WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging taxpayers 
who have yet to file their 2021 tax return – including those who 
requested an extension of time – to file a complete and accurate return 
electronically as early as possible once they have all their information
 together. There's no need to wait until the October deadline.

Taxpayers who requested an extension have until October 17 this year 
to file their tax return. However, if a taxpayer has all the necessary 
information to file an accurate return, filing before summer vacation 
can be a win-win.

"IRS employees continue working hard to process tax returns and 
address our inventory issues," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "We 
continue to urge people to file electronically and do it as soon as 
possible. Even if people have an extension to file until October, 
sending the tax return as soon as possible can either help get them a 
refund quicker or it can save them money if they owe by avoiding 
additional interest and penalties."

Filing electronically as soon as possible can also help taxpayers who
 did not file an extension and missed the April deadline to avoid 
further penalties and interest if they owe taxes.

File electronically and choose direct deposit

Generally, people who choose not to file a tax return because they 
didn't earn enough money to be required to file won't receive a penalty 
if they are owed a refund. But they may miss out on receiving a refund 
if they don't file. The IRS advises individuals who still need to file a
 2021 tax return to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file electronically</a> and, if due a refund, to choose <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a>.

Filing electronically is fast, accurate and secure, and when an 
individual chooses direct deposit, their refund goes directly from the 
IRS into their bank or financial account getting them their refund in 
the fastest time possible. If they have a prepaid debit card, they may 
be able to have their refund applied to the card by providing the 
account and routing numbers to the IRS. The IRS processes most e-filed 
returns and issues direct deposit refunds in less than three weeks.

Here's a tip to help with e-filing a 2021 tax return for those still waiting on their 2020 tax return to be processed: To <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/electronic-filing-pin-request">validate and successfully submit an electronically filed tax return to the IRS</a>,
 taxpayers need their Adjusted Gross Income, or AGI, from their most 
recent tax return. Those waiting on their 2020 tax return can still file
 their 2021 return by entering $0 for their 2020 AGI on their 2021 tax 
return. Remember, if using the same tax preparation software as last 
year, this field will auto-populate.

Taxpayers who haven't filed a 2021 tax return yet – including 
extension filers – can file electronically any time before the October 
deadline and avoid the last-minute rush to file.

People may be waiting to file because they need help or more 
information, have a more complicated tax situation, or owe taxes. The 
IRS has resources to help taxpayers get the answers they need so they 
can file an accurate return. Take the time to file an accurate tax 
return, but don't wait until the last minute and risk missing the 
October deadline.

Tools on the IRS website are easy to use and available 24 hours a 
day. Millions of people use them to find information about their 
accounts, get answers to tax questions or file and pay taxes. The online
 tools include important, special steps related to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Economic Impact Payments</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit payments</a>.

IRS.gov has many <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance">online tools and resources</a> ranging from tax preparation and refund tracking tools, to tax law research tools like the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant</a> and answers for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/faqs">Frequently Asked Questions</a> on dozens of subjects.

Submitting a tax return and paying any amount owed as soon as possible can help taxpayers avoid further interest and penalties.

Taxpayers who owe taxes can review all <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">payment options online</a>. These include paying taxes through an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a> with <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">IRS Direct Pay</a> or paying by <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card">debit card, credit card or digital wallet</a>. The IRS has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/what-if-i-cant-pay-my-taxes">options for people who can't pay their taxes</a>, including <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application">applying for a payment plan</a> on IRS.gov.

Eligible individuals – including those who requested an extension to file – can use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS Free File program</a>
 to prepare and file their federal tax return for free. The program 
offers 70% of all taxpayers the choice of several brand-name tax 
preparation software packages to use at no cost. Those who earned less 
than $73,000 in 2021 can choose which package is best for them. Some 
even offer free state tax return preparation. Those that earned more 
have the option to use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms">IRS Free File Fillable Forms</a>.

<a href="https://www.militaryonesource.mil/miltax-software/">MilTax online software</a>
 is also available for members of the military and certain veterans, 
regardless of income. This software is offered through the Department of
 Defense. Eligible taxpayers can use MilTax to prepare and 
electronically file their federal tax returns and up to three state 
returns, for free.

The IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)</a>
 program still offers face-to-face help preparing taxes in some 
locations in communities across the country. It offers free basic tax 
return preparation to people who generally make $58,000 or less and 
people with disabilities or limited English-speaking taxpayers.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">VITA/TCE Site Locator</a>
 can help eligible taxpayers find the nearest community-based site 
staffed by IRS-trained and certified volunteers. Taxpayers can use the 
locator tool to see if there's an available site still open near them.

Many people use a trusted tax professional to help guide them through the process of doing their taxes and avoiding errors.

There are various types of tax return preparers, including certified 
public accountants, enrolled agents, attorneys and many others who don't
 have a professional credential.

Because tax professionals have access to an individual's personal and financial information, it's important to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tips-to-help-people-choose-a-reputable-tax-preparer">choose a tax preparer</a> wisely.

For taxpayers who want help with their taxes, this <a href="https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf">online directory</a> can help them find a tax professional in their area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging taxpayers 
who have yet to file their 2021 tax return – including those who 
requested an extension of time – to file a complete and accurate return 
electronically as early as possible once they have all their information
 together. There's no need to wait until the October deadline.Taxpayers who requested an extension have until October 17 this year 
to file their tax return. However, if a taxpayer has all the necessary 
information to file an accurate return, filing before summer vacation 
can be a win-win."IRS employees continue working hard to process tax returns and 
address our inventory issues," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "We 
continue to urge people to file electronically and do it as soon as 
possible. Even if people have an extension to file until October, 
sending the tax return as soon as possible can either help get them a 
refund quicker or it can save them money if they owe by avoiding 
additional interest and penalties."Filing electronically as soon as possible can also help taxpayers who
 did not file an extension and missed the April deadline to avoid 
further penalties and interest if they owe taxes.<h2>File electronically and choose direct deposit</h2>Generally, people who choose not to file a tax return because they 
didn't earn enough money to be required to file won't receive a penalty 
if they are owed a refund. But they may miss out on receiving a refund 
if they don't file. The IRS advises individuals who still need to file a
 2021 tax return to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file electronically</a> and, if due a refund, to choose <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a>.Filing electronically is fast, accurate and secure, and when an 
individual chooses direct deposit, their refund goes directly from the 
IRS into their bank or financial account getting them their refund in 
the fastest time possible. If they have a prepaid debit card, they may 
be able to have their refund applied to the card by providing the 
account and routing numbers to the IRS. The IRS processes most e-filed 
returns and issues direct deposit refunds in less than three weeks.Here's a tip to help with e-filing a 2021 tax return for those still waiting on their 2020 tax return to be processed: To <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/electronic-filing-pin-request">validate and successfully submit an electronically filed tax return to the IRS</a>,
 taxpayers need their Adjusted Gross Income, or AGI, from their most 
recent tax return. Those waiting on their 2020 tax return can still file
 their 2021 return by entering $0 for their 2020 AGI on their 2021 tax 
return. Remember, if using the same tax preparation software as last 
year, this field will auto-populate.Taxpayers who haven't filed a 2021 tax return yet – including 
extension filers – can file electronically any time before the October 
deadline and avoid the last-minute rush to file.<h2>Find help on IRS.gov</h2>People may be waiting to file because they need help or more 
information, have a more complicated tax situation, or owe taxes. The 
IRS has resources to help taxpayers get the answers they need so they 
can file an accurate return. Take the time to file an accurate tax 
return, but don't wait until the last minute and risk missing the 
October deadline.Tools on the IRS website are easy to use and available 24 hours a 
day. Millions of people use them to find information about their 
accounts, get answers to tax questions or file and pay taxes. The online
 tools include important, special steps related to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Economic Impact Payments</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit payments</a>.IRS.gov has many <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance">online tools and resources</a> ranging from tax preparation and refund tracking tools, to tax law research tools like the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant</a> and answers for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/faqs">Frequently Asked Questions</a> on dozens of subjects.<h2>Payment options</h2>Submitting a tax return and paying any amount owed as soon as possible can help taxpayers avoid further interest and penalties.Taxpayers who owe taxes can review all <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">payment options online</a>. These include paying taxes through an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a> with <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">IRS Direct Pay</a> or paying by <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card">debit card, credit card or digital wallet</a>. The IRS has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/what-if-i-cant-pay-my-taxes">options for people who can't pay their taxes</a>, including <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application">applying for a payment plan</a> on IRS.gov.<h2>IRS Free File</h2>Eligible individuals – including those who requested an extension to file – can use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS Free File program</a>
 to prepare and file their federal tax return for free. The program 
offers 70% of all taxpayers the choice of several brand-name tax 
preparation software packages to use at no cost. Those who earned less 
than $73,000 in 2021 can choose which package is best for them. Some 
even offer free state tax return preparation. Those that earned more 
have the option to use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms">IRS Free File Fillable Forms</a>.<a href="https://www.militaryonesource.mil/miltax-software/">MilTax online software</a>
 is also available for members of the military and certain veterans, 
regardless of income. This software is offered through the Department of
 Defense. Eligible taxpayers can use MilTax to prepare and 
electronically file their federal tax returns and up to three state 
returns, for free.<h2>Volunteer Income Tax Assistance</h2>The IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)</a>
 program still offers face-to-face help preparing taxes in some 
locations in communities across the country. It offers free basic tax 
return preparation to people who generally make $58,000 or less and 
people with disabilities or limited English-speaking taxpayers.The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">VITA/TCE Site Locator</a>
 can help eligible taxpayers find the nearest community-based site 
staffed by IRS-trained and certified volunteers. Taxpayers can use the 
locator tool to see if there's an available site still open near them.<h2>Tax professionals</h2>Many people use a trusted tax professional to help guide them through the process of doing their taxes and avoiding errors.There are various types of tax return preparers, including certified 
public accountants, enrolled agents, attorneys and many others who don't
 have a professional credential.Because tax professionals have access to an individual's personal and financial information, it's important to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tips-to-help-people-choose-a-reputable-tax-preparer">choose a tax preparer</a> wisely.For taxpayers who want help with their taxes, this <a href="https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf">online directory</a> can help them find a tax professional in their area.

Haven't filed your taxes yet? Don't wait, warns IRS

By ERIKA BOLSTAD <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/05/31/when-it-comes-to-monuments-many-communities-considering-how-the-west-was-won/">Daily Montanan</a>

PORTLAND, Ore. — In June 2020, 
protesters at the University of Oregon in Eugene toppled a statue called
 “The Pioneer,” which depicted a White man with a gun slung over his 
shoulder and a whip in his hand, and a second sculpture titled “The 
Pioneer Mother.”

Both monuments had drawn criticism from Indigenous student groups and historians for commemorating settler violence in the West.

Even as Southern states face a reckoning over Confederate monuments, 
communities in the Western United States are beginning to reconsider 
monuments that, in many locations, celebrate what dominant American 
culture has portrayed as the conquering of the region by Europeans.

Among them are hundreds of pioneer monuments, many of which celebrate
 White dominance over Indigenous people as the nation expanded west. 
Some were toppled or damaged during the racial justice protests 
following the murder of George Floyd.

In Portland, protesters&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-toppled-statues/283-322173ca-87c9-4951-9db3-6842172d1895">pulled down or damaged five statues</a> in the summer and fall of 2020, including “The Promised Land,” a celebration of White westward expansion erected on the 150th&nbsp;anniversary
 of the Oregon Trail. Portland protesters also toppled monuments to 
Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, citing their policies and 
actions against Native Americans. And in Albuquerque, New Mexico, city 
officials removed a statue of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate 
after a shooting during a protest at the site.

Many Western cities, including Albuquerque, Denver and Portland, have
 been slow to replace statues or monuments toppled by the protests, or 
artwork that was removed from public display before they could be 
damaged. Some of the monuments likely will never return.

Instead, Western communities are beginning to consider what comes 
next for monuments, as well as what future public art projects should 
look like. Artists are leading many of those conversations, including in
 Portland, where dozens of people submitted monument concepts to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.converge45.org/pmmp">prototype exhibit</a>&nbsp;sponsored by the arts group&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.converge45.org/pmmp">Converge45</a>&nbsp;last fall.

“Why monuments, period?” asked&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.apano.org/about/staff/roshani-thakore/">Roshani Thakore</a>, an artist-in-residence with the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon. Thakore,&nbsp;along with the urban planning scholar and artist&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pdx.edu/profile/lisa-bates">Lisa Bates</a>,
 proposed a monument that would deploy skywriting and loudspeakers and 
even moving trains to pose questions derived from the issues they’ve 
experienced in the Asian and Black communities where they work.

“Can there be another language? Is this time to think about another 
language?” Thakore said.&nbsp; “If we’re reckoning, we need to really go all 
the way … instead of putting these Band-Aids on.

Pioneer monuments may appear to some observers as wholesome 
representations of the hard-working forebears of many White Westerners, 
said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://und.edu/directory/cynthia.prescott">Cynthia Prescott</a>, a professor of history at the University of North Dakota and the author of “Pioneer Mother Monuments.” When she first began&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pioneermonuments.net/">documenting</a>&nbsp;the effects of 200 or so pioneer mother monuments across the West, she thought of the genre as “grandma in a sun bonnet.”

But the monuments’ intent was far from benign.

She cites research from 2019 by University of Oregon scholar&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://history.uoregon.edu/profile/marcc/">Marc Carpenter</a>,
 who as a doctoral candidate looked at the speeches by donors and the 
intent of the sculptor when the Pioneer sculpture was installed at his 
university. (The same artist,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.aphimisterproctorfoundation.com/">Alexander Phimister Proctor</a>,
 crafted the Roosevelt monument in Portland and a statue of Robert E. 
Lee in Dallas that was removed from public view in 2017 and now resides 
at a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/removed-robert-lee-statue-now-display-texas-resort-8063304">Texas golf resort</a>.)

At the University of Oregon, it was obvious even to those who 
attended the installation of the statue that they were honoring not just
 White settlement, Carpenter suggests, but also remembering White 
dominance of Indigenous people. In a paper urging the University of 
Oregon to remove the Pioneer statue, Carpenter wrote that unlike the 
Confederate statues of the South, “in the West, our problematic 
monuments are to America’s other great sin, the violent seizure of 
Native lands and murder of Native peoples.”

“You don’t have to dig very far to find out that there’s a racial 
subtext intended here,” Prescott said of pioneer memorials. “That was 
what donors and the people involved in their dedication are thinking 
about.”

In the months following the June 2020 shooting at the Oñate statue, 
the city of Albuquerque convened a Race, History and Healing Project to 
consider how to proceed with its monuments. The project concluded that 
year, but the city council has yet to take any action on a final report.&nbsp;A
 survey of 1,290 residents in Albuquerque found that 53% did not want 
the statue returned to its original location. Another 36% did, and 11% 
had another idea or didn’t state an opinion.

In Portland, as the city grapples with replacing or recontextualizing
 its toppled monuments, city leaders say they want to memorialize 
stories that were underrepresented in previous public art collections.

“After the protests and after 2020…voices were rising up,” said City Commissioner <a target="_blank" href="https://www.portland.gov/rubio">Carmen Rubio</a>,
 who oversees parks and recreation and arts and culture, and was the 
first Latina on the city council. “It made us really reflective.”

Rubio’s goal is public art that better tells the story of the city by
 capturing the “important, complex, beautiful, sometimes hard, maybe 
stark moments of truth.”

Some, though, saw the toppled statuary as a sign of strife and unrest fueled by radical protesters.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ci.sandy.or.us/directory-listing/stan-pulliam">Stan Pulliam</a>, the mayor of Sandy, Oregon,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/517186-413237-sandy-mayor-wants-toppled-portland-statues">told a television station</a>&nbsp;last
 year that the toppled presidential statues represented “American 
treasures” that he and others would welcome in his Portland suburb.

“It’s time for communities like Sandy to step up and say, ‘Not 
everyone feels this way!'” said Pulliam, who recently ran and lost in 
the Republican primary for Oregon governor. “They’re heroes that we 
should recognize and really teach our future generations about both the 
positive and negative attributes.”

Monuments often have failed to tell a complete story of the history of the United States, said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/team">Paul Farber</a>, the director of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/">Monument Lab</a>, a nonprofit public art and history studio based in Philadelphia. The lab, in partnership with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mellon.org/initiatives/monuments/">Andrew W. Mellon Foundation</a>, in late 2021 released a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/audit">national audit</a>&nbsp;looking
 at who and what gets memorialized in bronze and marble. Monuments shape
 our shared historical narratives and national memory, the audit notes, 
but also perpetuate existing injustices and inequality.

Monument Lab’s audit found that the nation’s monuments mostly reflect
 war and conquest; the monuments themselves mostly depict White and male
 figures. Joan of Arc, Harriet Tubman and Sacagawea are the only women 
in the top 50 list, although “feminized bodies” often appear as 
“fictional, mythological, and allegorical figures,” the audit notes.

The audit also points out that monuments always have been in flux. 
The first recorded monument removal in the United States was the 
toppling of a statue of King George III in New York, following a public 
reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776.

Creative reuse already is a part of Portland’s art landscape. 
Protesters in 2020 also tore down a statue of Harvey W. Scott, a 
newspaper editor during Oregon’s early days who opposed women’s suffrage
 and universal high school education. The Scott statue was replaced for a
 time with a bust made of temporary materials of the enslaved man York, 
who accompanied the Lewis &amp; Clark expedition. The bust was installed
 overnight by an anonymous artist later revealed to be the sculptor Todd
 McGrain. Then, a few months later, conservative protesters tore it 
down.

The pedestals will see reuse by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/jeffrey-gibson-they-come-from-fire/">Jeffrey Gibson</a>,
 an Indigenous artist with an exhibit this fall at the Portland Art 
Museum. Gibson, who is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw 
Indians and of Cherokee descent, will use the bases as platforms for 
portraits he’ll display in the show.

The Mellon Foundation has committed $250 million toward supporting 
public monument projects that “more completely and accurately represent 
the multiplicity and complexity of American stories.” One of the first 
projects is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/projects/regeneration">Re:Generation</a>, which helps pay for 10 new monuments.

Among them is the&nbsp;Rapid City Indian Boarding School Lands 
Project in South Dakota. The project is developing an interpretive site 
and memorial to the children who died at the Rapid City Indian Boarding 
School, a federal school that operated from 1898 to 1933.

The project got its start in 2013 while people in the community were writing a history of the 75th&nbsp;anniversary
 of an Indian Health Service hospital on the site, said the monument’s 
executive director, Amy Sazue, who is Sicangu and Oglala Lakota. A 
volunteer began investigating after elders in the community mentioned 
there were unmarked graves. Record keeping was spotty at best, Sazue 
said, but volunteers eventually determined that 50 children may be 
buried there. They were able to secure the return of some land to the 
Oglala Sioux Tribe, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux
 Tribe.

The South Dakota project will be among the first significant 
monuments to children who died at such schools, which forced Indigenous 
children to assimilate by removing them from their homes and culture. A 
preliminary&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-releases-investigative-report-outlines-next-steps-federal-indian">report</a>&nbsp;issued
 in May by the federal Interior Department found that at least 500 
children and perhaps many more died at 53 sites around the country.

The monument, which is scheduled to open in October 2023, will be a 
contemplative place with a sculptural element. The names of the 50 
children who died will be carved on boulders placed on the grounds. 
Because not all graves are known, the monument will strive not to 
penetrate the earth–all artistic elements will be floating. It will sit 
in quiet contrast to the massive, mountainside busts of former U.S. 
presidents just 25 miles away.

“The landscape where we live in the shadow of Mount Rushmore is 
really this larger symbol of White supremacy, it’s a symbol of 
indoctrination. It’s a symbol of attempted assimilation,” Sazue 
said.“And so what we’re doing is telling our story, in our way. For 
Indigenous people, the land itself is a monument. We don’t need to build
 on top of it or do things to it to make it look any different than what
 it is.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654013731471.png" alt="Two women visit a bust of York, the enslaved man who accompanied the Lewis &amp; Clark expedition, in Portland, Ore. The unauthorized monument was installed after protesters in 2020 tore down a statue of Harvey W. Scott, a newspaper editor during Oregon’s early days who opposed women’s suffrage and universal high school education. The York monument, by sculptor Todd McGrain, was torn down several months later by conservative protesters. (Photo courtesy of Pew Charitable Trusts)" />
 <figcaption>Two women visit a bust of York, the enslaved man who accompanied the Lewis &amp; Clark expedition, in Portland, Ore. The unauthorized monument was installed after protesters in 2020 tore down a statue of Harvey W. Scott, a newspaper editor during Oregon’s early days who opposed women’s suffrage and universal high school education. The York monument, by sculptor Todd McGrain, was torn down several months later by conservative protesters. (Photo courtesy of Pew Charitable Trusts)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIKA BOLSTAD <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/05/31/when-it-comes-to-monuments-many-communities-considering-how-the-west-was-won/">Daily Montanan</a>PORTLAND, Ore. — In June 2020, 
protesters at the University of Oregon in Eugene toppled a statue called
 “The Pioneer,” which depicted a White man with a gun slung over his 
shoulder and a whip in his hand, and a second sculpture titled “The 
Pioneer Mother.”Both monuments had drawn criticism from Indigenous student groups and historians for commemorating settler violence in the West.Even as Southern states face a reckoning over Confederate monuments, 
communities in the Western United States are beginning to reconsider 
monuments that, in many locations, celebrate what dominant American 
culture has portrayed as the conquering of the region by Europeans.Among them are hundreds of pioneer monuments, many of which celebrate
 White dominance over Indigenous people as the nation expanded west. 
Some were toppled or damaged during the racial justice protests 
following the murder of George Floyd.In Portland, protesters&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-toppled-statues/283-322173ca-87c9-4951-9db3-6842172d1895">pulled down or damaged five statues</a> in the summer and fall of 2020, including “The Promised Land,” a celebration of White westward expansion erected on the 150th&nbsp;anniversary
 of the Oregon Trail. Portland protesters also toppled monuments to 
Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, citing their policies and 
actions against Native Americans. And in Albuquerque, New Mexico, city 
officials removed a statue of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate 
after a shooting during a protest at the site.Many Western cities, including Albuquerque, Denver and Portland, have
 been slow to replace statues or monuments toppled by the protests, or 
artwork that was removed from public display before they could be 
damaged. Some of the monuments likely will never return.Instead, Western communities are beginning to consider what comes 
next for monuments, as well as what future public art projects should 
look like. Artists are leading many of those conversations, including in
 Portland, where dozens of people submitted monument concepts to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.converge45.org/pmmp">prototype exhibit</a>&nbsp;sponsored by the arts group&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.converge45.org/pmmp">Converge45</a>&nbsp;last fall.“Why monuments, period?” asked&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.apano.org/about/staff/roshani-thakore/">Roshani Thakore</a>, an artist-in-residence with the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon. Thakore,&nbsp;along with the urban planning scholar and artist&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pdx.edu/profile/lisa-bates">Lisa Bates</a>,
 proposed a monument that would deploy skywriting and loudspeakers and 
even moving trains to pose questions derived from the issues they’ve 
experienced in the Asian and Black communities where they work.“Can there be another language? Is this time to think about another 
language?” Thakore said.&nbsp; “If we’re reckoning, we need to really go all 
the way … instead of putting these Band-Aids on.<h2>Pioneer Monuments

	</h2>Pioneer monuments may appear to some observers as wholesome 
representations of the hard-working forebears of many White Westerners, 
said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://und.edu/directory/cynthia.prescott">Cynthia Prescott</a>, a professor of history at the University of North Dakota and the author of “Pioneer Mother Monuments.” When she first began&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pioneermonuments.net/">documenting</a>&nbsp;the effects of 200 or so pioneer mother monuments across the West, she thought of the genre as “grandma in a sun bonnet.”But the monuments’ intent was far from benign.She cites research from 2019 by University of Oregon scholar&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://history.uoregon.edu/profile/marcc/">Marc Carpenter</a>,
 who as a doctoral candidate looked at the speeches by donors and the 
intent of the sculptor when the Pioneer sculpture was installed at his 
university. (The same artist,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.aphimisterproctorfoundation.com/">Alexander Phimister Proctor</a>,
 crafted the Roosevelt monument in Portland and a statue of Robert E. 
Lee in Dallas that was removed from public view in 2017 and now resides 
at a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/removed-robert-lee-statue-now-display-texas-resort-8063304">Texas golf resort</a>.)At the University of Oregon, it was obvious even to those who 
attended the installation of the statue that they were honoring not just
 White settlement, Carpenter suggests, but also remembering White 
dominance of Indigenous people. In a paper urging the University of 
Oregon to remove the Pioneer statue, Carpenter wrote that unlike the 
Confederate statues of the South, “in the West, our problematic 
monuments are to America’s other great sin, the violent seizure of 
Native lands and murder of Native peoples.”“You don’t have to dig very far to find out that there’s a racial 
subtext intended here,” Prescott said of pioneer memorials. “That was 
what donors and the people involved in their dedication are thinking 
about.”<h2>How to Heal

	</h2>In the months following the June 2020 shooting at the Oñate statue, 
the city of Albuquerque convened a Race, History and Healing Project to 
consider how to proceed with its monuments. The project concluded that 
year, but the city council has yet to take any action on a final report.&nbsp;A
 survey of 1,290 residents in Albuquerque found that 53% did not want 
the statue returned to its original location. Another 36% did, and 11% 
had another idea or didn’t state an opinion.In Portland, as the city grapples with replacing or recontextualizing
 its toppled monuments, city leaders say they want to memorialize 
stories that were underrepresented in previous public art collections.“After the protests and after 2020…voices were rising up,” said City Commissioner <a target="_blank" href="https://www.portland.gov/rubio">Carmen Rubio</a>,
 who oversees parks and recreation and arts and culture, and was the 
first Latina on the city council. “It made us really reflective.”Rubio’s goal is public art that better tells the story of the city by
 capturing the “important, complex, beautiful, sometimes hard, maybe 
stark moments of truth.”Some, though, saw the toppled statuary as a sign of strife and unrest fueled by radical protesters.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ci.sandy.or.us/directory-listing/stan-pulliam">Stan Pulliam</a>, the mayor of Sandy, Oregon,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/9-news/517186-413237-sandy-mayor-wants-toppled-portland-statues">told a television station</a>&nbsp;last
 year that the toppled presidential statues represented “American 
treasures” that he and others would welcome in his Portland suburb.“It’s time for communities like Sandy to step up and say, ‘Not 
everyone feels this way!'” said Pulliam, who recently ran and lost in 
the Republican primary for Oregon governor. “They’re heroes that we 
should recognize and really teach our future generations about both the 
positive and negative attributes.”<h2>Incomplete Stories</h2>Monuments often have failed to tell a complete story of the history of the United States, said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/team">Paul Farber</a>, the director of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/">Monument Lab</a>, a nonprofit public art and history studio based in Philadelphia. The lab, in partnership with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mellon.org/initiatives/monuments/">Andrew W. Mellon Foundation</a>, in late 2021 released a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/audit">national audit</a>&nbsp;looking
 at who and what gets memorialized in bronze and marble. Monuments shape
 our shared historical narratives and national memory, the audit notes, 
but also perpetuate existing injustices and inequality.Monument Lab’s audit found that the nation’s monuments mostly reflect
 war and conquest; the monuments themselves mostly depict White and male
 figures. Joan of Arc, Harriet Tubman and Sacagawea are the only women 
in the top 50 list, although “feminized bodies” often appear as 
“fictional, mythological, and allegorical figures,” the audit notes.The audit also points out that monuments always have been in flux. 
The first recorded monument removal in the United States was the 
toppling of a statue of King George III in New York, following a public 
reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776.Creative reuse already is a part of Portland’s art landscape. 
Protesters in 2020 also tore down a statue of Harvey W. Scott, a 
newspaper editor during Oregon’s early days who opposed women’s suffrage
 and universal high school education. The Scott statue was replaced for a
 time with a bust made of temporary materials of the enslaved man York, 
who accompanied the Lewis &amp; Clark expedition. The bust was installed
 overnight by an anonymous artist later revealed to be the sculptor Todd
 McGrain. Then, a few months later, conservative protesters tore it 
down.The pedestals will see reuse by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://portlandartmuseum.org/exhibitions/jeffrey-gibson-they-come-from-fire/">Jeffrey Gibson</a>,
 an Indigenous artist with an exhibit this fall at the Portland Art 
Museum. Gibson, who is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw 
Indians and of Cherokee descent, will use the bases as platforms for 
portraits he’ll display in the show.<h2>The New Monuments

	</h2>The Mellon Foundation has committed $250 million toward supporting 
public monument projects that “more completely and accurately represent 
the multiplicity and complexity of American stories.” One of the first 
projects is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://monumentlab.com/projects/regeneration">Re:Generation</a>, which helps pay for 10 new monuments.Among them is the&nbsp;Rapid City Indian Boarding School Lands 
Project in South Dakota. The project is developing an interpretive site 
and memorial to the children who died at the Rapid City Indian Boarding 
School, a federal school that operated from 1898 to 1933.The project got its start in 2013 while people in the community were writing a history of the 75th&nbsp;anniversary
 of an Indian Health Service hospital on the site, said the monument’s 
executive director, Amy Sazue, who is Sicangu and Oglala Lakota. A 
volunteer began investigating after elders in the community mentioned 
there were unmarked graves. Record keeping was spotty at best, Sazue 
said, but volunteers eventually determined that 50 children may be 
buried there. They were able to secure the return of some land to the 
Oglala Sioux Tribe, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux
 Tribe.The South Dakota project will be among the first significant 
monuments to children who died at such schools, which forced Indigenous 
children to assimilate by removing them from their homes and culture. A 
preliminary&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-releases-investigative-report-outlines-next-steps-federal-indian">report</a>&nbsp;issued
 in May by the federal Interior Department found that at least 500 
children and perhaps many more died at 53 sites around the country.The monument, which is scheduled to open in October 2023, will be a 
contemplative place with a sculptural element. The names of the 50 
children who died will be carved on boulders placed on the grounds. 
Because not all graves are known, the monument will strive not to 
penetrate the earth–all artistic elements will be floating. It will sit 
in quiet contrast to the massive, mountainside busts of former U.S. 
presidents just 25 miles away.“The landscape where we live in the shadow of Mount Rushmore is 
really this larger symbol of White supremacy, it’s a symbol of 
indoctrination. It’s a symbol of attempted assimilation,” Sazue 
said.“And so what we’re doing is telling our story, in our way. For 
Indigenous people, the land itself is a monument. We don’t need to build
 on top of it or do things to it to make it look any different than what
 it is.”

Monuments: Many communities considering how the West was won

Carolyn Clara Finger Urban, 86, of Salina, passed 
away May 29th, 2022. She was born September 30, 1935, in Larned, to 
Francis and Clara Finger. Carolyn attended Larned schools and graduated 
from Marymount College of Nursing as an RN.&nbsp; Carolyn met the love of her
 life, Gilbert Urban, at a polka wedding dance. They were married 
shortly after on October 12, 1957, in Larned.

Carolyn was a devoted mother to her 5 children while continuing her 
career as a pediatric nurse at St. John Hospital and later at Salina 
Clinic. She enjoyed attending Saturday night dances with Gilbert and 
friends, gardening, sewing, and singing in the Sacred Heart Cathedral 
and St. Mary’s Church choirs.

Survivors include: her children Cathy Reynolds (Jim), Connie Holloway
 (Sam), Cheryl Mersman (Ron), Teresa Marshall (Eric), and Joe Urban 
(Renee); 19 grandchildren; 23 great-children; and sister, Mary Lou 
Wheeler. Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert, parents,
 granddaughter, Elise Holloway, 3 brothers and 3 sisters.

Visitation will be 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, with vigil 
service starting at 7:00 p.m. at Ryan Mortuary, Salina. Mass of 
Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 2, at St. Mary’s 
Catholic Church, with burial to follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Special 
thanks to the staff at Presbyterian Manor, Dr. Gary Williams, and 
Kindred Hospice.

Memorial donations can be made to Catholic Charities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1654006031713.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Carolyn Clara Finger Urban, 86, of Salina, passed 
away May 29th, 2022. She was born September 30, 1935, in Larned, to 
Francis and Clara Finger. Carolyn attended Larned schools and graduated 
from Marymount College of Nursing as an RN.&nbsp; Carolyn met the love of her
 life, Gilbert Urban, at a polka wedding dance. They were married 
shortly after on October 12, 1957, in Larned.Carolyn was a devoted mother to her 5 children while continuing her 
career as a pediatric nurse at St. John Hospital and later at Salina 
Clinic. She enjoyed attending Saturday night dances with Gilbert and 
friends, gardening, sewing, and singing in the Sacred Heart Cathedral 
and St. Mary’s Church choirs.Survivors include: her children Cathy Reynolds (Jim), Connie Holloway
 (Sam), Cheryl Mersman (Ron), Teresa Marshall (Eric), and Joe Urban 
(Renee); 19 grandchildren; 23 great-children; and sister, Mary Lou 
Wheeler. Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert, parents,
 granddaughter, Elise Holloway, 3 brothers and 3 sisters.Visitation will be 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, with vigil 
service starting at 7:00 p.m. at Ryan Mortuary, Salina. Mass of 
Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 2, at St. Mary’s 
Catholic Church, with burial to follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Special 
thanks to the staff at Presbyterian Manor, Dr. Gary Williams, and 
Kindred Hospice.Memorial donations can be made to Catholic Charities.

Carolyn Clara Finger Urban

By JARED STRONG <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/26/usda-relaxes-conservation-program-rules-to-boost-crop-production/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>

Agricultural landowners who are not renewing their agreements this 
year with the federal government to keep their land out of production 
have the ability to put that land back to work earlier, a potential 
boost to wheat and other crop production amid global shortages, the U.S.
 Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.

Those who have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program now 
have the option to terminate their contract early if they are in the 
final year of the contract. Under normal circumstances, landowners would
 have to wait until October to put the CRP land back into production or 
would be required to repay the money they’ve received from the program.

“They can now voluntarily terminate without penalty for those acres 
that are coming out of that program,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom 
Vilsack told a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday, “so that they’d be in a
 position to do work now on that land, to either prepare it for a crop 
or to potentially think about other crops that can be grown during the 
course of the winter.”

He said the equivalent of about 1 million acres of agricultural land 
is leaving the program this year — the difference between the acres that
 are expiring and the newly enrolled acres this year. In March, about 
22.1 million acres were actively enrolled, according to USDA data.

President Joe Biden <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/11/biden-pledges-more-support-for-farmers-the-backbone-of-freedom/">has warned</a>
 that people “are going to starve to death” if millions of tons of wheat
 and corn in Ukraine is unable to be exported because of the ongoing 
Russian invasion, which began more than three months ago.

Ukraine is a significant producer and exporter of those crops, much 
of which is sold to African nations. Ukrainian officials have accused 
Russian troops of destroying farms and stealing grain and equipment. 
It’s not yet clear how much the war will affect Ukraine’s crop 
production this year.

Agriculture groups such as the American Farm Bureau Federation have 
been pining for months for the USDA to release CRP farmland back into 
production without penalty to help boost the global food supply.

In letters to CRP landowners this week, the USDA offered early terminations to those who hadn’t renewed their enrollment.

Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine 
has cut off a critical source of wheat, corn, barley, oilseeds and 
cooking oil, and we’ve heard from many producers who want to better 
understand their options to help respond to global food needs,” Zach 
Ducheneaux, administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, said in a press
 release Thursday. “This announcement will help producers make informed 
decisions about land use and conservation options.”

CRP contracts typically last for 10 to 15 years. Landowners set aside
 the land to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality and wildlife 
habitat, and the government pays them per acre. Those rental payments 
vary widely, depending on where the land is located.

Payments for Iowa land have the highest average at about $234 per 
acre, according to a recent USDA report. Payments for Nevada land were 
the lowest at about $10 per acre.

Landowners can end those contracts whenever they chose, but they must
 repay the rental payments with interest and face a potential additional
 penalty. The USDA periodically offers early termination without 
repayment or penalty. In 2017, the department offered it to certain 
landowners to encourage land sales to new farmers and ranchers.

“I think it’s a great step in the right direction, but I believe that
 we can do more,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, told Vilsack 
during a Senate agriculture committee meeting Thursday, which was 
convened to address the challenges facing farmers and rural communities.

Boozman said early terminations should be more broadly offered to CRP
 participants to “allow potentially millions of acres to return to food 
production.”

Vilsack said the USDA is seeking to balance short-term and long-term 
global food concerns — especially as they pertain to climate change — 
and that CRP’s emphasis is on less desirable agricultural land.

“We basically have been focusing on highly erodible areas,” Vilsack said, “areas that are not particularly productive.”

Senator calls for supplemental crop insurance&nbsp;

Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, said the USDA should offer to 
supplement potential crop insurance payments to farmers who are late to 
plant this year.

Corn planting in North Dakota has been severely delayed this year by 
wet weather. Just 20% of the state’s corn had been planted as of Sunday,
 compared to the five-year average of 66%, according to a recent USDA 
report.

Wednesday was the final planting day to get full crop insurance 
coverage for most of the state’s counties. Hoeven worries that some 
farmers might not plant because it’s too financially risky.

“In a time of food inflation, we want as many of them as possible planting a crop,” he said.

Vilsack said he would consider the proposal.

USDA data show that corn planting in at least 11 states is behind the
 five-year average, including most of the top-producing states. Iowa 
leads the country in corn production and, thanks to a stretch of 
favorable weather, <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/23/farmers-planting-crops-are-close-to-caught-up/">was close to catching up</a> with the five-year average on Sunday. Still, there are concerns that early planting delays will affect yield potential.

Minnesota, a major corn producer, had planted 60% of its corn 
compared with the five-year average of 86% as of Sunday. Soybean 
planting was also significantly delayed in that state and in North 
Dakota.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653658789976.png" alt="Certain landowners are paid by the government to remove their land from agricultural production (Photo courtesy of the Farm Service Agency)." />
 <figcaption>Certain landowners are paid by the government to remove their land from agricultural production (Photo courtesy of the Farm Service Agency).</figcaption>
 </figure>By JARED STRONG <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/26/usda-relaxes-conservation-program-rules-to-boost-crop-production/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>Agricultural landowners who are not renewing their agreements this 
year with the federal government to keep their land out of production 
have the ability to put that land back to work earlier, a potential 
boost to wheat and other crop production amid global shortages, the U.S.
 Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.Those who have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program now 
have the option to terminate their contract early if they are in the 
final year of the contract. Under normal circumstances, landowners would
 have to wait until October to put the CRP land back into production or 
would be required to repay the money they’ve received from the program.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653658875639.jpeg" alt="U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on May 26, 2022. (Screenshot from U.S. Senate livestream)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on May 26, 2022. (Screenshot from U.S. Senate livestream)</figcaption>
 </figure>“They can now voluntarily terminate without penalty for those acres 
that are coming out of that program,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom 
Vilsack told a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday, “so that they’d be in a
 position to do work now on that land, to either prepare it for a crop 
or to potentially think about other crops that can be grown during the 
course of the winter.”He said the equivalent of about 1 million acres of agricultural land 
is leaving the program this year — the difference between the acres that
 are expiring and the newly enrolled acres this year. In March, about 
22.1 million acres were actively enrolled, according to USDA data.President Joe Biden <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/11/biden-pledges-more-support-for-farmers-the-backbone-of-freedom/">has warned</a>
 that people “are going to starve to death” if millions of tons of wheat
 and corn in Ukraine is unable to be exported because of the ongoing 
Russian invasion, which began more than three months ago.Ukraine is a significant producer and exporter of those crops, much 
of which is sold to African nations. Ukrainian officials have accused 
Russian troops of destroying farms and stealing grain and equipment. 
It’s not yet clear how much the war will affect Ukraine’s crop 
production this year.Agriculture groups such as the American Farm Bureau Federation have 
been pining for months for the USDA to release CRP farmland back into 
production without penalty to help boost the global food supply.In letters to CRP landowners this week, the USDA offered early terminations to those who hadn’t renewed their enrollment.Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine 
has cut off a critical source of wheat, corn, barley, oilseeds and 
cooking oil, and we’ve heard from many producers who want to better 
understand their options to help respond to global food needs,” Zach 
Ducheneaux, administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, said in a press
 release Thursday. “This announcement will help producers make informed 
decisions about land use and conservation options.”CRP contracts typically last for 10 to 15 years. Landowners set aside
 the land to reduce soil erosion and improve water quality and wildlife 
habitat, and the government pays them per acre. Those rental payments 
vary widely, depending on where the land is located.Payments for Iowa land have the highest average at about $234 per 
acre, according to a recent USDA report. Payments for Nevada land were 
the lowest at about $10 per acre.Landowners can end those contracts whenever they chose, but they must
 repay the rental payments with interest and face a potential additional
 penalty. The USDA periodically offers early termination without 
repayment or penalty. In 2017, the department offered it to certain 
landowners to encourage land sales to new farmers and ranchers.“I think it’s a great step in the right direction, but I believe that
 we can do more,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, told Vilsack 
during a Senate agriculture committee meeting Thursday, which was 
convened to address the challenges facing farmers and rural communities.Boozman said early terminations should be more broadly offered to CRP
 participants to “allow potentially millions of acres to return to food 
production.”Vilsack said the USDA is seeking to balance short-term and long-term 
global food concerns — especially as they pertain to climate change — 
and that CRP’s emphasis is on less desirable agricultural land.“We basically have been focusing on highly erodible areas,” Vilsack said, “areas that are not particularly productive.”<h2>Senator calls for supplemental crop insurance&nbsp;</h2>Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, said the USDA should offer to 
supplement potential crop insurance payments to farmers who are late to 
plant this year.Corn planting in North Dakota has been severely delayed this year by 
wet weather. Just 20% of the state’s corn had been planted as of Sunday,
 compared to the five-year average of 66%, according to a recent USDA 
report.Wednesday was the final planting day to get full crop insurance 
coverage for most of the state’s counties. Hoeven worries that some 
farmers might not plant because it’s too financially risky.“In a time of food inflation, we want as many of them as possible planting a crop,” he said.Vilsack said he would consider the proposal.USDA data show that corn planting in at least 11 states is behind the
 five-year average, including most of the top-producing states. Iowa 
leads the country in corn production and, thanks to a stretch of 
favorable weather, <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/05/23/farmers-planting-crops-are-close-to-caught-up/">was close to catching up</a> with the five-year average on Sunday. Still, there are concerns that early planting delays will affect yield potential.Minnesota, a major corn producer, had planted 60% of its corn 
compared with the five-year average of 86% as of Sunday. Soybean 
planting was also significantly delayed in that state and in North 
Dakota.

USDA relaxes conservation program rules to boost crop production

Larry “Flash” Samuel Kuhlmann passed away on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at 
Redbud Village in Plainville, KS at the age of 74. He was born on April 
8, 1948, to Clarence Samuel and Geraldine Dorthea (Prosser) Kuhlmann in 
Athol, KS. He married Patricia Garrison on October 30, 1967, in Hill 
City, KS. They were blessed with 4 children: Jack, Lori, Carol, and 
Christa. 
 Flash grew up in Athol and attended schools in Athol, Smith Center, 
and Kensington. After school he worked wherever he could as a tractor 
and auto mechanic; John Deer, Solar Farms, Mid-America International, 
Winchell, and Taylor Fuel Systems.
 Flash loved coon hunting, fishing, mowing his yard, Nascar races, 
working on cars, and “Gunsmoke”; but most of all he loved his family and
 spending time with his grandkids. Flash was a good-hearted man who 
worked hard, enjoyed life and cherished his family and friends. 
Although he will be greatly missed, his love and memories will be with 
us forever.
 Left to survive Flash are his children, Jack (Deidra) Kuhlmann of 
Stockton, KS, Lori Pasilas of Norton, KS, Carol (Randy) Axelson of 
Stockton, KS, and Christa (John) Cleaves of Belleville, IL; brother, Bob
 (June) Kuhlmann of Osborne, KS; sisters-in-law, Sherry Kuhlmann of 
Stockton, KS and Karen Kuhlmann of Osborne, KS; 9 grandchildren: Sydney
 Axelson, Hailey Pasilas, Raeni Pasilas, Liam Pasilas, Trey Kuhlmann, 
Samantha Cleaves, Alissa Cleaves, Chloe Kuhlmann, and Naraya Kuhlmann; 
and 3 great-grandchildren: Parker Pasilas (Grandpa’s best buddy), Kyleah
 and Carter Flash Miller.
 Flash is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Geraldine 
Kuhlmann; brothers, Jim, Dennis and infant Jackie Kuhlmann; 
sister-in-law Pam (Jerry) Hudson; niece, Tosha Garrison; and 
great-nephew, Adam Kuhlmann.
 A private family graveside service will be held at the Stockton 
Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Hays Hospice or Solomon Valley Arc
 Larks and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 N 
1st, Stockton, KS 67669.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653927975201.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Larry “Flash” Samuel Kuhlmann passed away on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at 
Redbud Village in Plainville, KS at the age of 74. He was born on April 
8, 1948, to Clarence Samuel and Geraldine Dorthea (Prosser) Kuhlmann in 
Athol, KS. He married Patricia Garrison on October 30, 1967, in Hill 
City, KS. They were blessed with 4 children: Jack, Lori, Carol, and 
Christa. 
 Flash grew up in Athol and attended schools in Athol, Smith Center, 
and Kensington. After school he worked wherever he could as a tractor 
and auto mechanic; John Deer, Solar Farms, Mid-America International, 
Winchell, and Taylor Fuel Systems.
 Flash loved coon hunting, fishing, mowing his yard, Nascar races, 
working on cars, and “Gunsmoke”; but most of all he loved his family and
 spending time with his grandkids. Flash was a good-hearted man who 
worked hard, enjoyed life and cherished his family and friends. 
Although he will be greatly missed, his love and memories will be with 
us forever.
 Left to survive Flash are his children, Jack (Deidra) Kuhlmann of 
Stockton, KS, Lori Pasilas of Norton, KS, Carol (Randy) Axelson of 
Stockton, KS, and Christa (John) Cleaves of Belleville, IL; brother, Bob
 (June) Kuhlmann of Osborne, KS; sisters-in-law, Sherry Kuhlmann of 
Stockton, KS and Karen Kuhlmann of Osborne, KS; 9 grandchildren: Sydney
 Axelson, Hailey Pasilas, Raeni Pasilas, Liam Pasilas, Trey Kuhlmann, 
Samantha Cleaves, Alissa Cleaves, Chloe Kuhlmann, and Naraya Kuhlmann; 
and 3 great-grandchildren: Parker Pasilas (Grandpa’s best buddy), Kyleah
 and Carter Flash Miller.
 Flash is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Geraldine 
Kuhlmann; brothers, Jim, Dennis and infant Jackie Kuhlmann; 
sister-in-law Pam (Jerry) Hudson; niece, Tosha Garrison; and 
great-nephew, Adam Kuhlmann.
 A private family graveside service will be held at the Stockton 
Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Hays Hospice or Solomon Valley Arc
 Larks and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 N 
1st, Stockton, KS 67669.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Larry 'Flash' Samuel Kuhlmann

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/27/immigrants-face-new-reality-and-old-fears-under-a-kansas-law-banning-sanctuary-cities/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Alejandro Rangel-Lopez says fear is a given in a mixed-status household.

Growing up in Dodge City with an undocumented parent, Rangel-Lopez 
constantly feared his father coming home with news that immigration 
agents had detained his mother.

And he says fear of deportation kept his mother from reporting an 
abusive ex-husband who fled with their two oldest children to Mexico in 
2001.

“That’s what delayed her justice and cost her the right to see my two
 older siblings grow up,” Rangel-Lopez said. “She couldn’t see them 
until she got her green card this year, 21 years later.”

The fear of law enforcement or other government authorities that many
 immigrants experience is corrosive to a community, said Rangel-Lopez, 
the lead coordinator for New Frontiers Project, a southwest Kansas group
 working to civically empower people of color. And that’s why the 
21-year-old University of Kansas student supports city ordinances like 
the short-lived Safe and Welcoming Act in Wyandotte County that limit or
 prohibit how much city officials can cooperate with federal immigration
 enforcement.

The policy also provided immigrants a municipal identification card 
without fear of information going to U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement. But a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/30/kansas-senate-quickly-endorses-legislation-banning-sanctuary-cities/">new state law passed with haste</a> earlier this year in response to the Wyandotte County ordinance.

Immigrants are reeling from the law and the far reaching effects it 
could have on their communities, even beyond those with welcoming 
ordinances. With a growing immigrant population, advocates warn of 
economic and criminal fallout from the legislative action.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/HB2717/">The law</a>
 prohibits local governments from taking action to prevent law 
enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities. 
Municipality ID cards are invalid when used instead of state 
identification for purposes like voter ID.

The state law undercuts not only the Wyandotte County ordinance but 
similar ones in Lawrence and Roeland Park. Immigration advocates say the
 law will have a chilling effect on the state’s economy and create 
several legal dilemmas.

A coalition of Wyandotte County organizations, including the mayor of
 Kansas City, Kansas, urged Gov. Laura Kelly to reject the measure. But <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/11/kelly-signs-bill-spiking-wyandotte-countys-adoption-of-sanctuary-city-policy/">in signing the law</a>,
 Kelly said immigration reform “cannot be resolved at the municipal 
level” and that the responsibility to address a “broken” system “rests 
with Congress.”

Judy Ancel, president of the Cross Border Network, a Kansas City 
organization that supports workers across borders and who cross borders,
 acknowledged the bill had enough support in the Legislature to override
 a veto, but said the governor’s action sent the wrong message to her 
immigrant supporters, many of whom are law-abiding citizens.

<a target="_blank" href="https://dashboards.mysidewalk.com/aclu-ks/immigration">Data compiled</a>
 from 2011 to 2019 by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas shows
 more than 4,000 people arrested or removed by ICE during that time, 
many of whom have not been convicted of a crime. During that time, the 
state’s population grew by more than 60,000 — driven predominantly by 
immigrants, according to the ACLU data.

ICE detainers are not arrest warrants, and immigration law is civil, not criminal, Ancel said.

“What (the new state law) says is that Kansas is really ignorant and 
backward,” Ancel said. “To families who might be thinking of moving 
here, who may or may not have undocumented people but who are 
immigrants, it says Kansas is unsafe and unwelcome to immigrant labor.”

Ancel was among the people who <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/10/why-wont-mayor-alvey-put-safe-and-welcoming-wyandotte-on-the-agenda/">spent years working to pass</a> the Safe and Welcoming Act in Wyandotte County.

For Ancel, the effort began in 2007 but did not catch the attention 
of the local government until about five years ago. Since then, Ancel 
and a coalition of community organizations knocked on doors and worked 
to create an ordinance they said would ensure a more cohesive community.

Finally, in February, Wyandotte County commissioners approved the ordinance.

“A lot of people in Wyandotte County were set to benefit from it when we passed it,” Ancel said. “Hopes were raised.”

According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wycoid.org/wyandotte-county">Safe and Welcoming Wyandotte</a>,
 as many as 30,000 people in Wyandotte County have difficulty accessing a
 government-issued ID card. That is approximately 1 in 5 people who live
 in the county, including foster children, immigrants, people without 
housing and the elderly.

Yazmin Bruno Valdez, a community organizer for Advocates for 
Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, said with the law in place and the 
information potentially liable to be used in other ways, she is advising
 against the ID.

Valdez, 21, is an immigrant, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.uscis.gov/DACA">DACA recipient</a>,
 and lived without identification for more than 20 years. She says 
lacking an ID made her feel like she was not part of society and kept 
her from doing many of the things she wanted to do.

She was even denied entrance at first to her senior prom because she 
did not have a driver’s license or state-issued ID. Safe and Welcoming 
was an opportunity to include a community working hard but often unseen,
 Valdez said.

“To turn back around a month later and tell those same people that 
those protections we promised, that you worked hard for, were ripped 
away because of a law that passed in less than a month,” Valdez said. 
“It will completely change people’s lives — I can guarantee that.”

The law allows the attorney general, a county or district attorney to
 bring a court action to compel a municipality or person to comply with 
provisions of the law.

Wyandotte County was not the first local government to become a 
so-called “sanctuary city.” Lawrence took the initiative in 2020, 
passing an ordinance that prohibits collecting immigration-related 
information for people to access city services and limiting local law 
enforcement’s cooperation with ICE agents.

Mariel Ferreiro, co-founder and organizer with Sanctuary Alliance 
Lawrence, said incidents involving immigration enforcement agents 
driving up and down Iowa Street in town, and eventually detaining 
someone, caused a big stir that started the conversation.

Then in January 2018, ICE agents detained Syed Jamal in front of his 
home as he was preparing to take his children to school. Jamal’s case 
became <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43034784">a matter of international interest</a> amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants whose legal status in the country was in doubt.

Jamal eventually walked free, but the incident was enough to push the
 Lawrence community to enact a protective ordinance for immigrants.

“It was this idea that all citizens and community members should have
 access to city resources and immigration not be something that’s a 
barrier to them,” Ferreiro said. “Unfortunately, this (state law) 
definitely put a huge pause and now we’re kind of trying to figure out 
what we can do.”

The new law also largely negates a Roeland Park ordinance that said 
city officials can decline to use funds or resources to help federal 
immigration agencies or to share information on an individual’s 
immigration status. Police were required to alert residents of any 
federal immigration enforcement action within 48 hours, except in cases 
where a crime had occurred.

Yeni Telles said this could fracture trust built between the 
immigrant community and law enforcement beyond eastern Kansas. Telles 
was born in Mexico but came to the U.S. in 1999, eventually moving to 
Kansas to fulfill her dream of becoming a homeowner and graduating from a
 university.

“As a social worker working directly with victims of crime, 
especially victims of domestic violence, there is already fear within 
the immigrant community contacting law enforcement to report a crime 
committed against them,” Telles said. “Immigrants are not strangers. 
They are our neighbors, the family of our children’s classmates, our 
coworkers.”

While testimony provided to the Legislature on the law banning sanctuary jurisdictions was <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/15/ag-backed-bill-prohibiting-sanctuary-cities-brings-heavy-opposition-to-kansas-statehouse/">predominantly in opposition</a> to the measure, a handful of elected state officials argued a patchwork of local ordinances presented several issues.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-attorney-general-files-bill-banning-sanctuary-cities-issuance-of-ids/">proposed the legislation</a> in February, shortly after Wyandotte County approved its act.

“Citizens throughout our state deserve to know that wherever they may
 travel in Kansas, law enforcement officials are cooperating with 
federal and state agencies to fairly enforce applicable law and are not 
obliged to turn a blind eye to some unlawful conduct merely because of 
local politics,” Schmidt said in a statement upon filing the bill.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/15/ag-backed-bill-prohibiting-sanctuary-cities-brings-heavy-opposition-to-kansas-statehouse/">Testifying before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee</a>,
 the Republican candidate for governor said Kansas required such a law 
to ensure the entire state can be safe and welcoming to immigrants.

Bryan Caskey, the state election director, followed Schmidt’s 
testimony and said the Secretary of State’s office supported the bill to
 ensure proper voting protocol.

“It is the firm position of the Kansas Secretary of State that only 
United States citizens may vote in an election,” Caskey said. “Requiring
 voter identification to cast a ballot ensures the protection of voters’
 rights and the integrity of the electoral process.”

Opponents said this was a misplaced concern because immigrants would 
need to register to vote, which only citizens can do, before casting a 
ballot.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/20/kansas-republican-attorney-general-candidates-wrangle-over-experience-electability/">At a recent debate</a>
 among Republican candidates for attorney general, all three 
participants agreed outlawing sanctuary cities was the best course for 
the state. Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said the 
legislation did not go far enough.

“I propose one that would take away all state money from any city or any company that has a sanctuary policy,” Kobach said.

While Schmidt and Republican legislators argued different policies in
 various parts of the state would create confusion, Genevra Alberti said
 the new law is the real source of uncertainty.

Alberti, the vice-chairwoman of the Missouri-Kansas Chapter of the 
American Immigration Lawyers Association, told legislators during a 
hearing on the matter that immigration law is incredibly complicated, 
even for those who practice it daily. She said immigration law 
enforcement falls under the purview of the federal government, but the 
new state law would “deputize” any law enforcement officer to enforce 
immigration law without limit or oversight.

Other parts of the bill were concerningly vague, Alberti added in her
 testimony on the law. She said nowhere in the law is it explicitly 
established what actions local jurisdictions are required or permitted 
to take.

“In effect, this legislation permits, even encourages, any law 
enforcement person or office to take any action, no matter what 
overreach, and prohibits any commonsense policy or limitation from being
 placed on any act construed to be ‘cooperation’ — just so long as it, 
ostensibly, is related to immigration,” Alberti said.

Alberti also said the new state law strips Kansas communities of 
their right to oversight of their police departments. Coordinating with 
ICE activities has frequently been found to be illegal and 
unconstitutional, leaving law enforcement vulnerable to potential 
complaints and lawsuits.

The ripples of the bill will be felt in businesses across Kansas, 
said Martin Rosas, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local Two 
President.

Rosas, who also serves as vice president of the UFCW International 
Union, testified during the legislature’s hearing on the bill on behalf 
of more than 11,000 workers in the food-supply industry in Kansas. He 
said the measure would impact agricultural and food processing 
industries.

Rosas, citing a recent analysis of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-1year.html">American Community Survey</a>,
 said foreign-born workers make up 34.5% of the employees working in the
 food processing industry in the state and 25.6% of those work in the 
agricultural industry.

“The most recent public health crisis is a proof of this statement,” 
Rosas said. “Thousands of immigrants, considered essentials to the state
 infrastructure, stood up through the pandemic to keep the food supply 
in all Kansas’ tables.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-effects-of-sanctuary-policies-on-crime-and-the-economy/">According to a recent study</a>
 on the effects of sanctuary policies, welcoming counties had median 
household incomes that were $4,353 higher, 2.3% lower poverty rates and 
1.1% lower unemployment rates.

“(The law) will make our state less inclusive, less prosperous and 
less safe,” said Caleb Smith of Kansas Appleseed. “Our state’s future 
and the well-being of our communities is at stake.”

With the law enrolled, immigration reform advocates and stakeholders 
involved in passing their city or county sanctuary ordinances are 
asking: “What next?”

Karla Juarez, executive director of the Advocates for Immigrant 
Rights and Reconciliation, and a member of the Safe and Welcoming 
Wyandotte Coalition, said step one was to analyze what parts of their 
ordinance might be salvageable. In addition, Juarez was hopeful there 
would be some sort of statewide education initiative.

“So, focusing on the individual and communities, give them the facts 
about how this is going to affect you because there is lots of fear 
mongering,” Juarez said.

Juarez also agreed with the governor’s assertion that Congress should
 address federal immigration. Unfortunately, she said the law put 
community organizers in a tight spot where making meaningful policy 
changes to protect immigrants was now in question.

Other members of the coalition echoed Kelly’s request for a trailer 
bill to ensure individuals who rely on local government IDs to vote, 
like veterans, the elderly and Kansans with disabilities, are not 
adversely affected.

Ferreiro, of Sanctuary Alliance Lawrence, is looking at ways to 
ensure legislation like this does not pass in the future. For her, the 
best way to do that is to mobilize different communities to vote in 
droves.

“We saw those shifts on a smaller level. We saw it in Lawrence. You 
saw them in Roeland Park and in Wyandotte County,” Ferreiro said. “What 
would it look like if we grew that, and we tried to do that statewide? 
Could we shift the power politically back to the people?”

Immigrants face new reality, old fears under Kan. law banning ‘sanctuary’ cities

Jeannie Marie Mater, 78, beloved mother, grandmother, and great 
grandmother, died at her home in Hoisington, surrounded by family, on 
May 27, 2022. She was born August 25, 1944, in Ellsworth, Kansas, the 
daughter of Walter “Earl” and Myrtle Nora (Maynard) Thornton.&nbsp; Jeannie 
was a 1962 graduate of Ellsworth High School.

A longtime Hoisington resident she worked as a CNA for Home Health in
 La Crosse, Kansas, and later as a CNA and ward clerk for Clara Barton 
Hospital retiring in October of 2020. Jeannie was involved in 4-H for 
many years with her children. She was an excellent cook and baker and 
was best known for her kolaches, elephant ears and her pepper jelly.

Survivors include; five daughters, Stacey Vincent of Hoisington, 
Dulcy Palnau, Corrie Mater, Audrey (Chad) Kirkman, and Sarah Mater, all 
of Wichita; a sister, Charlotte Brown of Puyallup, Washington; eight 
grandchildren, April (LaShon) VanSyoc of Hoisington, Tristan Palnau of 
Wichita, Brody Nicholas of Osage City, Payton Steiner, Aidan Palnau, 
both of Wichita, Braxton Nicholas of Hoisington, Orvis and Theodore 
Kirkman both of Wichita; and three great grandchildren, Ki, Nora, and 
Ella VanSyoc.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Aaron Nicholas; a sister, Veatress Webb, and a brother, Earl “Junior” Thornton.

Friends may sign the book Monday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., with family to 
greet friends from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.&nbsp; There will be no 
viewing as cremation has taken place.

Memorial service will be 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at New 
Life Baptist Church, Hoisington, with Pastor Denny Lewis presiding.

Memorials may be made to Clara Barton Hospital Foundation or Kindred 
Hospice, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, 
Hoisington, KS 67544.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653753682439.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Jeannie Marie Mater, 78, beloved mother, grandmother, and great 
grandmother, died at her home in Hoisington, surrounded by family, on 
May 27, 2022. She was born August 25, 1944, in Ellsworth, Kansas, the 
daughter of Walter “Earl” and Myrtle Nora (Maynard) Thornton.&nbsp; Jeannie 
was a 1962 graduate of Ellsworth High School.A longtime Hoisington resident she worked as a CNA for Home Health in
 La Crosse, Kansas, and later as a CNA and ward clerk for Clara Barton 
Hospital retiring in October of 2020. Jeannie was involved in 4-H for 
many years with her children. She was an excellent cook and baker and 
was best known for her kolaches, elephant ears and her pepper jelly.Survivors include; five daughters, Stacey Vincent of Hoisington, 
Dulcy Palnau, Corrie Mater, Audrey (Chad) Kirkman, and Sarah Mater, all 
of Wichita; a sister, Charlotte Brown of Puyallup, Washington; eight 
grandchildren, April (LaShon) VanSyoc of Hoisington, Tristan Palnau of 
Wichita, Brody Nicholas of Osage City, Payton Steiner, Aidan Palnau, 
both of Wichita, Braxton Nicholas of Hoisington, Orvis and Theodore 
Kirkman both of Wichita; and three great grandchildren, Ki, Nora, and 
Ella VanSyoc.She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Aaron Nicholas; a sister, Veatress Webb, and a brother, Earl “Junior” Thornton.Friends may sign the book Monday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., with family to 
greet friends from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.&nbsp; There will be no 
viewing as cremation has taken place.Memorial service will be 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at New 
Life Baptist Church, Hoisington, with Pastor Denny Lewis presiding.Memorials may be made to Clara Barton Hospital Foundation or Kindred 
Hospice, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, 
Hoisington, KS 67544.

Jeannie Marie Mater

New U.S. research on long COVID-19 provides fresh evidence that it can happen even after breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, and that older adults face higher risks for the long-term effects.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/nm/" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;of veterans published Wednesday, about one-third who had breakthrough infections showed signs of long COVID.

A separate report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that up to a year after an initial coronavirus infection, 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and older had at least one potential long COVID health problem, compared with 1 in 5 younger adults.

Long COVID refers to any of more than two dozens symptoms that linger, recur or first appear at least one month after a coronavirus infection. These can affect all parts of the body and may include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog and blood clots.

Coronavirus vaccines that help prevent initial infections and serious illnesses provide some protection against long COVID but mounting research shows not as much as scientists had first hoped.

The veterans study published in Nature Medicine reviewed medical records of mostly white male veterans, aged 60, on average. Of the 13 million veterans, almost 3 million had been vaccinated last year, through October.

About 1%, or nearly 34,000, developed breakthrough infections. Lead author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly noted that the study was done before the highly contagious omicron variant appeared at the end of the year and said the rate of breakthrough infections has likely increased.

Breakthrough infections and long COVID symptoms were more common among those who had received Johnson &amp; Johnson’s single-dose shot compared with two doses of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. Whether any had received booster shots is not known; the first booster wasn’t OK’d in the U.S. until late September.

Overall, 32% had long COVID symptoms up to six months after breakthrough infections. That’s compared with 36% of unvaccinated veterans who had been infected and developed long COVID.

Vaccination reduced the chances for any long COVID symptoms by a “modest” 15%,” although it cut the risk in half for lingering respiratory or clotting problems, said Al-Aly, a researcher with Washington University and the Veterans Affairs health system in St. Louis. These symptoms included persistent shortness of breath or cough and blood clots in lungs or veins in the legs.

Infectious disease expert Dr. Kristin Englund, who runs a center for long COVID patients at the Cleveland Clinic, said the Nature Medicine study mirrors what she sees at her clinic. Long COVID patients there include people who were vaccinated and received boosters.

“As we have no clear treatments for long COVID, it is important for everyone to get vaccinated and use other proven methods of prevention such as masking and social distancing in order to prevent infections with COVID and thus long COVID,” Englund said.

The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7121e1.htm?s_cid=mm7121e1_w" target="_blank">report</a>, released Tuesday, used medical records for almost 2 million U.S. adults from the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to last November. They included 353,000 who had COVID-19. Patients were tracked for up to a year to determine if they developed any of 26 health conditions that have been attributed to long COVID.

Those who had COVID were much more likely than other adults without COVID to develop at least one of these conditions, and risks were greatest for those aged 65 and older. Information on vaccination, sex and race was not included.

Breathing problems and muscle aches were among the most common conditions.

Older adults’ risks were higher for certain conditions, including strokes, brain fog, kidney failure and mental health problems. The findings are worrisome because those conditions can hasten older adults’ needs for long-term care, the report authors said.

They stressed that routine assessment of all COVID patients “is critical to reduce the incidence” of long COVID.

By LINDSEY TANNER, Associated PressNew U.S. research on long COVID-19 provides fresh evidence that it can happen even after breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, and that older adults face higher risks for the long-term effects.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/nm/" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;of veterans published Wednesday, about one-third who had breakthrough infections showed signs of long COVID.A separate report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that up to a year after an initial coronavirus infection, 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and older had at least one potential long COVID health problem, compared with 1 in 5 younger adults.Long COVID refers to any of more than two dozens symptoms that linger, recur or first appear at least one month after a coronavirus infection. These can affect all parts of the body and may include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog and blood clots.Coronavirus vaccines that help prevent initial infections and serious illnesses provide some protection against long COVID but mounting research shows not as much as scientists had first hoped.The veterans study published in Nature Medicine reviewed medical records of mostly white male veterans, aged 60, on average. Of the 13 million veterans, almost 3 million had been vaccinated last year, through October.About 1%, or nearly 34,000, developed breakthrough infections. Lead author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly noted that the study was done before the highly contagious omicron variant appeared at the end of the year and said the rate of breakthrough infections has likely increased.Breakthrough infections and long COVID symptoms were more common among those who had received Johnson &amp; Johnson’s single-dose shot compared with two doses of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. Whether any had received booster shots is not known; the first booster wasn’t OK’d in the U.S. until late September.Overall, 32% had long COVID symptoms up to six months after breakthrough infections. That’s compared with 36% of unvaccinated veterans who had been infected and developed long COVID.Vaccination reduced the chances for any long COVID symptoms by a “modest” 15%,” although it cut the risk in half for lingering respiratory or clotting problems, said Al-Aly, a researcher with Washington University and the Veterans Affairs health system in St. Louis. These symptoms included persistent shortness of breath or cough and blood clots in lungs or veins in the legs.Infectious disease expert Dr. Kristin Englund, who runs a center for long COVID patients at the Cleveland Clinic, said the Nature Medicine study mirrors what she sees at her clinic. Long COVID patients there include people who were vaccinated and received boosters.“As we have no clear treatments for long COVID, it is important for everyone to get vaccinated and use other proven methods of prevention such as masking and social distancing in order to prevent infections with COVID and thus long COVID,” Englund said.The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7121e1.htm?s_cid=mm7121e1_w" target="_blank">report</a>, released Tuesday, used medical records for almost 2 million U.S. adults from the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to last November. They included 353,000 who had COVID-19. Patients were tracked for up to a year to determine if they developed any of 26 health conditions that have been attributed to long COVID.Those who had COVID were much more likely than other adults without COVID to develop at least one of these conditions, and risks were greatest for those aged 65 and older. Information on vaccination, sex and race was not included.Breathing problems and muscle aches were among the most common conditions.Older adults’ risks were higher for certain conditions, including strokes, brain fog, kidney failure and mental health problems. The findings are worrisome because those conditions can hasten older adults’ needs for long-term care, the report authors said.They stressed that routine assessment of all COVID patients “is critical to reduce the incidence” of long COVID.___

Long COVID affects more older adults; shots don't prevent it

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

GREAT BEND — While Barton County would love to see every landowner pay their
property taxes yearly, there are always a number of owners that get behind.
After three years of not paying property taxes, a residential house gets listed
on the county’s tax sale and auctioned off to the highest bidder. 

There were
158 notices delivered to owners this year notifying them that they have until
October to pay their late taxes. 
Barton County Commissioner Jennifer Schartz said the county only takes the money owed to them
in taxes and fees. The rest of the money is handled by the court to potentially
give back to the owner or lienholder. 
"It's never the county's intent to sell a house out from under 
somebody," said Schartz. "We make every concession we can. All we want 
is for people to pay their fair share of taxes. We surely don't want to 
put anyone out on the street. We have enough safeguards to make sure 
that doesn't happen." 
As the tax sale deadline gets closer, many owners pay the taxes they 
owe.
Barton County Counselor Patrick Hoffman estimated there will be 50 or 
fewer properties in the tax sale by the time the Oct. 11 date rolls
around. 
With very few houses on the market at the moment, Hoffman did express the
advantage of possibly getting 50 houses in the hands of people that actually
want the property. 
"The main goal is to get the taxes collected," said Hoffman. "If the 
owner doesn't want it or maintain it, we'd love someone else to buy it 
to put it to productive use and add valuation. We all know there is a 
housing crisis, so we'd love for these properties to get to somebody 
that wants to live there." 
Barton County Treasurer Jim Jordan said a $100,000 home that is three years
late on property taxes will pay between $2,000 and $3,000 in back taxes and
fees.&nbsp;

By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — While Barton County would love to see every landowner pay their
property taxes yearly, there are always a number of owners that get behind.
After three years of not paying property taxes, a residential house gets listed
on the county’s tax sale and auctioned off to the highest bidder. There were
158 notices delivered to owners this year notifying them that they have until
October to pay their late taxes. 
Barton County Commissioner Jennifer Schartz said the county only takes the money owed to them
in taxes and fees. The rest of the money is handled by the court to potentially
give back to the owner or lienholder. 
"It's never the county's intent to sell a house out from under 
somebody," said Schartz. "We make every concession we can. All we want 
is for people to pay their fair share of taxes. We surely don't want to 
put anyone out on the street. We have enough safeguards to make sure 
that doesn't happen." 
As the tax sale deadline gets closer, many owners pay the taxes they 
owe.
Barton County Counselor Patrick Hoffman estimated there will be 50 or 
fewer properties in the tax sale by the time the Oct. 11 date rolls
around. 
With very few houses on the market at the moment, Hoffman did express the
advantage of possibly getting 50 houses in the hands of people that actually
want the property. 
"The main goal is to get the taxes collected," said Hoffman. "If the 
owner doesn't want it or maintain it, we'd love someone else to buy it 
to put it to productive use and add valuation. We all know there is a 
housing crisis, so we'd love for these properties to get to somebody 
that wants to live there." 
Barton County Treasurer Jim Jordan said a $100,000 home that is three years
late on property taxes will pay between $2,000 and $3,000 in back taxes and
fees.&nbsp;

County official: Tax sale could help ease housing shortage

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration faced bipartisan fury from House lawmakers Wednesday over months of delays investigating problems at the nation’s largest baby formula plant that prompted an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">ongoing shortage</a>.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?520252-1/baby-formula-manufacturers-fda-commissioner-testify-shortage&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the hearing

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf laid out a series of setbacks in congressional testimony that slowed his agency’s response, including a COVID-19 outbreak at the plant and a whistleblower complaint that didn’t reach FDA leadership because it was apparently lost in the mail.

Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe.

The shortage largely stems from Abbott’s Michigan plant, which the FDA shut down in February due to contamination issues. Under fire from Congress, parents and the media, Califf gave the first detailed account Wednesday of why his agency took months to inspect and shutter the plant despite learning of potential problems as early as September.

The FDA’s response was: “Too slow and there were decisions that were suboptimal along the way,” Califf told lawmakers.

The FDA and President Joe Biden face mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">political pressure</a>&nbsp;to explain why they didn’t intervene sooner to head off the supply crisis.

“Why did it take an onslaught of national media attention for the Biden administration to act with a sense of urgency required to address an infant formula shortage?” asked Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, the committee’s ranking Republican.

Califf said the agency had been trying to monitor formula supplies since 2020 when COVID-related disruptions first emerged, but regulators have limited visibility into company supply chains.

The House panel also heard from three formula manufacturers, including a top Abbott Nutrition executive who apologized to parents for the shortage.

“We let you down,” said Abbott vice president Christopher Calamari. “We are deeply sorry.”

Calamari repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether any employees were disciplined or fired over the problems at the plant, which included standing water, a leaky roof and damaged equipment.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653503720164.png" alt="Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration faced bipartisan fury from House lawmakers Wednesday over months of delays investigating problems at the nation’s largest baby formula plant that prompted an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">ongoing shortage</a>.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?520252-1/baby-formula-manufacturers-fda-commissioner-testify-shortage&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the hearingFDA Commissioner Robert Califf laid out a series of setbacks in congressional testimony that slowed his agency’s response, including a COVID-19 outbreak at the plant and a whistleblower complaint that didn’t reach FDA leadership because it was apparently lost in the mail.Califf testified before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, which has snowballed into a national political controversy and forced the U.S. military to begin airlifting supplies from Europe.The shortage largely stems from Abbott’s Michigan plant, which the FDA shut down in February due to contamination issues. Under fire from Congress, parents and the media, Califf gave the first detailed account Wednesday of why his agency took months to inspect and shutter the plant despite learning of potential problems as early as September.The FDA’s response was: “Too slow and there were decisions that were suboptimal along the way,” Califf told lawmakers.The FDA and President Joe Biden face mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">political pressure</a>&nbsp;to explain why they didn’t intervene sooner to head off the supply crisis.“Why did it take an onslaught of national media attention for the Biden administration to act with a sense of urgency required to address an infant formula shortage?” asked Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, the committee’s ranking Republican.Califf said the agency had been trying to monitor formula supplies since 2020 when COVID-related disruptions first emerged, but regulators have limited visibility into company supply chains.The House panel also heard from three formula manufacturers, including a top Abbott Nutrition executive who apologized to parents for the shortage.“We let you down,” said Abbott vice president Christopher Calamari. “We are deeply sorry.”Calamari repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether any employees were disciplined or fired over the problems at the plant, which included standing water, a leaky roof and damaged equipment.FDA staff began honing in on Abbott’s plant last fall while tracking several bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula from the facility. The four cases occurred between September and January, causing hospitalizations and two deaths.The FDA planned to begin inspecting the Sturgis, Michigan, plant on Dec. 30, according to Califf’s testimony. But Abbott warned that about a dozen plant employees had tested positive for COVID-19 and requested a delay. As a result, the FDA didn’t begin its inspection until Jan. 31.After detecting positive samples of a rare-but-dangerous bacteria in multiple parts of the plant, the FDA closed the facility and Abbott announced a massive recall of its formula on Feb. 17.“We knew that ceasing plant operations would create supply problems but we had no choice given the insanitary conditions,” said Califf, calling the problems “shocking” and “unacceptable.”Abbott and the FDA have reached an agreement to reopen the plant next week, under which the company must regularly undergo outside safety audits.Califf also struggled to explain delays in following up on a whistleblower complaint alleging numerous safety violations at Abbott’s plant, including employees falsifying records and failing to test formula before shipment.Several FDA staffers reviewed the complaint in late October when it was sent to a regional FDA office, but an interview didn’t take place until two months later, in part due to the whistleblower’s scheduling conflicts.Senior FDA officials eventually received the complaint via email, but not until February due to “an isolated failure in FDA’s mailroom, likely due to COVID-19 staffing issues,” according to the FDA testimony. A mailed copy addressed to then-acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock has still not been located.Political outrage over the shortage has landed squarely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">the FDA and Califf</a>, who was confirmed to the FDA role for a second time in February. The problems have escalated into a political firestorm for the White House, which has invoked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-df586c2e52b5e5865ea9f8091d4d1f80">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;and emergency import measures.The FDA contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Feb. 11. about a potential shortage, just days before Abbott’s recall, according to FDA’s timeline.Califf said the FDA requested new authorities, funding and staff to track supply chain data that could have helped get ahead of the problem, but noted Congress has not provided them.Several lawmakers raised longstanding concerns that the FDA’s food program — which oversees most U.S. foods except meat, poultry and eggs — is underfunded and needs restructuring.The program has a convoluted leadership structure in which there is a director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and a separate deputy commissioner for “food policy and response.” The deputy commissioner has more of a safety focus, but has no direct authority over food center staff nor field staff who inspect company plants.Both officials testified Wednesday, along with Califf.When Rep. Nanette Diaz-Barragan, D-Calif., asked who is in charge of food safety, Califf and food center director Susan Mayne gave extended answers, describing different roles and responsibilities.“I don’t think there’s one person that is responsible,” Diaz-Barragan responded. “I just think it goes to show there needs to be restructuring and it needs to be more clear who’s ultimately responsible.”Later Wednesday afternoon, Abbott’s Calamari told lawmakers his company plans to build extra capacity and redundancies into its supply chain to avoid future disruptions. He reiterated the company’s point that the FDA has not drawn a direct link between the illnesses reported in infants and bacteria samples collected from its plant.After the company restarts production next month it will be able to produce more formula than before the recall, he noted.“We’re going to learn from this. We’re going to get better as a result of this,” Calamari said.Executives from Reckitt and Gerber also testified on their efforts to boost production.