Honey, God’s got you.” His last text to her said: “Mama, I feel him.” He died Sept. 11.

School administrators tweeted heartfelt condolences, praising his passion in coaching running backs at Olathe East High School. Tearful athletes paid tribute in TV interviews. The Kansas City Glory, an all-female football team that Burnett coached, asked fans to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser to help his children. And he was honored with an inspiration award at a ceremony that recognizes the region’s best high school athletes.

“We had so much support that you would think he was a celebrity,” his mom recalled.

Now, as the year ends, the delta variant is fueling another wave of hospitalizations, court battles are brewing over vaccine mandates and fresh questions are swirling about the new omicron variant.

Steve Grove has seen his share of coronavirus deaths in his role as a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Recently, one dying patient’s family gathered in a conference room. One by one they were taken to the patient’s bedside, while the other relatives watched on Zoom.

“It’s a huge pain in the butt and the connection drops and it’s weird,” he acknowledged. “Here’s what I’m going to say to COVID: ‘Up yours.’ I’m getting a Zoom call going, and there you have it. That’s what’s happening today at least. You’re going to do what you’re going to do and you’re going to kill this person. You get to do that COVID. But what we’re going to do today is this. And I’m going to give them a hug when it’s done.

“The alternative,” he said, “is that you just, you just give up, and I guess most people in this building have too much faith in humanity.”

He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it “didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.”

“I’ll confess to it,” he said. “And I know I’m not proud of it, and I swallow it down and then I remember as a human being that my compassion reminds me that it’s still somebody’s loved one. It is still death and it still stings.”

Dr. LaTasha Perkins, of Georgetown University Student Health, is getting ready to take a job in January in a clinic that helps underserved residents of the community. She is Black and said she felt compelled to make the change after watching the virus devastate her family.

She has lost a great uncle, an aunt and a cousin to COVID-19, and she suspects the virus may have played a role in the death of her grandfather. When it struck her own household last December after she had gotten her first shot but the rest of her family wasn’t yet eligible, she spent sleepless nights watching her toddler breathe and took her husband to the hospital, although he wasn’t admitted. She never got sick and credits the vaccine. Her husband also later got the shot.

Still, maddeningly to her, only three of her six siblings are vaccinated. Some of the hesitation, she said, is rooted in the “horrible things done in the name of medicine to Black and brown bodies in this country.” She tells them: “If you’re worried about rich white people not caring about you, they’re lining up getting the vaccine.”

She has been unable, though, to get through to some of her relatives. It’s part of the reason why she started doing hesitancy talks specifically for African Americans in the D.C. area.

“For my own selfish reason, I don’t want to go to any more funerals,” she said, “and I don’t want COVID to come back in my house.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639569362029.png" alt="Members of the U.S.&nbsp; Senate and House joined together in a moment of silence to honor the 800,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID pandemic.-photo courtesy Sen. Majority Leader" />
 <figcaption>Members of the U.S.&nbsp; Senate and House joined together in a moment of silence to honor the 800,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID pandemic.-photo courtesy Sen. Majority Leader</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTHMISSION, Kan. (AP) — Carolyn Burnett is bracing for her first Christmas without her son Chris, a beloved high school football coach whose outdoor memorial service drew a crowd of hundreds.The unvaccinated 34-year-old father of four died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator, and his loss has left a gaping hole for his mother, widow and family as the holidays approach.How, she thought, could they take a holiday photo without Chris? What would Christmas Day football be like without him offering up commentary? How could they play trivia games on Christmas Eve without him beating everyone with his movie expertise?The U.S. on Tuesday hit another depressing pandemic milestone — 800,000 deaths. It’s a sad coda to a year that held so much promise with the arrival of vaccines but is ending in heartbreak for the many grieving families trying to navigate the holiday season.For its Christmas card photo, the Burnett family ultimately opted to hold up a football presented as a memorial by the Kansas City Chiefs to represent Chris. Carolyn Burnett also set up a special shelf for the holidays, filling it with a drawing of her son, his bronzed baby shoe, a candle, a poem and an ornament of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.But nothing feels quite right this year.“These emotions come and go so quickly,” she said. “You see something. You hear something. His favorite food. You hear the song. There’s just all these little things. And then, bam.”The year began with the COVID-19 death toll at about 350,000 in the U.S., at a time when the country was in the throes of a winter surge so bad that patients were lined up in emergency room hallways waiting for beds.But vaccines were just getting rolled out, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-when-can-i-get-it-20de995ab6d01dd286ad3bbea46f69ce">sports stadiums and fairgrounds</a>&nbsp;were quickly transformed into mass vaccination sites. Case numbers began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-st-louis-coronavirus-pandemic-93eadee30306a42ac7be38fdd2dec1a2">falling.</a>&nbsp;By spring, nearly all schools had reopened and communities were shedding mask orders. TV newscasters began talking cheerfully about a post-pandemic world. President Joe Biden proclaimed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-joe-biden-lifestyle-coronavirus-pandemic-health-f97e0316c51d2d8362a17d149daedb14">Fourth of July</a>&nbsp;holiday as a celebration of the nation’s freedom from the virus.It didn’t last long.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-c053fae3d462705c39e3ffcd612d8a50">Delta struck</a>&nbsp;just as vaccination rates were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-health-coronavirus-government-and-politics-108f1fd0813f0d2ecec1589fd137625d">stalling&nbsp;</a>amid a wave of misinformation, devastating poorly immunized portions of the Midwest and South. Hospitals brought back mobile morgues and opened up their pocket books in a desperate bid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">attract enough nurses</a>&nbsp;to care for the sick.“People have no idea,” said Debbie Eaves, a lab worker, who grew weary of the wave of death as she collected swabs from patients at Oakdale Community Hospital in Louisiana amid the surge. “Oh, no. They have no idea what it is to look and see, to see it.”In Kansas, Carolyn Burnett begged her son, who went by the nickname Coach Cheese because of his love of cheeseburgers, to get vaccinated.“He was a part of the group that ... just didn’t trust it,” she said, pausing and sighing. “They didn’t want to be a guinea pig. They didn’t want to be experimented on.”She thought maybe he was softening. When his dad got his first COVID-19 shot in August, Chris, a diabetic, told his mother he would discuss it with his doctor. But then one of Chris’ children got infected at a family sleepover and soon everyone was sick.She texted him, “Honey, God’s got you.” His last text to her said: “Mama, I feel him.” He died Sept. 11.School administrators tweeted heartfelt condolences, praising his passion in coaching running backs at Olathe East High School. Tearful athletes paid tribute in TV interviews. The Kansas City Glory, an all-female football team that Burnett coached, asked fans to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser to help his children. And he was honored with an inspiration award at a ceremony that recognizes the region’s best high school athletes.“We had so much support that you would think he was a celebrity,” his mom recalled.Now, as the year ends, the delta variant is fueling another wave of hospitalizations, court battles are brewing over vaccine mandates and fresh questions are swirling about the new omicron variant.Steve Grove has seen his share of coronavirus deaths in his role as a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.Recently, one dying patient’s family gathered in a conference room. One by one they were taken to the patient’s bedside, while the other relatives watched on Zoom.“It’s a huge pain in the butt and the connection drops and it’s weird,” he acknowledged. “Here’s what I’m going to say to COVID: ‘Up yours.’ I’m getting a Zoom call going, and there you have it. That’s what’s happening today at least. You’re going to do what you’re going to do and you’re going to kill this person. You get to do that COVID. But what we’re going to do today is this. And I’m going to give them a hug when it’s done.“The alternative,” he said, “is that you just, you just give up, and I guess most people in this building have too much faith in humanity.”He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it “didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.”“I’ll confess to it,” he said. “And I know I’m not proud of it, and I swallow it down and then I remember as a human being that my compassion reminds me that it’s still somebody’s loved one. It is still death and it still stings.”Dr. LaTasha Perkins, of Georgetown University Student Health, is getting ready to take a job in January in a clinic that helps underserved residents of the community. She is Black and said she felt compelled to make the change after watching the virus devastate her family.She has lost a great uncle, an aunt and a cousin to COVID-19, and she suspects the virus may have played a role in the death of her grandfather. When it struck her own household last December after she had gotten her first shot but the rest of her family wasn’t yet eligible, she spent sleepless nights watching her toddler breathe and took her husband to the hospital, although he wasn’t admitted. She never got sick and credits the vaccine. Her husband also later got the shot.Still, maddeningly to her, only three of her six siblings are vaccinated. Some of the hesitation, she said, is rooted in the “horrible things done in the name of medicine to Black and brown bodies in this country.” She tells them: “If you’re worried about rich white people not caring about you, they’re lining up getting the vaccine.”She has been unable, though, to get through to some of her relatives. It’s part of the reason why she started doing hesitancy talks specifically for African Americans in the D.C. area.“For my own selfish reason, I don’t want to go to any more funerals,” she said, “and I don’t want COVID to come back in my house.”

COVID toll hits 800,000 to close out year filled with death

SALINE COUNTY —A series of earthquakes continues to shake central Kansas. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 4.0 magnitude quake&nbsp; hit southwest of Gypsum just before 4 a.m. Wednesday.

The Wednesday morning temblor follows several dozen smaller earthquakes in Saline County over the past week and a 4.3 magnitude quake on December 8, that was felt over a wide area.&nbsp; There are no reports of damage or injury. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639568471087.png" alt="Location of Wednesday's 4.0 quake -USGS image" />
 <figcaption>Location of Wednesday's 4.0 quake -USGS image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —A series of earthquakes continues to shake central Kansas. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 4.0 magnitude quake&nbsp; hit southwest of Gypsum just before 4 a.m. Wednesday.The Wednesday morning temblor follows several dozen smaller earthquakes in Saline County over the past week and a 4.3 magnitude quake on December 8, that was felt over a wide area.&nbsp; There are no reports of damage or injury.

USGS: 4.0 earthquake shakes central Kansas 

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a video released Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke directly to the families of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School nine years ago, saying the nation owed families of mass shootings “more than our prayers. We owe them action.”

“No matter how long it’s been, every one of those families relives the news they got that day,” Biden said in the video. “Twenty precious first-graders, six heroic educators, a lone gunman and an unconscionable act of violence. Everything changed that morning for you. And the nation was shocked.”

A gunman killed 20 first-grade students and six educators inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. The 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their Newtown home before the massacre, then killed himself as police arrived at the school.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont called for flags to be lowered to half-staff across the state Tuesday in remembrance of the 26 people killed inside the school.

“We will never forget the twenty innocent children and six devoted educators whose lives were taken all too soon that terrible morning,” said Lamont, a Democrat.

Biden said it was one of the “saddest days” he and former President Barack Obama had in office. Biden said he found hope in the strength of the families and felt they could pass meaningful reform, but it came up frustratingly short.

“And it’s still frustrating now, for you and me and so many others,” he said, citing other mass school shootings in Parkland, Florida, and recently in Oxford, Michigan. “In countless communities across the country there’s these horrific shootings and make national headlines and embarrass us as a nation.”

He said such shootings happen all the time, particularly in communities of color, and there is no mention in the news.

“As a nation, we owe all these families more than our prayers, we owe them action,” he said.

Biden pointed to executive action he's taken to stop the spread of so-called ghost guns and promote safe firearms storage. He also hopes communities use some of the money from the massive spending plan to help end gun violence.

A senior White House official said Biden shared frustrations expressed by many gun violence prevention groups that Congress is acting too slowly to implement new gun legislation. The official also pointed to the administration’s multifaceted approach to preventing gun violence from enforcement to addressing systemic and root causes.

So far, Justice Department strike forces focusing on gun trafficking corridors in several cities — part of the administration’s comprehensive approach to combat surging gun violence — have led to the recovery of about 2,000 crime guns, the official said.

The White House withdrew its nomination in September of gun-control advocate David Chipman to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after he ran into bipartisan opposition in the Senate. His nomination had stalled for months and he was widely seen as one of the administration’s most contentious nominees.

The official said the administration is also working to identify another “highly qualified nominee” to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

But the official said the Biden administration was still doing all it can, even without a confirmed ATF director, to reduce gun violence. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke of the measures Congress is trying to enact.

“Nearly a decade after Newtown, an average of over 100 Americans are being killed by gun violence every day, shattering families and terrorizing communities across the country," she said.

"In the memory of all those we have lost, and strengthened by our survivors’ hopeful spirit, let us renew our resolve to build a world free from gun violence, so that every child may grow up safe, secure and able to reach their fulfillment.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639517620784.png" alt="President Biden spoke to gun violence survivors in the Oval Office Tuesday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spoke to gun violence survivors in the Oval Office Tuesday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a video released Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke directly to the families of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School nine years ago, saying the nation owed families of mass shootings “more than our prayers. We owe them action.”“No matter how long it’s been, every one of those families relives the news they got that day,” Biden said in the video. “Twenty precious first-graders, six heroic educators, a lone gunman and an unconscionable act of violence. Everything changed that morning for you. And the nation was shocked.”A gunman killed 20 first-grade students and six educators inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. The 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their Newtown home before the massacre, then killed himself as police arrived at the school.Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont called for flags to be lowered to half-staff across the state Tuesday in remembrance of the 26 people killed inside the school.“We will never forget the twenty innocent children and six devoted educators whose lives were taken all too soon that terrible morning,” said Lamont, a Democrat.Biden said it was one of the “saddest days” he and former President Barack Obama had in office. Biden said he found hope in the strength of the families and felt they could pass meaningful reform, but it came up frustratingly short.“And it’s still frustrating now, for you and me and so many others,” he said, citing other mass school shootings in Parkland, Florida, and recently in Oxford, Michigan. “In countless communities across the country there’s these horrific shootings and make national headlines and embarrass us as a nation.”He said such shootings happen all the time, particularly in communities of color, and there is no mention in the news.“As a nation, we owe all these families more than our prayers, we owe them action,” he said.Biden pointed to executive action he's taken to stop the spread of so-called ghost guns and promote safe firearms storage. He also hopes communities use some of the money from the massive spending plan to help end gun violence.A senior White House official said Biden shared frustrations expressed by many gun violence prevention groups that Congress is acting too slowly to implement new gun legislation. The official also pointed to the administration’s multifaceted approach to preventing gun violence from enforcement to addressing systemic and root causes.So far, Justice Department strike forces focusing on gun trafficking corridors in several cities — part of the administration’s comprehensive approach to combat surging gun violence — have led to the recovery of about 2,000 crime guns, the official said.The White House withdrew its nomination in September of gun-control advocate David Chipman to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after he ran into bipartisan opposition in the Senate. His nomination had stalled for months and he was widely seen as one of the administration’s most contentious nominees.The official said the administration is also working to identify another “highly qualified nominee” to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.But the official said the Biden administration was still doing all it can, even without a confirmed ATF director, to reduce gun violence. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke of the measures Congress is trying to enact.“Nearly a decade after Newtown, an average of over 100 Americans are being killed by gun violence every day, shattering families and terrorizing communities across the country," she said."In the memory of all those we have lost, and strengthened by our survivors’ hopeful spirit, let us renew our resolve to build a world free from gun violence, so that every child may grow up safe, secure and able to reach their fulfillment.”

Biden: Nation owes school shooting victims more than prayers

JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations

Just after 5a.m. Dec. 12, a sheriff’s deputy stopped to assist a stranded motorist on U.S. 75 near 286th Road., according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The incident ended in an arrest for illegal narcotics.  The deputy booked the driver, Tiffany Ann Boaldin, 44, of White Cloud, on on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and no insurance, according to Morse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639533318359.png" alt="Boaldin photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Boaldin photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegationsJust after 5a.m. Dec. 12, a sheriff’s deputy stopped to assist a stranded motorist on U.S. 75 near 286th Road., according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The incident ended in an arrest for illegal narcotics. The deputy booked the driver, Tiffany Ann Boaldin, 44, of White Cloud, on on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and no insurance, according to Morse.

Deputy arrests stranded Kan. driver for alleged drug possession

A man who was effectively sentenced to life in prison for a robbery he committed as a teenager has been granted parole, years after the judge who sentenced him had a change of heart.

The state parole board granted parole to 42-year-old Bobby Bostic on Monday and he will be released from prison late next year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Bostic was 16 in December 1995 when he and another teen robbed at gunpoint a group of people who were delivering Christmas presents to a needy family. Prosecutors said Bostic fired a shot that grazed one victim, and that he and the other teen then carjacked and robbed a woman before releasing her.

Then-Circuit Judge Evelyn Baker believed at the time that it was unlikely that Bostic could be rehabilitated and she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8c776ac340d34357be89dda3ba4613e8">sentenced him to a total of 241 years in prison</a>&nbsp;on 18 counts, with convictions for every count to be served one-after-the-other, meaning he wouldn't be eligible for parole until he was 112 years old. She said at the time that she intended for Bostic to "die in the Department of Corrections.”

Bostic for a while found hope in a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that outlawed life sentences for people under 18 for non-homicide crimes. The Supreme Court, however, declined to hear his case in 2019.

But Bostic got support from any unlikely source — the judge who had sentenced him. Baker, then retired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a76a0c1641a342929480ea0c6a40bf73">came to regret the sentence</a>&nbsp;and in 2018 called for throwing it out, saying it was grossly unfair.

“What I learned too late is that young people’s brains are not static; they are in the process of maturing,” she wrote in an essay published by The Washington Post.

When the U.S. Supreme Court denied his case, the ACLU worked with the Missouri Legislature to pass a law based on Bostic’s case that allows teens imprisoned essentially for life for crimes other than murder to get a parole board review after 15 years.

The Missouri Department of Corrections on Tuesday confirmed that Bostic is set to be released from prison next Nov. 9. Until then, the department can offer Bostic a variety programs, including job readiness classes and family reunification programs, department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said.

“We can connect him to various re-entry programs to help ensure his success in society,” Pojmann said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639516460007.png" alt="Bostic-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Bostic-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARGERY A. BECKA man who was effectively sentenced to life in prison for a robbery he committed as a teenager has been granted parole, years after the judge who sentenced him had a change of heart.The state parole board granted parole to 42-year-old Bobby Bostic on Monday and he will be released from prison late next year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Corrections.Bostic was 16 in December 1995 when he and another teen robbed at gunpoint a group of people who were delivering Christmas presents to a needy family. Prosecutors said Bostic fired a shot that grazed one victim, and that he and the other teen then carjacked and robbed a woman before releasing her.Then-Circuit Judge Evelyn Baker believed at the time that it was unlikely that Bostic could be rehabilitated and she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8c776ac340d34357be89dda3ba4613e8">sentenced him to a total of 241 years in prison</a>&nbsp;on 18 counts, with convictions for every count to be served one-after-the-other, meaning he wouldn't be eligible for parole until he was 112 years old. She said at the time that she intended for Bostic to "die in the Department of Corrections.”Bostic for a while found hope in a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that outlawed life sentences for people under 18 for non-homicide crimes. The Supreme Court, however, declined to hear his case in 2019.But Bostic got support from any unlikely source — the judge who had sentenced him. Baker, then retired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a76a0c1641a342929480ea0c6a40bf73">came to regret the sentence</a>&nbsp;and in 2018 called for throwing it out, saying it was grossly unfair.“What I learned too late is that young people’s brains are not static; they are in the process of maturing,” she wrote in an essay published by The Washington Post.When the U.S. Supreme Court denied his case, the ACLU worked with the Missouri Legislature to pass a law based on Bostic’s case that allows teens imprisoned essentially for life for crimes other than murder to get a parole board review after 15 years.The Missouri Department of Corrections on Tuesday confirmed that Bostic is set to be released from prison next Nov. 9. Until then, the department can offer Bostic a variety programs, including job readiness classes and family reunification programs, department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said.“We can connect him to various re-entry programs to help ensure his success in society,” Pojmann said.

Man sentenced to equivalent of life as teen granted parole

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department announced Tuesday the release of $8.7 billion to help increase lending to small and minority-owned businesses and people living in poorer communities with limited access to banking.

The funds from the Emergency Capital Investment Program, which was created this year, will go to 186 community-based financial institutions. Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed the investments in remarks at the Freedman’s Bank Forum, which was hosted by the Treasury Department.

“The wealth gap persists today, the homeownership gap persists,” Harris said of the need for the investments. “Black entrepreneurs are three times more likely to report that a lack of access to capital negatively affects their profit margins.”

Yellen stressed that there would be a direct link between the money being provided and businesses in local communities, saying that she recently met the owner of a tea company in Atlanta called “Just Add Honey” who lacked the financial credit to keep all her shops open during the pandemic.

“Here, it’s very easy to connect the policy with the personal,” Yellen said. “What this will do is prevent small business owners of color from closing two of their locations. And better yet, it will help people open two more.”

Black Americans represent 13.4% of the U.S. population, yet Federal Reserve figures show they control just 4.3% of household wealth. More than half of Black household wealth is in the form of pension entitlements, which cannot be passed along to future generations. This inequity makes it harder for people living in predominantly Black communities to qualify for business loans and mortgages in ways that could help build their net worth.

The $8.7 billion will be going to institutions headquartered in 36 states, as well as Guam and Washington, D.C. Roughly 54% of the funds is going to banks and 46% to credit unions. The distributions will range from more than $200 million for the largest institutions to less than $100,000 for smaller ones.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639520573841.png" alt="Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Freedman Bank Forum with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen look on in Washington-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Freedman Bank Forum with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen look on in Washington-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department announced Tuesday the release of $8.7 billion to help increase lending to small and minority-owned businesses and people living in poorer communities with limited access to banking.The funds from the Emergency Capital Investment Program, which was created this year, will go to 186 community-based financial institutions. Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed the investments in remarks at the Freedman’s Bank Forum, which was hosted by the Treasury Department.“The wealth gap persists today, the homeownership gap persists,” Harris said of the need for the investments. “Black entrepreneurs are three times more likely to report that a lack of access to capital negatively affects their profit margins.”Yellen stressed that there would be a direct link between the money being provided and businesses in local communities, saying that she recently met the owner of a tea company in Atlanta called “Just Add Honey” who lacked the financial credit to keep all her shops open during the pandemic.“Here, it’s very easy to connect the policy with the personal,” Yellen said. “What this will do is prevent small business owners of color from closing two of their locations. And better yet, it will help people open two more.”Black Americans represent 13.4% of the U.S. population, yet Federal Reserve figures show they control just 4.3% of household wealth. More than half of Black household wealth is in the form of pension entitlements, which cannot be passed along to future generations. This inequity makes it harder for people living in predominantly Black communities to qualify for business loans and mortgages in ways that could help build their net worth.The $8.7 billion will be going to institutions headquartered in 36 states, as well as Guam and Washington, D.C. Roughly 54% of the funds is going to banks and 46% to credit unions. The distributions will range from more than $200 million for the largest institutions to less than $100,000 for smaller ones.

Vice Pres. reveals $8.7B for lending in minority communities

MANHATTAN, KAN —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting in Manhattan early Sunday&nbsp;at Tate’s Bar in Aggieville  arrested Joshua Cummings, 20, of Ft. Riley without incident just before 4p.m. Tuesday, according to RCPD spokesperson Aaron Wintermote.

Cummings was arrested with assistance from Ft. Riley officials, on requested charges of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery.

He is currently being held in the Riley County Jail in lieu of bond, pending his first appearance in court.

Just before 2a.m. Sunday RCPD officers heard and responded to the reports of gun shots inside Tate’s Bar,&nbsp; 1109 Moro, in the Aggieville Business District, according to a media release from police.

Officers arrived on scene immediately after the shots were fired and found a 24-year-old male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound and a second 24-year-old male suffering from a minor head injury (concussion). Both victims were transported to Via Christi for treatment of their injuries. The victim suffering from the gunshot wound was later life flighted to Stormont Vail for further treatment.

RCPD Detectives continue to investigate this incident. Anyone with information, pictures or videos from the incident to please contact Detective Janelle Compagnone at (785) 537-2112 ext. 2301 or jcompagnone@rileycountypolice.org.

MANHATTAN, KAN —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting in Manhattan early Sunday&nbsp;at Tate’s Bar in Aggieville arrested Joshua Cummings, 20, of Ft. Riley without incident just before 4p.m. Tuesday, according to RCPD spokesperson Aaron Wintermote.Cummings was arrested with assistance from Ft. Riley officials, on requested charges of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery.He is currently being held in the Riley County Jail in lieu of bond, pending his first appearance in court.Just before 2a.m. Sunday RCPD officers heard and responded to the reports of gun shots inside Tate’s Bar,&nbsp; 1109 Moro, in the Aggieville Business District, according to a media release from police.Officers arrived on scene immediately after the shots were fired and found a 24-year-old male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound and a second 24-year-old male suffering from a minor head injury (concussion). Both victims were transported to Via Christi for treatment of their injuries. The victim suffering from the gunshot wound was later life flighted to Stormont Vail for further treatment.RCPD Detectives continue to investigate this incident. Anyone with information, pictures or videos from the incident to please contact Detective Janelle Compagnone at (785) 537-2112 ext. 2301 or jcompagnone@rileycountypolice.org.

Police arrest man for weekend shooting in Manhattan

LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson is a free man. The 74-year-old former football hero and actor, acquitted California murder defendant and convicted Las Vegas armed robber was granted good behavior credits and discharged from parole effective Dec. 1, a day after a hearing before the Nevada Board of Parole, Nevada State Police spokeswoman Kim Yoko Smith said Tuesday.

“Mr. Simpson is a completely free man now,” said Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s lawyer in Las Vegas.

Simpson declined an immediate interview, his attorney said, and LaVergne declined to talk about Simpson’s future plans, including whether he intends to remain in Nevada.

He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-football-ap-top-news-us-news-d7e2b7929405481c8220adf59f0f232e">told parole officials</a>&nbsp;before his release from prison on Oct. 1, 2017, that he planned to move to Florida.

He instead moved to a gated community in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-football-ap-top-news-us-news-las-vegas-e2fea70fefb74c5580c3232d35d95459">Las Vegas where he plays golf</a>&nbsp;and frequently takes to Twitter to offer opinions about college and pro sports, especially football.

“Life is fine,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-ap-top-news-us-news-crime-0fea103ed1014714a966bd75c475880d">told The Associated Press during a June 2019 interview</a>.

Simpson was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas in October 2008 and served nine years in prison for leading five men, including two with guns, in a September 2007 confrontation with two sports collectibles dealers at a Las Vegas casino hotel.

Simpson insisted he only wanted to retrieve personal mementoes and items stolen from him following his acquittal in Los Angeles in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

He had been scheduled for discharge from parole Feb. 9, but the parole board granted him about three months of good time credits.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639516831265.png" alt="Simpson photo from his 2016 booking by the Nevada Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Simpson photo from his 2016 booking by the Nevada Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson is a free man. The 74-year-old former football hero and actor, acquitted California murder defendant and convicted Las Vegas armed robber was granted good behavior credits and discharged from parole effective Dec. 1, a day after a hearing before the Nevada Board of Parole, Nevada State Police spokeswoman Kim Yoko Smith said Tuesday.“Mr. Simpson is a completely free man now,” said Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s lawyer in Las Vegas.Simpson declined an immediate interview, his attorney said, and LaVergne declined to talk about Simpson’s future plans, including whether he intends to remain in Nevada.He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-football-ap-top-news-us-news-d7e2b7929405481c8220adf59f0f232e">told parole officials</a>&nbsp;before his release from prison on Oct. 1, 2017, that he planned to move to Florida.He instead moved to a gated community in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-football-ap-top-news-us-news-las-vegas-e2fea70fefb74c5580c3232d35d95459">Las Vegas where he plays golf</a>&nbsp;and frequently takes to Twitter to offer opinions about college and pro sports, especially football.“Life is fine,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-ap-top-news-us-news-crime-0fea103ed1014714a966bd75c475880d">told The Associated Press during a June 2019 interview</a>.Simpson was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas in October 2008 and served nine years in prison for leading five men, including two with guns, in a September 2007 confrontation with two sports collectibles dealers at a Las Vegas casino hotel.Simpson insisted he only wanted to retrieve personal mementoes and items stolen from him following his acquittal in Los Angeles in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.He had been scheduled for discharge from parole Feb. 9, but the parole board granted him about three months of good time credits.

OJ Simpson a free man as parole ends early in Nevada

HARVEY COUNTY—A man wanted by Wichita Police on charges of domestic battery by strangulation was arrested today in Newton. 

Just after noon, Newton officers went to a house on Windsor Drive to locate the suspect, according to a social media report.

 Officers spoke to a resident of the home who said the suspect was there. Before officers contacted the suspect, he ran from the rear of the house. 

Officers searched the area on foot and by car, as well as using a drone. Because of the proximity of the house to Northridge Elementary School, the school doors were locked for a short time and the school was searched by officers.  

At 2 p.m., the suspect turned himself in to Newton Police and was released to the Wichita Police Department for further investigation. Police did not release the suspect's name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574166761403.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY—A man wanted by Wichita Police on charges of domestic battery by strangulation was arrested today in Newton. Just after noon, Newton officers went to a house on Windsor Drive to locate the suspect, according to a social media report. Officers spoke to a resident of the home who said the suspect was there. Before officers contacted the suspect, he ran from the rear of the house. Officers searched the area on foot and by car, as well as using a drone. Because of the proximity of the house to Northridge Elementary School, the school doors were locked for a short time and the school was searched by officers. At 2 p.m., the suspect turned himself in to Newton Police and was released to the Wichita Police Department for further investigation. Police did not release the suspect's name.

Alleged Kan. domestic battery suspect turns himself in to police

DILLON, Mont. (AP) — Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch has bought a large cattle ranch in southwest Montana near Yellowstone National Park from a subsidiary of Koch Industries.

The Beaverhead Ranch is spread across more than 500 square miles of private and leased land. Located south of Dillon, Montana, along the Montana-Idaho border, it has about 7,000 cattle and is home to 15 families who are employed on the ranch, according to Koch subsidiary Matador Cattle Company.

The sale was confirmed by Murdoch spokesperson Jessie Lyons after being reported by the Wall Street Journal, which is owned by Murdoch’s News Corp. Lyons declined to comment on the price.

The ranch was founded in 1865. It was acquired in the 1951 by a company run by Fred Koch, founder of Wichita, Kansas-based Koch Industries. The company has vast holdings in oil refineries, paper mills, fertilizer plants, ranches and other ventures.

Like Murdoch and his media companies, the Koch family is known for promoting Republican candidates and causes.

Koch family members have poured a fortune into right-wing efforts to transform the American political landscape, shaping U.S. policies on issues from climate change to government regulation.

The Beaverhead ranch borders Montana’s Blacktail Wildlife Management Area and Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639516027904.png" alt="Google map" />
 <figcaption>Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>DILLON, Mont. (AP) — Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch has bought a large cattle ranch in southwest Montana near Yellowstone National Park from a subsidiary of Koch Industries.The Beaverhead Ranch is spread across more than 500 square miles of private and leased land. Located south of Dillon, Montana, along the Montana-Idaho border, it has about 7,000 cattle and is home to 15 families who are employed on the ranch, according to Koch subsidiary Matador Cattle Company.The sale was confirmed by Murdoch spokesperson Jessie Lyons after being reported by the Wall Street Journal, which is owned by Murdoch’s News Corp. Lyons declined to comment on the price.The ranch was founded in 1865. It was acquired in the 1951 by a company run by Fred Koch, founder of Wichita, Kansas-based Koch Industries. The company has vast holdings in oil refineries, paper mills, fertilizer plants, ranches and other ventures.Like Murdoch and his media companies, the Koch family is known for promoting Republican candidates and causes.Koch family members have poured a fortune into right-wing efforts to transform the American political landscape, shaping U.S. policies on issues from climate change to government regulation.The Beaverhead ranch borders Montana’s Blacktail Wildlife Management Area and Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley.

Fox News founder buys ranch from Kan. based Koch Industries

The band is scheduled to play in Tony’s Pizza Events Center on Feb. 16.

 Tickets start at $43 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Tickets are available at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center box office. 

Performer information courtesy Tony's Pizza Events Center

Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO Speedwagon’s unrelenting drive, as well as non-stop touring and recording jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. 

Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, setting the stage for the release of the band’s explosive "Hi Infidelity" in 1980, which contained the massive hit singles “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run.” That landmark album spent 15 weeks in the No. 1 slot and has since sold over 10 million units in the United States.

Today, REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million albums around the globe, and Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (guitar), and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying audiences worldwide in concert with hits and fan-favorites such as “In Your Letter,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Time For Me To Fly,” “Roll With The Changes,” the aforementioned “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run,” and many, many more. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639505112380.jpeg" alt="Image courtesy Tony's Pizza Events Center" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Tony's Pizza Events Center</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina PostREO Speedwagon is coming to Salina!The band is scheduled to play in Tony’s Pizza Events Center on Feb. 16. Tickets start at $43 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Tickets are available at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center box office. Performer information courtesy Tony's Pizza Events CenterFormed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO Speedwagon’s unrelenting drive, as well as non-stop touring and recording jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, setting the stage for the release of the band’s explosive "Hi Infidelity" in 1980, which contained the massive hit singles “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run.” That landmark album spent 15 weeks in the No. 1 slot and has since sold over 10 million units in the United States.Today, REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million albums around the globe, and Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (guitar), and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying audiences worldwide in concert with hits and fan-favorites such as “In Your Letter,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Time For Me To Fly,” “Roll With The Changes,” the aforementioned “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run,” and many, many more.

REO Speedwagon to perform in Salina in February

WASHINGTON — The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots.

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. said, "These servicemen and women do not deserve a dishonorable discharge for choosing against the vaccine – a dishonorable discharge treats our heroes as felons and our American heroes deserve better. 

I look forward to the NDAA being brought to a vote in the Senate which includes my amendment to provide these servicemembers with retroactive protection if they were dishonorably discharged.”

The Air Force gave its forces until Nov. 2 to get the vaccine, and thousands have either refused or sought an exemption. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Monday that these are the first airmen to be administratively discharged for reasons involving the vaccine.

She said all of them were in their first term of enlistment, so they were younger, lower-ranking personnel. And while the Air Force does not disclose what type of discharge a service member gets, legislation working its way through Congress limits the military to giving troops in vaccine refusal cases an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions.

WASHINGTON — The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots.Kansas Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. said, "These servicemen and women do not deserve a dishonorable discharge for choosing against the vaccine – a dishonorable discharge treats our heroes as felons and our American heroes deserve better. <div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O7Jbe8vXr2s?start=26" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>I look forward to the NDAA being brought to a vote in the Senate which includes my amendment to provide these servicemembers with retroactive protection if they were dishonorably discharged.”The Air Force gave its forces until Nov. 2 to get the vaccine, and thousands have either refused or sought an exemption. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Monday that these are the first airmen to be administratively discharged for reasons involving the vaccine.She said all of them were in their first term of enlistment, so they were younger, lower-ranking personnel. And while the Air Force does not disclose what type of discharge a service member gets, legislation working its way through Congress limits the military to giving troops in vaccine refusal cases an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions.The Pentagon earlier this year required the vaccine for all members of the military, including active duty, National Guard and the Reserves. Each of the services set its own deadlines and procedures for the mandate, and the Air Force set the earliest deadline. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the vaccine is critical to maintaining the health of the force and its ability to respond to an national security crisis.None of the 27 airmen sought any type of exemption, medical, administrative or religious, Stefanek said. Several officials from the other services said they believe that so far only the Air Force has gotten this far along in the process and discharged people over the vaccine refusal.As a result, they were formally removed from service for failure to obey an order. Stefanek said it is also possible that some had other infractions on their records, but all had the vaccine refusal as one of the elements of their discharge.It is not unusual for members of the military to be thrown out of the service for disobeying an order— discipline is a key tenet of the armed services. As a comparison, Stefanek said that in the first three quarters of 2021, about 1,800 airmen were discharged for failure to follow orders.According to the latest Air Force data, more than 1,000 airmen have refused the shot and more than 4,700 are seeking a religious exemption. As of last week, a bit more than 97% of the active duty Air Force had gotten at least one shot.Members of the Navy and the Marine Corps had until Nov. 28 to get the shots and their Reserve members have until Dec. 28. Army active duty soldiers have until Wednesday, and members of the Army National Guard and the Reserves have the most time to be vaccinated, with a deadline of next June 30.Across the military, the vaccine reaction has mirrored that of society as a whole, with thousands seeking exemptions or refusing the shots. But overall the percentage of troops — particularly active duty members — who quickly got the shots exceeds the nationwide numbers.As of Dec. 10, the Pentagon said that 96.4% of active duty personnel have gotten at least one shot. The number plummets to about 74%, however, when the Guard and Reserve are included. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 72% of the U.S. population 18 and older have gotten at least one shot.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has made it clear that the Guard and Reserve are also subject to the mandate, and has warned that those who fail to comply risk their continuing members in the military. But that has proven to be contentious.Oklahoma’s Republican governor and the state attorney general have already filed a federal lawsuit challenging the military mandate for the state’s Guard. Gov. Kevin Stitt — the first state leader to publicly challenge the mandate — is arguing that Austin is overstepping his constitutional authority.Stitt had asked Austin to suspend the mandate for the Oklahoma National Guard and directed his new adjutant general to assure members that they would not be punished for not being vaccinated.Austin rejected the request and said unvaccinated Guard members would be barred from federally funded drills and training required to maintain their Guard status.Oklahoma’s adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, posted a letter on the state Guard’s website, however, warning his troops that those who refuse the vaccine could end their military careers.“Anyone ... deciding not to take the vaccine, must realize that the potential for career ending federal action, barring a favorable court ruling, legislative intervention, or a change in policy is present,” Mancino wrote.