WASHINGTON — Victims of Hurricane Ida that began on August&nbsp;26 now 
have until January&nbsp;3, 2022, to file various individual and business tax 
returns and make tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced 
today.

The IRS is offering this relief to any area designated by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/">Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)</a>&nbsp;as
 qualifying for individual or public assistance. Currently this includes
 the entire state of Louisiana, but taxpayers in Ida-impacted localities
 designated by FEMA in neighboring states will automatically receive the
 same filing and payment relief. The current list of eligible localities
 is always available on the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">disaster relief</a> page on IRS.gov.

"During this difficult time, the IRS stands ready to help victims of 
Hurricane Ida," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "We want people 
affected by this devastating hurricane focused on their safety and 
recovery for themselves and their families. To provide assistance now 
and in the weeks ahead, we have a variety of different types of relief 
available to help people and businesses affected by this disaster."

The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines 
that occurred starting on August&nbsp;26, 2021. As a result, affected 
individuals and businesses will have until January&nbsp;3, 2022, to file 
returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period. 
This means individuals who had a valid extension to file their 2020 
return due to run out on October&nbsp;15, 2021, will now have until 
January&nbsp;3, 2022, to file. The IRS noted, however, that because tax 
payments related to these 2020 returns were due on May 17, 2021, those 
payments are not eligible for this relief.

The January&nbsp;3, 2022 deadline also applies to quarterly estimated 
income tax payments due on September&nbsp;15, 2021, and the quarterly payroll
 and excise tax returns normally due on November&nbsp;1, 2021. It also 
applies to tax-exempt organizations, operating on a calendar-year basis,
 that had a valid extension due to run out on November&nbsp;15, 2021. 
Businesses with extensions also have the additional time including, 
among others, calendar-year corporations whose 2020 extensions run out 
on October&nbsp;15, 2021.

In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or 
after August&nbsp;26 and before September&nbsp;10, will be abated as long as the 
deposits are made by September&nbsp;10, 2021.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/disaster-assistance-and-emergency-relief-for-individuals-and-businesses">IRS disaster relief</a> page has details on other returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time.

The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any 
taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. 
Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this 
relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late 
payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended 
filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement 
period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the 
penalty abated.

In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside 
the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline 
occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected 
area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area
 need to contact the IRS at <a href="tel:866-562-5227">866-562-5227</a>.
 This also includes workers assisting the relief activities who are 
affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization.

Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who 
suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to
 claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this
 instance, the 2021 return normally filed next year), or the return for 
the prior year (2020). Be sure to write the FEMA declaration number – 4611 − for Hurricane Ida in Louisiana on any return claiming a loss. See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-547">Publication 547</a> for details.

The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the 
damage caused by Hurricane Ida and is based on local damage assessments 
by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit <a href="http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_en.portal">DisasterAssistance.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — Victims of Hurricane Ida that began on August&nbsp;26 now 
have until January&nbsp;3, 2022, to file various individual and business tax 
returns and make tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced 
today.The IRS is offering this relief to any area designated by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/">Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)</a>&nbsp;as
 qualifying for individual or public assistance. Currently this includes
 the entire state of Louisiana, but taxpayers in Ida-impacted localities
 designated by FEMA in neighboring states will automatically receive the
 same filing and payment relief. The current list of eligible localities
 is always available on the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">disaster relief</a> page on IRS.gov."During this difficult time, the IRS stands ready to help victims of 
Hurricane Ida," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "We want people 
affected by this devastating hurricane focused on their safety and 
recovery for themselves and their families. To provide assistance now 
and in the weeks ahead, we have a variety of different types of relief 
available to help people and businesses affected by this disaster."The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines 
that occurred starting on August&nbsp;26, 2021. As a result, affected 
individuals and businesses will have until January&nbsp;3, 2022, to file 
returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period. 
This means individuals who had a valid extension to file their 2020 
return due to run out on October&nbsp;15, 2021, will now have until 
January&nbsp;3, 2022, to file. The IRS noted, however, that because tax 
payments related to these 2020 returns were due on May 17, 2021, those 
payments are not eligible for this relief.The January&nbsp;3, 2022 deadline also applies to quarterly estimated 
income tax payments due on September&nbsp;15, 2021, and the quarterly payroll
 and excise tax returns normally due on November&nbsp;1, 2021. It also 
applies to tax-exempt organizations, operating on a calendar-year basis,
 that had a valid extension due to run out on November&nbsp;15, 2021. 
Businesses with extensions also have the additional time including, 
among others, calendar-year corporations whose 2020 extensions run out 
on October&nbsp;15, 2021.In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or 
after August&nbsp;26 and before September&nbsp;10, will be abated as long as the 
deposits are made by September&nbsp;10, 2021.The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/disaster-assistance-and-emergency-relief-for-individuals-and-businesses">IRS disaster relief</a> page has details on other returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time.The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any 
taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. 
Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this 
relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late 
payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended 
filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement 
period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the 
penalty abated.In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside 
the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline 
occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected 
area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area
 need to contact the IRS at <a href="tel:866-562-5227">866-562-5227</a>.
 This also includes workers assisting the relief activities who are 
affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization.Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who 
suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to
 claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this
 instance, the 2021 return normally filed next year), or the return for 
the prior year (2020). Be sure to write the FEMA declaration number – 4611 − for Hurricane Ida in Louisiana on any return claiming a loss. See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-547">Publication 547</a> for details.The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the 
damage caused by Hurricane Ida and is based on local damage assessments 
by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit <a href="http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_en.portal">DisasterAssistance.gov</a>.

IRS: Tax relief now available to victims of Hurricane Ida

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to the armed robbery of a female Z-Trip driver whom he shot approximately 26 times with a rifle from the back seat, according to the United State's Attorney

Derron D. Nevels, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of robbery and one count of discharging a firearm during a violent crime.

Nevels was picked up by a Z-Trip driver on Wabash Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., on the evening of Dec. 4, 2018. The Z-Trip taxi in which the crime was committed is equipped with interior and exterior cameras. The cameras show Nevels getting into the rear passenger seat at approximately 8 p.m. The Z-Trip driver took him to Benton Avenue in Kansas City, Mo.

When they arrived at the destination, they waited in the vehicle for somebody to bring out the fare. When a second suspect approached the vehicle, Nevels held a Smith and Wesson Military &amp; Police .22-caliber rifle up to the victim’s head and demanded she give him everything. The victim attempted to explain that Nevels was being recorded, to which Nevels responded, “I don’t care; give me everything.” Nevels also appeared to be taking a photo or video with his cell phone.

The victim turned toward the back seat and grabbed onto the rifle, and a struggle ensued. The second suspect hit the victim in the face, then reached around the driver’s seat and began striking the victim in the back and the back of the victim’s head. The victim released Nevels’ rifle and then Nevels leaned back in his seat, chambered a live round, and opened fire on the victim from close range.&nbsp; Nevels fired approximately 26 times into the victim.&nbsp; Nevels and his accomplice then ran from the scene.

About 10 minutes later, Nevels and another suspect returned to the victim’s vehicle to retrieve a cell phone Nevels had left behind when he fled from the scene of the earlier robbery and assault. Nevels can be heard on the Z-Trip vehicle’s video asking the victim if she is okay.&nbsp; The victim indicates she has been shot. Nevels asked the victim if she had called the police. He got into the rear driver’s side of the taxi and picked up the cell phone, then left the scene.

When police officers arrived, the victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. According to court documents, she continues to suffer from her serious and debilitating injuries inflicted by Nevels.

Investigators used cell phone and Facebook data to identify Nevels and the distinctive rifle he used in the robbery. On Dec. 10, 2018, Nevels was seen getting onto a bus near Prospect Avenue and Swope Parkway. Nevels was arrested when he got off the bus at 11th Street and Grand Avenue. Nevels was carrying the loaded rifle hidden in his waistband with the barrel going down his right pant leg. The rifle was later positively identified as the weapon used to shoot the Z-Trip driver during the robbery.

Co-defendants Bailee Anna Maria Prieto, 21, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Melani Yitzel Collazo Jimenez, also known as “Mel,” 23, of Kansas City, Mo., have each pleaded guilty to being accessories after the fact to the robbery.

Prieto used or allowed her phone to be used to order the Z-Trip that was robbed. Prieto disposed of her phone after the robbery to avoid the police searching it.

Jimenez went to the scene to help Nevels retrieve his telephone from the Z-Trip where he left it after the robbery and shooting. Jimenez provided her apartment for Nevels, Prieto, and others to stay the night after the robbery.

Neither Prieto nor Jimenez reported anything to law enforcement. The two of them communicated with and were associated with Nevels and others, before, during, and after the robbery and shooting.

Under federal statutes, Nevels is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Prieto and Jimenez are each subject to a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630102827276.png" alt="Nevels photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Nevels photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to the armed robbery of a female Z-Trip driver whom he shot approximately 26 times with a rifle from the back seat, according to the United State's AttorneyDerron D. Nevels, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of robbery and one count of discharging a firearm during a violent crime.Nevels was picked up by a Z-Trip driver on Wabash Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., on the evening of Dec. 4, 2018. The Z-Trip taxi in which the crime was committed is equipped with interior and exterior cameras. The cameras show Nevels getting into the rear passenger seat at approximately 8 p.m. The Z-Trip driver took him to Benton Avenue in Kansas City, Mo.When they arrived at the destination, they waited in the vehicle for somebody to bring out the fare. When a second suspect approached the vehicle, Nevels held a Smith and Wesson Military &amp; Police .22-caliber rifle up to the victim’s head and demanded she give him everything. The victim attempted to explain that Nevels was being recorded, to which Nevels responded, “I don’t care; give me everything.” Nevels also appeared to be taking a photo or video with his cell phone.The victim turned toward the back seat and grabbed onto the rifle, and a struggle ensued. The second suspect hit the victim in the face, then reached around the driver’s seat and began striking the victim in the back and the back of the victim’s head. The victim released Nevels’ rifle and then Nevels leaned back in his seat, chambered a live round, and opened fire on the victim from close range.&nbsp; Nevels fired approximately 26 times into the victim.&nbsp; Nevels and his accomplice then ran from the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630154796249.png" alt="Nevels from his time in the Missouri Department of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Nevels from his time in the Missouri Department of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>About 10 minutes later, Nevels and another suspect returned to the victim’s vehicle to retrieve a cell phone Nevels had left behind when he fled from the scene of the earlier robbery and assault. Nevels can be heard on the Z-Trip vehicle’s video asking the victim if she is okay.&nbsp; The victim indicates she has been shot. Nevels asked the victim if she had called the police. He got into the rear driver’s side of the taxi and picked up the cell phone, then left the scene.When police officers arrived, the victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. According to court documents, she continues to suffer from her serious and debilitating injuries inflicted by Nevels.Investigators used cell phone and Facebook data to identify Nevels and the distinctive rifle he used in the robbery. On Dec. 10, 2018, Nevels was seen getting onto a bus near Prospect Avenue and Swope Parkway. Nevels was arrested when he got off the bus at 11th Street and Grand Avenue. Nevels was carrying the loaded rifle hidden in his waistband with the barrel going down his right pant leg. The rifle was later positively identified as the weapon used to shoot the Z-Trip driver during the robbery.Co-defendants Bailee Anna Maria Prieto, 21, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Melani Yitzel Collazo Jimenez, also known as “Mel,” 23, of Kansas City, Mo., have each pleaded guilty to being accessories after the fact to the robbery.Prieto used or allowed her phone to be used to order the Z-Trip that was robbed. Prieto disposed of her phone after the robbery to avoid the police searching it.Jimenez went to the scene to help Nevels retrieve his telephone from the Z-Trip where he left it after the robbery and shooting. Jimenez provided her apartment for Nevels, Prieto, and others to stay the night after the robbery.Neither Prieto nor Jimenez reported anything to law enforcement. The two of them communicated with and were associated with Nevels and others, before, during, and after the robbery and shooting.Under federal statutes, Nevels is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Prieto and Jimenez are each subject to a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

Man shot Kansas City taxi driver 26 times

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with a burglary.

On Thursday, police were called to investigate a burglary and criminal damage to property report in the 1100 block of 10th Street in Great Bend that occurred at C &amp; V Home Improvement, according to a media release.

The suspects involved had gained access to the property, damaged several items during the incident and tools and equipment were stolen.

On Friday, during the course of this investigation, detectives and officers obtained and executed a search warrant at 306 Elm Street in Great Bend. During the execution of this search warrant, items of stolen property were recovered and two arrests were made.

Both Eric Ramos, age 36 and Tito Torres, age 37 of Great Bend were arrested on requested charges of burglary, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass and theft.

A second search warrant was obtained and executed at 209 Holland Street in Great Bend where additional stolen property was recovered. Additional search warrants are currently being obtained and executed on vehicles involved in this investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630359348013.png" alt="Ramos photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Ramos photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with a burglary.On Thursday, police were called to investigate a burglary and criminal damage to property report in the 1100 block of 10th Street in Great Bend that occurred at C &amp; V Home Improvement, according to a media release.The suspects involved had gained access to the property, damaged several items during the incident and tools and equipment were stolen.On Friday, during the course of this investigation, detectives and officers obtained and executed a search warrant at 306 Elm Street in Great Bend. During the execution of this search warrant, items of stolen property were recovered and two arrests were made.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630359368701.png" alt="Torres-photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Torres-photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Both Eric Ramos, age 36 and Tito Torres, age 37 of Great Bend were arrested on requested charges of burglary, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass and theft.A second search warrant was obtained and executed at 209 Holland Street in Great Bend where additional stolen property was recovered. Additional search warrants are currently being obtained and executed on vehicles involved in this investigation.

Police: 2 arrested for Kansas business burglary 

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/30/kansas-mother-grapples-with-sucker-punch-of-4-year-olds-covid-19-infection/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Jenna Sutter Brown’s 4-year-old daughter couldn’t sleep last week.

Hazel had bad congestion, a barking cough, a fever, and allergy-like 
symptoms. Her parents didn’t yet know the girl had COVID-19.

“I try hard to listen to her and give her the chance to tell me what 
is wrong. And so I said, ‘What’s wrong? Does anything hurt?’ And she 
just looked at me sobbing and said, ‘I don’t know.’ And that’s never 
happened,” Sutter Brown said. “That’s the night before she was 
diagnosed. That was one of those, ‘Do I need to call 911? Is she 
breathing enough?’ ”

Sutter Brown paused in that moment as she realized the need to stay 
calm and avoid unsettling her daughter. The mother said during a news 
briefing Monday with the University of Kansas Health System that it felt
 like a movie. She and her husband, who are both fully vaccinated and 
live in the Kansas City metro area, had tried so hard for 18 months to 
keep their child away from the virus, and federal approval of a 
pediatric vaccine seems so close.

Hazel’s illness developed after attending an unmasked preschool.

“That was a sucker punch that we were not really prepared for,” Sutter Brown said.

The girl is feeling better now, but her illness underscores the threat the virus poses for young children.

Angela Myers, director of the infectious diseases division at 
Children’s Mercy, said the hospital has treated COVID-19 patients in 
ages ranging from newborns through 18 years old. There are currently 11 
children hospitalized with COVID-19 at Children’s Mercy, including three
 in the intensive care unit.

Many parents assume if a child is hospitalized, the child must have 
some sort of pre-existing condition, but that isn’t the case. Myers also
 pointed out that asthma and obesity “are pretty common these days.”

“We have kids that get admitted to the hospital who have underlying 
conditions, but also kids that are otherwise healthy with really no huge
 risk factors,” Myers said.

Already, school districts have had to alter operations because of 
widespread outbreaks upon the return to school. At the Turner school 
district in Kansas City, Kan., 23 students and four staff members tested
 positive in the first week of class. On Friday, the Wellington school 
district announced it was shutting down until Sept. 7 because of three 
outbreaks that infected more than 40 students and staff.

Last year, Myers said, there was no question that if kids were in 
school they were going to wear a mask. Now, she said, people are being 
less careful and the delta strain of COVID-19 is far more contagious 
than the original virus.

“Hopefully, kids are being helped with wearing their mask 
appropriately — by the teachers, by the school staff and administrators,
 and hopefully by other kids,” Myers said. “Hopefully other kids feel 
feel competent enough to say, ‘Hey, you need to pull your mask up.’ ”

Some school boards across the state have refused to require face 
coverings indoors, despite the advice of local, state, federal and 
international medical experts.

Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control 
at KU Health, said conversations about mitigating the spread of COVID-19
 have become about politics and emotions instead of medicine. He said 
people should consider whether schools can carry on without masking.

“Certainly, from the available peer-reviewed consistent evidence, 
that answer would be no. A lot of these schools are being shut down now,
 and quarantined,” Hawkinson said. “That puts kids at home. That 
increases isolation. So I think it’s just a matter of some people really
 have to see the changes and the results for themselves. Unfortunately, 
it will lead to further spread of disease in those kids, but also in 
that community.”

Myers said children, like adults, can suffer long-term health 
problems after contracting COVID-19. In rare cases of multisystem 
inflammatory syndrome, children show mild symptoms from the initial 
infection, then end up in a hospital four to six weeks later with heart 
dysfunction. The Kansas Department for Health and Environment has 
recorded 18 of those cases since the start of the pandemic.

Sutter Brown said the decision to wear a mask is “a lesson in authority.”

“This is what you’re being asked to do,” she said. “It’s not blind 
obedience, but it’s the best for your community. I want to instill that 
in my daughter.”

Parents, Sutter Brown said, should know that their choices affect their neighborhood and beyond.

“It’s really important right now to think critically, and to just be 
empathetic and kind and come to people from a place of understanding and
 wanting to move forward,” Sutter Brown said.

After her daughter was sick, she engaged a coworker who had refused 
to get vaccinated in a “nice conversation.” The coworker then went and 
got one of the free, safe and effective vaccines.

“I count that as a win,” Sutter Brown said, “and if that’s what this was all for, then it was worth it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630352462110.jpeg" alt="Jenna Sutter Brown appears with her 4-year-old daughter, Hazel, during Monday’s online news briefing with the University of Kansas Health System. Hazel became sick with COVID-19 after attending preschool, the mother said. (Screen capture by Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jenna Sutter Brown appears with her 4-year-old daughter, Hazel, during Monday’s online news briefing with the University of Kansas Health System. Hazel became sick with COVID-19 after attending preschool, the mother said. (Screen capture by Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/30/kansas-mother-grapples-with-sucker-punch-of-4-year-olds-covid-19-infection/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Jenna Sutter Brown’s 4-year-old daughter couldn’t sleep last week.Hazel had bad congestion, a barking cough, a fever, and allergy-like 
symptoms. Her parents didn’t yet know the girl had COVID-19.“I try hard to listen to her and give her the chance to tell me what 
is wrong. And so I said, ‘What’s wrong? Does anything hurt?’ And she 
just looked at me sobbing and said, ‘I don’t know.’ And that’s never 
happened,” Sutter Brown said. “That’s the night before she was 
diagnosed. That was one of those, ‘Do I need to call 911? Is she 
breathing enough?’ ”Sutter Brown paused in that moment as she realized the need to stay 
calm and avoid unsettling her daughter. The mother said during a news 
briefing Monday with the University of Kansas Health System that it felt
 like a movie. She and her husband, who are both fully vaccinated and 
live in the Kansas City metro area, had tried so hard for 18 months to 
keep their child away from the virus, and federal approval of a 
pediatric vaccine seems so close.Hazel’s illness developed after attending an unmasked preschool.“That was a sucker punch that we were not really prepared for,” Sutter Brown said.The girl is feeling better now, but her illness underscores the threat the virus poses for young children.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630352530151.jpeg" alt="Angela Myers, director of the infectious diseases division at Children’s Mercy, says kids are vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19, even if they have no risk factors. (Screen capture by Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Angela Myers, director of the infectious diseases division at Children’s Mercy, says kids are vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19, even if they have no risk factors. (Screen capture by Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Angela Myers, director of the infectious diseases division at 
Children’s Mercy, said the hospital has treated COVID-19 patients in 
ages ranging from newborns through 18 years old. There are currently 11 
children hospitalized with COVID-19 at Children’s Mercy, including three
 in the intensive care unit.Many parents assume if a child is hospitalized, the child must have 
some sort of pre-existing condition, but that isn’t the case. Myers also
 pointed out that asthma and obesity “are pretty common these days.”“We have kids that get admitted to the hospital who have underlying 
conditions, but also kids that are otherwise healthy with really no huge
 risk factors,” Myers said.Already, school districts have had to alter operations because of 
widespread outbreaks upon the return to school. At the Turner school 
district in Kansas City, Kan., 23 students and four staff members tested
 positive in the first week of class. On Friday, the Wellington school 
district announced it was shutting down until Sept. 7 because of three 
outbreaks that infected more than 40 students and staff.Last year, Myers said, there was no question that if kids were in 
school they were going to wear a mask. Now, she said, people are being 
less careful and the delta strain of COVID-19 is far more contagious 
than the original virus.“Hopefully, kids are being helped with wearing their mask 
appropriately — by the teachers, by the school staff and administrators,
 and hopefully by other kids,” Myers said. “Hopefully other kids feel 
feel competent enough to say, ‘Hey, you need to pull your mask up.’ ”Some school boards across the state have refused to require face 
coverings indoors, despite the advice of local, state, federal and 
international medical experts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630352557049.jpeg" alt=" Dana Hawkinson, of KU Health, says a failure to wear masks at school results in home isolation and the further spread of disease in children and their communities. (Screen capture by Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Dana Hawkinson, of KU Health, says a failure to wear masks at school results in home isolation and the further spread of disease in children and their communities. (Screen capture by Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control 
at KU Health, said conversations about mitigating the spread of COVID-19
 have become about politics and emotions instead of medicine. He said 
people should consider whether schools can carry on without masking.“Certainly, from the available peer-reviewed consistent evidence, 
that answer would be no. A lot of these schools are being shut down now,
 and quarantined,” Hawkinson said. “That puts kids at home. That 
increases isolation. So I think it’s just a matter of some people really
 have to see the changes and the results for themselves. Unfortunately, 
it will lead to further spread of disease in those kids, but also in 
that community.”Myers said children, like adults, can suffer long-term health 
problems after contracting COVID-19. In rare cases of multisystem 
inflammatory syndrome, children show mild symptoms from the initial 
infection, then end up in a hospital four to six weeks later with heart 
dysfunction. The Kansas Department for Health and Environment has 
recorded 18 of those cases since the start of the pandemic.Sutter Brown said the decision to wear a mask is “a lesson in authority.”“This is what you’re being asked to do,” she said. “It’s not blind 
obedience, but it’s the best for your community. I want to instill that 
in my daughter.”Parents, Sutter Brown said, should know that their choices affect their neighborhood and beyond.“It’s really important right now to think critically, and to just be 
empathetic and kind and come to people from a place of understanding and
 wanting to move forward,” Sutter Brown said.After her daughter was sick, she engaged a coworker who had refused 
to get vaccinated in a “nice conversation.” The coworker then went and 
got one of the free, safe and effective vaccines.“I count that as a win,” Sutter Brown said, “and if that’s what this was all for, then it was worth it.”

Kan. mother grapples with ‘sucker punch’ of 4-year-old’s COVID infection

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a sad two-decade chapter in military history.&nbsp;

The Pentagon says that some Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan were unable to make it to the Kabul airport to board U.S. evacuation flights before the complete evacuation of U.S. forces.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that the U.S. believes it was able to evacuate the “vast majority” of Americans in the country who wanted to leave, but that it was aware of some who were couldn’t depart.

McKenzie says that in the final American flights out of Afghanistan, “We were not able to bring any Americans out.” The last American civilians were evacuated about 12 hours before U.S. forces left.

McKenzie says the effort to bring out Americans will now fall on diplomatic channels.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. would remain in Afghanistan until it was able to get all of its citizens out of the country. “If there’s American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” he told ABC News.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630357777110.png" alt="Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that it was aware of some Americans who were couldn’t depart." />
 <figcaption>Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that it was aware of some Americans who were couldn’t depart.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a sad two-decade chapter in military history.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LIVE: <a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a> John F. Kirby and <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CENTCOM</a> commander, Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., hold a news briefing at the Pentagon. <a href="https://t.co/1K6jZV6Sni">https://t.co/1K6jZV6Sni</a>&mdash; Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1432441234904260608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Pentagon says that some Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan were unable to make it to the Kabul airport to board U.S. evacuation flights before the complete evacuation of U.S. forces.Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that the U.S. believes it was able to evacuate the “vast majority” of Americans in the country who wanted to leave, but that it was aware of some who were couldn’t depart.McKenzie says that in the final American flights out of Afghanistan, “We were not able to bring any Americans out.” The last American civilians were evacuated about 12 hours before U.S. forces left.McKenzie says the effort to bring out Americans will now fall on diplomatic channels.Earlier this month, President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. would remain in Afghanistan until it was able to get all of its citizens out of the country. “If there’s American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” he told ABC News.

Some Americans left behind as last troops exit Afghanistan

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the abduction and killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, three years after she disappeared while out for an evening run.

Judge Joel Yates’ sentence for Cristhian Bahena Rivera was mandatory for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-trials-44cdbcedadeaaa32db3d27ce986984df">first-degree murder&nbsp;</a>conviction in Iowa, which does not have the death penalty. The 27-year-old former farmhand, who testified that he came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico as a teenager, has been jailed since his arrest in August 2018.

Yates pointedly rejected defense claims that others were responsible for the crime.

“Mr. Bahena Rivera, you and you alone forever changed the lives of those who loved Mollie Tibbetts,” he said.

The sentence caps a case that inflamed anger over illegal immigration, fueled fears about violence against solo female runners, and took several noteworthy twists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-business-273a6b106651b27dc3d0b91966ece58e">during&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-4c57d92b18ff7dce6aecd8d249ae28f6">after&nbsp;</a>Bahena Rivera’s trial in May.

Tibbetts’ mother, Laura Calderwood, addressed Bahena Rivera in a victim impact statement read to the court.

“Mollie was a young woman who simply wanted to go for a quiet run on the evening of July 18 and you chose to violently and sadistically end that life,” she wrote.

Calderwood recalled being told by tearful investigators that her 20-year-old daughter’s body had been found, and racing to inform relatives before they learned the news from the media. The hardest conversation was with Mollie’s grandmother, who was in disbelief that someone “could harm such a beautiful, vibrant young woman so full of promise,” she said.

She said the killing caused Hispanic workers to flee the area in fear, prevented Mollie’s boyfriend from being able to give her the engagement ring he had purchased, and meant her father would never walk his only daughter down the aisle.

“Because of your actions Mr. Rivera, I will never get to see my daughter become a mother,” Calderwood said.

Tibbetts vanished on a rural road outside her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, population 1,700, while out for a run on July 18, 2018. Family members and co-workers feared something was wrong when Tibbetts did not show up for her summer job at a daycare the next morning.

Hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers searched for weeks but came up empty. Investigators began focusing on Bahena Rivera, who worked under an alias at a nearby dairy farm, after finding a homeowner’s surveillance video that appeared to show his Chevy Malibu repeatedly driving past Tibbetts while she ran.

After a lengthy interrogation, Bahena Rivera led authorities to a cornfield where he had buried Tibbetts’ body under leaves and stalks. Only her bright running shoes were visible. An autopsy found she had been stabbed several times.

Bahena Rivera told investigators that he approached Tibbetts because he found her attractive, and that he fought her after she threatened to call the police. He said he then blacked out and came to as he was driving with her body in his trunk.

Prosecutors suggested Bahena Rivera had a sexual motive, noting Tibbetts was wearing only socks and a sports bra and that her legs were spread when her body was found. They built their case around the surveillance video, his partial confession and DNA evidence of Tibbetts’ blood in his trunk.

“Based upon the facts and circumstances of this case, it is very well deserved,” prosecutor Scott Brown said of the life sentence.

Bahena Rivera’s lawyers argued that his confession was false and coerced, and their client gave surprise testimony at trial sharing a different account. Bahena Rivera testified that two masked men kidnapped him from his trailer at gunpoint, made him drive while they attacked Tibbetts, instructed him on where to dispose of her body, and told him to stay quiet or that his young daughter and ex-girlfriend would be killed.

The defense sought to cast suspicion on several others, including Tibbetts’ boyfriend and a local deputy who lives next to where Tibbetts’ body was found.

Prosecutors called Bahena Rivera’s testimony a work of fiction and a unanimous 12-member jury found him guilty.

But two people immediately came forward to tell police that a 21-year-old man with a history of violence had confessed to them that he had killed Tibbetts. Separately, a woman had told police she was kidnapped after meeting an alleged sex trafficker at a Brooklyn gas station weeks before Tibbetts’ disappearance.

Yates delayed a July sentencing so the defense had time to investigate. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-5d360068d91900e01c9f0146cc716126">he denied Bahena Rivera’s motion</a>&nbsp;for a new trial, saying the new information was unreliable and he saw no reason to overturn the verdict.

The defense plans to appeal. Bahena Rivera and his defense lawyers, Chad and Jennifer Frese, declined to speak at sentencing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622236036202.png" alt="Rivera-photo Poweshiek County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Rivera-photo Poweshiek County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the abduction and killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, three years after she disappeared while out for an evening run.Judge Joel Yates’ sentence for Cristhian Bahena Rivera was mandatory for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-trials-44cdbcedadeaaa32db3d27ce986984df">first-degree murder&nbsp;</a>conviction in Iowa, which does not have the death penalty. The 27-year-old former farmhand, who testified that he came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico as a teenager, has been jailed since his arrest in August 2018.Yates pointedly rejected defense claims that others were responsible for the crime.“Mr. Bahena Rivera, you and you alone forever changed the lives of those who loved Mollie Tibbetts,” he said.The sentence caps a case that inflamed anger over illegal immigration, fueled fears about violence against solo female runners, and took several noteworthy twists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-business-273a6b106651b27dc3d0b91966ece58e">during&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-4c57d92b18ff7dce6aecd8d249ae28f6">after&nbsp;</a>Bahena Rivera’s trial in May.Tibbetts’ mother, Laura Calderwood, addressed Bahena Rivera in a victim impact statement read to the court.“Mollie was a young woman who simply wanted to go for a quiet run on the evening of July 18 and you chose to violently and sadistically end that life,” she wrote.Calderwood recalled being told by tearful investigators that her 20-year-old daughter’s body had been found, and racing to inform relatives before they learned the news from the media. The hardest conversation was with Mollie’s grandmother, who was in disbelief that someone “could harm such a beautiful, vibrant young woman so full of promise,” she said.She said the killing caused Hispanic workers to flee the area in fear, prevented Mollie’s boyfriend from being able to give her the engagement ring he had purchased, and meant her father would never walk his only daughter down the aisle.“Because of your actions Mr. Rivera, I will never get to see my daughter become a mother,” Calderwood said.Tibbetts vanished on a rural road outside her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, population 1,700, while out for a run on July 18, 2018. Family members and co-workers feared something was wrong when Tibbetts did not show up for her summer job at a daycare the next morning.Hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers searched for weeks but came up empty. Investigators began focusing on Bahena Rivera, who worked under an alias at a nearby dairy farm, after finding a homeowner’s surveillance video that appeared to show his Chevy Malibu repeatedly driving past Tibbetts while she ran.After a lengthy interrogation, Bahena Rivera led authorities to a cornfield where he had buried Tibbetts’ body under leaves and stalks. Only her bright running shoes were visible. An autopsy found she had been stabbed several times.Bahena Rivera told investigators that he approached Tibbetts because he found her attractive, and that he fought her after she threatened to call the police. He said he then blacked out and came to as he was driving with her body in his trunk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630353202444.png" alt="Mollie Tibbetts" />
 <figcaption>Mollie Tibbetts</figcaption>
 </figure>Prosecutors suggested Bahena Rivera had a sexual motive, noting Tibbetts was wearing only socks and a sports bra and that her legs were spread when her body was found. They built their case around the surveillance video, his partial confession and DNA evidence of Tibbetts’ blood in his trunk.“Based upon the facts and circumstances of this case, it is very well deserved,” prosecutor Scott Brown said of the life sentence.Bahena Rivera’s lawyers argued that his confession was false and coerced, and their client gave surprise testimony at trial sharing a different account. Bahena Rivera testified that two masked men kidnapped him from his trailer at gunpoint, made him drive while they attacked Tibbetts, instructed him on where to dispose of her body, and told him to stay quiet or that his young daughter and ex-girlfriend would be killed.The defense sought to cast suspicion on several others, including Tibbetts’ boyfriend and a local deputy who lives next to where Tibbetts’ body was found.Prosecutors called Bahena Rivera’s testimony a work of fiction and a unanimous 12-member jury found him guilty.But two people immediately came forward to tell police that a 21-year-old man with a history of violence had confessed to them that he had killed Tibbetts. Separately, a woman had told police she was kidnapped after meeting an alleged sex trafficker at a Brooklyn gas station weeks before Tibbetts’ disappearance.Yates delayed a July sentencing so the defense had time to investigate. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-5d360068d91900e01c9f0146cc716126">he denied Bahena Rivera’s motion</a>&nbsp;for a new trial, saying the new information was unreliable and he saw no reason to overturn the verdict.The defense plans to appeal. Bahena Rivera and his defense lawyers, Chad and Jennifer Frese, declined to speak at sentencing.

Farm laborer sentenced for murder of Iowa runner

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 3,203 to a total of 368,976, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 10 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 5,557.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 3,203 to a total of 368,976, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 10 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 5,557.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630342723579.png" alt="Monday August 30, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday August 30, 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: 3,200 new cases, 10 more COVID deaths

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The trial of a man charged in the murder of another man outside a Wichita night club two years ago begins Monday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In August of 2018, police <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=303494">arrested now 29-year-old </a>Mario Sandoval two days after the shooting death of&nbsp;24-year-old Austen Wright outside Club Vixens, according to a media release from police.

Sandoval was the second suspect arrest in the case.

Just before 2a.m. August 13, 2018, police&nbsp; responded to a shooting at Club Vixen in the 200 block of West Harry in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile.

Officers found Wright injured in a parking lot behind the club. Investigators learned a verbal altercation in the parking lot led to the shooting. Three or four men confronted Wright and one from that group of three or four pulled out a handgun and shot him. He was transported to a local hospital where he died.

Ojile initially&nbsp; reported limited cooperation from witnesses in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630341136399.png" alt="Sandoval photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Sandoval photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The trial of a man charged in the murder of another man outside a Wichita night club two years ago begins Monday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In August of 2018, police <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=303494">arrested now 29-year-old </a>Mario Sandoval two days after the shooting death of&nbsp;24-year-old Austen Wright outside Club Vixens, according to a media release from police.Sandoval was the second suspect arrest in the case.Just before 2a.m. August 13, 2018, police&nbsp; responded to a shooting at Club Vixen in the 200 block of West Harry in Wichita, according to Lt. Todd Ojile.Officers found Wright injured in a parking lot behind the club. Investigators learned a verbal altercation in the parking lot led to the shooting. Three or four men confronted Wright and one from that group of three or four pulled out a handgun and shot him. He was transported to a local hospital where he died.Ojile initially&nbsp; reported limited cooperation from witnesses in the case.

Trial for murder of man outside Kan. nightclub begins

WASHINGTON&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp;&nbsp; The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter S. Belt, Jr., 25, of Cleveland, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 3, 2021. On Dec. 7, 1941, Belt was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Belt. From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries. In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Belt. Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis. To identify Belt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis. Belt’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. Belt will be buried on Oct. 9, 2021, in Ellsworth, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630061210705.png" alt="Walter S. Belt, Jr.-&nbsp; photo courtesy Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency" />
 <figcaption>Walter S. Belt, Jr.-&nbsp; photo courtesy Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;&nbsp;–&nbsp;&nbsp; The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced that Navy Fireman 1st Class Walter S. Belt, Jr., 25, of Cleveland, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on March 3, 2021. On Dec. 7, 1941, Belt was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Belt. From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries. In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Belt. Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis. To identify Belt’s remains, scientists from DPAA used dental and anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis. Belt’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. Belt will be buried on Oct. 9, 2021, in Ellsworth, Kansas.

Remains of sailor killed at Pearl Harbor coming home to Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Population shifts left Kansas legislators in four urban areas with too many people in their districts and lawmakers from most rural areas with too few, according to new figures from the Legislature’s research staff.

<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Redistricting.html" target="_blank">The numbers</a>&nbsp;showed that 22 of 40 Senate districts and 78 of 125 House districts have too little population after the past 10 years. Current boundaries were drawn in 2012, and the Republican-controlled Legislature must redraw them next year to make sure that districts are as equal in population as possible. New lines will be based on the 2020 federal census.

Legislative researchers’ figures show that four Senate districts exceed the ideal population of 73,447 residents by more than 10%. Two are in Johnson County in the Kansas City area, one is in Lawrence, and the other is in Manhattan.

Senate President Ty Masterson’s district in east Wichita and Butler County has 9.5% too many residents.

Sixteen House districts had at least 10% more residents than the ideal population of 23,503.

Seven districts are in Johnson County, two are in Kansas City Kansas, and one is split between Johnson and Leavenworth counties. Two more of the districts each are in Lawrence, Manhattan, and the Wichita area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590523973873.png" alt="Kansas legislative districts" />
 <figcaption>Kansas legislative districts</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Population shifts left Kansas legislators in four urban areas with too many people in their districts and lawmakers from most rural areas with too few, according to new figures from the Legislature’s research staff.<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Redistricting.html" target="_blank">The numbers</a>&nbsp;showed that 22 of 40 Senate districts and 78 of 125 House districts have too little population after the past 10 years. Current boundaries were drawn in 2012, and the Republican-controlled Legislature must redraw them next year to make sure that districts are as equal in population as possible. New lines will be based on the 2020 federal census.Legislative researchers’ figures show that four Senate districts exceed the ideal population of 73,447 residents by more than 10%. Two are in Johnson County in the Kansas City area, one is in Lawrence, and the other is in Manhattan.Senate President Ty Masterson’s district in east Wichita and Butler County has 9.5% too many residents.Sixteen House districts had at least 10% more residents than the ideal population of 23,503.Seven districts are in Johnson County, two are in Kansas City Kansas, and one is split between Johnson and Leavenworth counties. Two more of the districts each are in Lawrence, Manhattan, and the Wichita area.

Legislative districts overpopulated in 4 Kansas urban area

BOSTON (AP) — Former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, the oldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, denounced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-d5e12df9cc3c0241ab108bfc124dda1b">possible parole of the man convicted of killing his father</a>&nbsp;in California in 1968.

“Two commissioners of the 18-member California Parole Board made a grievous error last Friday in recommending the release of the man who murdered my father,” Kennedy wrote in the emailed statement released Sunday. “I understand that there are differing views about ending the sentence of this killer, including within my own family. But emotions and opinions do not change facts or history.”

The board on Friday found that Sirhan Sirhan, 77, no longer poses a threat to society, noting that he had enrolled in more than 20 programs including anger management classes, Tai Chi and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

The ruling will be reviewed over the next four months by the board’s staff. Then it will be sent to the governor, who will have 30 days to decide whether to grant it, reverse it or modify it.

“I hope the full parole board will reverse the decision over the ongoing review period and that the California governor, if faced with the choice to release him, will keep him in prison to serve out his full life sentence,” Kennedy wrote.

Robert F. Kennedy was a U.S. senator from New York and the brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. RFK was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was gunned down at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after delivering a victory speech in the pivotal California primary. Five others were wounded.

Joe Kennedy II is one of RFK and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children, nine of whom are still alive. Two of them, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Douglas Kennedy, said they supported the release of Sirhan.

Joe Kennedy and five of his siblings said Friday they oppose parole and pledged to fight the process every step of the way. He was joined by Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Christopher G. Kennedy, Maxwell T. Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy said Sunday that anyone who kills for political reasons should “know that he will at a minimum spend life in prison without parole. ”

“The prisoner killed my father because of his support of Israel,” Kennedy wrote in a separate statement. “The man was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Yet he now may walk free, no doubt to the cheers of those who share his views. Let there be no mistake, the prisoner’s release will be celebrated by those who believe that political disagreements can be solved by a gun.”

Kennedy, on a more personal note, spoke of growing up without a father.

“The prisoner left a pregnant mother of ten without a husband and soon-to-be 11 children without a father.”

He added: “We miss him every moment of every day, and struggle to understand why the prisoner should be able to enjoy the golden years of his life when he so viciously stole them from our father.”

Sirhan was originally sentenced to death but that has already been reduced to life in prison, Kennedy noted.

“My mother, Ethel Kennedy, and my uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, asked that his death sentence be reduced to life imprisonment as a demonstration of mercy. He received that mercy,” Kennedy wrote. “No one should have the right to alter the lesser sentence requested by the person most affected by my father’s death — his wife, whose last child would never know a father’s touch. Nothing written, said or done will ever change that reality.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630107734279.png" alt="Sirhan photo Califoria Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Sirhan photo Califoria Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, the oldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, denounced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-d5e12df9cc3c0241ab108bfc124dda1b">possible parole of the man convicted of killing his father</a>&nbsp;in California in 1968.“Two commissioners of the 18-member California Parole Board made a grievous error last Friday in recommending the release of the man who murdered my father,” Kennedy wrote in the emailed statement released Sunday. “I understand that there are differing views about ending the sentence of this killer, including within my own family. But emotions and opinions do not change facts or history.”The board on Friday found that Sirhan Sirhan, 77, no longer poses a threat to society, noting that he had enrolled in more than 20 programs including anger management classes, Tai Chi and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.The ruling will be reviewed over the next four months by the board’s staff. Then it will be sent to the governor, who will have 30 days to decide whether to grant it, reverse it or modify it.“I hope the full parole board will reverse the decision over the ongoing review period and that the California governor, if faced with the choice to release him, will keep him in prison to serve out his full life sentence,” Kennedy wrote.Robert F. Kennedy was a U.S. senator from New York and the brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. RFK was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was gunned down at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after delivering a victory speech in the pivotal California primary. Five others were wounded.Joe Kennedy II is one of RFK and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children, nine of whom are still alive. Two of them, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Douglas Kennedy, said they supported the release of Sirhan.Joe Kennedy and five of his siblings said Friday they oppose parole and pledged to fight the process every step of the way. He was joined by Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Christopher G. Kennedy, Maxwell T. Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.Joe Kennedy said Sunday that anyone who kills for political reasons should “know that he will at a minimum spend life in prison without parole. ”“The prisoner killed my father because of his support of Israel,” Kennedy wrote in a separate statement. “The man was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Yet he now may walk free, no doubt to the cheers of those who share his views. Let there be no mistake, the prisoner’s release will be celebrated by those who believe that political disagreements can be solved by a gun.”Kennedy, on a more personal note, spoke of growing up without a father.“The prisoner left a pregnant mother of ten without a husband and soon-to-be 11 children without a father.”He added: “We miss him every moment of every day, and struggle to understand why the prisoner should be able to enjoy the golden years of his life when he so viciously stole them from our father.”Sirhan was originally sentenced to death but that has already been reduced to life in prison, Kennedy noted.“My mother, Ethel Kennedy, and my uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, asked that his death sentence be reduced to life imprisonment as a demonstration of mercy. He received that mercy,” Kennedy wrote. “No one should have the right to alter the lesser sentence requested by the person most affected by my father’s death — his wife, whose last child would never know a father’s touch. Nothing written, said or done will ever change that reality.”

RFK's oldest son condemns possible parole of Sirhan Sirhan

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — One of he biggest gun dealers in south-central Kansas is the city of Wichita, but it actually received less than half the proceeds from the sales because it works with several online companies to auction off the firearms. 

Since a new state law allowing the gun sales was passes in 2015, Wichita has sold 2,082 guns. that were seized during a variety of crimes but were no longer needed. 

The city generated $196,000 on the gun sales. But a local newspaper learned that the city received less than half of the $425,000 in total sales the guns generated because the companies than handle the sales take a significant chunk of the proceeds.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — One of he biggest gun dealers in south-central Kansas is the city of Wichita, but it actually received less than half the proceeds from the sales because it works with several online companies to auction off the firearms. Since a new state law allowing the gun sales was passes in 2015, Wichita has sold 2,082 guns. that were seized during a variety of crimes but were no longer needed. The city generated $196,000 on the gun sales. But a local newspaper learned that the city received less than half of the $425,000 in total sales the guns generated because the companies than handle the sales take a significant chunk of the proceeds.

City of Wichita made $196,000 selling guns since 2015 law

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state agency is pushing to process hundreds of applications for coronavirus relief funds from Kansas renters facing eviction and their landlords after spending weeks this spring hiring and training more than 100 new employees to do the work.

<a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/">The state’s Housing Resources Corporation</a> is handling the bulk of the emergency rental assistance in Kansas, and most of its money hasn’t yet been distributed. Questions about how quickly tenants’ overdue rent and utility bills are being paid off became even more compelling late Thursday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-dcd2da5f88b0396c05d85c00591755f9">the U.S. Supreme Court blocked</a>&nbsp;a federal moratorum on evictions.

States, cities and counties have until 2025 to spend some of the dollars, but the federal government hoped for 65% of the first tranche of aid — $15.7 billion total — to go out before Oct. 1. Although the state’s largest city, Wichita, has hit that target with its own program, the Kansas housing agency, like such agencies in most states and most cities and counties with their own programs, was far short at the end of July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-68d5f61397c203fb9bd023f10671ee18">the U.S. Treasury Department reported</a>&nbsp;this week.

“It’s just not getting the money to people fast enough,” said Dustin Hare, an organizer for the tenant advocacy group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rentzerokansas.org/" target="_blank">Rent Zero Kansas.</a>

The Kansas agency is now finishing about 500 applications per week, Executive Director Ryan Vincent said. The Treasury Department said the agency had distributed $21.9 million, or 11.7%, of its $188 million first tranche of aid by the end of July. By Friday morning, that figure stood at $31.9 million, or 17%.

“Everything we can do to get those dollars out the door is what we’re really focused on,” Vincent said.

Federal law directs the Treasury secretary to recapture “excess” funds and redirect them to states, cities and counties that hit the 65% goal.

“I am very concerned for the state that they’re going to have a whole lot of money clawed back,” said Sally Stang, director of Wichita’s housing department.

Vincent and Stockton Williams, the executive director of the National Council of State Housing Agencies, said such a redistribution is unlikely. They said the law simply allows the federal government to adjust when it has overestimated an area’s demand for aid.

Vincent also said the federal government created an “administrative heavy” program requiring his agency to get new computer software and more than triple its normal staff of 40 to 50 people. Applications often involve multiple contacts with landlords and tenants, he said.

Vincent said the housing corporation anticipates the extra staff remaining into 2025, when the last of the relief funds must be spent. Agencies can use up to 10% of their funds to cover administrative costs.

The housing corporation had approved only one application by the end of April but has now provided aid to about 6,200 households. Another 3,900 applications are moving toward approval.

Williams said it’s not uncommon for state agencies to have ramped up staffing. Louisiana hired a contractor to help process applications and now has upwards of 120 people doing the work.

“This was an unprecedented pandemic,” Williams said. “Congress really had to create a new program and all the city and county and state agencies have had to figure out how to implement it on the fly.”

Vincent said he believes his agency’s processing speed now compares favorably to the pace in other states. According to the Treasury Department’s data, Kansas was 13th among states for the percentage of funds spent in July.

Yet the agency faces pressure to move faster.

“It’s been a nightmare for everybody I’ve talked to,” said Ed Jaskinia, a lobbyist for an association representing what he calls “mom and pop” Kansas landlords.

Stang isn’t critical of the state program, but she thinks more funds should have flowed through local housing agencies like hers rather than limiting direct funding to several hundred of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.

Wichita’s housing department as of Thursday had distributed nearly $8.7 million, or 72%, of its $12 million in first-round funding, and Stang said it should spend the rest by year’s end. Some 1,450 households have received aid.

Stang said 70% of the landlords she’s dealing with on emergency aid already were dealing with the city through housing vouchers commonly known as Section 8. She hired nine new temporary full-time workers, but she’s also having 16 existing employees pitch in on applications part-time.

Stockton questioned whether small, local housing authorities could handle the demand for emergency aid. And Vincent said his agency is supplementing Wichita’s program because the funds sent directly to the city aren’t “its fair share.”

Meanwhile, Vincent and the Kansas housing corporation are encouraging tenants and their landlords to keep applying for aid.

“We’ve got the money,” he said. “It’s not going to run out.”

By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state agency is pushing to process hundreds of applications for coronavirus relief funds from Kansas renters facing eviction and their landlords after spending weeks this spring hiring and training more than 100 new employees to do the work.<a href="https://kshousingcorp.org/">The state’s Housing Resources Corporation</a> is handling the bulk of the emergency rental assistance in Kansas, and most of its money hasn’t yet been distributed. Questions about how quickly tenants’ overdue rent and utility bills are being paid off became even more compelling late Thursday when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-dcd2da5f88b0396c05d85c00591755f9">the U.S. Supreme Court blocked</a>&nbsp;a federal moratorum on evictions.States, cities and counties have until 2025 to spend some of the dollars, but the federal government hoped for 65% of the first tranche of aid — $15.7 billion total — to go out before Oct. 1. Although the state’s largest city, Wichita, has hit that target with its own program, the Kansas housing agency, like such agencies in most states and most cities and counties with their own programs, was far short at the end of July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-68d5f61397c203fb9bd023f10671ee18">the U.S. Treasury Department reported</a>&nbsp;this week.“It’s just not getting the money to people fast enough,” said Dustin Hare, an organizer for the tenant advocacy group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rentzerokansas.org/" target="_blank">Rent Zero Kansas.</a>The Kansas agency is now finishing about 500 applications per week, Executive Director Ryan Vincent said. The Treasury Department said the agency had distributed $21.9 million, or 11.7%, of its $188 million first tranche of aid by the end of July. By Friday morning, that figure stood at $31.9 million, or 17%.“Everything we can do to get those dollars out the door is what we’re really focused on,” Vincent said.Federal law directs the Treasury secretary to recapture “excess” funds and redirect them to states, cities and counties that hit the 65% goal.“I am very concerned for the state that they’re going to have a whole lot of money clawed back,” said Sally Stang, director of Wichita’s housing department.Vincent and Stockton Williams, the executive director of the National Council of State Housing Agencies, said such a redistribution is unlikely. They said the law simply allows the federal government to adjust when it has overestimated an area’s demand for aid.Vincent also said the federal government created an “administrative heavy” program requiring his agency to get new computer software and more than triple its normal staff of 40 to 50 people. Applications often involve multiple contacts with landlords and tenants, he said.Vincent said the housing corporation anticipates the extra staff remaining into 2025, when the last of the relief funds must be spent. Agencies can use up to 10% of their funds to cover administrative costs.The housing corporation had approved only one application by the end of April but has now provided aid to about 6,200 households. Another 3,900 applications are moving toward approval.Williams said it’s not uncommon for state agencies to have ramped up staffing. Louisiana hired a contractor to help process applications and now has upwards of 120 people doing the work.“This was an unprecedented pandemic,” Williams said. “Congress really had to create a new program and all the city and county and state agencies have had to figure out how to implement it on the fly.”Vincent said he believes his agency’s processing speed now compares favorably to the pace in other states. According to the Treasury Department’s data, Kansas was 13th among states for the percentage of funds spent in July.Yet the agency faces pressure to move faster.“It’s been a nightmare for everybody I’ve talked to,” said Ed Jaskinia, a lobbyist for an association representing what he calls “mom and pop” Kansas landlords.Stang isn’t critical of the state program, but she thinks more funds should have flowed through local housing agencies like hers rather than limiting direct funding to several hundred of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.Wichita’s housing department as of Thursday had distributed nearly $8.7 million, or 72%, of its $12 million in first-round funding, and Stang said it should spend the rest by year’s end. Some 1,450 households have received aid.Stang said 70% of the landlords she’s dealing with on emergency aid already were dealing with the city through housing vouchers commonly known as Section 8. She hired nine new temporary full-time workers, but she’s also having 16 existing employees pitch in on applications part-time.Stockton questioned whether small, local housing authorities could handle the demand for emergency aid. And Vincent said his agency is supplementing Wichita’s program because the funds sent directly to the city aren’t “its fair share.”Meanwhile, Vincent and the Kansas housing corporation are encouraging tenants and their landlords to keep applying for aid.“We’ve got the money,” he said. “It’s not going to run out.”___

Kansas agency faces pressure to speed aid, prevent evictions

WASHINGTON
 — September is National Preparedness Month. With the height of 
hurricane season fast approaching and the ongoing threat of wildfires in
 some parts of the country, the Internal Revenue Service reminds 
everyone to develop an emergency preparedness plan.

All taxpayers, from individuals to organizations and businesses, should take time now to create or update their emergency plans.

Taxpayers can begin getting ready for a disaster with a preparedness 
plan that includes securing and duplicating essential tax and financial 
documents, creating lists of property and knowing where to find 
information once a disaster has occurred. Securing this information can 
help in the aftermath of a disaster, and it can help people more quickly
 take advantage of disaster relief available from the IRS.

Taxpayers should keep critical original documents inside waterproof 
containers in a secure space. Documents such as tax returns, birth 
certificates, deeds, titles and insurance policies should also be 
duplicated and kept with a trusted person outside the area a natural 
disaster may affect.

If original documents are available only on paper, taxpayers can use a
 scanner and save them on a USB flash drive, CD or in the cloud, which 
provide security and easy portability.

After a disaster hits, photographs and videos of a home or business's
 contents can help support claims for insurance or tax benefits. All 
property, especially expensive and high- value items, should be 
recorded. The IRS disaster-loss workbooks can help&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584.pdf">individuals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584b.pdf">businesses</a>&nbsp;compile lists of belongings or business equipment.

Employers using payroll service providers should check if their 
provider has a fiduciary bond in place to protect the employer in the 
event of a default by provider. Employers are encouraged to create an 
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System account at <a href="https://www.eftps.gov/eftps/">EFTPS.gov</a> to monitor their payroll tax deposits and receive email alerts.

Reconstructing records after a disaster may be required for tax 
purposes, getting federal assistance or insurance reimbursement. Find 
out if financial institutions provide statements and documents 
electronically. Taxpayers who have lost some or all of their records 
during a disaster should visit IRS'&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/reconstructing-records-after-a-natural-disaster-or-casualty-loss-irs-provides-tips-to-help-taxpayers">Reconstructing Records</a>&nbsp;webpage.

Taxpayers living in a federally declared disaster can visit the IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">Tax Relief in Disaster Situations</a>&nbsp;webpage or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/around-the-nation">Around the Nation</a>
 on IRS.gov and check for the available disaster tax relief. The IRS 
automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area 
and applies filing and payment relief. Affected taxpayers can call&nbsp;<a href="tel:866-562-5227">866-562-5227</a>&nbsp;to speak with an IRS specialist trained to handle disaster-related issues.

A taxpayer impacted by a disaster outside of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">federally-declared disaster area</a>&nbsp;may
 qualify for disaster relief. This includes taxpayers who are not 
physically located in a disaster area, but whose records necessary to 
meet a filing or payment deadline postponed during the relief period are
 located in a covered disaster area.

For more information about National Preparedness Month, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ready.gov/september">Ready.gov/september</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — September is National Preparedness Month. With the height of 
hurricane season fast approaching and the ongoing threat of wildfires in
 some parts of the country, the Internal Revenue Service reminds 
everyone to develop an emergency preparedness plan.All taxpayers, from individuals to organizations and businesses, should take time now to create or update their emergency plans.Taxpayers can begin getting ready for a disaster with a preparedness 
plan that includes securing and duplicating essential tax and financial 
documents, creating lists of property and knowing where to find 
information once a disaster has occurred. Securing this information can 
help in the aftermath of a disaster, and it can help people more quickly
 take advantage of disaster relief available from the IRS.<h2>Start secure</h2>Taxpayers should keep critical original documents inside waterproof 
containers in a secure space. Documents such as tax returns, birth 
certificates, deeds, titles and insurance policies should also be 
duplicated and kept with a trusted person outside the area a natural 
disaster may affect.<h2>Make copies</h2>If original documents are available only on paper, taxpayers can use a
 scanner and save them on a USB flash drive, CD or in the cloud, which 
provide security and easy portability.<h2>Document valuables</h2>After a disaster hits, photographs and videos of a home or business's
 contents can help support claims for insurance or tax benefits. All 
property, especially expensive and high- value items, should be 
recorded. The IRS disaster-loss workbooks can help&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584.pdf">individuals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584b.pdf">businesses</a>&nbsp;compile lists of belongings or business equipment.<h2>Employer fiduciary bonds</h2>Employers using payroll service providers should check if their 
provider has a fiduciary bond in place to protect the employer in the 
event of a default by provider. Employers are encouraged to create an 
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System account at <a href="https://www.eftps.gov/eftps/">EFTPS.gov</a> to monitor their payroll tax deposits and receive email alerts.<h2>Know where to go</h2>Reconstructing records after a disaster may be required for tax 
purposes, getting federal assistance or insurance reimbursement. Find 
out if financial institutions provide statements and documents 
electronically. Taxpayers who have lost some or all of their records 
during a disaster should visit IRS'&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/reconstructing-records-after-a-natural-disaster-or-casualty-loss-irs-provides-tips-to-help-taxpayers">Reconstructing Records</a>&nbsp;webpage.<h2>IRS is ready to help</h2>Taxpayers living in a federally declared disaster can visit the IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">Tax Relief in Disaster Situations</a>&nbsp;webpage or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/around-the-nation">Around the Nation</a>
 on IRS.gov and check for the available disaster tax relief. The IRS 
automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area 
and applies filing and payment relief. Affected taxpayers can call&nbsp;<a href="tel:866-562-5227">866-562-5227</a>&nbsp;to speak with an IRS specialist trained to handle disaster-related issues.A taxpayer impacted by a disaster outside of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">federally-declared disaster area</a>&nbsp;may
 qualify for disaster relief. This includes taxpayers who are not 
physically located in a disaster area, but whose records necessary to 
meet a filing or payment deadline postponed during the relief period are
 located in a covered disaster area.For more information about National Preparedness Month, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ready.gov/september">Ready.gov/september</a>.<h2>Related items:</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2194.pdf">Publication 2194, Disaster Resource Guide for Individuals and Businesses</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5307.pdf">Publication 5307, Tax Reform: Basics for Individuals and Families </a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p583.pdf">Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p547.pdf">Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/reconstructing-records-after-a-natural-disaster-or-casualty-loss">Reconstructing Records After a Natural Disaster or Casualty Loss</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fema.gov/">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sba.gov/offices/headquarters/oda#">Small Business Administration</a></li><li><a href="http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_en.portal">DisasterAssistance.gov</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ready.gov/">Ready.gov</a></li>
 </ul>

IRS urges taxpayers to prepare for natural disasters

BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the abduction of a 3-year-old child and early Monday asked the public for information on her non-custodial mother.

&nbsp;Brittany Nicole White is a suspect in the abduction of her 3-year-old daughter Rayelle Ohanna Ray (Ray Ray), according to Andover Police.

Both are thought to be in the Wichita area and with Indiana Williams who is thought to have aided in the abduction. 

They were last seen driving a 2008 Grey Ford Edge but could be in a Red Dodge Journey.&nbsp; Brittany is not believed to be a danger to the child. 

Please contact The Andover Police Department at 316-733-5177 or 911 if you have any information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630324282746.png" alt="Photo Andover Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Andover Police</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the abduction of a 3-year-old child and early Monday asked the public for information on her non-custodial mother.&nbsp;Brittany Nicole White is a suspect in the abduction of her 3-year-old daughter Rayelle Ohanna Ray (Ray Ray), according to Andover Police.Both are thought to be in the Wichita area and with Indiana Williams who is thought to have aided in the abduction. They were last seen driving a 2008 Grey Ford Edge but could be in a Red Dodge Journey.&nbsp; Brittany is not believed to be a danger to the child. Please contact The Andover Police Department at 316-733-5177 or 911 if you have any information.

Police investigate abduction of 3-year-old Kan. girl

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) —Rocket fire apparently targeting Kabul's international airport struck a nearby neighborhood on Monday, the eve of the deadline for American troops to withdraw from the country’s longest war after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was hurt.

The rockets did not halt the steady stream of U.S. military C-17 cargo jets taking off and landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in the Afghan capital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week, the Islamic State group launched a devastating suicide bombing at one of the airport gates that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.

The airport repeatedly has been a scene of chaos in the two weeks since the Taliban blitz across Afghanistan that took control of the country, nearly 20 years after the initial U.S. invasion that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But since the suicide bombing, the Taliban have tightened their security cordon around the airfield, with their fighters seen just up to the last fencing separating them from the runway.

In the capital's Chahr-e-Shaheed neighborhood, a crowd quickly gathered around the remains of a four-door sedan used by the attackers, which had what appeared to be six homemade rocket tubes mounted where the backseat should be. The Islamic State group and other militants routinely mount such tubes into vehicles and quietly transport them undetected close to a target.

“I was inside the house with my children and other family members, suddenly there were some blasts," said Jaiuddin Khan, who lives nearby. "We jumped into the house compound and lay on the ground.”

The rockets landed across town in Kabul's Salim Karwan neighborhood, striking residential apartment blocks, witnesses said. That neighborhood is some 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from the airport. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

In Washington, the White House issued a statement saying officials briefed President Joe Biden on “the rocket attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport” in Kabul, apparently referring to the vehicle-based rocket launch that morning.

“The president was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at HKIA, and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritize doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground,” the statement said, using an acronym for Kabul’s airport.

The U.S. military did not respond to requests for comment. After the rocket fire, planes continued to land and taxi across to the northern military side of the airport. Planes took off roughly every 20 minutes at one point Monday morning.

Smoke from several fires along the airport's perimeter could be seen throughout Monday. It wasn't clear what was ablaze, though U.S. forces typically destroy material and equipment they won't take with them during the evacuation.

The airport had been one of the few ways out for foreigners and Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover. However, coalition nations have halted their evacuations in recent days, leaving the U.S. military largely alone at the base with some remaining allied Afghan forces providing security.

The U.S. State Department released a statement Sunday signed by around 100 countries, as well as NATO and the European Union, saying they had received “assurances” from the Taliban that people with travel documents would still be able to leave the country.

The Taliban have said they will allow normal travel after the U.S. withdrawal is completed on Tuesday and they assume control of the airport. However, it remains unclear how the militants will run the airport and which commercial carriers will begin flying into the field given the ongoing security concerns there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630087261414.png" alt="U.S. Army Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. photo Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Army Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. photo Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) —Rocket fire apparently targeting Kabul's international airport struck a nearby neighborhood on Monday, the eve of the deadline for American troops to withdraw from the country’s longest war after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was hurt.The rockets did not halt the steady stream of U.S. military C-17 cargo jets taking off and landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in the Afghan capital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week, the Islamic State group launched a devastating suicide bombing at one of the airport gates that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.The airport repeatedly has been a scene of chaos in the two weeks since the Taliban blitz across Afghanistan that took control of the country, nearly 20 years after the initial U.S. invasion that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But since the suicide bombing, the Taliban have tightened their security cordon around the airfield, with their fighters seen just up to the last fencing separating them from the runway.In the capital's Chahr-e-Shaheed neighborhood, a crowd quickly gathered around the remains of a four-door sedan used by the attackers, which had what appeared to be six homemade rocket tubes mounted where the backseat should be. The Islamic State group and other militants routinely mount such tubes into vehicles and quietly transport them undetected close to a target.“I was inside the house with my children and other family members, suddenly there were some blasts," said Jaiuddin Khan, who lives nearby. "We jumped into the house compound and lay on the ground.”The rockets landed across town in Kabul's Salim Karwan neighborhood, striking residential apartment blocks, witnesses said. That neighborhood is some 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from the airport. There were no immediate reports of injuries.In Washington, the White House issued a statement saying officials briefed President Joe Biden on “the rocket attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport” in Kabul, apparently referring to the vehicle-based rocket launch that morning.“The president was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at HKIA, and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritize doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground,” the statement said, using an acronym for Kabul’s airport.The U.S. military did not respond to requests for comment. After the rocket fire, planes continued to land and taxi across to the northern military side of the airport. Planes took off roughly every 20 minutes at one point Monday morning.Smoke from several fires along the airport's perimeter could be seen throughout Monday. It wasn't clear what was ablaze, though U.S. forces typically destroy material and equipment they won't take with them during the evacuation.The airport had been one of the few ways out for foreigners and Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover. However, coalition nations have halted their evacuations in recent days, leaving the U.S. military largely alone at the base with some remaining allied Afghan forces providing security.The U.S. State Department released a statement Sunday signed by around 100 countries, as well as NATO and the European Union, saying they had received “assurances” from the Taliban that people with travel documents would still be able to leave the country.The Taliban have said they will allow normal travel after the U.S. withdrawal is completed on Tuesday and they assume control of the airport. However, it remains unclear how the militants will run the airport and which commercial carriers will begin flying into the field given the ongoing security concerns there.While the Taliban has honored a pledge not to attack Western forces so long as they evacuate by Tuesday, the threat from the Islamic State's local affiliate remains a danger. The group, known as the Khorasan Province after a historic name for the region, saw some of its members freed as the Taliban released prisoners across the country during their takeover.On Sunday, a U.S. drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying Islamic State suicide bombers before they could attack the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul’s airport, American officials said. However, the Taliban said the strike killed at least 10 people — including civilians and three children, sparking anger over the civilian casualties.U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the American military's Central Command, acknowledged the reports of civilian casualties.“We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life,” he said in a statement.The U.S. carried out another drone strike elsewhere in the country on Saturday that it said killed two Islamic State members.By Tuesday, the U.S. is set to conclude a massive two-week-long airlift of more than 114,000 Afghans and foreigners and withdraw the last of its troops, ending America’s longest war with the Taliban back in power.However, Afghans remain fearful of the Taliban returning to the oppressive rule for which it was once known. There have been sporadic reports of killings and other abuses in the sweep across the country.Meanwhile, a cross-border shooting across the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan killed two Pakistani soldiers, the military said. Pakistani troops “responded in a befitting manner” after the attack in the district of Bajur of the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said.