MANHATTAN – There’s no doubt that the bird is the star of the show at most family holiday dinners, so it’s fair to wonder whether all the turkey talk this time of year is going to be good for the waistline.&nbsp;

To that, Kansas State University nutrition specialist Sandy Procter says, well…it depends.&nbsp;

“Turkey has a lot of basically healthful qualities,” Procter said, “but what we do to prepare it can either help to maintain that healthy name tag, or it can completely change its complexion.”&nbsp;

In other words, basting, brining and frying may be inviting extra fat or sodium to an otherwise healthy meal.&nbsp;

In the United States, “we definitely have embraced the idea of eating turkey,” Procter said. “We eat about twice as much as we were eating 50 years ago because we’ve learned about the positive things it can do for our health.”&nbsp;

Data from 2019 indicate that Americans eat about 16 pounds of turkey per person each year, or about 5.3 billion pounds of turkey combined.&nbsp;

“It’s a great source of protein, and our bodies need protein to build and repair bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, blood and tissue,” Procter said.&nbsp;

She added that roasted turkey is low in fat, with white meat lower in fat compared to dark meat. Most fat in poultry is located right under the skin.&nbsp;

“Turkey is also a good source of beneficial vitamins and minerals,” Procter said, including magnesium, niacin, iron, choline, phosphorus, potassium, B12 and zinc.&nbsp;

She added that turkey is an “excellent source of selenium,” a trace element that helps the body make antioxidant enzymes. “Some studies have shown that a diet rich in selenium can help to prevent certain types of cancers, including bladder, breast and lung cancer,” she said.&nbsp;

Turkey and other types of poultry are considered part of what is commonly called the MIND diet, named for its association with the Mediterranean and DASH diets, and thought to be beneficial to the brain.&nbsp;

“Poultry as a regular part of our eating patterns may help to slow mental decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia,” Procter said. “(Researchers) recommend eating poultry products about twice a week, especially for older adults. It’s not the entire solution, but it may be part of the answer that we can address through healthier eating.”&nbsp;

There is also the fact that eating a turkey dinner seems to make you want a nap.&nbsp;

“It’s true that turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that has this property that can help you have better sleep,” Procter said. “I think for most of us, the sheer volume of what we eat as part of the turkey dinner is also what makes us sleepy.”&nbsp;

“I’m not sure it can all be attributed to the tryptophan in the turkey.”&nbsp;

In any case, a serving of common sense with the turkey dinner – including controlling portion sizes – is a good idea if you’re concerned about gaining weight this holiday season. Procter said adding a brisk walk after dinner instead of extra pie is another healthy idea.&nbsp;

“Holiday foods themselves are not the real problem,” she said. “In many cases, it’s how much we eat, how often we over-eat and how active we choose to be over the holidays that tend to affect our weight.”&nbsp;

More information about healthy eating during the holidays and year-round is available online from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hhs.k-state.edu/fndh" target="_blank">K-State’s Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health</a>. Information may also be available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations.html" target="_blank">local extension offices</a>&nbsp;in Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637790206889.jpeg" alt="Roasted turkey is low in fat, with white meat lower in fat compared to dark meat.&nbsp;

Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/a-ray-3598618/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1917130">Alvin Wirthlin</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1917130">Pixabay</a>" />
 <figcaption>Roasted turkey is low in fat, with white meat lower in fat compared to dark meat.&nbsp;

Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/a-ray-3598618/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1917130">Alvin Wirthlin</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1917130">Pixabay</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSIONMANHATTAN – There’s no doubt that the bird is the star of the show at most family holiday dinners, so it’s fair to wonder whether all the turkey talk this time of year is going to be good for the waistline.&nbsp;To that, Kansas State University nutrition specialist Sandy Procter says, well…it depends.&nbsp;“Turkey has a lot of basically healthful qualities,” Procter said, “but what we do to prepare it can either help to maintain that healthy name tag, or it can completely change its complexion.”&nbsp;In other words, basting, brining and frying may be inviting extra fat or sodium to an otherwise healthy meal.&nbsp;In the United States, “we definitely have embraced the idea of eating turkey,” Procter said. “We eat about twice as much as we were eating 50 years ago because we’ve learned about the positive things it can do for our health.”&nbsp;Data from 2019 indicate that Americans eat about 16 pounds of turkey per person each year, or about 5.3 billion pounds of turkey combined.&nbsp;“It’s a great source of protein, and our bodies need protein to build and repair bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, blood and tissue,” Procter said.&nbsp;She added that roasted turkey is low in fat, with white meat lower in fat compared to dark meat. Most fat in poultry is located right under the skin.&nbsp;“Turkey is also a good source of beneficial vitamins and minerals,” Procter said, including magnesium, niacin, iron, choline, phosphorus, potassium, B12 and zinc.&nbsp;She added that turkey is an “excellent source of selenium,” a trace element that helps the body make antioxidant enzymes. “Some studies have shown that a diet rich in selenium can help to prevent certain types of cancers, including bladder, breast and lung cancer,” she said.&nbsp;Turkey and other types of poultry are considered part of what is commonly called the MIND diet, named for its association with the Mediterranean and DASH diets, and thought to be beneficial to the brain.&nbsp;“Poultry as a regular part of our eating patterns may help to slow mental decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia,” Procter said. “(Researchers) recommend eating poultry products about twice a week, especially for older adults. It’s not the entire solution, but it may be part of the answer that we can address through healthier eating.”&nbsp;There is also the fact that eating a turkey dinner seems to make you want a nap.&nbsp;“It’s true that turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that has this property that can help you have better sleep,” Procter said. “I think for most of us, the sheer volume of what we eat as part of the turkey dinner is also what makes us sleepy.”&nbsp;“I’m not sure it can all be attributed to the tryptophan in the turkey.”&nbsp;In any case, a serving of common sense with the turkey dinner – including controlling portion sizes – is a good idea if you’re concerned about gaining weight this holiday season. Procter said adding a brisk walk after dinner instead of extra pie is another healthy idea.&nbsp;“Holiday foods themselves are not the real problem,” she said. “In many cases, it’s how much we eat, how often we over-eat and how active we choose to be over the holidays that tend to affect our weight.”&nbsp;More information about healthy eating during the holidays and year-round is available online from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hhs.k-state.edu/fndh" target="_blank">K-State’s Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health</a>. Information may also be available at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations.html" target="_blank">local extension offices</a>&nbsp;in Kansas.

Is turkey healthful? K-State nutritionist says 'yes'

(AP) — Kansas energy regulators are asking whether billions of dollars in planned energy projects by a company serving 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri will lead to unnecessary electric rate increases. 

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Kansas Corporation Commission on Tuesday ordered Evergy to explain $10.4 billion in expenditures it plans through 2025. 

The state’s chief utility regulator issued the order after a months-long review of a “sustainability transformation plan” that Evergy announced last year. 

Evergy has said the plan is needed to improve the reliability of its electric service and to better position the company for the future. 

Others argue that the plan is designed to boost the company’s stock value to benefit a big stockholder.

(AP) — Kansas energy regulators are asking whether billions of dollars in planned energy projects by a company serving 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri will lead to unnecessary electric rate increases. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Kansas Corporation Commission on Tuesday ordered Evergy to explain $10.4 billion in expenditures it plans through 2025. The state’s chief utility regulator issued the order after a months-long review of a “sustainability transformation plan” that Evergy announced last year. Evergy has said the plan is needed to improve the reliability of its electric service and to better position the company for the future. Others argue that the plan is designed to boost the company’s stock value to benefit a big stockholder.

Kansas regulators want answers on Evergy's planned projects

By DAVID BAUDER AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — With a nearly 8-hour documentary series, filmmaker Peter Jackson re-examines the Beatles' ill-fated "Let it Be" recording and film session. He finds some joy, and collaboration, in the 60 hours of film outtakes left behind. 

That's a contrast to the narrative that has set in that the sessions were an unpleasant experience that chronicled the Beatles' breakup. 

It's a film for Beatlemaniacs to revel in, yet also provides an instructive document of the creative experience that any artists can appreciate. In the process, it brings more to life four personalities that have been part of our cultural experience for more than half a century.

By DAVID BAUDER AP Entertainment WriterNEW YORK (AP) — With a nearly 8-hour documentary series, filmmaker Peter Jackson re-examines the Beatles' ill-fated "Let it Be" recording and film session. He finds some joy, and collaboration, in the 60 hours of film outtakes left behind. That's a contrast to the narrative that has set in that the sessions were an unpleasant experience that chronicled the Beatles' breakup. It's a film for Beatlemaniacs to revel in, yet also provides an instructive document of the creative experience that any artists can appreciate. In the process, it brings more to life four personalities that have been part of our cultural experience for more than half a century.Cover photo courtesy Pixabay

'Get Back' series dispels — and confirms — Beatle myths

By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
For families living with dementia, the holidays can be challenging and bittersweet. Festivities can agitate, confuse, and overstimulate people with the disease. Juliette Bradley with the Alzheimer's Association notes that some things you do every year may not need to be the same.

"Change tradition," Bradley said. "It's not horribly important that we have the same tradition every year. It's okay. We need to give ourselves permission to do things differently."

Some of those traditions may actually overstimulate someone with dementia.

"We know that lights and cards and visitors and people and discussion, that can be a little bit too much stimulation," Bradley said. "Like I said, give yourself permission to do things a little bit differently."

If you're the person going into the care situation who is visiting, you need to understand that it won't be like you remember it any more.

"Make sure that you are lowering those expectations," Bradley said. "It's going to make it really easier on that caregiver and on the individual who has Alzheimer's disease, if the expectations are lowered."

If you want to help a caregiver, give them specific suggestions for when and how you can help them, but put it as part of your regular routine. Spending time with the person with the disease so that the caregiver can get time to themselves is one of the best gifts you can give. For more information on Alzheimer's and how to help, go to <a href="https://www.alz.org/">alz.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589816811323.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
For families living with dementia, the holidays can be challenging and bittersweet. Festivities can agitate, confuse, and overstimulate people with the disease. Juliette Bradley with the Alzheimer's Association notes that some things you do every year may not need to be the same."Change tradition," Bradley said. "It's not horribly important that we have the same tradition every year. It's okay. We need to give ourselves permission to do things differently."Some of those traditions may actually overstimulate someone with dementia."We know that lights and cards and visitors and people and discussion, that can be a little bit too much stimulation," Bradley said. "Like I said, give yourself permission to do things a little bit differently."If you're the person going into the care situation who is visiting, you need to understand that it won't be like you remember it any more."Make sure that you are lowering those expectations," Bradley said. "It's going to make it really easier on that caregiver and on the individual who has Alzheimer's disease, if the expectations are lowered."If you want to help a caregiver, give them specific suggestions for when and how you can help them, but put it as part of your regular routine. Spending time with the person with the disease so that the caregiver can get time to themselves is one of the best gifts you can give. For more information on Alzheimer's and how to help, go to <a href="https://www.alz.org/">alz.org</a>.

Embrace changing holidays when dealing with Alzheimer's

By SHAWNA BETHELL <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/24/despite-addictive-news-of-gloom-and-doom-hope-flourishes-around-us/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>

I talked to a friend of mine 
recently. She has always been one of those people who began work around 8
 a.m. and could easily be found editing her final report a good 12 hours
 later, taking a break only to go on an arduous hike to reach her daily 
exercise goals. But now, she said, she’s often ready to go back to bed 
by noon, too tired or indifferent to work or even go on the gentlest 
stroll.

I understand. I often find myself 
ready to hide under the covers by noon and I’m beginning to think it is 
not allergies or illness or even a less-than-quality night’s sleep. It 
is simply world fatigue: too much doom, darkness, drama. Too much news, 
too much social media, too much bickering just to bicker. The world is 
burning and I — who have been an activist all my life — just want to pop
 in a movie and let the flames rise.

But I am beginning to wonder how much
 of the doom is cultivated by major media outlets angling for our 
attention. And as a writer, it pains me to say this.

I do believe our climate is changing.
 I believe we are facing a dangerous pandemic. I don’t dispute these 
events. However it is also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/38/18888">well documented</a> that humans are geared to fixate on the negative. It is theorized that early in our evolution, we had to focus our awareness on danger — the negative aspects of life — because it was necessary for survival. Media outlets can prey on this tendency.

The problem is that a fear-based existence also creates <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apathy">apathy</a>,
 a numbness that eventually prevents us from engaging. I am afraid that 
for the past few years we have been in such a permanent “high alert” 
status, that we have tuned out, out of self-preservation.

A journalist friend <a target="_blank" href="https://www.landdesk.org/p/news-roundup-are-we-doomed">wrote in his newsletter</a>
 over the summer that after researching his work and flying across two 
continents shrouded by smoke, his optimism is finally eroding. I have 
felt the same myself, until recently.

It’s not that I’ve become a Pollyanna
 or that I have my head in the sand. Often, even, I have been called a 
pessimist, though I prefer to think of myself as a realist. I still 
believe that humans will not act for change until they find themselves 
face to face with whatever dread thing is happening. For example, we are
 appalled at images of sea animals dying from masses of plastic in their
 stomachs; however, unless we were on the beach with the suffering 
beast, most of us will continue to buy plastic trinkets.

But my fear is that we are reaching a
 point when even the people who do care and who do act are becoming 
unable to do so. I fear, in our fear-based, media-fed apathy, that we 
will not dredge up the fortitude to make plausible change happen. I am 
afraid we will only ask ourselves, “What’s the point?”

Last night I watched a nature show, 
which I rarely do anymore, and I braced myself. Understanding the issues
 of climate and extinction, I dreaded the feeling of despair I knew 
would come when the show ended and they gave me the dire warning about 
what we are losing. But the warning didn’t come. Instead, the narrator 
explained in a single sentence the richness we still had and the 
opportunities to protect it. It left me hopeful, enamored with our 
natural world and re-invested in its protection. The television 
producers had used a different mental tactic, and it hit its mark.

As a writer and activist, I 
understand the anger and the urge to shock people into action. But I 
have also come to believe it doesn’t work; people revolt against feeling
 guilty.

Of course we need to be informed as 
to the hard realities that exist, because they are real, and we must 
rely on quality journalism for that information. We also need to 
understand that quietly and without fanfare, people across the world are
 doing amazing things. Instead of scrolling for doom, we must acquaint 
ourselves with solutions and share them.

It is true that our world will never 
again look the way it did when any of us were born. Change is happening 
rapidly. But it is possible to work within the parameters we have and 
move forward. That, too, is already happening. It is OK to hope. Let it 
be as contagious as our fear.

Shawna Bethell is a freelance essayist/journalist covering the people and places of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. Before returning home, she wrote for several publications in the southwestern United States.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637788474327.png" alt="A blue jay perched on a bare branch can serve as a symbol of hope during this Thanksgiving season, when so much seems awry in our country and the world. (Shawna Bethell / Courtesy Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A blue jay perched on a bare branch can serve as a symbol of hope during this Thanksgiving season, when so much seems awry in our country and the world. (Shawna Bethell / Courtesy Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHAWNA BETHELL <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/24/despite-addictive-news-of-gloom-and-doom-hope-flourishes-around-us/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>I talked to a friend of mine 
recently. She has always been one of those people who began work around 8
 a.m. and could easily be found editing her final report a good 12 hours
 later, taking a break only to go on an arduous hike to reach her daily 
exercise goals. But now, she said, she’s often ready to go back to bed 
by noon, too tired or indifferent to work or even go on the gentlest 
stroll.I understand. I often find myself 
ready to hide under the covers by noon and I’m beginning to think it is 
not allergies or illness or even a less-than-quality night’s sleep. It 
is simply world fatigue: too much doom, darkness, drama. Too much news, 
too much social media, too much bickering just to bicker. The world is 
burning and I — who have been an activist all my life — just want to pop
 in a movie and let the flames rise.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>But I am beginning to wonder how much
 of the doom is cultivated by major media outlets angling for our 
attention. And as a writer, it pains me to say this.I do believe our climate is changing.
 I believe we are facing a dangerous pandemic. I don’t dispute these 
events. However it is also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/38/18888">well documented</a> that humans are geared to fixate on the negative. It is theorized that early in our evolution, we had to focus our awareness on danger — the negative aspects of life — because it was necessary for survival. Media outlets can prey on this tendency.The problem is that a fear-based existence also creates <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apathy">apathy</a>,
 a numbness that eventually prevents us from engaging. I am afraid that 
for the past few years we have been in such a permanent “high alert” 
status, that we have tuned out, out of self-preservation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637788535393.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A journalist friend <a target="_blank" href="https://www.landdesk.org/p/news-roundup-are-we-doomed">wrote in his newsletter</a>
 over the summer that after researching his work and flying across two 
continents shrouded by smoke, his optimism is finally eroding. I have 
felt the same myself, until recently.It’s not that I’ve become a Pollyanna
 or that I have my head in the sand. Often, even, I have been called a 
pessimist, though I prefer to think of myself as a realist. I still 
believe that humans will not act for change until they find themselves 
face to face with whatever dread thing is happening. For example, we are
 appalled at images of sea animals dying from masses of plastic in their
 stomachs; however, unless we were on the beach with the suffering 
beast, most of us will continue to buy plastic trinkets.But my fear is that we are reaching a
 point when even the people who do care and who do act are becoming 
unable to do so. I fear, in our fear-based, media-fed apathy, that we 
will not dredge up the fortitude to make plausible change happen. I am 
afraid we will only ask ourselves, “What’s the point?”Last night I watched a nature show, 
which I rarely do anymore, and I braced myself. Understanding the issues
 of climate and extinction, I dreaded the feeling of despair I knew 
would come when the show ended and they gave me the dire warning about 
what we are losing. But the warning didn’t come. Instead, the narrator 
explained in a single sentence the richness we still had and the 
opportunities to protect it. It left me hopeful, enamored with our 
natural world and re-invested in its protection. The television 
producers had used a different mental tactic, and it hit its mark.As a writer and activist, I 
understand the anger and the urge to shock people into action. But I 
have also come to believe it doesn’t work; people revolt against feeling
 guilty.Of course we need to be informed as 
to the hard realities that exist, because they are real, and we must 
rely on quality journalism for that information. We also need to 
understand that quietly and without fanfare, people across the world are
 doing amazing things. Instead of scrolling for doom, we must acquaint 
ourselves with solutions and share them.It is true that our world will never 
again look the way it did when any of us were born. Change is happening 
rapidly. But it is possible to work within the parameters we have and 
move forward. That, too, is already happening. It is OK to hope. Let it 
be as contagious as our fear.Shawna Bethell is a freelance essayist/journalist covering the people and places of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. Before returning home, she wrote for several publications in the southwestern United States.

OPINION: Despite news of gloom and doom, hope flourishes 

TOPEKA (AP) — A Topeka man has been sentenced to life in prison for a carjacking and an accident that led to the death of another man. 

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced the sentence Wednesday for Darren Matthew Johnson.

 Johnson was convicted in May of charges that included first-degree murder committed during an inherently dangerous felony and aggravated robbery. 

A short time after the carjacking, police saw the stolen Kia Soul, which sped away before running a red light and colliding head-on with another vehicle. 

The backseat passenger in the Kia, Ricardo Rodriguez, died at the scene.

TOPEKA (AP) — A Topeka man has been sentenced to life in prison for a carjacking and an accident that led to the death of another man. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced the sentence Wednesday for Darren Matthew Johnson. Johnson was convicted in May of charges that included first-degree murder committed during an inherently dangerous felony and aggravated robbery. The carjacking happened in June 22. A short time after the carjacking, police saw the stolen Kia Soul, which sped away before running a red light and colliding head-on with another vehicle. The backseat passenger in the Kia, Ricardo Rodriguez, died at the scene.

Man gets life sentence for carjacking, fatal wreck in Topeka

WICHITA, Kan. — A judge in Sedgwick County Tuesday sentenced a Wichita woman to the Hard 50 for her role in fatal 2019 stabbing.

Micaela Spencer, 27, was convicted in September of premeditated first-degree murder.

Spencer was one of two people found guilty in the death of William Callison.

Callison was stabbed to death in May of 2019 and was found inside a recreational vehicle attached to a stolen trailer by law enforcement investigating an auto theft.

Spencer and Royce Thomas were found inside the trailer.

Thomas was already sentanced to 54 years in prison and is currently serving the sentence&nbsp;at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

WICHITA, Kan. — A judge in Sedgwick County Tuesday sentenced a Wichita woman to the Hard 50 for her role in fatal 2019 stabbing.Micaela Spencer, 27, was convicted in September of premeditated first-degree murder.Spencer was one of two people found guilty in the death of William Callison.Callison was stabbed to death in May of 2019 and was found inside a recreational vehicle attached to a stolen trailer by law enforcement investigating an auto theft.Spencer and Royce Thomas were found inside the trailer.Thomas was already sentanced to 54 years in prison and is currently serving the sentence&nbsp;at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

Judge sentences Wichita woman to Hard 50 for role in stabbing death

By TIM CARPENTER and SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/24/special-session-offers-hint-of-what-awaits-kansas-lawmakers-in-2022-legislative-session/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Rob Olson added his name to the long list of
 legislators who exited the one-day special session with less than they 
wanted.

The House and Senate approved and Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill 
supportive of Kansans who objected to COVID-19 vaccination and presented
 their employers with religious, medical or philosophical objections to a
 mandate. If subsequently fired for refusing the vaccine, the new state 
law created a mechanism for anti-vaxxers to qualify for unemployment 
benefits. It also opened the door to a state-run process of financially 
punishing companies that didn’t accept vaccination exemption 
applications from their workers.

“I can’t force someone else to go in and take that vaccination for a 
job,” argued Olson, who said he refused the vaccine. “If it was me, I 
would quit that job.”

Olson proposed during the Senate’s debate a simple amendment to House
 Bill 2001, which would have shielded employers from paying more into 
the state’s unemployment trust fund if there was a spike in jobless 
claims. It wasn’t part of the final bill because House and Senate GOP 
leaders blocked a cluster of COVID-19 reform ideas crafted by lawmakers.
 Olson and the other legislators must wait until start of the 2022 
legislative session in January to make their case.

Expect the Legislature to grapple with an assortment of coronavirus 
bills, including one taking away authority of private businesses to 
mandate employees get a COVID-19 vaccination. Another proposal would add
 COVID-19 vaccination status to the list of prohibited forms of 
employment discrimination along with race, religion, color, sex, 
disability, ancestry, national origin and age.

Waiting in the wings is a measure prohibiting any form of 
“vaccination passport” indicating who did or didn’t get a shot. Another 
would make it illegal to “profile,” or easily identify, people who 
secured exemptions to vaccination. There could be a bill designed to 
block businesses from sanctioning workers who take time off the job to 
get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Sen. Tom Holland, a Democrat from Baldwin City, said the COVID-19 
bill adopted during the special session didn’t provide clarity for 
employers faced with a federal vaccination mandate through President Joe
 Biden’s executive order and the state law aimed at countering the 
president’s directive. Depending on action taken, employers in Kansas 
could be stripped of federal funding or fined through the attorney 
general’s office.

Adding to the turmoil, Holland said, was the reality of Kansas being a
 right-to-work state. In other words, Kansas is an at-will employment 
state, which enables an employer to fire an employee for any reason or 
for no reason at all.

“We’re giving Kansas citizens the false impression that they are 
getting additional privileges and rights which violate that 
right-to-work tenant,” Holland said. “This bill did not do our Kansas 
employers any favors. It creates confusion.”

He vowed to introduce an unemployment reform bill applying specifically to people who refused mandates to get a COVID-19 shot.

The 2022 session, fueled by election-year politics and reinforced by 
public frustration with the pandemic, could be a blockbuster. There will
 be pressure to adopt a medical marijuana law, expand eligibility for 
Medicaid and implement sports wagering. Don’t forget critical race 
theory, funding of mental health services, election reform and repeal of
 the sales tax on groceries.

There could be an intriguing debate on the legal theory of 
“nullification,” which some believe would enable the invalidation of any
 federal law a state viewed as a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

“I think that as we look at the next session … there will be 
conversations about going further, and what does that look like, and how
 can we further protect people? How can we contemplate banning 
mandates?” said Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican who served on 
the special committee on government overreach, which produced the 
special session bill.

“Whether those prevail is to be determined,” Owens said.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican candidate for governor, 
said the law that took effect Tuesday meant public and private employers
 couldn’t inquire about the sincerity of an employee’s religious belief 
when that worker sought a waiver to a vaccination requirement.

Schmidt said he would begin contacting public employers in Kansas 
potentially in violation of the law. In a statement, he didn’t identify 
the suspected offending employers. He said some had required workers to 
complete detailed questionnaires to gather information or documentation 
about an employee’s faith history.

That form of discretionary evaluation was 
made illegal by the bill adopted by the Legislature and signed by Kelly,
 the attorney general said.

“In Kansas, an employee’s religious faith 
may not be put on trial in order to obtain the waiver to which the 
employee is entitled by law,” Schmidt said. “It is particularly 
distressing when a public-sector employer — an agent of the government —
 sits in judgment of the sincerity of an employee’s religious faith.”

The new law included potential fines of up to $50,000 for each 
infraction by a company found to have acted improperly when handling 
exemption requests. Under the new system, a worker alleging he or she 
was fired for refusing a vaccination mandate could file a complaint with
 the Kansas Department of Labor. It would be up to the attorney 
general’s office to secure in state district court a civil judgment 
against the company.

Rep. Randy Garber, a Sabetha Republican who expressed concern for 
what COVID-19 vaccines would do to people “in the long run,” questioned 
where government rights stopped and human rights began. He touted use of
 ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine — both widely discredited for use 
against COVID-19 — as remedies for the deadly virus.

Garber wanted lawmakers to take a stronger position on government 
mandates tied to pandemic, and twice made motions to stop the special 
session bill from advancing to a vote in the House.

“Folks, if we don’t start going against the federal government, the 
tail is going to keep wagging the dog, so to speak,” Garber said. “They 
continue to step outside their boundaries, more and more, every year. 
And I will contend it’s not just when one party is in power. We’ve got 
to put a line in the sand and say, ‘This is enough. We will not bow 
down.’ ”

Sen. Mike Thompson, a Republican from Johnson County, said the 
vaccination mandate issued by Biden trampled on no less than six 
constitutional amendments. He said the special session was tip of the 
iceberg in terms of guaranteeing bodily autonomy in health care 
decisions. He framed the issue in context of COVID-19 and not the Kansas
 Supreme Court’s declaration women in Kansas had a constitutional right 
to abortion by virtue of bodily autonomy.

“If we cannot stop this intrusion into our most personal decisions 
about our health, where does it end?” Thompson said. “Is this bill the 
perfect remedy? No. But this is a victory for liberty and the patriots 
standing tall across Kansas, whose voices do matter.”

During the special session Monday, House and Senate Democrats weren’t
 keen to work on modifying a bill many of them loathed and voted 
against. Some were apprehensive about extending debate due to potential 
of other objectionable bills surfacing as the hours and days ticked by.

House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, said he 
understood the frustration with federal mandates associated with the 
pandemic. He said he was upset with the possibility of people losing 
jobs, but was convinced state legislators couldn’t overrule federal 
mandates.

“Whatever we do here today does not change the fact that federal 
mandate is still in place,” Sawyer said. “That’s been adjudicated by the
 courts. The courts will decide that issue. We need to be very careful.”

Sawyer said he was wary of legislators driven to “hurry up and do 
something, and then there’s lots of unintended consequences later.”

“All we’re doing is adding some additional regulations and mandates 
on our businesses,” Sawyer said. “We’re trying to solve a problem we 
can’t solve.”

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, the Democrat from Lenexa, said 
Kansans were justifiably eager to put the coronavirus behind them. She 
said people would be justified to seek worker rights affirmed by state 
government. House Bill 2001, she said, delivered little more than a 
false sense of security.

“It does not guarantee that you will have a job regardless of your 
personal health choices or religious beliefs. Instead, it provides a 
patina of support while leaving Kansas businesses in an impossible 
position,” Sykes said.

Democratic Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, Kan., said the special 
session affirmed some government servants weren’t willing to share the 
burden of defeating a virus that factored into the death of 1,060 in 
Sedgwick County, 960 in Johnson County, 473 in Shawnee County and 387 in
 Wyandotte County along with more than 100 in each of eight other 
counties in Kansas.

Organized opposition to social distancing, masking and vaccination pointed to a refusal of people to fight the plague.

“I hope, honestly,” Haley said,&nbsp; “for Kansas’ sake, the country’s 
sake, for the world, that we find some way to curb this scourge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637784356823.png" alt="Anti-vaxxers observing House debate Monday from the chamber gallery raise their hands in silent support after being admonished for previous outbursts. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Anti-vaxxers observing House debate Monday from the chamber gallery raise their hands in silent support after being admonished for previous outbursts. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER and SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/24/special-session-offers-hint-of-what-awaits-kansas-lawmakers-in-2022-legislative-session/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Rob Olson added his name to the long list of
 legislators who exited the one-day special session with less than they 
wanted.The House and Senate approved and Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill 
supportive of Kansans who objected to COVID-19 vaccination and presented
 their employers with religious, medical or philosophical objections to a
 mandate. If subsequently fired for refusing the vaccine, the new state 
law created a mechanism for anti-vaxxers to qualify for unemployment 
benefits. It also opened the door to a state-run process of financially 
punishing companies that didn’t accept vaccination exemption 
applications from their workers.“I can’t force someone else to go in and take that vaccination for a 
job,” argued Olson, who said he refused the vaccine. “If it was me, I 
would quit that job.”Olson proposed during the Senate’s debate a simple amendment to House
 Bill 2001, which would have shielded employers from paying more into 
the state’s unemployment trust fund if there was a spike in jobless 
claims. It wasn’t part of the final bill because House and Senate GOP 
leaders blocked a cluster of COVID-19 reform ideas crafted by lawmakers.
 Olson and the other legislators must wait until start of the 2022 
legislative session in January to make their case.Expect the Legislature to grapple with an assortment of coronavirus 
bills, including one taking away authority of private businesses to 
mandate employees get a COVID-19 vaccination. Another proposal would add
 COVID-19 vaccination status to the list of prohibited forms of 
employment discrimination along with race, religion, color, sex, 
disability, ancestry, national origin and age.Waiting in the wings is a measure prohibiting any form of 
“vaccination passport” indicating who did or didn’t get a shot. Another 
would make it illegal to “profile,” or easily identify, people who 
secured exemptions to vaccination. There could be a bill designed to 
block businesses from sanctioning workers who take time off the job to 
get a COVID-19 vaccination.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637784419869.png" alt=" Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican, listens Nov. 22, 2021, as Senate and House members negotiate a compromise on the special session bill. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican, listens Nov. 22, 2021, as Senate and House members negotiate a compromise on the special session bill. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>COVID-19, and more</h2>Sen. Tom Holland, a Democrat from Baldwin City, said the COVID-19 
bill adopted during the special session didn’t provide clarity for 
employers faced with a federal vaccination mandate through President Joe
 Biden’s executive order and the state law aimed at countering the 
president’s directive. Depending on action taken, employers in Kansas 
could be stripped of federal funding or fined through the attorney 
general’s office.Adding to the turmoil, Holland said, was the reality of Kansas being a
 right-to-work state. In other words, Kansas is an at-will employment 
state, which enables an employer to fire an employee for any reason or 
for no reason at all.“We’re giving Kansas citizens the false impression that they are 
getting additional privileges and rights which violate that 
right-to-work tenant,” Holland said. “This bill did not do our Kansas 
employers any favors. It creates confusion.”He vowed to introduce an unemployment reform bill applying specifically to people who refused mandates to get a COVID-19 shot.The 2022 session, fueled by election-year politics and reinforced by 
public frustration with the pandemic, could be a blockbuster. There will
 be pressure to adopt a medical marijuana law, expand eligibility for 
Medicaid and implement sports wagering. Don’t forget critical race 
theory, funding of mental health services, election reform and repeal of
 the sales tax on groceries.There could be an intriguing debate on the legal theory of 
“nullification,” which some believe would enable the invalidation of any
 federal law a state viewed as a violation of the U.S. Constitution.“I think that as we look at the next session … there will be 
conversations about going further, and what does that look like, and how
 can we further protect people? How can we contemplate banning 
mandates?” said Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican who served on 
the special committee on government overreach, which produced the 
special session bill.“Whether those prevail is to be determined,” Owens said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637784447337.png" alt=" Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt speaks via video link Oct. 29, 2021, to the government overreach committee, where he outlined plans to challenge a vaccine mandate for federal contractors. (Kansas Legislature YouTube screen capture/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt speaks via video link Oct. 29, 2021, to the government overreach committee, where he outlined plans to challenge a vaccine mandate for federal contractors. (Kansas Legislature YouTube screen capture/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Cease-and-desist orders</h2>Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican candidate for governor, 
said the law that took effect Tuesday meant public and private employers
 couldn’t inquire about the sincerity of an employee’s religious belief 
when that worker sought a waiver to a vaccination requirement.Schmidt said he would begin contacting public employers in Kansas 
potentially in violation of the law. In a statement, he didn’t identify 
the suspected offending employers. He said some had required workers to 
complete detailed questionnaires to gather information or documentation 
about an employee’s faith history.That form of discretionary evaluation was 
made illegal by the bill adopted by the Legislature and signed by Kelly,
 the attorney general said.“In Kansas, an employee’s religious faith 
may not be put on trial in order to obtain the waiver to which the 
employee is entitled by law,” Schmidt said. “It is particularly 
distressing when a public-sector employer — an agent of the government —
 sits in judgment of the sincerity of an employee’s religious faith.”The new law included potential fines of up to $50,000 for each 
infraction by a company found to have acted improperly when handling 
exemption requests. Under the new system, a worker alleging he or she 
was fired for refusing a vaccination mandate could file a complaint with
 the Kansas Department of Labor. It would be up to the attorney 
general’s office to secure in state district court a civil judgment 
against the company.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637784477854.png" alt="Sen. Mike Thompson, during a Nov. 9, 2021, meeting of the government overreach committee, falsely claims CDC data shows COVID-19 vaccines have killed more than 7,000 people. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Mike Thompson, during a Nov. 9, 2021, meeting of the government overreach committee, falsely claims CDC data shows COVID-19 vaccines have killed more than 7,000 people. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Wagging the dog’</h2>Rep. Randy Garber, a Sabetha Republican who expressed concern for 
what COVID-19 vaccines would do to people “in the long run,” questioned 
where government rights stopped and human rights began. He touted use of
 ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine — both widely discredited for use 
against COVID-19 — as remedies for the deadly virus.Garber wanted lawmakers to take a stronger position on government 
mandates tied to pandemic, and twice made motions to stop the special 
session bill from advancing to a vote in the House.“Folks, if we don’t start going against the federal government, the 
tail is going to keep wagging the dog, so to speak,” Garber said. “They 
continue to step outside their boundaries, more and more, every year. 
And I will contend it’s not just when one party is in power. We’ve got 
to put a line in the sand and say, ‘This is enough. We will not bow 
down.’ ”Sen. Mike Thompson, a Republican from Johnson County, said the 
vaccination mandate issued by Biden trampled on no less than six 
constitutional amendments. He said the special session was tip of the 
iceberg in terms of guaranteeing bodily autonomy in health care 
decisions. He framed the issue in context of COVID-19 and not the Kansas
 Supreme Court’s declaration women in Kansas had a constitutional right 
to abortion by virtue of bodily autonomy.“If we cannot stop this intrusion into our most personal decisions 
about our health, where does it end?” Thompson said. “Is this bill the 
perfect remedy? No. But this is a victory for liberty and the patriots 
standing tall across Kansas, whose voices do matter.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637784512137.png" alt="House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer cautions lawmakers during debate Nov. 22, 2021, about trying to overrule the federal government. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer cautions lawmakers during debate Nov. 22, 2021, about trying to overrule the federal government. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Risk of unintended consequences</h2>During the special session Monday, House and Senate Democrats weren’t
 keen to work on modifying a bill many of them loathed and voted 
against. Some were apprehensive about extending debate due to potential 
of other objectionable bills surfacing as the hours and days ticked by.House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, said he 
understood the frustration with federal mandates associated with the 
pandemic. He said he was upset with the possibility of people losing 
jobs, but was convinced state legislators couldn’t overrule federal 
mandates.“Whatever we do here today does not change the fact that federal 
mandate is still in place,” Sawyer said. “That’s been adjudicated by the
 courts. The courts will decide that issue. We need to be very careful.”Sawyer said he was wary of legislators driven to “hurry up and do 
something, and then there’s lots of unintended consequences later.”“All we’re doing is adding some additional regulations and mandates 
on our businesses,” Sawyer said. “We’re trying to solve a problem we 
can’t solve.”Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, the Democrat from Lenexa, said 
Kansans were justifiably eager to put the coronavirus behind them. She 
said people would be justified to seek worker rights affirmed by state 
government. House Bill 2001, she said, delivered little more than a 
false sense of security.“It does not guarantee that you will have a job regardless of your 
personal health choices or religious beliefs. Instead, it provides a 
patina of support while leaving Kansas businesses in an impossible 
position,” Sykes said.Democratic Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, Kan., said the special 
session affirmed some government servants weren’t willing to share the 
burden of defeating a virus that factored into the death of 1,060 in 
Sedgwick County, 960 in Johnson County, 473 in Shawnee County and 387 in
 Wyandotte County along with more than 100 in each of eight other 
counties in Kansas.Organized opposition to social distancing, masking and vaccination pointed to a refusal of people to fight the plague.“I hope, honestly,” Haley said,&nbsp; “for Kansas’ sake, the country’s 
sake, for the world, that we find some way to curb this scourge.”

Special session offers hint of what awaits Kan. lawmakers in '22 session

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — All three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder Wednesday. 

The jury reached its decision after more than 10 hours of deliberations following a trial in which prosecutors argued that the defendants provoked a confrontation with Arbery and defense attorneys said their clients were acting in self-defense. 

Father and son Greg and Travis McMichael grabbed guns and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue the 25-year-old Black man after seeing him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick in February 2020. 

Their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan joined the pursuit in his own pickup and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery.

By RUSS BYNUM Associated PressBRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — All three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery were convicted of murder Wednesday. The jury reached its decision after more than 10 hours of deliberations following a trial in which prosecutors argued that the defendants provoked a confrontation with Arbery and defense attorneys said their clients were acting in self-defense. Father and son Greg and Travis McMichael grabbed guns and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue the 25-year-old Black man after seeing him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick in February 2020. Their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan joined the pursuit in his own pickup and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

All three defendants found guilty of Arbery murder

By
NICK GOSNELL<a href="https://hutchpost.com/">Hutch
Post</a>


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt clarified Wednesday that those who have a religious reason not to be vaccinated don't have to explain why in Kansas.

"There have been some employers, particularly some public sector employers that have required employees to complete a questionnaire providing details about their religious faith and maybe even supporting materials about the nature of the faith and why it speaks to the issue of vaccine mandates," Schmidt said. "That is now illegal in Kansas. It was always suspect, as a matter of religious freedom, but now state law specifically prohibits employers from inquiring about the sincerity of an employee's claim of a religious exemption from vaccine mandates."

There's now no reason for an employer to keep any kind of records about an employee's faith beyond the paperwork required to prove the request was made.

"Any time there is a claim for a public benefit that involves an assertion of religious faith, it presents the question of how to determine whether the faith is genuine," Schmidt said. "In this case, the legislature has made crystal clear that there is to be no discretionary judgment call by employers, whether public or private. It's enough that the employee makes the assertion. That assertion then has to be respected."

This action by the legislature was pushback against the many vaccine mandate fronts on which the federal government has asserted authority.

"This very muddled situation that the Biden administration has caused with its multifaceted, inconsistent vaccine mandates, has to allow for accommodation of medical exemptions and accomodation of religious exemptions. The procedures for both of those being claimed have to be simple and straightforward. Employers are relieved from being in the business of having to pass judgment on an employee's religious faith or their medical condition. That's now clearly the work of a healthcare provider, a doctor, not of the employer. I think this provides clarity to everybody."

Under the new law, employees aggrieved by an employer’s violation of the law may file a complaint with the Kansas Department of Labor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583409290272.jpeg" alt="Kansas AG Derek Schmidt" />
 <figcaption>Kansas AG Derek Schmidt</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL<a href="https://hutchpost.com/">Hutch
Post</a> 
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt clarified Wednesday that those who have a religious reason not to be vaccinated don't have to explain why in Kansas."There have been some employers, particularly some public sector employers that have required employees to complete a questionnaire providing details about their religious faith and maybe even supporting materials about the nature of the faith and why it speaks to the issue of vaccine mandates," Schmidt said. "That is now illegal in Kansas. It was always suspect, as a matter of religious freedom, but now state law specifically prohibits employers from inquiring about the sincerity of an employee's claim of a religious exemption from vaccine mandates."There's now no reason for an employer to keep any kind of records about an employee's faith beyond the paperwork required to prove the request was made."Any time there is a claim for a public benefit that involves an assertion of religious faith, it presents the question of how to determine whether the faith is genuine," Schmidt said. "In this case, the legislature has made crystal clear that there is to be no discretionary judgment call by employers, whether public or private. It's enough that the employee makes the assertion. That assertion then has to be respected."This action by the legislature was pushback against the many vaccine mandate fronts on which the federal government has asserted authority."This very muddled situation that the Biden administration has caused with its multifaceted, inconsistent vaccine mandates, has to allow for accommodation of medical exemptions and accomodation of religious exemptions. The procedures for both of those being claimed have to be simple and straightforward. Employers are relieved from being in the business of having to pass judgment on an employee's religious faith or their medical condition. That's now clearly the work of a healthcare provider, a doctor, not of the employer. I think this provides clarity to everybody."Under the new law, employees aggrieved by an employer’s violation of the law may file a complaint with the Kansas Department of Labor.

Schmidt: 'No discretionary judgment call' on religious exemptions

TOPEKA (AP) — A Kansas health advisor says the coronavirus pandemic is starting to worsen in Kansas again as families prepare to gather over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. 

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that health advisor Marci Nielsen blames less mask use and more indoor gatherings. 

Nielsen said the state is now seeing more than 1,000 cases a day. Nielsen told the governor’s Safer Classrooms Workgroup on Tuesday that the state’s vaccination rate for youth ages 12-17 has consistently been about seven percentage points below the national rate. 

Fifty-four percent of all Kansans are fully vaccinated, which puts Kansas in the bottom half of all states and territories.

TOPEKA (AP) — A Kansas health advisor says the coronavirus pandemic is starting to worsen in Kansas again as families prepare to gather over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that health advisor Marci Nielsen blames less mask use and more indoor gatherings. Nielsen said the state is now seeing more than 1,000 cases a day. Nielsen told the governor’s Safer Classrooms Workgroup on Tuesday that the state’s vaccination rate for youth ages 12-17 has consistently been about seven percentage points below the national rate. Fifty-four percent of all Kansans are fully vaccinated, which puts Kansas in the bottom half of all states and territories.

Kansas health official: COVID cases rising ahead of holiday

TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2,943 to a total of 461,163, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 30 additional COVID-19-related&nbsp; deaths for a total of 6,773.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;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&nbsp;(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 2,943 to a total of 461,163, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 30 additional COVID-19-related&nbsp; deaths for a total of 6,773.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637776813786.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;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&nbsp;(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: 3,000 new cases, 30 new COVID-related deaths

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINA — A Salina teen
 was arrested on multiple requested charges that included theft and 
battery after an alleged incident Tuesday afternoon in central Salina.

Officers
 were sent to the 500 block of Sunset Drive for the report of a 
disturbance. When they arrived, they found Lucas Bolen, 18, Salina, 
being held down by two people, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said
 this morning.

Donald Abbott, an employee of Callabresi Heating 
&amp; Cooling, reported that he observed Bolen inside a 2012 Chevrolet 
G2500 van belonging to Callabresi. When Abbott confronted Bolen about 
being in the van, Bolen allegedly punched him in the face, Forrester 
said. Additionally, Bolen allegedly stole a $20 screwdriver from the 
van.

Bolen was arrested on requested charges of vehicle burglary, theft, and battery, Forrester said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637775502749.png" alt="Lucas Bolen. Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Lucas Bolen. Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA — A Salina teen
 was arrested on multiple requested charges that included theft and 
battery after an alleged incident Tuesday afternoon in central Salina.Officers
 were sent to the 500 block of Sunset Drive for the report of a 
disturbance. When they arrived, they found Lucas Bolen, 18, Salina, 
being held down by two people, Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said
 this morning.Donald Abbott, an employee of Callabresi Heating 
&amp; Cooling, reported that he observed Bolen inside a 2012 Chevrolet 
G2500 van belonging to Callabresi. When Abbott confronted Bolen about 
being in the van, Bolen allegedly punched him in the face, Forrester 
said. Additionally, Bolen allegedly stole a $20 screwdriver from the 
van.Bolen was arrested on requested charges of vehicle burglary, theft, and battery, Forrester said.Abbott was not injured, he added.

Police: Kan. teen punched man after being caught in van

SALINA — An outdoor wood-burning furnace is being blamed for a house fire east of Salina early Tuesday morning. 

Saline
 County Sheriff Roger Soldan said Wednesday that deputies and 
firefighters from Rural Fire District No. 5 were dispatched at 5:02 a.m.
 to a house fire at 2708 S. Holmes Road. The owner of the house, Dustin 
Vance, 42, awoke to smoke in the house and called 911.

A 
wood-burning furnace on the outside of the house had caught the siding 
on fire. While most of the damage was from smoke, a bit of fire did get 
into the house via a window and cause some damage, Soldan said. Total 
damage was estimated at $15,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637773873132.jpeg" alt="Smoke rises from the siding on the house. Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Smoke rises from the siding on the house. Photo courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA — An outdoor wood-burning furnace is being blamed for a house fire east of Salina early Tuesday morning. Saline
 County Sheriff Roger Soldan said Wednesday that deputies and 
firefighters from Rural Fire District No. 5 were dispatched at 5:02 a.m.
 to a house fire at 2708 S. Holmes Road. The owner of the house, Dustin 
Vance, 42, awoke to smoke in the house and called 911.A 
wood-burning furnace on the outside of the house had caught the siding 
on fire. While most of the damage was from smoke, a bit of fire did get 
into the house via a window and cause some damage, Soldan said. Total 
damage was estimated at $15,000.No one was reported injured.

Wood-burning furnace blamed for Kansas house fire

SALINA — A 75-year-old Salina man was arrested Monday on multiple warrants that included rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Wednesday morning that Larry James Gregg, 75, Salina, was arrested on multiple warrants connected to a case from September in which two females, ages 14 and 18, reported Gregg had allegedly sexually assaulted them. The two, who are related to Gregg, reported that the alleged incidents took place in Salina seven to 10 years ago, Forrester said.

The warrants for Gregg's arrest included four counts of rape and four counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, Forrester said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637772114563.png" alt="Larry James Gregg / Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Larry James Gregg / Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA — A 75-year-old Salina man was arrested Monday on multiple warrants that included rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Wednesday morning that Larry James Gregg, 75, Salina, was arrested on multiple warrants connected to a case from September in which two females, ages 14 and 18, reported Gregg had allegedly sexually assaulted them. The two, who are related to Gregg, reported that the alleged incidents took place in Salina seven to 10 years ago, Forrester said.The warrants for Gregg's arrest included four counts of rape and four counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, Forrester said.

75-year-old Kan. man arrested on suspicion of rape, indecent liberties

TOPEKA, Kan. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false return.&nbsp;

According to court documents, Randall Brammell, 65, of Berryton owned and operated Brammell Construction Company and Lawn Mowing. He pleaded guilty to submitting a false 2016 income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service after failing to inform his tax preparer about a substantial number of business checks made out to him personally that he cashed instead of depositing into his business bank account. As a result, the gross income of his business that year was underreported by $139,918.&nbsp;

“Mr. Brammell admitted that he knowingly filed a false income tax return with the IRS. IRS-Criminal Investigation takes all tax crimes very seriously. Those who file honest, accurate returns can be assured that we will investigate and hold accountable those who don’t,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge, St. Louis Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation.&nbsp;

Brammell is scheduled to be sentenced February 16, 2022 and faces a maximum of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp;

The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation.&nbsp;

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting the case.&nbsp;

TOPEKA, Kan. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false return.&nbsp;According to court documents, Randall Brammell, 65, of Berryton owned and operated Brammell Construction Company and Lawn Mowing. He pleaded guilty to submitting a false 2016 income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service after failing to inform his tax preparer about a substantial number of business checks made out to him personally that he cashed instead of depositing into his business bank account. As a result, the gross income of his business that year was underreported by $139,918.&nbsp;“Mr. Brammell admitted that he knowingly filed a false income tax return with the IRS. IRS-Criminal Investigation takes all tax crimes very seriously. Those who file honest, accurate returns can be assured that we will investigate and hold accountable those who don’t,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge, St. Louis Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation.&nbsp;Brammell is scheduled to be sentenced February 16, 2022 and faces a maximum of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.&nbsp;The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation.&nbsp;Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting the case.&nbsp;

 Kansas man pleads guilty to income tax fraud 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest level in more than half a century, another sign that the U.S. job market is rebounding rapidly from last year's coronavirus recession. 

Jobless claims dropped by 71,000 to 199,000, the lowest since mid-November 1969. 

The drop was much bigger than economists expected. 

The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly ups and downs, also dropped — by 21,000 to just over 252,000, the lowest since mid-March 2020 when the pandemic slammed the economy. 

Seasonal adjustments around the Thanksgiving holiday contributed significantly to the bigger-than-expected drop.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest level in more than half a century, another sign that the U.S. job market is rebounding rapidly from last year's coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 71,000 to 199,000, the lowest since mid-November 1969. The drop was much bigger than economists expected. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly ups and downs, also dropped — by 21,000 to just over 252,000, the lowest since mid-March 2020 when the pandemic slammed the economy. Seasonal adjustments around the Thanksgiving holiday contributed significantly to the bigger-than-expected drop.

US jobless claims hit 52-year low after seasonal adjustments

By MATT PIKE <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Thanksgiving is drawing near and food safety is top of mind, not only for people preparing the meal, but also their pets.

Veterinarian
 Melanie Barnes with Friends of the Animal Shelter says that as you work
 to prepare your meal this holiday, as your pets wander around the 
kitchen, you should be sure to keep their safety in mind.

"Thanksgiving
 is coming up, and if your pets are around in the kitchen like mine are 
and yours are, just make sure we're keeping their health and safety top 
of mind," Barnes tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.

Barnes says that salmonella can drastically affect your pets’ health.

"Making
 sure you're using good hand hygiene and washing your hands before 
turning around and petting your pet or giving love to your pet, or even 
giving them a treat," Barnes says.

Barnes adds one other big concern for pets along with salmonella is E coli.

Barnes
 says that Thanksgiving is filled with those fatty rich foods, like 
turkey and gravy, and while they aren't truly toxic to pets, they still 
could have negative effects. 

"Just the rich fatty foods, pets 
don't break down fatty acids like we do, both cats and dogs and other 
pets," Barnes explains.  "So that can yield to a lot of GI diseases, 
upset tummies, things like pancreatitis, which is inflammation of your 
pancreas," Barnes says.

Inflammation of the pancreas could not 
only be painful for the pet and cost you lots of money in treatment, in 
some cases it could also be deadly.

Some foods around your home may not be good for your pets, and others can be very toxic for them.  

Barnes
 says to be sure to do your own research to know what foods your animals
 can and cannot have, because you might be surprised by what foods that 
aren’t appropriate for pets.

"There are numerous ones that you 
think are not toxic to us, but grapes and raisins are probably one of 
the top ones that are probably in the house, especially if you have kids
 because kids love grapes mind you, and they're very easy to roll off of
 the plate, onto the floor," Barnes says.

Barnes also says as more
 people try to eat healthy and turn to sugar-free foods, but those foods
 are not safe for pets, because they contain Xylitol which is toxic to 
pets.

By MATT PIKE <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Thanksgiving is drawing near and food safety is top of mind, not only for people preparing the meal, but also their pets.Veterinarian
 Melanie Barnes with Friends of the Animal Shelter says that as you work
 to prepare your meal this holiday, as your pets wander around the 
kitchen, you should be sure to keep their safety in mind."Thanksgiving
 is coming up, and if your pets are around in the kitchen like mine are 
and yours are, just make sure we're keeping their health and safety top 
of mind," Barnes tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.Barnes says that salmonella can drastically affect your pets’ health."Making
 sure you're using good hand hygiene and washing your hands before 
turning around and petting your pet or giving love to your pet, or even 
giving them a treat," Barnes says.Barnes adds one other big concern for pets along with salmonella is E coli.Barnes
 says that Thanksgiving is filled with those fatty rich foods, like 
turkey and gravy, and while they aren't truly toxic to pets, they still 
could have negative effects. "Just the rich fatty foods, pets 
don't break down fatty acids like we do, both cats and dogs and other 
pets," Barnes explains. "So that can yield to a lot of GI diseases, 
upset tummies, things like pancreatitis, which is inflammation of your 
pancreas," Barnes says.Inflammation of the pancreas could not 
only be painful for the pet and cost you lots of money in treatment, in 
some cases it could also be deadly.Some foods around your home may not be good for your pets, and others can be very toxic for them. Barnes
 says to be sure to do your own research to know what foods your animals
 can and cannot have, because you might be surprised by what foods that 
aren’t appropriate for pets."There are numerous ones that you 
think are not toxic to us, but grapes and raisins are probably one of 
the top ones that are probably in the house, especially if you have kids
 because kids love grapes mind you, and they're very easy to roll off of
 the plate, onto the floor," Barnes says.Barnes also says as more
 people try to eat healthy and turn to sugar-free foods, but those foods
 are not safe for pets, because they contain Xylitol which is toxic to 
pets.Cover photo courtesy Pixabay

Think about your pets as you prepare this year's Thanksgiving feast

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — That Thanksgiving meal is costing a lot more this 
year than last and it's not just the turkey that will cost more.

Thanks
 to inflation, nearly every ingredient in your holiday meal is more 
expensive, according to the American Farm Bureau's annual Thanksgiving 
dinner cost survey.

The average cost of this year’s classic 
Thanksgiving feast for 10 is more than $5 per person at $53.31. It's the
 most the Thanksgiving meal has cost in the survey's 36 years and is up 
14% from the $46.90 in 2020.&nbsp;

Last year's meal was the cheapest in
 more than a decade as families skipped large gatherings and opted for 
smaller meals amid the <a href="https://usatoday.com/news/coronavirus">pandemic</a>. But the price tag is also up 9% from a more normal-sized holiday meal in 2019.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — That Thanksgiving meal is costing a lot more this 
year than last and it's not just the turkey that will cost more.Thanks
 to inflation, nearly every ingredient in your holiday meal is more 
expensive, according to the American Farm Bureau's annual Thanksgiving 
dinner cost survey.The average cost of this year’s classic 
Thanksgiving feast for 10 is more than $5 per person at $53.31. It's the
 most the Thanksgiving meal has cost in the survey's 36 years and is up 
14% from the $46.90 in 2020.&nbsp;Last year's meal was the cheapest in
 more than a decade as families skipped large gatherings and opted for 
smaller meals amid the <a href="https://usatoday.com/news/coronavirus">pandemic</a>. But the price tag is also up 9% from a more normal-sized holiday meal in 2019.&nbsp;

Thanksgiving dinner cost jumps 14%

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/23/redistricting-committees-urged-to-avoid-temptation-of-drawing-convoluted-maps/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Atchison County resident
 John Settich is convinced the boundary of the 2nd congressional 
district in Kansas is a politically grotesque distortion.

Settich, professor of political science at Benedictine College, said 
that when he worked for Congressman Bill Roy in the 1970s the 2nd 
District was a reasonable block of contiguous counties in northeast 
Kansas. Today, the district stretches from Nebraska to Oklahoma and runs
 along the Missouri line.

The Kansas Legislature’s work to redraw congressional and legislative
 boundaries in 2022 is an opportunity to return the 2nd District to good
 form, he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637764322909.png" alt="Caney resident Carol Sanders recommended the Kansas Legislature draw new Kansas Senate district boundaries that avoid splitting Independence in half to include a portion of Coffeyville. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Caney resident Carol Sanders recommended the Kansas Legislature draw new Kansas Senate district boundaries that avoid splitting Independence in half to include a portion of Coffeyville. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/23/redistricting-committees-urged-to-avoid-temptation-of-drawing-convoluted-maps/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Atchison County resident
 John Settich is convinced the boundary of the 2nd congressional 
district in Kansas is a politically grotesque distortion.Settich, professor of political science at Benedictine College, said 
that when he worked for Congressman Bill Roy in the 1970s the 2nd 
District was a reasonable block of contiguous counties in northeast 
Kansas. Today, the district stretches from Nebraska to Oklahoma and runs
 along the Missouri line.The Kansas Legislature’s work to redraw congressional and legislative
 boundaries in 2022 is an opportunity to return the 2nd District to good
 form, he said.“Too often in too many states, including Kansas, the Legislature 
starts and ends with the political results and redraws lines as little 
or as much as they might to assure results that preserve the existing 
political order,” Settich said. “I hope that you will resist that 
temptation.”Settich said during a remote meeting of the House and Senate 
redistricting committees Monday that shifting census demographics on 
population, race, income, education and occupation should guide 
lawmakers. The state’s maps shouldn’t be formed based on electoral data 
of party registration and votes cast, he said.The Republican-controlled Legislature is expected to lean toward 
adoption of boundaries in the four congressional districts favorable to 
winning each of the partisan elections. The GOP holds the 1st, 2nd and 
4th districts, winning all the seats in 2020 by comfortable margins. 
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the Democrat elected in the 3rd District 
centered on the Kansas City area, is a target of map makers.U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Republican, serves the 2nd District that 
covers Atchison, Leavenworth, Topeka, Lawrence, Ottawa and Pittsburg.Edward Acosta, a former Johnson County resident now living in 
Lawrence, said he was wary of the potential of distorting the 2nd and 
3rd districts to advantage candidates of one political party over 
another.“The 3rd congressional district should be maintained as compact as 
possible. It should not be diluted with another district which is 
overwhelmingly of the other party,” Acosta said.Changes to the congressional boundaries must occur given population 
changes in the four districts between the 2010 and 2020 census counts. 
During that decade, the rural 1st District of western Kansas lost 12,500
 people and the 2nd District dwindled by fewer than 300. The 4th 
District anchored by Wichita gained 18,500 people and the 3rd District 
substantially grew with addition of 78,900 people.The underlying goal of redistricting is to bring population totals of
 the four districts into balance. The same principle is applied to 
mapping the 125 Kansas House and 40 Kansas Senate districts.Steven Clay, of Leavenworth, said state lawmakers ought to 
reconfigure the Kansas Senate district map so Leavenworth County wasn’t 
split in half.“The current shape of Senate District 3 and Senate District 5 
violates the U.S. Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court rulings on 
redistricting by splitting&nbsp;Leavenworth County, a historically and 
culturally distinct community of interest with its own policy concerns,”
 Clay said.Carol Sanders, of Caney, said she was disappointed the city of 
Independence was split in half by Kansas House boundaries. The oddball 
design of District 11 includes a narrow strip leading away from 
Independence to pick up a portion of Coffeyville.“Keep Independence in one district, Coffeyville in the other and 
don’t create convoluted boundaries such as we have now,” she said.Ottawa resident Darrell McCune was thinking along those lines by 
advocating for retention of a map that since 2012 placed the entire city
 of Ottawa in a single Kansas House district. In the previous decade, 
Ottawa had been fractured among three districts of the Kansas House.The joint legislative committee is scheduled to conduct online 
hearings Tuesday and Nov. 29 and Nov. 30 to gather input from residents 
of the three other congressional districts.