‘I’m farmer to the bone. My nose is tough. This is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced’

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/14/as-massive-livestock-operations-move-in-fighting-them-gets-harder-for-rural-neighbors/">Kansas Reflector</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeff 
Jones has lived on his family’s land east of Columbia, Missouri, his 
entire life. Some of the family’s farms are more than 150 years old.

And Jones, who raises cattle and grows row crops, has no intentions of going anywhere.&nbsp;

But
 after years of fighting, his community is home to a concentrated animal
 feeding operation, or CAFO, that can raise as many as 10,000 hogs at 
any given time. The facility, which opened in 2019, houses the animals 
in barns built over concrete pits to store manure for months at a time.&nbsp;

Jones
 and CAFO critics consider them a health hazard — or at least a 
nuisance. One of the most common complaints is the stench from hog 
manure and dead animals.&nbsp;

“I’m
 farmer to the bone. My nose is tough. This is unlike anything I’ve ever
 experienced,” Jones said of the Callaway Farrowing CAFO. “This is like 
breathing straight ammonia. It’ll make your eyes water.”

Jones
 is part of Friends of Responsible Agriculture and said he fought the 
Callaway CAFO “tooth and nail.” But the CAFO permit went all the way up 
to the Western District Court of Appeals, where it was upheld.&nbsp;

Some
 rural communities in northwest Missouri have successfully fought off 
CAFOs. One facility proposed for Livingston County withdrew its permit 
request earlier this year after opposition and a lawsuit from neighbors.
 In 2019, the Valley Oaks Steak Company southeast of Kansas City, 
announced it would close its doors after an earlier attempt to expand.&nbsp;

But in Jones’ view, it’s getting harder for local communities to stop industrial hog farms.&nbsp;

“They’re
 passing laws out of the benefit of money instead of out of the benefit 
of people, so the people’s voice is becoming less instead of more,” 
Jones said.&nbsp;

In
 2019, Missouri had more than 500 CAFOs, according to the Missouri 
Coalition for the Environment — far less than the thousands in Iowa, the
 largest pork producing state in the United States.&nbsp;

The
 Missouri Department of Natural Resources did not provide data on the 
number of permitted CAFOs each year, but according to its website, it 
has issued permits for about 20 more since 2019.&nbsp;

An
 attorney representing several communities fighting CAFOs in their 
backyards said the number seemed to be on the uptick. But an attorney 
for the industry said the number of the largest CAFOs — permitted to 
house 17,500 swine or more than 7,000 cattle —&nbsp;was stagnant.&nbsp;

Neighboring Kansas has about 435 CAFOs and more than 2,400 smaller livestock operations.&nbsp;

Craig Volland, of the Kansas Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the number had grown steadily.

One CAFO in <a href="https://www.hutchnews.com/article/20160414/News/304149916">Greeley County in far Western Kansas has 180 hog barns</a> and was looking in 2014 to expand to become the second largest in the country.&nbsp;

Volland
 said right-to-farm rules in Kansas have made the state more friendly to
 CAFOs. But until recent years, regulators stuck close to federal CAFO 
rules in issuing permits.&nbsp;

Over
 the past several years, Missouri has passed several pieces of 
legislation to make way for CAFOs. About 10 years ago, the Missouri 
General Assembly <a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file/SC/Opinion_SC93816.pdf">eliminated citizens’ ability to make nuisance complaints for non-economic damages</a> against CAFOs. As of 2019, local and county health departments can’t issue <a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/19info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=3780907">ordinances governing CAFOs that are any stricter than state rules</a>. That rule is currently tied up in court.&nbsp;

Opponents say the 2019 law undermines local communities’ ability to protect residents and their natural resources.&nbsp;

Robert
 Brundage, an attorney who represents several agricultural 
organizations, said the legislation, known as Senate Bill 391, put local
 communities and the state on “equal footing.”&nbsp;

“Senate
 Bill 391 has prevented counties from imposing arbitrary siting 
restrictions on CAFOs that were never based in sound science,” Brundage 
said. “They were only enacted to prevent the siting of virtually any new
 livestock operation in the county, so the legislature has returned some
 more common sense approach to siting CAFOs in the state that’s based on
 science.”&nbsp;

This year, the <a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB574&amp;year=2021&amp;code=R">Legislature limited who can inspect agricultural facilities</a>
 to state and federal agriculture and environmental officials and law 
enforcement in an apparent effort to bar local health departments from 
viewing the facilities.&nbsp;

Gov.
 Mike Parson signed the legislation into law Thursday, saying it 
“protects producers and supports Missouri’s agriculture industry.”

Kansas, too, has been criticized for tipping the scales in favor of CAFOs.&nbsp;

Officials
 with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment have been 
negotiating with large hog farmers to amend state regulations and allow 
producers to divide their herds into distinct business operations on one
 piece of property, essentially allowing them to double the size of 
their CAFO without moving it any farther from the closest body of water,
 homes, churches or schools.&nbsp;

“They
 seem to be trying to accommodate the livestock industry at the expense,
 in our opinion, of the environment,” Volland said.&nbsp;

KDHE said the regulations weren’t in conflict with state law and didn’t represent a shift in policy.

A CAFO, Jones said, is “not something anybody wants to live next to.”&nbsp;

When the wind blows right, he can smell the hog waste from inside his farmhouse. He said it gets in his clothes.&nbsp;

But in recent years, neighbors have steadily lost their opportunities for recourse.&nbsp;

In 2016, lawmakers changed the makeup of the Clean Water Commission, which signs off on CAFO permits. <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article101824332.html">Critics argued that the change made the commission</a>
 more friendly to agricultural interests. The chairwoman, Ashley 
McCarty, is executive director of Missouri Farmers Care, which advocates
 for farming and agricultural interests and certifies counties with 
favorable rules as “agri-ready.”&nbsp;

McCarty didn’t return multiple requests for comment.&nbsp;

Stephen
 Jeffery, an attorney who helped Jones and neighbors try to fight off 
the CAFO in Callaway County, said neighbors often voice concerns about 
CAFO permits but are rarely heard.&nbsp;

By 2016, more than two dozen counties had adopted CAFO regulations, according to the <a href="https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/Pro/ManureManagement/Docs/cho/county_ordinance.pdf">University of Missouri Extension</a>. Then the General Assembly prohibited such rules.&nbsp;

Jeffery
 represented plaintiffs who are fighting to get the rule reversed. In a 
lawsuit filed in 2020, they said the legislation “hinders (counties’) 
ability to effectively protect the public health of their county 
residents,” noting one county had prohibited construction of manure pits
 in areas where the soil is prone to shrinking and swelling and could 
cause leaks in the manure.&nbsp;

“Under
 the current Missouri law and regulations, the local community doesn’t 
really get that much input,” Jeffery said. “They’re able to provide 
comments on a proposed permit, but 99.9% of the time, the requests that 
they make for changes or revisions, unfortunately, are not implemented.”

Supporters
 contend the county health ordinances allow local communities to set 
rules that are appropriate for them. Such a rule existed in Livingston 
County, where opponents successfully fought off a 10,500-hog CAFO near 
the Poosey Conservation Area.&nbsp;

But
 while the neighbors in Livingston County celebrated the CAFO operator’s
 decision to withdraw its permit application, the Clean Water Commission
 <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/05/18/missouri-eases-rules-for-building-cafos-despite-outcry-about-potential-pollution/">eased groundwater restrictions that would have applied to the CAFO</a>, making it easier for future operators to build in areas where environmentalists say they might threaten the groundwater.

While
 Jeffery has represented several communities attempting to battle back 
CAFOs, he noted the bulk of permit applications don’t garner the kind of
 attention the one in Livingston County did.

“What
 that tells me,” he said, “is that most CAFO operators are responsible 
enough that they site these facilities … far enough away that they’re 
not going to adversely affect their neighbors.”

Allison Kite is a data reporter for The Missouri Independent and Kansas Reflector, with a focus on the environment and agriculture.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623693654857.png" alt="Jeff Jones, of Callaway County, runs his family's 100-year-old farm right next to a concentrated animal feeding operation. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Jones, of Callaway County, runs his family's 100-year-old farm right next to a concentrated animal feeding operation. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘I’m farmer to the bone. My nose is tough. This is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced’</h2>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/14/as-massive-livestock-operations-move-in-fighting-them-gets-harder-for-rural-neighbors/">Kansas Reflector</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeff 
Jones has lived on his family’s land east of Columbia, Missouri, his 
entire life. Some of the family’s farms are more than 150 years old.And Jones, who raises cattle and grows row crops, has no intentions of going anywhere.&nbsp;But
 after years of fighting, his community is home to a concentrated animal
 feeding operation, or CAFO, that can raise as many as 10,000 hogs at 
any given time. The facility, which opened in 2019, houses the animals 
in barns built over concrete pits to store manure for months at a time.&nbsp;Jones
 and CAFO critics consider them a health hazard — or at least a 
nuisance. One of the most common complaints is the stench from hog 
manure and dead animals.&nbsp;“I’m
 farmer to the bone. My nose is tough. This is unlike anything I’ve ever
 experienced,” Jones said of the Callaway Farrowing CAFO. “This is like 
breathing straight ammonia. It’ll make your eyes water.”Jones
 is part of Friends of Responsible Agriculture and said he fought the 
Callaway CAFO “tooth and nail.” But the CAFO permit went all the way up 
to the Western District Court of Appeals, where it was upheld.&nbsp;Some
 rural communities in northwest Missouri have successfully fought off 
CAFOs. One facility proposed for Livingston County withdrew its permit 
request earlier this year after opposition and a lawsuit from neighbors.
 In 2019, the Valley Oaks Steak Company southeast of Kansas City, 
announced it would close its doors after an earlier attempt to expand.&nbsp;But in Jones’ view, it’s getting harder for local communities to stop industrial hog farms.&nbsp;“They’re
 passing laws out of the benefit of money instead of out of the benefit 
of people, so the people’s voice is becoming less instead of more,” 
Jones said.&nbsp;In
 2019, Missouri had more than 500 CAFOs, according to the Missouri 
Coalition for the Environment — far less than the thousands in Iowa, the
 largest pork producing state in the United States.&nbsp;The
 Missouri Department of Natural Resources did not provide data on the 
number of permitted CAFOs each year, but according to its website, it 
has issued permits for about 20 more since 2019.&nbsp;An
 attorney representing several communities fighting CAFOs in their 
backyards said the number seemed to be on the uptick. But an attorney 
for the industry said the number of the largest CAFOs — permitted to 
house 17,500 swine or more than 7,000 cattle —&nbsp;was stagnant.&nbsp;Neighboring Kansas has about 435 CAFOs and more than 2,400 smaller livestock operations.&nbsp;Craig Volland, of the Kansas Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the number had grown steadily.One CAFO in <a href="https://www.hutchnews.com/article/20160414/News/304149916">Greeley County in far Western Kansas has 180 hog barns</a> and was looking in 2014 to expand to become the second largest in the country.&nbsp;Volland
 said right-to-farm rules in Kansas have made the state more friendly to
 CAFOs. But until recent years, regulators stuck close to federal CAFO 
rules in issuing permits.&nbsp;Over
 the past several years, Missouri has passed several pieces of 
legislation to make way for CAFOs. About 10 years ago, the Missouri 
General Assembly <a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file/SC/Opinion_SC93816.pdf">eliminated citizens’ ability to make nuisance complaints for non-economic damages</a> against CAFOs. As of 2019, local and county health departments can’t issue <a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/19info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=3780907">ordinances governing CAFOs that are any stricter than state rules</a>. That rule is currently tied up in court.&nbsp;Opponents say the 2019 law undermines local communities’ ability to protect residents and their natural resources.&nbsp;Robert
 Brundage, an attorney who represents several agricultural 
organizations, said the legislation, known as Senate Bill 391, put local
 communities and the state on “equal footing.”&nbsp;“Senate
 Bill 391 has prevented counties from imposing arbitrary siting 
restrictions on CAFOs that were never based in sound science,” Brundage 
said. “They were only enacted to prevent the siting of virtually any new
 livestock operation in the county, so the legislature has returned some
 more common sense approach to siting CAFOs in the state that’s based on
 science.”&nbsp;This year, the <a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB574&amp;year=2021&amp;code=R">Legislature limited who can inspect agricultural facilities</a>
 to state and federal agriculture and environmental officials and law 
enforcement in an apparent effort to bar local health departments from 
viewing the facilities.&nbsp;Gov.
 Mike Parson signed the legislation into law Thursday, saying it 
“protects producers and supports Missouri’s agriculture industry.”Kansas, too, has been criticized for tipping the scales in favor of CAFOs.&nbsp;Officials
 with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment have been 
negotiating with large hog farmers to amend state regulations and allow 
producers to divide their herds into distinct business operations on one
 piece of property, essentially allowing them to double the size of 
their CAFO without moving it any farther from the closest body of water,
 homes, churches or schools.&nbsp;“They
 seem to be trying to accommodate the livestock industry at the expense,
 in our opinion, of the environment,” Volland said.&nbsp;KDHE said the regulations weren’t in conflict with state law and didn’t represent a shift in policy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623693729704.jpeg" alt="Jeff Jones, of Callaway County, runs his family’s 100-year-old farm right next to a concentrated animal feeding operation. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Jones, of Callaway County, runs his family’s 100-year-old farm right next to a concentrated animal feeding operation. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>CAFOs abound</h2>A CAFO, Jones said, is “not something anybody wants to live next to.”&nbsp;When the wind blows right, he can smell the hog waste from inside his farmhouse. He said it gets in his clothes.&nbsp;But in recent years, neighbors have steadily lost their opportunities for recourse.&nbsp;In 2016, lawmakers changed the makeup of the Clean Water Commission, which signs off on CAFO permits. <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article101824332.html">Critics argued that the change made the commission</a>
 more friendly to agricultural interests. The chairwoman, Ashley 
McCarty, is executive director of Missouri Farmers Care, which advocates
 for farming and agricultural interests and certifies counties with 
favorable rules as “agri-ready.”&nbsp;McCarty didn’t return multiple requests for comment.&nbsp;Stephen
 Jeffery, an attorney who helped Jones and neighbors try to fight off 
the CAFO in Callaway County, said neighbors often voice concerns about 
CAFO permits but are rarely heard.&nbsp;By 2016, more than two dozen counties had adopted CAFO regulations, according to the <a href="https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/Pro/ManureManagement/Docs/cho/county_ordinance.pdf">University of Missouri Extension</a>. Then the General Assembly prohibited such rules.&nbsp;Jeffery
 represented plaintiffs who are fighting to get the rule reversed. In a 
lawsuit filed in 2020, they said the legislation “hinders (counties’) 
ability to effectively protect the public health of their county 
residents,” noting one county had prohibited construction of manure pits
 in areas where the soil is prone to shrinking and swelling and could 
cause leaks in the manure.&nbsp;“Under
 the current Missouri law and regulations, the local community doesn’t 
really get that much input,” Jeffery said. “They’re able to provide 
comments on a proposed permit, but 99.9% of the time, the requests that 
they make for changes or revisions, unfortunately, are not implemented.”Supporters
 contend the county health ordinances allow local communities to set 
rules that are appropriate for them. Such a rule existed in Livingston 
County, where opponents successfully fought off a 10,500-hog CAFO near 
the Poosey Conservation Area.&nbsp;But
 while the neighbors in Livingston County celebrated the CAFO operator’s
 decision to withdraw its permit application, the Clean Water Commission
 <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/05/18/missouri-eases-rules-for-building-cafos-despite-outcry-about-potential-pollution/">eased groundwater restrictions that would have applied to the CAFO</a>, making it easier for future operators to build in areas where environmentalists say they might threaten the groundwater.While
 Jeffery has represented several communities attempting to battle back 
CAFOs, he noted the bulk of permit applications don’t garner the kind of
 attention the one in Livingston County did.“What
 that tells me,” he said, “is that most CAFO operators are responsible 
enough that they site these facilities … far enough away that they’re 
not going to adversely affect their neighbors.”Allison Kite is a data reporter for The Missouri Independent and Kansas Reflector, with a focus on the environment and agriculture.&nbsp;

Fighting massive livestock operations gets harder for rural neighbors

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Eleven U.S. mayors — from Los Angeles to tiny Tullahassee, Oklahoma — have pledged to pay reparations for slavery to a small group of Black residents in their cities, saying their aim is to set an example for the federal government on how a nationwide program could work.

The mayors had no details on how much it would cost, who would pay for it or how people would be chosen. All of those details would be worked out with the help of local commissions comprised of representatives from Black-led organizations set up to advise the mayor of each city. But the mayors say they are committed to paying reparations instead of just talking about them.

“Black Americans don’t need another study that sits on a shelf,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, the city’s first Black female mayor and a member of the group. “We need decisive action to address the racial wealth gap holding communities back across our country.”

The effort comes as Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States, has become a federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday that was passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19, as a holiday.

Slavery officially ended in the United States in 1865 with the adoption of the 13th amendment to U.S. Constitution. But its effects have lingered far beyond that, contributing to disparities in wealth and health between white and Black populations.

Since 1989, lawmakers in Congress introduced a bill that would form a commission to study and develop reparations proposals in the United States. But it has never passed. Last year, California became the first state to set up its own reparations commission. That group held its first meeting earlier this month.

Friday's announcement marks the largest city-led effort at paying reparations to date, but it isn't the first. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-race-and-ethnicity-government-and-politics-162ed9de1b72bab0ed7e9c360392f59c">voted in March</a>&nbsp;to appoint a 15-member African American Reparations Advisory Committee. That same month, the City Council of Evanston, Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reparations-evanston-illinois-black-residents-752a6fe83c560117523d7f8abba1bfb8">voted to pay $400,000</a>&nbsp;to eligible Black households, part of a pledge to spend $10 million over the next 10 years. Qualifying households would get $25,000 to use for things like home repair or putting a down payment on property.

Last year, the City Council in Asheville, North Carolina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5b46780d8ad761dbeedafe3db855721b">voted to approve reparations</a>&nbsp;in the form of investments in areas of disparity for Black residents.

This group of mayors, dubbed&nbsp;<a href="https://moremayors.org/">Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity</a>&nbsp;(MORE), is led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. Their stated goal is for these reparations programs to “serve as high-profile demonstrations for how the country can more quickly move from conversation to action on reparations for Black Americans,” according to the group's website.

“Let me be clear: Cities will never have the funds to pay for reparations on our own,” Garcetti said during a news conference on Friday to announce the group. “When we have the laboratories of cities show that there is much more to embrace than to fear, we know that we can inspire national action as well.”

It’s similar to the aim of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-andrew-yang-california-poverty-michael-tubbs-150214c358eaca9a24c8501c51e09491">another group of mayors&nbsp;</a>who have experimented with guaranteed income programs, where a small group of low-income people receive cash payments each month with no restrictions on how they can spend it. The first such program was set up in Stockton, California, by former mayor Michael Tubbs, who is listed as an “emeritus member” of the reparations group.

The other mayors are Jorge Elorza of Providence, Rhode Island; Steve Adler of Austin, Texas; Steve Schewel of Durham, North Carolina: Esther Manheimer of Asheville, North Carolina: Quinton Lucas of Kansas City; Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, California; Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Minnesota; and Keisha Currin of Tullahassee, Oklahoma.

Tullahassee — a small town of fewer than 200 people in northeast Oklahoma — is the oldest of the surviving all-Black towns in the states that were founded after the U.S. abolished slavery. Many of the first Black people to live there had been enslaved by Native American tribes that had allied with the Confederacy during the Civil War.

“Slavery has played a huge part in my family and in my community,” Currin said. “This program is going to show our community that we care.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624128251238.png" alt="Friday's announcement marks the largest city-led effort at paying reparations to date. Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Friday's announcement marks the largest city-led effort at paying reparations to date. Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Eleven U.S. mayors — from Los Angeles to tiny Tullahassee, Oklahoma — have pledged to pay reparations for slavery to a small group of Black residents in their cities, saying their aim is to set an example for the federal government on how a nationwide program could work.The mayors had no details on how much it would cost, who would pay for it or how people would be chosen. All of those details would be worked out with the help of local commissions comprised of representatives from Black-led organizations set up to advise the mayor of each city. But the mayors say they are committed to paying reparations instead of just talking about them.“Black Americans don’t need another study that sits on a shelf,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, the city’s first Black female mayor and a member of the group. “We need decisive action to address the racial wealth gap holding communities back across our country.”The effort comes as Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States, has become a federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday that was passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19, as a holiday.Slavery officially ended in the United States in 1865 with the adoption of the 13th amendment to U.S. Constitution. But its effects have lingered far beyond that, contributing to disparities in wealth and health between white and Black populations.Since 1989, lawmakers in Congress introduced a bill that would form a commission to study and develop reparations proposals in the United States. But it has never passed. Last year, California became the first state to set up its own reparations commission. That group held its first meeting earlier this month.Friday's announcement marks the largest city-led effort at paying reparations to date, but it isn't the first. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-race-and-ethnicity-government-and-politics-162ed9de1b72bab0ed7e9c360392f59c">voted in March</a>&nbsp;to appoint a 15-member African American Reparations Advisory Committee. That same month, the City Council of Evanston, Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reparations-evanston-illinois-black-residents-752a6fe83c560117523d7f8abba1bfb8">voted to pay $400,000</a>&nbsp;to eligible Black households, part of a pledge to spend $10 million over the next 10 years. Qualifying households would get $25,000 to use for things like home repair or putting a down payment on property.Last year, the City Council in Asheville, North Carolina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5b46780d8ad761dbeedafe3db855721b">voted to approve reparations</a>&nbsp;in the form of investments in areas of disparity for Black residents.This group of mayors, dubbed&nbsp;<a href="https://moremayors.org/">Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity</a>&nbsp;(MORE), is led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. Their stated goal is for these reparations programs to “serve as high-profile demonstrations for how the country can more quickly move from conversation to action on reparations for Black Americans,” according to the group's website.“Let me be clear: Cities will never have the funds to pay for reparations on our own,” Garcetti said during a news conference on Friday to announce the group. “When we have the laboratories of cities show that there is much more to embrace than to fear, we know that we can inspire national action as well.”It’s similar to the aim of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-andrew-yang-california-poverty-michael-tubbs-150214c358eaca9a24c8501c51e09491">another group of mayors&nbsp;</a>who have experimented with guaranteed income programs, where a small group of low-income people receive cash payments each month with no restrictions on how they can spend it. The first such program was set up in Stockton, California, by former mayor Michael Tubbs, who is listed as an “emeritus member” of the reparations group.The other mayors are Jorge Elorza of Providence, Rhode Island; Steve Adler of Austin, Texas; Steve Schewel of Durham, North Carolina: Esther Manheimer of Asheville, North Carolina: Quinton Lucas of Kansas City; Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, California; Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Minnesota; and Keisha Currin of Tullahassee, Oklahoma.Tullahassee — a small town of fewer than 200 people in northeast Oklahoma — is the oldest of the surviving all-Black towns in the states that were founded after the U.S. abolished slavery. Many of the first Black people to live there had been enslaved by Native American tribes that had allied with the Confederacy during the Civil War.“Slavery has played a huge part in my family and in my community,” Currin said. “This program is going to show our community that we care.”

KC Mayor joins effort to pay reparations for slavery

As cases tumble and states reopen, the potential final stage in the U.S. campaign to vanquish COVID-19 is turning into a slog, with a worrisome variant gaining a bigger foothold and lotteries and other prizes failing to persuade some Americans to get vaccinated.

“The last half, the last mile, the last quarter-mile always requires more effort,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.

While two of the states slammed hardest by the disaster, California and New York, celebrated their reopenings this week with fireworks and a multimillion-dollar drawing, hospitalizations in parts of Missouri are surging and cases are rising sharply in Texas, illustrating the challenges the country faces this summer.

One major concern is the highly contagious and potentially more severe delta variant of the coronavirus that originated in India. While health officials say the vaccines are effective against it, the fear is that it will lead to outbreaks in states with lower vaccination rates.

The delta variant has increased from 2.7% of all cases in May to 9.7% this month, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a call for governors on Monday, according to details provided by the Washington governor’s office.

At the same time, states are convening focus groups to better understand who is declining to get vaccinated, why, and how to convince them that getting the shot is the right thing to do.

“It’s a race between the vaccines going into people and the current or future variants,” said Kansas Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman.

Average deaths and cases per day have plummeted 90% or more across the U.S. since the winter. But the picture is uneven.

In Texas, the rolling average of newly confirmed infections has climbed from about 1,000 per day on May 31 to nearly 2,000 this week.

A swath of Missouri is seeing a big rise in cases and hospitalizations as tourists eager to get out after being cooped up for a year make their way to popular destinations like Branson and Lake of the Ozarks. Health officials said more than 200 people were hospitalized with the virus in southwestern Missouri, nearly double the number at the start of May. The number of patients in intensive care units in the region has tripled.

Health experts cite two factors driving the surge there: the faster-spreading delta variant and a reluctance among residents to get vaccinated.

The U.S. is expected to fall short of President Joe Biden’s goal of dispensing at least one dose to 70% of American adults by July 4. The figure stands at about 65%.

Among the states that don’t expect to hit the goal are Kansas and Idaho. In Idaho, some counties have adult vaccination rates under 30%, said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, public health administrator for the state Department of Health and Welfare.

To increase vaccinations, several states are working to break up large shipments of vaccine into smaller lots, which can then be distributed to doctors’ offices. Health officials see primary care physicians as key to easing people’s concerns.

“People want to hear it from their doctor, their medical providers, people that they know and trust,” Norman said.

Big, splashy giveaways such as lotteries have gotten a lot of headlines and dispensed millions of dollars. In Maine, home of the outdoor wear company L.L. Bean, Bean gift cards were a big hit. But elsewhere, there has been skepticism about such programs.

Shaw-Tulloch said some businesses in Idaho had offered financial incentives for employees to get vaccinated but didn’t get many takers. Instead, she said, the key is making it easy to get a vaccine by turning it into part of a person’s “daily flow.”

Some people’s attitude is that “if a vaccine were to fall out of the sky and hit me in the arm, I’ll get it. But I’m not going to interrupt my busy daily life to make that effort and go in and get a vaccination,” she said.

She added: “That’s why we’re really focusing on walk-in clinics, pop-up clinics where, wherever they turn, there’s a place that’s easily available for getting the vaccine.”

Elsewhere around the world, there have been glimmers of hope, as India reopened the Taj Mahal amid a decline in new infections. In France, where virus cases are below 4,000 per day — down from 35,000 in the spring — authorities eased the requirements on wearing masks outdoors and said the nightly curfew will end this weekend.

“We have not known such a low level of virus spreading since last August,” Prime Minister Jean Castex said.

Meanwhile, South Africa imposed tighter restrictions on public gatherings and liquor sales as hospital admissions due to COVID-19 increased by 59% over the past two weeks, authorities said. New cases there have nearly doubled.

The recorded U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 600,000 on Tuesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, it stands at 3.8 million, though both numbers are thought to be a significant undercount.

By MICHELLE R. SMITHAs cases tumble and states reopen, the potential final stage in the U.S. campaign to vanquish COVID-19 is turning into a slog, with a worrisome variant gaining a bigger foothold and lotteries and other prizes failing to persuade some Americans to get vaccinated.“The last half, the last mile, the last quarter-mile always requires more effort,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.While two of the states slammed hardest by the disaster, California and New York, celebrated their reopenings this week with fireworks and a multimillion-dollar drawing, hospitalizations in parts of Missouri are surging and cases are rising sharply in Texas, illustrating the challenges the country faces this summer.One major concern is the highly contagious and potentially more severe delta variant of the coronavirus that originated in India. While health officials say the vaccines are effective against it, the fear is that it will lead to outbreaks in states with lower vaccination rates.The delta variant has increased from 2.7% of all cases in May to 9.7% this month, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a call for governors on Monday, according to details provided by the Washington governor’s office.At the same time, states are convening focus groups to better understand who is declining to get vaccinated, why, and how to convince them that getting the shot is the right thing to do.“It’s a race between the vaccines going into people and the current or future variants,” said Kansas Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman.Average deaths and cases per day have plummeted 90% or more across the U.S. since the winter. But the picture is uneven.In Texas, the rolling average of newly confirmed infections has climbed from about 1,000 per day on May 31 to nearly 2,000 this week.A swath of Missouri is seeing a big rise in cases and hospitalizations as tourists eager to get out after being cooped up for a year make their way to popular destinations like Branson and Lake of the Ozarks. Health officials said more than 200 people were hospitalized with the virus in southwestern Missouri, nearly double the number at the start of May. The number of patients in intensive care units in the region has tripled.Health experts cite two factors driving the surge there: the faster-spreading delta variant and a reluctance among residents to get vaccinated.The U.S. is expected to fall short of President Joe Biden’s goal of dispensing at least one dose to 70% of American adults by July 4. The figure stands at about 65%.Among the states that don’t expect to hit the goal are Kansas and Idaho. In Idaho, some counties have adult vaccination rates under 30%, said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, public health administrator for the state Department of Health and Welfare.To increase vaccinations, several states are working to break up large shipments of vaccine into smaller lots, which can then be distributed to doctors’ offices. Health officials see primary care physicians as key to easing people’s concerns.“People want to hear it from their doctor, their medical providers, people that they know and trust,” Norman said.Big, splashy giveaways such as lotteries have gotten a lot of headlines and dispensed millions of dollars. In Maine, home of the outdoor wear company L.L. Bean, Bean gift cards were a big hit. But elsewhere, there has been skepticism about such programs.Shaw-Tulloch said some businesses in Idaho had offered financial incentives for employees to get vaccinated but didn’t get many takers. Instead, she said, the key is making it easy to get a vaccine by turning it into part of a person’s “daily flow.”Some people’s attitude is that “if a vaccine were to fall out of the sky and hit me in the arm, I’ll get it. But I’m not going to interrupt my busy daily life to make that effort and go in and get a vaccination,” she said.She added: “That’s why we’re really focusing on walk-in clinics, pop-up clinics where, wherever they turn, there’s a place that’s easily available for getting the vaccine.”Elsewhere around the world, there have been glimmers of hope, as India reopened the Taj Mahal amid a decline in new infections. In France, where virus cases are below 4,000 per day — down from 35,000 in the spring — authorities eased the requirements on wearing masks outdoors and said the nightly curfew will end this weekend.“We have not known such a low level of virus spreading since last August,” Prime Minister Jean Castex said.Meanwhile, South Africa imposed tighter restrictions on public gatherings and liquor sales as hospital admissions due to COVID-19 increased by 59% over the past two weeks, authorities said. New cases there have nearly doubled.The recorded U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 600,000 on Tuesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, it stands at 3.8 million, though both numbers are thought to be a significant undercount.___

Vaccine effort turns into slog as infectious variant spreads

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has started sending letters
 to more than 36 million American families who, based on tax returns 
filed with the agency, may be eligible to receive monthly Child Tax 
Credit payments starting in July.

The expanded and newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit was authorized by
 the American Rescue Plan Act, enacted in March. The letters are going 
to families who may be eligible based on information they included in 
either their 2019 or 2020 federal income tax return or who used the 
Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov last year to register for an Economic Impact 
Payment.

Families who are eligible for advance Child Tax Credit payments will 
receive a second, personalized letter listing an estimate of their 
monthly payment, which begins July 15.

Most families do not need to take any action to get their payment. 
Normally, the IRS will calculate the payment amount based on the 2020 
tax return. If that return is not available, either because it has not 
yet been filed or it has not yet been processed, the IRS will instead 
determine the payment amount using the 2019 return.

Eligible families will begin receiving advance payments, either by 
direct deposit or check. The payment will be up to $300 per month for 
each qualifying child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each 
qualifying child ages 6 to 17.The IRS will issue advance Child Tax 
Credit payments on July 15, August&nbsp;13, September 15, October 15, 
November 15 and December 15.

Eligible families should file tax returns soon

The IRS urges individuals and families who haven't yet filed their 
2020 return – or 2019 return – to do so as soon as possible so they can 
receive any advance payment they're eligible for.

Filing soon will also ensure that the IRS has their most current 
banking information, as well as key details about qualifying children. 
This includes people who don't normally file a tax return, such as 
families experiencing homelessness, the rural poor, and other 
underserved groups.

For most people, the fastest and easiest way to file a return is by using the Free File system, available only on IRS.gov.

Throughout the summer, the IRS will be adding additional tools and 
online resources to help with the advance Child Tax Credit. One of these
 tools will enable families to unenroll from receiving these advance 
payments and instead receive the full amount of the credit when they 
file their 2021 return next year.

Additionally, later this year, individuals and families will also be 
able to go to IRS.gov and use a Child Tax Credit Update Portal to notify
 IRS of changes in their income, filing status, or number of qualifying 
children; update their direct deposit information; and make other 
changes to ensure they are receiving the right amount as quickly as 
possible.

The IRS has created a special Advance Child Tax Credit 2021 page at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>, designed to provide the most up-to-date information about the credit and the advance payments.

In the next few weeks, the page will also feature other useful new online tools, including:

The American Rescue Plan raised the maximum Child Tax Credit in 2021 
to $3,600 for qualifying children under the age of 6 and to $3,000 per 
child for qualifying children between ages 6 and 17. Before 2021, the 
credit was worth up to $2,000 per eligible child, and 17 year-olds were 
not considered as qualifying children for the credit.

The new maximum credit is available to taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) of:

For most people, modified AGI is the amount shown on Line 11 of 
their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. Above these income thresholds, the 
extra amount above the original $2,000 credit — either $1,000 or $1,600 
per child — is reduced by $50 for every extra $1,000 in modified AGI.

In addition, the entire credit is fully refundable for 2021. This means that eligible families
 can get it, even if they owe no federal income tax. Before this year, 
the refundable portion was limited to $1,400 per child.

The IRS urges community groups, non-profits, associations, education 
organizations, and others with connections to people with children to 
share this critical information about the Child Tax Credit as well as 
other important benefits. The IRS will be providing in the near future 
additional materials and information that can be easily shared by social
 media, email and other methods.

For the most up-to-date information on the Child Tax Credit and advance payments, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has started sending letters
 to more than 36 million American families who, based on tax returns 
filed with the agency, may be eligible to receive monthly Child Tax 
Credit payments starting in July.The expanded and newly-advanceable Child Tax Credit was authorized by
 the American Rescue Plan Act, enacted in March. The letters are going 
to families who may be eligible based on information they included in 
either their 2019 or 2020 federal income tax return or who used the 
Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov last year to register for an Economic Impact 
Payment.Families who are eligible for advance Child Tax Credit payments will 
receive a second, personalized letter listing an estimate of their 
monthly payment, which begins July 15.Most families do not need to take any action to get their payment. 
Normally, the IRS will calculate the payment amount based on the 2020 
tax return. If that return is not available, either because it has not 
yet been filed or it has not yet been processed, the IRS will instead 
determine the payment amount using the 2019 return.Eligible families will begin receiving advance payments, either by 
direct deposit or check. The payment will be up to $300 per month for 
each qualifying child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each 
qualifying child ages 6 to 17.The IRS will issue advance Child Tax 
Credit payments on July 15, August&nbsp;13, September 15, October 15, 
November 15 and December 15.<h2>Eligible families should file tax returns soon</h2>The IRS urges individuals and families who haven't yet filed their 
2020 return – or 2019 return – to do so as soon as possible so they can 
receive any advance payment they're eligible for.Filing soon will also ensure that the IRS has their most current 
banking information, as well as key details about qualifying children. 
This includes people who don't normally file a tax return, such as 
families experiencing homelessness, the rural poor, and other 
underserved groups.For most people, the fastest and easiest way to file a return is by using the Free File system, available only on IRS.gov.Throughout the summer, the IRS will be adding additional tools and 
online resources to help with the advance Child Tax Credit. One of these
 tools will enable families to unenroll from receiving these advance 
payments and instead receive the full amount of the credit when they 
file their 2021 return next year.Additionally, later this year, individuals and families will also be 
able to go to IRS.gov and use a Child Tax Credit Update Portal to notify
 IRS of changes in their income, filing status, or number of qualifying 
children; update their direct deposit information; and make other 
changes to ensure they are receiving the right amount as quickly as 
possible.<h2>Other tools coming soon</h2>The IRS has created a special Advance Child Tax Credit 2021 page at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>, designed to provide the most up-to-date information about the credit and the advance payments.In the next few weeks, the page will also feature other useful new online tools, including:<ul>
 <li>An interactive Child Tax Credit eligibility tool to help 
families determine whether they qualify for the Advance Child Tax Credit
 payments.</li><li>Another tool, the Child Tax Credit Update Portal, will initially 
enable anyone who has been determined to be eligible for advance 
payments unenroll/ to opt out of the advance payment program. Later this
 year, it will allow people to check on the status of their payments, 
make updates to their information, and be available in Spanish. More 
details will be available soon about the online Child Tax Credit Update 
Portal.</li>
 </ul><h2>Child Tax Credit Changes</h2>The American Rescue Plan raised the maximum Child Tax Credit in 2021 
to $3,600 for qualifying children under the age of 6 and to $3,000 per 
child for qualifying children between ages 6 and 17. Before 2021, the 
credit was worth up to $2,000 per eligible child, and 17 year-olds were 
not considered as qualifying children for the credit.The new maximum credit is available to taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) of:<ul>
 <li>$75,000 or less for singles,</li><li>$112,500 or less for heads of household, and</li><li>$150,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return and qualified widows and widowers.</li>
 </ul>For most people, modified AGI is the amount shown on Line 11 of 
their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. Above these income thresholds, the 
extra amount above the original $2,000 credit — either $1,000 or $1,600 
per child — is reduced by $50 for every extra $1,000 in modified AGI.In addition, the entire credit is fully refundable for 2021. This means that eligible families
 can get it, even if they owe no federal income tax. Before this year, 
the refundable portion was limited to $1,400 per child.The IRS urges community groups, non-profits, associations, education 
organizations, and others with connections to people with children to 
share this critical information about the Child Tax Credit as well as 
other important benefits. The IRS will be providing in the near future 
additional materials and information that can be easily shared by social
 media, email and other methods.For the most up-to-date information on the Child Tax Credit and advance payments, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021</a>.

IRS: Letters going out to 38M families getting Child Tax Credit payments

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy continue their search for a third suspect and are asking the public for help to locate 25-year-old Jaron C. Palmer.

Just before 7p.m. April 25, police were dispatched to report of a shooting at the&nbsp;Morgan's Landing Apartments complex in the 3800 Block of West 13th Street in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.

When officers arrived, they learned there were five individuals inside the apartment at the time of the incident. One who was fatally shot has been identified as 17-year-old Eric Stokes of Wichita.

EMS transported a second shooting victim identified as a 17-year-old boy to a local hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released, according to Stephens.

Investigators learned that three unknown, armed suspects arrived at the apartment, forced their way in and fired several shots that killed Stokes.&nbsp; The suspects fled on foot from the apartment complex.&nbsp; It was not a random incident and drugs are believed to have played a part, according to Stephens.

Police released a video of two suspects involved in the homicide.&nbsp; After the release, police received numerous tips from the community, which led to the identification and arrest of 18-year-old Easton Palmer&nbsp; and&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20070532">18-year-old Breckyn I. Elliot</a>&nbsp;both of Wichita. They have been charged with first degree murder&nbsp; aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619801280517.png" alt="Jaron Palmer photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Jaron Palmer photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy continue their search for a third suspect and are asking the public for help to locate 25-year-old Jaron C. Palmer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619801567819.png" alt="Elliott photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Elliott photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 7p.m. April 25, police were dispatched to report of a shooting at the&nbsp;Morgan's Landing Apartments complex in the 3800 Block of West 13th Street in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619547988764.png" alt="Through the investigation, detectives determined the two pictured suspects and possibly other were involved in the incident." />
 <figcaption>Through the investigation, detectives determined the two pictured suspects and possibly other were involved in the incident.</figcaption>
 </figure>When officers arrived, they learned there were five individuals inside the apartment at the time of the incident. One who was fatally shot has been identified as 17-year-old Eric Stokes of Wichita.EMS transported a second shooting victim identified as a 17-year-old boy to a local hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released, according to Stephens.Investigators learned that three unknown, armed suspects arrived at the apartment, forced their way in and fired several shots that killed Stokes.&nbsp; The suspects fled on foot from the apartment complex.&nbsp; It was not a random incident and drugs are believed to have played a part, according to Stephens.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619618101953.png" alt="Palmer photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Palmer photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Police released a video of two suspects involved in the homicide.&nbsp; After the release, police received numerous tips from the community, which led to the identification and arrest of 18-year-old Easton Palmer&nbsp; and&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20070532">18-year-old Breckyn I. Elliot</a>&nbsp;both of Wichita. They have been charged with first degree murder&nbsp; aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.---------

Search continues for suspect in murder, robbery of Kan. teen

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal-officer involved shooting that sent also sent a police officer to the hospital.

Just after 10:15p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a check welfare call at a home in the 500 Block of West Carlyle in Wichita, according to Patrol South Commander Captain&nbsp;Wendell Nicholson.

Two women were inside the residence. When police arrived on the scene, they began to take gunfire from a suspect inside the home. One officer was shot multiple times, according to Nicholson. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

As other officers arrived, the suspect continued shooting. The suspect was shot and died on the scene, according to Nicholson.

Police took several witness in for questioning. The FBI and and KBI have also been notified and are assisting with the investigation.&nbsp; Police are expected to provide additional details Sunday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624198277511.png" alt="Police near the scene of the gun battle on Saturday night in Wichita-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police near the scene of the gun battle on Saturday night in Wichita-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal-officer involved shooting that sent also sent a police officer to the hospital.Just after 10:15p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a check welfare call at a home in the 500 Block of West Carlyle in Wichita, according to Patrol South Commander Captain&nbsp;Wendell Nicholson.Two women were inside the residence. When police arrived on the scene, they began to take gunfire from a suspect inside the home. One officer was shot multiple times, according to Nicholson. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition.As other officers arrived, the suspect continued shooting. The suspect was shot and died on the scene, according to Nicholson.Police took several witness in for questioning. The FBI and and KBI have also been notified and are assisting with the investigation.&nbsp; Police are expected to provide additional details Sunday afternoon.

Police: Kan. officer wounded, suspect dead after gun battle

NEOSHO, Mo. (AP) — A Joplin man who shot and killed his son's girlfriend and injured his son during a custody dispute has been sentenced to life in prison.

Rickey Lamb, 62, was sentenced Thursday in the fatal shooting of Sarah Tyminski, 32, two years ago. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joplin-shootings-neosho-57f8446fac9b987f4d96fa21acf3f0dd">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;in April to second-degree murder and prosecutors agreed to drop domestic assault and armed criminal action charges.

Lamb's son, Chris Lamb, 37, was seriously injured when the two men exchanged gunfire in June 2019.

The couple had given custody of their two girls to Chris Lamb's parents in a tribal court arrangement but were allowed to visit them on weekends.

Prosecutors said when Rickey Lamb refused to let the couple see their daughters for a weekend, Chris Lamb threatened to take the girls and never let them see their grandparents again.

The father and son gave differing accounts of their confrontation at the couple's home, during which the two men exchanged gunfire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618667520700.png" alt="Lamb photo Newton County" />
 <figcaption>Lamb photo Newton County</figcaption>
 </figure>NEOSHO, Mo. (AP) — A Joplin man who shot and killed his son's girlfriend and injured his son during a custody dispute has been sentenced to life in prison.Rickey Lamb, 62, was sentenced Thursday in the fatal shooting of Sarah Tyminski, 32, two years ago. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joplin-shootings-neosho-57f8446fac9b987f4d96fa21acf3f0dd">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;in April to second-degree murder and prosecutors agreed to drop domestic assault and armed criminal action charges.Lamb's son, Chris Lamb, 37, was seriously injured when the two men exchanged gunfire in June 2019.The couple had given custody of their two girls to Chris Lamb's parents in a tribal court arrangement but were allowed to visit them on weekends.Prosecutors said when Rickey Lamb refused to let the couple see their daughters for a weekend, Chris Lamb threatened to take the girls and never let them see their grandparents again.The father and son gave differing accounts of their confrontation at the couple's home, during which the two men exchanged gunfire.

Man who killed son's girlfriend sentenced to life in prison

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fire and have made an arrest.

Just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Topeka Fire Department responded to the report of a person squirting lighter fluid all over an apartment in a domestic situation at the Jackson Towers Apartments, 1122 SW Jackson Street, according to department spokesman Alan Stahl.

Upon arrival, fire crews found the apartment evacuated, but no fire. The incident commander requested an investigator, and the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshall responded to the scene.

After interviewing the victim and collecting evidence at the scene, it was determined there was enough probable cause to arrest the suspect identified as 53-year-old Carl Lester for the crime of Attempted Aggravated Arson and Aggravated Assault.

Police located Lester&nbsp; later in the day and arrested him without incident. He was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623979914148.png" alt="Lester-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lester-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fire and have made an arrest.Just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Topeka Fire Department responded to the report of a person squirting lighter fluid all over an apartment in a domestic situation at the Jackson Towers Apartments, 1122 SW Jackson Street, according to department spokesman Alan Stahl.Upon arrival, fire crews found the apartment evacuated, but no fire. The incident commander requested an investigator, and the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshall responded to the scene.After interviewing the victim and collecting evidence at the scene, it was determined there was enough probable cause to arrest the suspect identified as 53-year-old Carl Lester for the crime of Attempted Aggravated Arson and Aggravated Assault.Police located Lester&nbsp; later in the day and arrested him without incident. He was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

Fire Marshal: Kan. man squirted lighter fluid all over apartment

WICHITA— A former employee of Lake Afton Public Observatory in Goddard has returned $1,600 in misappropriated funds as part of a plea deal with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office.

On June 17, Harold Henderson, 56, of Wichita, returned the funds in the form of a cashier’s check and entered a plea to a single misdemeanor count of giving a worthless check, according to the district attorney's office.

Judge David Dahl sentenced Henderson to time served. Henderson was the director and treasurer for the observatory until 2019, where he was authorized to use a debit card and checkbook to make official purchases for the organization. 

A financial audit showed Henderson made several unauthorized transactions totaling $1,604.90 from August 2017 to March 2019.

Henderson was charged in April of this year with misdemeanor theft, but those charges were reduced to giving a worthless check in return for full reimbursement to the observatory. The case was investigated by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.

Lake Afton Public Observatory is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission of providing astronomy education to the public. The observatory relies solely on admissions and donations to continue providing educational opportunities to the public.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624030967386.png" alt="Henderson photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Henderson photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA— A former employee of Lake Afton Public Observatory in Goddard has returned $1,600 in misappropriated funds as part of a plea deal with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office.On June 17, Harold Henderson, 56, of Wichita, returned the funds in the form of a cashier’s check and entered a plea to a single misdemeanor count of giving a worthless check, according to the district attorney's office.Judge David Dahl sentenced Henderson to time served. Henderson was the director and treasurer for the observatory until 2019, where he was authorized to use a debit card and checkbook to make official purchases for the organization. A financial audit showed Henderson made several unauthorized transactions totaling $1,604.90 from August 2017 to March 2019.Henderson was charged in April of this year with misdemeanor theft, but those charges were reduced to giving a worthless check in return for full reimbursement to the observatory. The case was investigated by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department.Lake Afton Public Observatory is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission of providing astronomy education to the public. The observatory relies solely on admissions and donations to continue providing educational opportunities to the public.

Former Kan. public observatory director enters  plea deal

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a victim in his late teens has been shot and killed in Kansas City, Kansas. Officers responded just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday to a shooting call at a home. 

Police said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police didn’t immediately release the teen’s name or a suspect description. The killing is the 15th homicide of 2021 in the city.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a victim in his late teens has been shot and killed in Kansas City, Kansas. Officers responded just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday to a shooting call at a home. Police said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police didn’t immediately release the teen’s name or a suspect description. The killing is the 15th homicide of 2021 in the city.

Police: Boy in late teens dies after shooting in Kansas

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden says that Champ, the older of the family's two dogs, has died “peacefully at home.” The German shepherd was 13.

The president and first lady Jill Biden got Champ from a breeder after Biden was elected vice president in 2008. Since then Champ has been a fixture at both the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory and now the White House. 

The Bidens say in a statement that  Champ “was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family.” Champ’s passing leaves the Bidens with their younger German shepherd, Major. The Bidens are expected to bring a cat to the White House sometime soon.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden says that Champ, the older of the family's two dogs, has died “peacefully at home.” The German shepherd was 13.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our family lost our loving companion Champ today. I will miss him. <a href="https://t.co/sePqXBIAsE">pic.twitter.com/sePqXBIAsE</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1406273358187044868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president and first lady Jill Biden got Champ from a breeder after Biden was elected vice president in 2008. Since then Champ has been a fixture at both the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory and now the White House. The Bidens say in a statement that Champ “was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family.” Champ’s passing leaves the Bidens with their younger German shepherd, Major. The Bidens are expected to bring a cat to the White House sometime soon.

President Bidens' older dog, Champ, has died

By KATELYNN MCILWAIN <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/eisenhower-presidential-library-expanding-hours-next-week">Kansas News Service</a>

ABILENE —&nbsp;Starting next week, the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and 
Boyhood Home will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It currently is open during the same hours Wednesday through Saturday because of pandemic restrictions.

“We
 are moving forward,” said Dawn Hammatt, the library and museum’s 
director. “We have a plan in place, and we are really excited to be able
 to do this in a safe and healthy fashion.”

Kansas Sen. Jerry 
Moran has been urging the National Archives of Records Administration to
 allow the library and museum to open beyond its current 25% capacity 
limit for visitors. The agency oversees about a dozen presidential 
libraries.

Last week, the Biden administration announced it would
 lift the federal restrictions, and agencies can now submit their own 
plans for reopening. The National Archives is one of those agencies.

The
 Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau has been using transient guest 
tax collections to measure the effect the museum's reduced capacity has 
had on the city. Director Julie Roller Weeks said lodging sales for 
Abilene have dropped from $2.5 million in 2018 to $796,000 this year. 
Its accounting period for 2021 ends in&nbsp; September.

“Without 
(transient guest tax) revenue, we have a smaller marketing budget and 
that ripple is felt throughout the community,” Roller Weeks wrote in an 
email.

The restrictions, though, are not all bad.

“You 
know those things in your office that you say, ‘I'll get to it one 
day?’” Hammatt said. “Well, we've done those things. … and it's been 
fantastic.”

When the pandemic limited in-person visiting, the 
Eisenhower Library and Museum increased its virtual reach. Hammatt said 
it was able to digitize analog pieces for researchers and participate 
with other presidential libraries.

The annual Symphony at Sunset 
concert to commemorate D-Day wasn’t possible under COVID-19, but the 
museum decided to host a virtual Emerging Scholars D-Day Symposium 
instead. It invited scholars such as&nbsp; doctoral candidates to discuss 
their topics of interest.

“What we learned about developing 
virtual programs and engaging with guests in a virtual capacity has been
 astounding, and I am grateful that we were able to learn these things,”
 Hammatt said.

Many museums across the country have experienced 
significant losses during the pandemic. The American Alliance of Museums
 surveyed 1,000 museum directors, and<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/01/1002077626/a-new-report-shows-museums-had-a-bad-year-but-not-the-worst-possible#:~:text=New%20Study%20Shows%20Museum%20Losses%20During%20The%20Pandemic%20The%20report,40%25%20slump%20in%20operating%20income." target="_blank"> 75% of them reported that operation income&nbsp; decreased by an average of 40%.</a>

Hammatt
 says museums are safe spaces to have difficult conversations. So, as 
the country tries to return to normal, Hammatt also looks forward to 
society entering museums once more -- both virtually and in person.

“Museums
 play a seminal role in the development of our society,” Hammmatt said. 
“It's a place to not only commemorate the past, but more importantly, 
learn and support your society as it moves forward in time.”

Katelynn
 McIlwain is KMUW's Korva Coleman Diversity in Journalism intern. She 
will be a senior this fall at the University of Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624027573119.png" alt="Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By KATELYNN MCILWAIN <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/eisenhower-presidential-library-expanding-hours-next-week">Kansas News Service</a>ABILENE —&nbsp;Starting next week, the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and 
Boyhood Home will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.It currently is open during the same hours Wednesday through Saturday because of pandemic restrictions.“We
 are moving forward,” said Dawn Hammatt, the library and museum’s 
director. “We have a plan in place, and we are really excited to be able
 to do this in a safe and healthy fashion.”Kansas Sen. Jerry 
Moran has been urging the National Archives of Records Administration to
 allow the library and museum to open beyond its current 25% capacity 
limit for visitors. The agency oversees about a dozen presidential 
libraries.Last week, the Biden administration announced it would
 lift the federal restrictions, and agencies can now submit their own 
plans for reopening. The National Archives is one of those agencies.The
 Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau has been using transient guest 
tax collections to measure the effect the museum's reduced capacity has 
had on the city. Director Julie Roller Weeks said lodging sales for 
Abilene have dropped from $2.5 million in 2018 to $796,000 this year. 
Its accounting period for 2021 ends in&nbsp; September.“Without 
(transient guest tax) revenue, we have a smaller marketing budget and 
that ripple is felt throughout the community,” Roller Weeks wrote in an 
email.The restrictions, though, are not all bad.“You 
know those things in your office that you say, ‘I'll get to it one 
day?’” Hammatt said. “Well, we've done those things. … and it's been 
fantastic.”When the pandemic limited in-person visiting, the 
Eisenhower Library and Museum increased its virtual reach. Hammatt said 
it was able to digitize analog pieces for researchers and participate 
with other presidential libraries.The annual Symphony at Sunset 
concert to commemorate D-Day wasn’t possible under COVID-19, but the 
museum decided to host a virtual Emerging Scholars D-Day Symposium 
instead. It invited scholars such as&nbsp; doctoral candidates to discuss 
their topics of interest.“What we learned about developing 
virtual programs and engaging with guests in a virtual capacity has been
 astounding, and I am grateful that we were able to learn these things,”
 Hammatt said.Many museums across the country have experienced 
significant losses during the pandemic. The American Alliance of Museums
 surveyed 1,000 museum directors, and<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/01/1002077626/a-new-report-shows-museums-had-a-bad-year-but-not-the-worst-possible#:~:text=New%20Study%20Shows%20Museum%20Losses%20During%20The%20Pandemic%20The%20report,40%25%20slump%20in%20operating%20income." target="_blank"> 75% of them reported that operation income&nbsp; decreased by an average of 40%.</a>Hammatt
 says museums are safe spaces to have difficult conversations. So, as 
the country tries to return to normal, Hammatt also looks forward to 
society entering museums once more -- both virtually and in person.“Museums
 play a seminal role in the development of our society,” Hammmatt said. 
“It's a place to not only commemorate the past, but more importantly, 
learn and support your society as it moves forward in time.”Katelynn
 McIlwain is KMUW's Korva Coleman Diversity in Journalism intern. She 
will be a senior this fall at the University of Missouri.

Eisenhower Presidential Library expanding hours next week

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has&nbsp;<a href="https://archkck.org/protection-and-care/office/substantiated-clergy-offenders/" target="_blank">substantiated&nbsp;</a>a sexual abuse claim against a priest nearly two decades after clearing him.

The archdiocese announced in a statement published in Friday’s issue of its official newspaper, The Leaven, that it was with “deep sorrow for the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse” that it was reversing what it described as an “inaccurate” determination that The Rev. William Haegelin did not sexually abuse a minor.

Haegelin was placed on leave from St. Ann Church in the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, Kansas, in 2002 after the archdiocese received a letter accusing him of the inappropriate sexual relations in the 1980s. A review board determined later that year that there was a sexual relationship but that the accuser was 18 when it began.

Haegelin released a statement through his attorney at the time saying he thought the board had conducted a “full and fair investigation.” In 2004, he was laicized, which means he was permanently restricted from the priesthood and returned to private citizenship. He doesn’t have a listed phone number.

The statement said the archdiocese was grateful for the “survivor’s courage and strength” in challenging the original decision but offered no other explanation for the reversal.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has&nbsp;<a href="https://archkck.org/protection-and-care/office/substantiated-clergy-offenders/" target="_blank">substantiated&nbsp;</a>a sexual abuse claim against a priest nearly two decades after clearing him.The archdiocese announced in a statement published in Friday’s issue of its official newspaper, The Leaven, that it was with “deep sorrow for the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse” that it was reversing what it described as an “inaccurate” determination that The Rev. William Haegelin did not sexually abuse a minor.Haegelin was placed on leave from St. Ann Church in the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, Kansas, in 2002 after the archdiocese received a letter accusing him of the inappropriate sexual relations in the 1980s. A review board determined later that year that there was a sexual relationship but that the accuser was 18 when it began.Haegelin released a statement through his attorney at the time saying he thought the board had conducted a “full and fair investigation.” In 2004, he was laicized, which means he was permanently restricted from the priesthood and returned to private citizenship. He doesn’t have a listed phone number.The statement said the archdiocese was grateful for the “survivor’s courage and strength” in challenging the original decision but offered no other explanation for the reversal.

Abuse claim substantiated against previously cleared Kan. priest

TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s public safety minister says border restrictions on nonessential travel with the United States will be extended until July 21. 

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says the move has been made in coordination with the U.S. He says Canada’s number one priority is to keep Canadians safe during the pandemic. 

The border between Canada and the U.S. remains closed to all nonessential travel. The restrictions were announced in March, 2020 in the early months of the pandemic and have been extended every month since. There are growing calls in the U.S. to open the Canada-U.S. border for nonessential travel like tourism, but less than 20% of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated now.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584542151826.png" alt="Washington State Dept. of Transportation border traffic camera looking south from Canada 9:37 a.m. CDT&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Washington State Dept. of Transportation border traffic camera looking south from Canada 9:37 a.m. CDT&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s public safety minister says border restrictions on nonessential travel with the United States will be extended until July 21. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says the move has been made in coordination with the U.S. He says Canada’s number one priority is to keep Canadians safe during the pandemic. The border between Canada and the U.S. remains closed to all nonessential travel. The restrictions were announced in March, 2020 in the early months of the pandemic and have been extended every month since. There are growing calls in the U.S. to open the Canada-U.S. border for nonessential travel like tourism, but less than 20% of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated now.

Pandemic stress: US-Canada border restrictions extended 

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas judge is beginning to evict tenants who are behind on rent in advance of the expiration of a federal moratorium that some experts predict will bring a tide of people being forced from homes nationwide.

Johnson County Magistrate Judge Daniel Vokins said during a Zoom eviction hearing this week that he doesn’t think the moratorium, which was issued last year by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expires at the end of the month, is enforceable.

Eric Dunn, director of litigation for the National Housing Law Project, said he has heard of judges elsewhere — including in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina — ignoring the CDC moratorium, but couldn’t say whether it’s been a widespread practice.

The federal moratorium has kept many tenants owing back rent housed. More than 4 million people nationally say they fear being evicted or foreclosed upon in the months following its expiration, census data&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cdce22f5ae976032e9e6fa89831c0a93">shows</a>. Making matters worse, the tens of billions of dollars in federal emergency rental assistance that was supposed to solve the problem has not reached most tenants.

“We thought 2021 was going to be better and it is turning out to be just as bad,” said Denise Wall, 31, of the Kansas City suburb of Shawnee, who applied for rental aid in March but is still trying to find out whether she qualifies.

She lost her job as a cook as the pandemic started and was out of work for nearly a year before beginning another job in April as a medical courier, picking up and delivering tests. Vokins set her case for trial on July 2.

“This wasn’t anything any of us asked for,” she said in a Friday interview at her apartment, where she and her wife have been collecting boxes as they look for a new place to live. Her wife’s three sons also live with them part of the time.

Vokins noted in moving forward on evictions that a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-government-and-politics-79828ed76da5d7745ffddb8ba9e48655">last month</a>&nbsp;found the CDC exceeded its authority when it imposed the moratorium last year. He said the ruling means that “any current or future moratorium order issued by the CDC is not valid.”

Kansas also had its own eviction moratorium, but it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-health-government-and-politics-42c48b2916c4e62d7c3582e8932e3eb9">expired</a>&nbsp;at the end of last month. Vokins said that means that “the eviction laws prior to the pandemic in March 2020 is the current law today.”

Casey Johnson, an attorney for the non-profit law firm Kansas Legal Services, noted the federal ruling was issued in the 6th Circuit and wasn’t binding in Kansas, which is in the 10th Circuit.

“Basically he’s choosing to accept that ruling even though he doesn’t have to,” Johnson said.

Vokins encouraged renters and landlords to work together to obtain emergency rental funds but said he would only pause court proceedings if both sides agreed to the delay.

Two other tenants who appeared before Vokins on Thursday said they were seeking the federal rental aid. A third tenant who couldn’t get his sound to work and only was able to communicate with thumbs up and thumbs down hand motions sent an email to the court later in the day saying that he also had applied.

Kansas is now distributing $200 million in federal rental assistance. The Kansas Housing Resources Corp., the state’s housing finance agency, which is responsible for distributing the money in every community except Wichita, has distributed $5.5 million so far to help 956 of the 7,780 households that have applied.

The state received another $20 million in rental assistance last year and handed out $17 million of it, said Emily Sharp, a spokeswoman for the agency.

“The second round of funding has much more stringent federal guidelines, so it is much more difficult for us to award that funding because quite honestly the applicants have more hoops to jump through,” Sharp said. Besides rent, that money also can go toward utilities and internet expenses.

Luke Demaree, an attorney for Fox Run Apartments, said apartment staff is in constant contact with the agency but can’t get details on who is approved or when to expect the money.

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas judge is beginning to evict tenants who are behind on rent in advance of the expiration of a federal moratorium that some experts predict will bring a tide of people being forced from homes nationwide.Johnson County Magistrate Judge Daniel Vokins said during a Zoom eviction hearing this week that he doesn’t think the moratorium, which was issued last year by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expires at the end of the month, is enforceable.Eric Dunn, director of litigation for the National Housing Law Project, said he has heard of judges elsewhere — including in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina — ignoring the CDC moratorium, but couldn’t say whether it’s been a widespread practice.The federal moratorium has kept many tenants owing back rent housed. More than 4 million people nationally say they fear being evicted or foreclosed upon in the months following its expiration, census data&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cdce22f5ae976032e9e6fa89831c0a93">shows</a>. Making matters worse, the tens of billions of dollars in federal emergency rental assistance that was supposed to solve the problem has not reached most tenants.“We thought 2021 was going to be better and it is turning out to be just as bad,” said Denise Wall, 31, of the Kansas City suburb of Shawnee, who applied for rental aid in March but is still trying to find out whether she qualifies.She lost her job as a cook as the pandemic started and was out of work for nearly a year before beginning another job in April as a medical courier, picking up and delivering tests. Vokins set her case for trial on July 2.“This wasn’t anything any of us asked for,” she said in a Friday interview at her apartment, where she and her wife have been collecting boxes as they look for a new place to live. Her wife’s three sons also live with them part of the time.Vokins noted in moving forward on evictions that a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-government-and-politics-79828ed76da5d7745ffddb8ba9e48655">last month</a>&nbsp;found the CDC exceeded its authority when it imposed the moratorium last year. He said the ruling means that “any current or future moratorium order issued by the CDC is not valid.”Kansas also had its own eviction moratorium, but it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-health-government-and-politics-42c48b2916c4e62d7c3582e8932e3eb9">expired</a>&nbsp;at the end of last month. Vokins said that means that “the eviction laws prior to the pandemic in March 2020 is the current law today.”Casey Johnson, an attorney for the non-profit law firm Kansas Legal Services, noted the federal ruling was issued in the 6th Circuit and wasn’t binding in Kansas, which is in the 10th Circuit.“Basically he’s choosing to accept that ruling even though he doesn’t have to,” Johnson said.Vokins encouraged renters and landlords to work together to obtain emergency rental funds but said he would only pause court proceedings if both sides agreed to the delay.Two other tenants who appeared before Vokins on Thursday said they were seeking the federal rental aid. A third tenant who couldn’t get his sound to work and only was able to communicate with thumbs up and thumbs down hand motions sent an email to the court later in the day saying that he also had applied.Kansas is now distributing $200 million in federal rental assistance. The Kansas Housing Resources Corp., the state’s housing finance agency, which is responsible for distributing the money in every community except Wichita, has distributed $5.5 million so far to help 956 of the 7,780 households that have applied.The state received another $20 million in rental assistance last year and handed out $17 million of it, said Emily Sharp, a spokeswoman for the agency.“The second round of funding has much more stringent federal guidelines, so it is much more difficult for us to award that funding because quite honestly the applicants have more hoops to jump through,” Sharp said. Besides rent, that money also can go toward utilities and internet expenses.Luke Demaree, an attorney for Fox Run Apartments, said apartment staff is in constant contact with the agency but can’t get details on who is approved or when to expect the money.“If this was something that was working it would be very, very beneficial to us and we would like nothing more than to have rents caught up,” he said. “We would like nothing more than that, but at the same time, that is not what we see happening.”Karen Nations, who also represented landlords at the hearing, said the moratorium has been difficult.“Landlords have been struggling to pay their bills, and people have taken advantage of the moratorium,” she said, adding that some who can afford to pay their rent are not. “It is a very tricky balancing act to get the mortgage paid if you’re not getting your rent.”