Crystal Lyn Ragels, age 60, of Goodland passed away Thursday, September 16, 2021, at the Goodland Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Crystal was born October 24, 1960, in Canyon City, Colorado.&nbsp; She grew 
up on the family farm north of Edson and graduated from Brewster High 
School in 1978.&nbsp; Crystal attended Northwest Kansas Technical College 
Cosmetology and Medical Assistant.&nbsp; She helped with the Early Childhood 
Head Start Program, American Red Cross, Girl Scout Leader, served on the
 City of Goodland Cemetery Board.&nbsp; Crystal worked many jobs in customer 
service and sales she loved helping people.&nbsp; She enjoyed gardening, 
canning, her dogs, traveling and dearly loved spending time with her 
grandchildren, family, and friends.&nbsp;

She was preceded in death by her father, Harlan Mayer; and son, Jaron Ragels.&nbsp;

She is survived by her mother, Vera Mayer of Goodland; daughter, 
Alegra Kaylene Ragels of Cheyenne Wells, CO; sons, Andrew Kristopher 
(Nicole) and Quinten Tabor (Brenna) of Goodland, KS; four grandchildren,
 Nathan, Vance, Jaxson Ragels and Aubrie Reyna; and many more family 
members and friends.&nbsp;

Memorials may be designated to the Crystal Ragels Memorial Fund and 
may be left at the services or sent in care of Bateman Funeral 
Home,&nbsp;P.O. Box 278, Goodland, Kansas 67735.&nbsp; Information and online 
condolences&nbsp;www.batemanfuneral.com.

Click <a href="https://www.batemanfuneral.com/obituary/Crystal-Ragels">HERE</a> for service details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632158920789.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crystal Lyn Ragels, age 60, of Goodland passed away Thursday, September 16, 2021, at the Goodland Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Crystal was born October 24, 1960, in Canyon City, Colorado.&nbsp; She grew 
up on the family farm north of Edson and graduated from Brewster High 
School in 1978.&nbsp; Crystal attended Northwest Kansas Technical College 
Cosmetology and Medical Assistant.&nbsp; She helped with the Early Childhood 
Head Start Program, American Red Cross, Girl Scout Leader, served on the
 City of Goodland Cemetery Board.&nbsp; Crystal worked many jobs in customer 
service and sales she loved helping people.&nbsp; She enjoyed gardening, 
canning, her dogs, traveling and dearly loved spending time with her 
grandchildren, family, and friends.&nbsp;She was preceded in death by her father, Harlan Mayer; and son, Jaron Ragels.&nbsp;She is survived by her mother, Vera Mayer of Goodland; daughter, 
Alegra Kaylene Ragels of Cheyenne Wells, CO; sons, Andrew Kristopher 
(Nicole) and Quinten Tabor (Brenna) of Goodland, KS; four grandchildren,
 Nathan, Vance, Jaxson Ragels and Aubrie Reyna; and many more family 
members and friends.&nbsp;Memorials may be designated to the Crystal Ragels Memorial Fund and 
may be left at the services or sent in care of Bateman Funeral 
Home,&nbsp;P.O. Box 278, Goodland, Kansas 67735.&nbsp; Information and online 
condolences&nbsp;www.batemanfuneral.com.Click <a href="https://www.batemanfuneral.com/obituary/Crystal-Ragels">HERE</a> for service details.

Crystal Lyn Ragels

Dorothy Jane Nielsen, 80, of Russell, Kansas, died on Tuesday, 
September 14, 2021, at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, 
Kansas.&nbsp;

Dorothy was born on February 18, 1941, in Russell, Kansas, the 
daughter of Herman and Ella (Wasemiller) Steinert.&nbsp; She grew up in 
Russell, Kansas and graduated from Russell High School and lived in 
Russell most all her life.&nbsp; She was united in marriage (1958) to Gerald 
Nuss and from this union they had 2 children Debbie (Nuss) Overstake and
 Karl Nuss, and 1 granddaughter Shalane (Overstake) Vavasseur.&nbsp; They 
later divorced and Dorothy married Rod Deines in October,1966, and from 
this union they were blessed with 2 children Bonny and Mike.&nbsp; Later Rod 
and Dorothy were divorced.&nbsp; Dorothy found love a 3rd time and
 was united in married to Bill Nielsen in June 1986.&nbsp; 

She worked as a 
homemaker for many years before working as a desk clerk for the Super 8 
Motel in Russell, Kansas, and the Fairfield Inn in Hays, Kansas.&nbsp; She 
was a former member of the Trinity United Methodist Church where she was
 a member of the choir and Methodist Women’s Group.&nbsp; She enjoyed tulips 
and flowers and scrapbooking.&nbsp; Most of all she enjoyed spending quality 
time with her family and close friends.

Surviving family include her daughter Bonny Deines and spouse Tim 
Ball of Lawrence, Kansas; son Mike Deines and wife Wendy of Basehor, 
Kansas; daughter Debbie Overstake and spouse Perry; granddaughter 
ShalaneVavasseur and spouse Brad, and Karl Henson.&nbsp; She was preceded in 
death by her parents and husband Bill Nielsen on March 31, 1992.

A gathering service to celebrate Dorothy’s life will be held in 
October 2021.&nbsp; Cremation has been selected by the family.&nbsp; 


Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the 
funeral service arrangements.

Dorothy Jane Nielsen, 80, of Russell, Kansas, died on Tuesday, 
September 14, 2021, at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, 
Kansas.&nbsp;Dorothy was born on February 18, 1941, in Russell, Kansas, the 
daughter of Herman and Ella (Wasemiller) Steinert.&nbsp; She grew up in 
Russell, Kansas and graduated from Russell High School and lived in 
Russell most all her life.&nbsp; She was united in marriage (1958) to Gerald 
Nuss and from this union they had 2 children Debbie (Nuss) Overstake and
 Karl Nuss, and 1 granddaughter Shalane (Overstake) Vavasseur.&nbsp; They 
later divorced and Dorothy married Rod Deines in October,1966, and from 
this union they were blessed with 2 children Bonny and Mike.&nbsp; Later Rod 
and Dorothy were divorced.&nbsp; Dorothy found love a 3rd time and
 was united in married to Bill Nielsen in June 1986.&nbsp; She worked as a 
homemaker for many years before working as a desk clerk for the Super 8 
Motel in Russell, Kansas, and the Fairfield Inn in Hays, Kansas.&nbsp; She 
was a former member of the Trinity United Methodist Church where she was
 a member of the choir and Methodist Women’s Group.&nbsp; She enjoyed tulips 
and flowers and scrapbooking.&nbsp; Most of all she enjoyed spending quality 
time with her family and close friends.Surviving family include her daughter Bonny Deines and spouse Tim 
Ball of Lawrence, Kansas; son Mike Deines and wife Wendy of Basehor, 
Kansas; daughter Debbie Overstake and spouse Perry; granddaughter 
ShalaneVavasseur and spouse Brad, and Karl Henson.&nbsp; She was preceded in 
death by her parents and husband Bill Nielsen on March 31, 1992.A gathering service to celebrate Dorothy’s life will be held in 
October 2021.&nbsp; Cremation has been selected by the family.&nbsp; 
Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the 
funeral service arrangements.

Dorothy Jane Nielsen

Youth have entered 2,001 animals in the 89th&nbsp;Kansas Junior Livestock
Show, which will take place Oct. 1 to 3 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds
in Hutchinson. A total of 804 exhibitors have entered 166 market steers, 380
breeding heifers, 232 market hogs, 268 breeding gilts, 303 market lambs, 305
breeding ewes, 194 market goats and 153 commercial does. This event is the
largest youth show in the state.

Ellis County exhibitors are listed below.&nbsp;

KJLS will award cash to exhibitors of the top five animals in both market and breeding shows in all four species. Direct cash payouts will range from $4,000 to $500 for steers; $1,000 to $300 for heifers; $2,000 to $500 for market hogs; $750 to $250 for breeding gilts; $2,000 to $300 for market lambs; $500 to $50 for registered ewes; $500 to $100 for commercial ewes; $2,000 to $400 for market goats; and $750 to $200 for commercial doe kids.

In addition, KJLS will present several scholarships during the show to exhibitors who have excelled academically, in community service and in 4-H/FFA. This is the 29th&nbsp;year for the scholarship program, which has awarded a total of $490,500 to 348 KJLS exhibitors since 1993. Last year, a total of $17,600 was presented to 11 individuals.

Separate from the selection of species champions, a showmanship contest will be held. The top showman in the junior, intermediate and senior divisions of each species will receive a silver belt&nbsp;buckle. Prizes also will be awarded for second through fifth place in each division.

KJLS will again offer the LEAD Challenge, which is an educational and advocacy event that provides an opportunity for exhibitors to learn about current industry issues and apply that information in a competitive environment. Exhibitors will be divided into three age divisions: junior, intermediate and senior. All will participate in the LEAD Listen &amp; Learn, showmanship, skills stations and an interview.

In conjunction with KJLS, the Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF) will sponsor a club calf show and sale. Steer and heifer prospects from some of the top club calf producers in the Midwest will be&nbsp;consigned. The event will take place October 2. Sale commission proceeds will go toward KLF Youth in Agriculture scholarships.

The Mid-America Classic Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest will be held October 1 in conjunction with the show. This event, which has been held for more than 30 years, provides competitors the opportunity to sharpen their livestock evaluation skills; develop their critical thinking and decision-making abilities; and refine their public speaking skills.

KLA and Kansas State University are major sponsors of the show, along with Cargill, Merck Animal Health, Seaboard Foods, American AgCredit, Kansas Farm Bureau, Evergy, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and Friends of KJLS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583840979534.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseYouth have entered 2,001 animals in the 89th&nbsp;Kansas Junior Livestock
Show, which will take place Oct. 1 to 3 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds
in Hutchinson. A total of 804 exhibitors have entered 166 market steers, 380
breeding heifers, 232 market hogs, 268 breeding gilts, 303 market lambs, 305
breeding ewes, 194 market goats and 153 commercial does. This event is the
largest youth show in the state.Ellis County exhibitors are listed below.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631549934626.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KJLS will award cash to exhibitors of the top five animals in both market and breeding shows in all four species. Direct cash payouts will range from $4,000 to $500 for steers; $1,000 to $300 for heifers; $2,000 to $500 for market hogs; $750 to $250 for breeding gilts; $2,000 to $300 for market lambs; $500 to $50 for registered ewes; $500 to $100 for commercial ewes; $2,000 to $400 for market goats; and $750 to $200 for commercial doe kids.In addition, KJLS will present several scholarships during the show to exhibitors who have excelled academically, in community service and in 4-H/FFA. This is the 29th&nbsp;year for the scholarship program, which has awarded a total of $490,500 to 348 KJLS exhibitors since 1993. Last year, a total of $17,600 was presented to 11 individuals.Separate from the selection of species champions, a showmanship contest will be held. The top showman in the junior, intermediate and senior divisions of each species will receive a silver belt&nbsp;buckle. Prizes also will be awarded for second through fifth place in each division.KJLS will again offer the LEAD Challenge, which is an educational and advocacy event that provides an opportunity for exhibitors to learn about current industry issues and apply that information in a competitive environment. Exhibitors will be divided into three age divisions: junior, intermediate and senior. All will participate in the LEAD Listen &amp; Learn, showmanship, skills stations and an interview.In conjunction with KJLS, the Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF) will sponsor a club calf show and sale. Steer and heifer prospects from some of the top club calf producers in the Midwest will be&nbsp;consigned. The event will take place October 2. Sale commission proceeds will go toward KLF Youth in Agriculture scholarships.The Mid-America Classic Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest will be held October 1 in conjunction with the show. This event, which has been held for more than 30 years, provides competitors the opportunity to sharpen their livestock evaluation skills; develop their critical thinking and decision-making abilities; and refine their public speaking skills.KLA and Kansas State University are major sponsors of the show, along with Cargill, Merck Animal Health, Seaboard Foods, American AgCredit, Kansas Farm Bureau, Evergy, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and Friends of KJLS.

16 Ellis Co. youth to participate in Kansas Jr. Livestock Show

October 28, 1960 ~ September 16, 2021

An obituary is pending with Bateman Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632002311318.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>October 28, 1960 ~ September 16, 2021An obituary is pending with Bateman Funeral Home.Click <a href="https://www.batemanfuneral.com/obituary/Crystal-Ragels">HERE</a> for service details.

Crystal Ragels

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — A hearing that could determine whether Kevin Strickland will be released from prison after serving more than 40 years for a triple murder conviction will be held in Jackson County, a judge ruled Friday.

Circuit Judge Kevin Harrell rejected a motion filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office asking Harrell to recuse himself and all other Jackson County judges from hearing Strickland's case because the presiding judge in that circuit has said he agrees with the local prosecutor's contention that Strickland was wrongfully convicted.

Harrell also said Friday that an evidentiary hearing during which prosecutors will argue that Strickland was wrongfully convicted and should be released from prison will be held the first week of October. The exact date will depend on the attorneys' schedules.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced in May that she and other legal and political leaders believe that Strickland, now 62, was wrongfully convicted of killing three people in Kansas City in 1998.

Using a new state law, Peters Baker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-816410e8eab142331d08c9d750153d28">filed a motion in August&nbsp;</a>asking for an evidentiary hearing during which prosecutors will argue that Strickland should be exonerated and released from prison.

In a letter in May, Peters Baker said Dale Youngs, the presiding judge in the 16th Circuit Court, “concurs on behalf” of the court that Strickland was wrongfully convicted.

The attorney general’s office has said that statement shows that Jackson County judges are biased in Strickland's favor. Schmitt's office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-kansas-missouri-4b11c90ec6845d9459e44ddaee5be20d">has argued that Strickland is guilty.</a>

But Harrell said he could be impartial. He said he hadn't heard of Youngs' statement about the Strickland case before it was raised as an issue in his courtroom, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article254298488.html">reported</a>.

Harrell also denied a motion by the attorney general’s office to move the case from criminal to civil court. Harrell said lawmakers meant for criminal courts to hold hearings under the new law, which gives local prosecutors the power to argue that a prisoner was wrongfully convicted.

The Star reported in 2020 that two men who pleaded guilty in the killings swore Strickland was not with them and two other accomplices. And an eyewitness who identified Strickland as the killer recanted her statements before she died, prosecutors said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620695920927.png" alt="Strickland-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Strickland-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — A hearing that could determine whether Kevin Strickland will be released from prison after serving more than 40 years for a triple murder conviction will be held in Jackson County, a judge ruled Friday.Circuit Judge Kevin Harrell rejected a motion filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office asking Harrell to recuse himself and all other Jackson County judges from hearing Strickland's case because the presiding judge in that circuit has said he agrees with the local prosecutor's contention that Strickland was wrongfully convicted.Harrell also said Friday that an evidentiary hearing during which prosecutors will argue that Strickland was wrongfully convicted and should be released from prison will be held the first week of October. The exact date will depend on the attorneys' schedules.Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced in May that she and other legal and political leaders believe that Strickland, now 62, was wrongfully convicted of killing three people in Kansas City in 1998.Using a new state law, Peters Baker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-816410e8eab142331d08c9d750153d28">filed a motion in August&nbsp;</a>asking for an evidentiary hearing during which prosecutors will argue that Strickland should be exonerated and released from prison.In a letter in May, Peters Baker said Dale Youngs, the presiding judge in the 16th Circuit Court, “concurs on behalf” of the court that Strickland was wrongfully convicted.The attorney general’s office has said that statement shows that Jackson County judges are biased in Strickland's favor. Schmitt's office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-kansas-missouri-4b11c90ec6845d9459e44ddaee5be20d">has argued that Strickland is guilty.</a>But Harrell said he could be impartial. He said he hadn't heard of Youngs' statement about the Strickland case before it was raised as an issue in his courtroom, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article254298488.html">reported</a>.Harrell also denied a motion by the attorney general’s office to move the case from criminal to civil court. Harrell said lawmakers meant for criminal courts to hold hearings under the new law, which gives local prosecutors the power to argue that a prisoner was wrongfully convicted.The Star reported in 2020 that two men who pleaded guilty in the killings swore Strickland was not with them and two other accomplices. And an eyewitness who identified Strickland as the killer recanted her statements before she died, prosecutors said.

Judge rules on location of hearing in 40-year-old KC triple murder 

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The top U.S. military officer said Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-china-united-states-michael-pence-joint-chiefs-of-staff-caba520490ba574393f1cb6d1e961dba">calls he made to his Chinese counterpart</a>&nbsp;in the final stormy months of Donald Trump’s presidency were “perfectly within the duties and responsibilities” of his job.

In his first public comments on the conversations, Gen. Mark Milley such said calls are “routine” and were done “to reassure both allies and adversaries in this case in order to ensure strategic stability.” The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke to The Associated Press and another reporter traveling with him to Europe.

Milley has been at the center of a firestorm amid reports he made two calls to Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army to assure him that the United States was not going to suddenly go to war with or attack China.

Descriptions of the calls made last October and in January were first aired in excerpts from the forthcoming book “Peril” by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. The book says Milley told Li that he would warn Li in the event of an attack.

Milley on Friday offered only a brief defense of his calls, saying he plans a deeper discussion about the matter for Congress when he testifies at a hearing later in September.

“I think it’s best that I reserve my comments on the record until I do that in front of the lawmakers who have the lawful responsibility to oversee the U.S. military,” Milley said. “I’ll go into any level of detail Congress wants to go into in a couple of weeks.”

Milley and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are scheduled to testify Sept. 28 before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in what initially was going to be a hearing on the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others from that country.

Now, however, Milley is expected to face tough questioning on the telephone calls, which came during Trump’s turbulent last months in office as he challenged the results of the 2020 election. The second call, on Jan. 8, came two days after a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s White House victory.

A special House committee that is investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-china-capitol-siege-election-2020-liz-cheney-48e0a042ec141d558a6df5fab0ce5909">has asked for details about Milley’s calls.</a>&nbsp;U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., leaders of the committee, have also sought records related to the November election, the transfer of power from Trump to Biden and the riot.

Milley was appointed Joint Chiefs chairman by Trump in 2019 and has remained in that post in the Biden administration. As chairman, Milley is the top military adviser to the president and to the defense secretary.

The White House and the Pentagon chief have said they continue to have full trust and confidence in Milley.

The new book says Milley, fearful of Trump’s actions late in his term, twice called his Chinese counterpart to assure him that the U.S. was not going to attack China. One call took place on Oct. 30, four days before the American election. The second call was on Jan. 8, less than two weeks before Biden’s inauguration and two days after the insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of Trump.

Some U.S. lawmakers have said Milley overstepped his authority, and they have called for Biden to fire him. Trump blasted Milley as treasonous, called him “a complete nutjob” and said Milley “never told me about calls being made to China.”

Biden told reporters after the disclosures in the book that “I have great confidence in Gen. Milley.”

Milley’s office, in a statement this week, said the calls were intended to convey “reassurance” to the Chinese military and were in line with his responsibilities as Joint Chiefs chairman.

The statement from Milley spokesman Col. Dave Butler also said that the calls were “staffed, coordinated and communicated” with the Pentagon and other federal agencies.

According to the book, which the AP obtained, Milley assured his Chinese counterpart in the first call that “the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay.” It said he told Li, “We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.”

“If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,” Milley reportedly said.

Milley spoke with a number of other military leaders around the world after the Jan. 6 riot; they included leaders from the United Kingdom, Russia and Pakistan. A description of those calls in January referred to “several” other counterparts that Milley spoke to with similar messages of reassurance that the U.S. government was strong and in control.

The second call was meant to placate Chinese fears about the events of Jan. 6. But the book reports that Li wasn’t as easily assuaged, even after Milley promised him: “We are 100 percent steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes.”

In response to the book, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., urged Biden to fire Milley, saying the general worked to “actively undermine” the American commander in chief, Trump.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1585777561924.png" alt="General Mark Milley speaks at White House briefing during the Trump administration-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>General Mark Milley speaks at White House briefing during the Trump administration-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The top U.S. military officer said Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-china-united-states-michael-pence-joint-chiefs-of-staff-caba520490ba574393f1cb6d1e961dba">calls he made to his Chinese counterpart</a>&nbsp;in the final stormy months of Donald Trump’s presidency were “perfectly within the duties and responsibilities” of his job.In his first public comments on the conversations, Gen. Mark Milley such said calls are “routine” and were done “to reassure both allies and adversaries in this case in order to ensure strategic stability.” The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke to The Associated Press and another reporter traveling with him to Europe.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">If the allegations prove true, Gen. Mark Milley violated his oath of office and risked the national security of our country. <a href="https://t.co/auYz67VPfB">pic.twitter.com/auYz67VPfB</a>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1438263858754375682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">If true, General Milley must resign immediately. <a href="https://t.co/hUMKsXjttr">https://t.co/hUMKsXjttr</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1438133274702929930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Milley has been at the center of a firestorm amid reports he made two calls to Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army to assure him that the United States was not going to suddenly go to war with or attack China.Descriptions of the calls made last October and in January were first aired in excerpts from the forthcoming book “Peril” by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. The book says Milley told Li that he would warn Li in the event of an attack.Milley on Friday offered only a brief defense of his calls, saying he plans a deeper discussion about the matter for Congress when he testifies at a hearing later in September.“I think it’s best that I reserve my comments on the record until I do that in front of the lawmakers who have the lawful responsibility to oversee the U.S. military,” Milley said. “I’ll go into any level of detail Congress wants to go into in a couple of weeks.”Milley and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are scheduled to testify Sept. 28 before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in what initially was going to be a hearing on the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others from that country.Now, however, Milley is expected to face tough questioning on the telephone calls, which came during Trump’s turbulent last months in office as he challenged the results of the 2020 election. The second call, on Jan. 8, came two days after a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s White House victory.A special House committee that is investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-china-capitol-siege-election-2020-liz-cheney-48e0a042ec141d558a6df5fab0ce5909">has asked for details about Milley’s calls.</a>&nbsp;U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., leaders of the committee, have also sought records related to the November election, the transfer of power from Trump to Biden and the riot.Milley was appointed Joint Chiefs chairman by Trump in 2019 and has remained in that post in the Biden administration. As chairman, Milley is the top military adviser to the president and to the defense secretary.The White House and the Pentagon chief have said they continue to have full trust and confidence in Milley.The new book says Milley, fearful of Trump’s actions late in his term, twice called his Chinese counterpart to assure him that the U.S. was not going to attack China. One call took place on Oct. 30, four days before the American election. The second call was on Jan. 8, less than two weeks before Biden’s inauguration and two days after the insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of Trump.Some U.S. lawmakers have said Milley overstepped his authority, and they have called for Biden to fire him. Trump blasted Milley as treasonous, called him “a complete nutjob” and said Milley “never told me about calls being made to China.”Biden told reporters after the disclosures in the book that “I have great confidence in Gen. Milley.”Milley’s office, in a statement this week, said the calls were intended to convey “reassurance” to the Chinese military and were in line with his responsibilities as Joint Chiefs chairman.The statement from Milley spokesman Col. Dave Butler also said that the calls were “staffed, coordinated and communicated” with the Pentagon and other federal agencies.According to the book, which the AP obtained, Milley assured his Chinese counterpart in the first call that “the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay.” It said he told Li, “We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.”“If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,” Milley reportedly said.Milley spoke with a number of other military leaders around the world after the Jan. 6 riot; they included leaders from the United Kingdom, Russia and Pakistan. A description of those calls in January referred to “several” other counterparts that Milley spoke to with similar messages of reassurance that the U.S. government was strong and in control.The second call was meant to placate Chinese fears about the events of Jan. 6. But the book reports that Li wasn’t as easily assuaged, even after Milley promised him: “We are 100 percent steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes.”In response to the book, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., urged Biden to fire Milley, saying the general worked to “actively undermine” the American commander in chief, Trump.

Kan. leaders want answers from top U.S. military officer on calls to China

Jon Carlos “Los” Nevins, age 50, of Overland Park, Kansas, died Sunday, 
September 12, 2021, the result of a car accident near Junction City, 
Kansas. From his birth in Hill City, Kansas November 4, 1970, to his 
death Sunday, Carlos had a caring heart and offered a ton of love, 
support, and big hugs to his family and his closest friends. 
 J. Carlos was born at Graham County Hospital in Hill 
City, Kansas to Leroy and Joetta Nevins and was one of four children. He
 spent much of his childhood working with his father, Leroy, on the 
family farm. He graduated from Hill City High School and was a Ringneck 
star athlete with many athletic achievements in several sports. His hard
 work and dedication enabled him to play football for Butler County 
Community College, El Dorado and Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, 
and after college played football overseas in Taiwan for the Taipei 
Dragons. After his football career, Los moved to Overland Park, Kansas, 
where he was able to establish a business and build a vast network of 
friends in the community.
 He will be remembered for many wonderful reasons, especially his 
love for muscle cars. Many people will remember the love he shared with 
his mother, Joetta, and for the Dallas Cowboys. He was loved dearly by 
his family and friends and will be greatly missed. 
 J. Carlos was the baby brother to his siblings and is survived by 
his brother, Eric Nevins of Hill City; his sisters: Rhea Darnell of Hill
 City, and Janille Edwards of Salina; and two half-sisters Roberta Yates
 of Ohio and Joyce Harris of Los Vegas. He was also a wonderful uncle 
and is survived by his nephews, nieces, grand nieces, and grand nephews,
 as well as aunts and cousins. 
 He is preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Joetta, half-brother Melvin Nevins, paternal and maternal grandparents. 
 Memorial services will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2021, at 3:00
 p.m. in the Hill City High School Auditorium, 1 Ringneck Dr, Hill City.
 
 Funeral arrangements are being handled through Stinemetz Funeral 
Home (522 North Pomeroy Avenue, Hill City, KS 67642). Burial will follow
 at Mt. Olive Cemetery. 
 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, 
since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 
Corinthians 4:18

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631884563216.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Jon Carlos “Los” Nevins, age 50, of Overland Park, Kansas, died Sunday, 
September 12, 2021, the result of a car accident near Junction City, 
Kansas. From his birth in Hill City, Kansas November 4, 1970, to his 
death Sunday, Carlos had a caring heart and offered a ton of love, 
support, and big hugs to his family and his closest friends. 
 J. Carlos was born at Graham County Hospital in Hill 
City, Kansas to Leroy and Joetta Nevins and was one of four children. He
 spent much of his childhood working with his father, Leroy, on the 
family farm. He graduated from Hill City High School and was a Ringneck 
star athlete with many athletic achievements in several sports. His hard
 work and dedication enabled him to play football for Butler County 
Community College, El Dorado and Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, 
and after college played football overseas in Taiwan for the Taipei 
Dragons. After his football career, Los moved to Overland Park, Kansas, 
where he was able to establish a business and build a vast network of 
friends in the community.
 He will be remembered for many wonderful reasons, especially his 
love for muscle cars. Many people will remember the love he shared with 
his mother, Joetta, and for the Dallas Cowboys. He was loved dearly by 
his family and friends and will be greatly missed. 
 J. Carlos was the baby brother to his siblings and is survived by 
his brother, Eric Nevins of Hill City; his sisters: Rhea Darnell of Hill
 City, and Janille Edwards of Salina; and two half-sisters Roberta Yates
 of Ohio and Joyce Harris of Los Vegas. He was also a wonderful uncle 
and is survived by his nephews, nieces, grand nieces, and grand nephews,
 as well as aunts and cousins. 
 He is preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Joetta, half-brother Melvin Nevins, paternal and maternal grandparents. 
 Memorial services will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2021, at 3:00
 p.m. in the Hill City High School Auditorium, 1 Ringneck Dr, Hill City.
 
 Funeral arrangements are being handled through Stinemetz Funeral 
Home (522 North Pomeroy Avenue, Hill City, KS 67642). Burial will follow
 at Mt. Olive Cemetery. 
 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, 
since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 
Corinthians 4:18

Jon Carlos 'Los' Nevins

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 announced today that millions of American families are now receiving 
their advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of September.

This third batch of advance monthly payments, totaling about $15 
billion, is reaching about 35 million families today across the 
country.&nbsp;The majority of payments will be issued by direct deposit. 
Under the American Rescue Plan, most eligible families received payments
 dated July 15 and Aug. 13, along with today's September 15 payment. 
Future payments are scheduled for October 15, November 15 and December 
15. For these families, each&nbsp;payment is up to $300 per month for each 
child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each child ages 6 through
 17.

Here are further details on these payments:

Still time to sign up; additional details

It's not too late for families who haven't filed a 2020 income tax 
return—including those who are not normally required to file because 
their incomes are too low—to sign up for advance CTC payments. Most 
low-income families can get these monthly payments.

The IRS urges families who normally aren't required to file a tax 
return to explore the tools available on IRS.gov. These tools can help 
determine their eligibility or help them file a simplified tax return to
 sign up for these payments, as well as to be considered automatically 
for the third round of Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 per 
person and to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit covering any of the first
 two rounds of Economic Impact Payments they may have missed.

The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information and use available <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">online tools and toolkits</a> to help non-filers, low-income families and other underserved groups sign up to receive these benefits.

Families can stop payments anytime, even after payments begin. They 
can do that by using the unenroll feature in the Child Tax Credit Update
 Portal. Eligible families who make this choice will still receive the 
rest of their Child Tax Credit as a lump sum when they file their 2021 
federal income tax return next year. To stop all payments starting in 
October and for the rest of 2021, they must unenroll by 11:59 p.m. ET on
 October 4, 2021.

For married couples, each spouse must unenroll separately. If they 
each choose to unenroll, they will receive no monthly payments. If only 
one spouse unenrolls, they will still receive monthly payments, but they
 will be half the normal amount.

The unenroll feature can also be helpful to any family that no longer
 qualifies for the CTC or believes they will not qualify when they file 
their 2021 return in 2022. This could happen if, for example, someone 
else, such as an ex-spouse or another family member, qualifies to claim 
their child or children as dependents in 2021.

At the same time, IRS also reminded eligible families who are not 
getting these payments, especially those who receive little or no 
income, that the IRS Non-filer Sign-up Tool remains available to use 
until October 15.

Links to these tools, a step-by-step guide to using the Non-filer 
Sign-up Tool, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful 
resources are available on the IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">special advance CTC 2021 page</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 announced today that millions of American families are now receiving 
their advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of September.This third batch of advance monthly payments, totaling about $15 
billion, is reaching about 35 million families today across the 
country.&nbsp;The majority of payments will be issued by direct deposit. 
Under the American Rescue Plan, most eligible families received payments
 dated July 15 and Aug. 13, along with today's September 15 payment. 
Future payments are scheduled for October 15, November 15 and December 
15. For these families, each&nbsp;payment is up to $300 per month for each 
child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each child ages 6 through
 17.Here are further details on these payments:<ul>
 <li>Families will see the direct deposit payments in their accounts 
starting today, September 15. Like the prior payments, the vast majority
 of families will receive them by direct deposit.</li><li>For those receiving payments by paper check, be sure to allow extra
 time, through the end of September, for delivery by mail. Those wishing
 to receive future payments by direct deposit can make this change using
 the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a> available only on IRS.gov. To access the portal or to get a new step-by-step guide for using it, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>. A change made by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 4 will apply starting with the October payment.</li><li>Payments went to eligible families who filed a 2019 or 2020 income 
tax return. Returns processed by Aug. 30 are reflected in these 
payments. This includes people who don't typically file a return but 
during 2020 successfully registered for Economic Impact Payments using 
the IRS Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov or in 2021 successfully used the 
Non-filer Sign-up Tool for advance CTC, also available only on IRS.gov.</li><li>Payments are automatic. Aside from filing a tax return, which could
 include filing a simplified return from the Non-filer Sign-up Tool, 
families don't have to do anything if they are eligible to receive 
monthly payments.</li><li>Families who did not get a July or August payment and are getting 
their first monthly payment in September will still receive their total 
advance payment for the year of up to $1,800 for each child under age 6 
and up to $1,500 for each child ages 6 through 17. This means that the 
total payment will be spread over four months, rather than six, making 
each monthly payment larger. For these families, each&nbsp;payment is up to 
$450 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $375 per month for 
each child ages 6 through 17.</li>
 </ul><h2>Still time to sign up; additional details</h2>It's not too late for families who haven't filed a 2020 income tax 
return—including those who are not normally required to file because 
their incomes are too low—to sign up for advance CTC payments. Most 
low-income families can get these monthly payments.The IRS urges families who normally aren't required to file a tax 
return to explore the tools available on IRS.gov. These tools can help 
determine their eligibility or help them file a simplified tax return to
 sign up for these payments, as well as to be considered automatically 
for the third round of Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 per 
person and to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit covering any of the first
 two rounds of Economic Impact Payments they may have missed.The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information and use available <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">online tools and toolkits</a> to help non-filers, low-income families and other underserved groups sign up to receive these benefits.Families can stop payments anytime, even after payments begin. They 
can do that by using the unenroll feature in the Child Tax Credit Update
 Portal. Eligible families who make this choice will still receive the 
rest of their Child Tax Credit as a lump sum when they file their 2021 
federal income tax return next year. To stop all payments starting in 
October and for the rest of 2021, they must unenroll by 11:59 p.m. ET on
 October 4, 2021.For married couples, each spouse must unenroll separately. If they 
each choose to unenroll, they will receive no monthly payments. If only 
one spouse unenrolls, they will still receive monthly payments, but they
 will be half the normal amount.The unenroll feature can also be helpful to any family that no longer
 qualifies for the CTC or believes they will not qualify when they file 
their 2021 return in 2022. This could happen if, for example, someone 
else, such as an ex-spouse or another family member, qualifies to claim 
their child or children as dependents in 2021.At the same time, IRS also reminded eligible families who are not 
getting these payments, especially those who receive little or no 
income, that the IRS Non-filer Sign-up Tool remains available to use 
until October 15.Links to these tools, a step-by-step guide to using the Non-filer 
Sign-up Tool, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful 
resources are available on the IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">special advance CTC 2021 page</a>.

IRS: Families now receiving September Child Tax Credit payments

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminds taxpayers 
about the upcoming October 15 due date to file 2020 tax returns. People 
who asked for an extension should file on or before the extension 
deadline to avoid the penalty for filing late. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">Electronic filing options</a>, such as IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">Free File</a>, are still available.

Although October 15 is the last day for most people to file, some taxpayers may have more time. They include:

There is usually no penalty for failure to file if the taxpayer 
is due a refund. However, people who wait too long to file and claim a 
refund, risk losing it altogether. Those who have yet to file a 2020 tax
 return, owe tax, and did not request an extension can generally avoid 
additional penalties and interest by filing the return as soon as 
possible and paying any taxes owed.

Schedule federal tax payments electronically

Taxpayers can file now and schedule their federal tax payments up to 
the October 15 due date. They can pay online, by phone or with their 
mobile device and the IRS2Go app. When paying federal taxes 
electronically taxpayers should remember:

Taxpayers can use their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account">online account</a>&nbsp;to
 securely see important information when preparing to file their tax 
return or following up on balances or notices. This includes:

The safest and fastest way for people to get a refund is to file 
electronically and have their refund electronically deposited into their
 bank or other financial account. Taxpayers can use&nbsp;<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>&nbsp;to deposit their refund into one, two or even three accounts. They can also <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/now-you-can-buy-us-series-i-savings-bonds-for-anyone-with-your-tax-refund">purchase U.S. Savings Bonds</a>.

People who don't have a bank account can go to the <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/about/initiatives/getbanked/index.html">FDIC website</a>&nbsp;or the National Credit Union Association to use their <a href="https://www.mycreditunion.gov/about-credit-unions/credit-union-locator">Credit Union Locator Tool</a> for information on where to open an online bank or credit union account. Veterans can use the <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/banking.asp">Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP)</a>&nbsp;for access to financial services at participating banks.

Monthly advance Child Tax Credit payments

Millions of American families currently receive <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">monthly advance Child Tax Credit payments</a>
 either through direct deposit or paper check. These payments represent 
half of the increased Child Tax Credit from the American Rescue Plan and
 will continue through the end of the year.

For those <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-eligibility-assistant">eligible</a>
 and on extension for their 2020 tax returns, the IRS is using previous 
year tax information, 2019 for most, to determine the credit amount. The
 IRS urges people who requested an extension to file as soon as possible
 if they experienced a major change such as the birth of a child in 
2020. Once that return is processed, the IRS can <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-topic-c-calculation-of-the-2021-child-tax-credit">calculate the credit</a> based on the 2020 return and pay it out in full over the remaining months in 2021.

Those who file and have their 2020 return processed on or before 
November&nbsp;1, may be eligible for two payments of half the credit in 2021.
 Similarly, people who file and have their return processed on or before
 November&nbsp;29, may be eligible for one payment.

To speed the processing of returns and to avoid delays, the IRS urges everyone to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file electronically</a>.

Complete information on the advance Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov.

Act soon to claim missing stimulus payments

For anyone who missed out on the first two rounds of stimulus 
payments, it's not too late. People who didn't get a first and second 
Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts can get that 
missing money if they're eligible for it, but they need to act soon.

When it comes to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">missing stimulus payments,</a> it's critical that eligible people file a 2020 tax return or use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool</a>
 soon even if they don't usually file to provide information the IRS 
needs to send the payments. The IRS will also automatically evaluate the
 taxpayer's eligibility for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/third-economic-impact-payment">the third economic impact payment</a> when the 2020 return is processed.

The IRS will continue to issue eligible taxpayers their third 
economic impact payment and plus-up payments through the end of 2021. 
File a 2020 tax return electronically as soon as possible to give the IRS time to process and issue the payments before the end of 2021.

Taxpayers will find answers to many questions using the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA)</a>, a tax law resource that works using a series of questions and responses. Additionally, the IRS provides payment options at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> and tax information is available in several languages by clicking on the "English" tab on the front page of IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminds taxpayers 
about the upcoming October 15 due date to file 2020 tax returns. People 
who asked for an extension should file on or before the extension 
deadline to avoid the penalty for filing late. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">Electronic filing options</a>, such as IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">Free File</a>, are still available.Although October 15 is the last day for most people to file, some taxpayers may have more time. They include:<ul>
 <li>Members of the military and others serving in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/combat-zones">combat zone</a>. They typically have 180 days after they leave the combat zone to file returns and pay any taxes due.</li><li>Taxpayers in federally declared disaster areas who already had valid extensions. For details, see the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">disaster relief</a>&nbsp;page on IRS.gov.</li>
 </ul>There is usually no penalty for failure to file if the taxpayer 
is due a refund. However, people who wait too long to file and claim a 
refund, risk losing it altogether. Those who have yet to file a 2020 tax
 return, owe tax, and did not request an extension can generally avoid 
additional penalties and interest by filing the return as soon as 
possible and paying any taxes owed.<h2>Schedule federal tax payments electronically</h2>Taxpayers can file now and schedule their federal tax payments up to 
the October 15 due date. They can pay online, by phone or with their 
mobile device and the IRS2Go app. When paying federal taxes 
electronically taxpayers should remember:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">Electronic payment options</a>&nbsp;are the optimal way to make a tax payment.</li><li>They can pay when they file electronically using tax software 
online. If using a tax preparer, taxpayers should ask the preparer to 
make the tax payment through an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-taxes-by-electronic-funds-withdrawal">electronic funds withdrawal</a>&nbsp;from a bank account.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">IRS Direct Pay</a>&nbsp;allows
 taxpayers to pay online directly from a checking or savings account for
 free, and to schedule payments up to 365 days in advance.</li><li>Choices to pay with a credit card, debit card or digital wallet option are available through a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card">payment processor</a>. The payment processor, not the IRS, charges a fee for this service.</li><li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go</a>&nbsp;app provides the mobile-friendly payment options, including Direct Pay and debit or credit card payments on mobile devices.</li><li>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-the-electronic-federal-tax-payment-system">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)</a>&nbsp;is convenient, safe and easy. Choose to pay online or by phone by using the EFTPS Voice Response System.</li>
 </ul><h2>View tax account online</h2>Taxpayers can use their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account">online account</a>&nbsp;to
 securely see important information when preparing to file their tax 
return or following up on balances or notices. This includes:<ul>
 <li>Adjusted Gross Income: This can be useful if using a different tax software or tax preparer this year.</li><li>Economic Impact Payment amounts: Eligible 
individuals who did not receive the full amounts of both Economic Impact
 Payments may claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 federal tax
 return. To claim the full amount, taxpayers will need to know the 
amounts of the Economic Impact Payments received. These amounts can be 
found on the Tax Records tab in online account.</li><li>Estimated tax payment amounts:&nbsp;The total of any 
estimated tax payments made during the year or refunds applied as a 
credit can be found on the Account Balance tab in online account, and a 
record of each payment appears under Payment Activity.</li>
 </ul>Additionally, taxpayers can view the:<ul>
 <li>Amount owed for any past years, updated for the current calendar day,</li><li>Payment history and any scheduled or pending payments,</li><li>Payment plan details,</li><li>Digital copies of select notices from the IRS, and</li><li>Approve or reject authorization requests from tax professionals.</li>
 </ul><h2>Choose direct deposit for refunds</h2>The safest and fastest way for people to get a refund is to file 
electronically and have their refund electronically deposited into their
 bank or other financial account. Taxpayers can use&nbsp;<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>&nbsp;to deposit their refund into one, two or even three accounts. They can also <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/now-you-can-buy-us-series-i-savings-bonds-for-anyone-with-your-tax-refund">purchase U.S. Savings Bonds</a>.People who don't have a bank account can go to the <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/about/initiatives/getbanked/index.html">FDIC website</a>&nbsp;or the National Credit Union Association to use their <a href="https://www.mycreditunion.gov/about-credit-unions/credit-union-locator">Credit Union Locator Tool</a> for information on where to open an online bank or credit union account. Veterans can use the <a href="https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/banking.asp">Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP)</a>&nbsp;for access to financial services at participating banks.<h2>Monthly advance Child Tax Credit payments</h2>Millions of American families currently receive <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">monthly advance Child Tax Credit payments</a>
 either through direct deposit or paper check. These payments represent 
half of the increased Child Tax Credit from the American Rescue Plan and
 will continue through the end of the year.For those <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-eligibility-assistant">eligible</a>
 and on extension for their 2020 tax returns, the IRS is using previous 
year tax information, 2019 for most, to determine the credit amount. The
 IRS urges people who requested an extension to file as soon as possible
 if they experienced a major change such as the birth of a child in 
2020. Once that return is processed, the IRS can <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-topic-c-calculation-of-the-2021-child-tax-credit">calculate the credit</a> based on the 2020 return and pay it out in full over the remaining months in 2021.Those who file and have their 2020 return processed on or before 
November&nbsp;1, may be eligible for two payments of half the credit in 2021.
 Similarly, people who file and have their return processed on or before
 November&nbsp;29, may be eligible for one payment.To speed the processing of returns and to avoid delays, the IRS urges everyone to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file electronically</a>.Complete information on the advance Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov.<h2>Act soon to claim missing stimulus payments</h2>For anyone who missed out on the first two rounds of stimulus 
payments, it's not too late. People who didn't get a first and second 
Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts can get that 
missing money if they're eligible for it, but they need to act soon.When it comes to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">missing stimulus payments,</a> it's critical that eligible people file a 2020 tax return or use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool</a>
 soon even if they don't usually file to provide information the IRS 
needs to send the payments. The IRS will also automatically evaluate the
 taxpayer's eligibility for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/third-economic-impact-payment">the third economic impact payment</a> when the 2020 return is processed.The IRS will continue to issue eligible taxpayers their third 
economic impact payment and plus-up payments through the end of 2021. 
File a 2020 tax return electronically as soon as possible to give the IRS time to process and issue the payments before the end of 2021.<h2>IRS.gov assistance</h2>Taxpayers will find answers to many questions using the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA)</a>, a tax law resource that works using a series of questions and responses. Additionally, the IRS provides payment options at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> and tax information is available in several languages by clicking on the "English" tab on the front page of IRS.gov.

Deadline looms for taxpayers who requested extensions to file 2020 returns

Laura Jean Barlow, 73, passed away September 10, 2021, at Clara 
Barton Hospital, Hoisington. She was born on September 14, 1947, in 
Great Bend, to Rueben and Beth “Babe” (Boxberger) Michaelis. She married
 Ronald V. Barlow on October 16, 1966, in Hoisington.&nbsp; He died June 26, 
2016.

A lifetime Hoisington resident, Laura was a cosmetologist at Nu-Wave 
Hair Salon. Laura was very proud of her work and always needed her hair 
and nails to look professional. She was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran 
Church and the church choir. Laura enjoyed cooking and always had the 
best recipes to share with her family and friends. She loved spending 
time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

Survivors include, a son, Brooke Barlow of Wichita; a daughter, 
Jessica Campbell of Hoisington; four grandchildren, Savannah Sidebottom,
 Taylor Spresser, Rylie Campbell, and Peyton Campbell; and three great 
grandchildren, Graham Spresser, Brynk Sidebottom and Boyd Sidebottom.

There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. Memorial 
service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 24, 2021, at 
Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Hoisington, with Rhonda Templing, PMA, 
presiding. 

Memorials have been designated to the Laura Barlow Funeral 
Expense Fund, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631732129102.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Laura Jean Barlow, 73, passed away September 10, 2021, at Clara 
Barton Hospital, Hoisington. She was born on September 14, 1947, in 
Great Bend, to Rueben and Beth “Babe” (Boxberger) Michaelis. She married
 Ronald V. Barlow on October 16, 1966, in Hoisington.&nbsp; He died June 26, 
2016.A lifetime Hoisington resident, Laura was a cosmetologist at Nu-Wave 
Hair Salon. Laura was very proud of her work and always needed her hair 
and nails to look professional. She was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran 
Church and the church choir. Laura enjoyed cooking and always had the 
best recipes to share with her family and friends. She loved spending 
time with her family, especially her grandchildren.Survivors include, a son, Brooke Barlow of Wichita; a daughter, 
Jessica Campbell of Hoisington; four grandchildren, Savannah Sidebottom,
 Taylor Spresser, Rylie Campbell, and Peyton Campbell; and three great 
grandchildren, Graham Spresser, Brynk Sidebottom and Boyd Sidebottom.There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. Memorial 
service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 24, 2021, at 
Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Hoisington, with Rhonda Templing, PMA, 
presiding. Memorials have been designated to the Laura Barlow Funeral 
Expense Fund, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home.

Laura Jean Barlow

Phillipsburg resident Phylis F. Reeves passed away Tuesday, February 
16, 2021, at the Phillips County Hospital in Phillipsburg at the age of 
98.

She was born November 6, 1922, in Smith Center, Kansas, the daughter of Vern V. and Nettie F. (Churchill) Albrecht.

She was united in marriage to Dale I. Reeves on November 10, 1944, in 
Smith Center, KS.&nbsp; He preceded her in death on April 11, 2011.

She was also preceded in death by her parents, sisters Katie and Nita; and a daughter Barbara Whittaker.

Survivors include her daughter Connie Price of Phillipsburg; a 
grandson Jerry Whittaker and wife Marjorie of Falls Church, VA; a great 
grandson Jackson “Jack” Whittaker; a sister Mary Swander of Salina, KS; 
and nieces and nephews.

Cremation was planned.&nbsp; A memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. 
Saturday, October 2, 2021, at the United Presbyterian Church, 
Phillipsburg, with Pastor Chris Davis officiating.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Olliff-Boeve-Memorial-Chapel-158648587502325/">The memorial services will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page</a>.&nbsp; Inurnment will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Smith Center, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to Chapter BE P.E.O. or the United Presbyterian Church.

Phillipsburg resident Phylis F. Reeves passed away Tuesday, February 
16, 2021, at the Phillips County Hospital in Phillipsburg at the age of 
98.She was born November 6, 1922, in Smith Center, Kansas, the daughter of Vern V. and Nettie F. (Churchill) Albrecht.She was united in marriage to Dale I. Reeves on November 10, 1944, in 
Smith Center, KS.&nbsp; He preceded her in death on April 11, 2011.She was also preceded in death by her parents, sisters Katie and Nita; and a daughter Barbara Whittaker.Survivors include her daughter Connie Price of Phillipsburg; a 
grandson Jerry Whittaker and wife Marjorie of Falls Church, VA; a great 
grandson Jackson “Jack” Whittaker; a sister Mary Swander of Salina, KS; 
and nieces and nephews.Cremation was planned.&nbsp; A memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. 
Saturday, October 2, 2021, at the United Presbyterian Church, 
Phillipsburg, with Pastor Chris Davis officiating.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Olliff-Boeve-Memorial-Chapel-158648587502325/">The memorial services will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page</a>.&nbsp; Inurnment will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Smith Center, Kansas.Memorial contributions may be made to Chapter BE P.E.O. or the United Presbyterian Church.

Phylis F. Reeves

Tickets available now! DM our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysOptimists">Facebook page</a> or see an Optimist member to purchase yours! Please be sure to buy them ahead of time. You will save $0.50 per ticket, and your money will go to benefit the Optimists Club of Hays.

Sunday, October 10, 2021 from 7:30 a.m-12:00 p.m.

Adults: $9.50 in advance/$10 at the door, Ages 5-12 $4.50 in advance/$5 at the door, Under 5 free.

bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast biscuits, pancakes, sausage gravy, coffee, orange juice, water.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631567363950.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Tickets available now! DM our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysOptimists">Facebook page</a> or see an Optimist member to purchase yours! Please be sure to buy them ahead of time. You will save $0.50 per ticket, and your money will go to benefit the Optimists Club of Hays.Sunday, October 10, 2021 from 7:30 a.m-12:00 p.m.Adults: $9.50 in advance/$10 at the door, Ages 5-12 $4.50 in advance/$5 at the door, Under 5 free.All you can eat:bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast biscuits, pancakes, sausage gravy, coffee, orange juice, water.

Hays Optimists fundraiser Oct. 10 at VFW Stars and Stripes Breakfast 

Ruth G. Leas, 104, Hays, died Sunday, October 4, 2020, at her son’s home in Hays.

She was born December 5, 1915, in 
Elkhart, Kansas the daughter of James B. and Viola (Schnauffer) Garlow.&nbsp;
 She was a graduate of Hays High School in 1933, and she earned her 
Bachelor’s Degree at Fort Hays State University.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;On April 10, 1936,&nbsp; she was united in marriage to Arthur J. Leas in Hays, and they 
celebrated 75 years of marriage before he preceded her in death on 
January 11, 2012.&nbsp; She worked at Markwell’s Office Supply, was a 
secretary for the school nurse at Hays High School, and worked in the 
children’s department at the Hays Public Library.&nbsp; Ruth was a longtime 
member of the First Baptist Church and P.E.O.&nbsp; She creatively crafted 
much of her own home décor, enjoyed creating string artwork, and liked 
traveling with Arthur.

She is survived by a son; Mike Leas and
 wife Debbie of Hays, four grandchildren; Jana Mannan and husband Maq, 
Julie Ertel and husband Greg, Chris Leas, and Ryan Leas and wife Lisa, 
and five great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her 
parents, her husband; Arthur, a daughter; Judy Swail, a brother; Maurice
 Garlow, and a sister; Blanche Small.&nbsp;

A celebration of life gathering will be
 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at The 
Heritage Eatery, 114 E. 12th Street, Hays.&nbsp; The family requests those 
attending wear a mask or have full vaccination.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Memorials are 
suggested to the FHSU Endowment Foundation, in care of Hays Memorial 
Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; Condolences and memories of Ruth may be shared 
with the family at www.haysmemorial.com&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631724509368.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ruth G. Leas, 104, Hays, died Sunday, October 4, 2020, at her son’s home in Hays.She was born December 5, 1915, in 
Elkhart, Kansas the daughter of James B. and Viola (Schnauffer) Garlow.&nbsp;
 She was a graduate of Hays High School in 1933, and she earned her 
Bachelor’s Degree at Fort Hays State University.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;On April 10, 1936,&nbsp; she was united in marriage to Arthur J. Leas in Hays, and they 
celebrated 75 years of marriage before he preceded her in death on 
January 11, 2012.&nbsp; She worked at Markwell’s Office Supply, was a 
secretary for the school nurse at Hays High School, and worked in the 
children’s department at the Hays Public Library.&nbsp; Ruth was a longtime 
member of the First Baptist Church and P.E.O.&nbsp; She creatively crafted 
much of her own home décor, enjoyed creating string artwork, and liked 
traveling with Arthur.She is survived by a son; Mike Leas and
 wife Debbie of Hays, four grandchildren; Jana Mannan and husband Maq, 
Julie Ertel and husband Greg, Chris Leas, and Ryan Leas and wife Lisa, 
and five great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her 
parents, her husband; Arthur, a daughter; Judy Swail, a brother; Maurice
 Garlow, and a sister; Blanche Small.&nbsp;A celebration of life gathering will be
 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at The 
Heritage Eatery, 114 E. 12th Street, Hays.&nbsp; The family requests those 
attending wear a mask or have full vaccination.&nbsp; &nbsp;Memorials are 
suggested to the FHSU Endowment Foundation, in care of Hays Memorial 
Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; Condolences and memories of Ruth may be shared 
with the family at www.haysmemorial.com&nbsp;

Ruth G. Leas

TOPEKA&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Kansas Manufacturing Council has announced the 16 products headed to the next round of
 voting for the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhLQmueMl8bRX267yrdzEat8syy-4YStw5yyGkPqpnFkc9Ung-sZ2AcnL_JC4few2HLj6oB0-EXERIrIz4YtvVNGW6CVP1y1jdg==&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">2021 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas</a>&nbsp;tournament.

They include <a href="https://www.patsbeefjerky.com/shop">Pat's Beef Jerky</a> made in Liebenthal.

Presented by BKD CPAs &amp; Advisors,&nbsp;more than 14,000 votes were cast during
    the first round of voting that concluded Sept. 10.

KMC Interim Executive Director Sherriene Jones-Sontag said the
    competition is to raise awareness about the state’s manufacturing industry
    and is a great way to learn about the many products manufactured in Kansas.

"It’s also a wonderful opportunity for Kansas
 manufacturers to show their best stuff and prove they have what it takes to
 be the&nbsp;Coolest Thing Made in Kansas," said Jones-Sontag.

The winner will be announced during the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhHTy7NMsHKPQsPnBX-qZQpSy-pAPCgOzXj8rlCIC3MX2dV3liyxrI3SRLdxWHtQDSrgPcw9GYy9fKVF6nFj65GElu2K3VOoWb005kxaN75jA&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">Kansas Manufacturing Summit</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhHTy7NMsHKPQsPnBX-qZQpSy-pAPCgOzXj8rlCIC3MX2dV3liyxrI3SRLdxWHtQDSrgPcw9GYy9fKVF6nFj65GElu2K3VOoWb005kxaN75jA&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a>on Oct. 12, at the Kansas Star Casino and
 Event Center.&nbsp;The 32 manufacturers
 featured in the contest will be invited to display their products during
 the Coolest Celebration Reception to take place the night before the
 summit.

&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhJXddIFPI-vg0jUPD_S23JizwyiKjdakc3Xt61LctL9bM3r8309ZsvHo95hIUcjVW-oA1CvtvpdgZgsIafzM1khDb6LvYLKzUhT-sjQ4ZYeekWRp-2l10aQS3OYDffxdutzCAYmrVRkVDVHzfSPTR8EQ-5Mhv59aKlQTD_5cyr9y9wmDlymE_Io=&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to read the list of the 32
 products that qualified for the tournament.

The reigning&nbsp;Coolest Thing Made in
 Kansas&nbsp;is the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhJhgzXBe8ZseE6_pdh4DgDRC1h371uFbHKFhQC3EyRZwOsai9OISGEsD-LUyU39veU3q02RoUF-2W2I13iKKfWsCgAPnVvFzlw==&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">EMP Shield</a>&nbsp;made in
 Burlington. EMP Shield is the world’s first electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
 surge protection technology for an entire home and vehicle tested to
 military and UL 1449 standards from ETL. How cool is that?

·&nbsp; Voting during the tournament is
open to the public. A voter may vote once per match-up per round. ·&nbsp; Nominated products will advance through a series of voting rounds. ·&nbsp; Products receiving the most votes during each voting period will advance to the next rounds of 16, eight, and four. ·&nbsp; The winner will be announced October 12 at the 2021 Kansas Manufacturing Summit. ·&nbsp; The number of votes received will be reset at the beginning of each round.

·&nbsp; Sept. 13 – 24:&nbsp;Voting
for Top 16 Products · Sept. 27 – Oct. 1st: Voting for Top Eight Products · Oct. 4 – Oct. 1h: Voting for Top Four Products · Oct. 12: 2021 CTMK Winner Announced

&nbsp; Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhLQmueMl8bRX267yrdzEat8syy-4YStw5yyGkPqpnFkc9Ung-sZ2AcnL_JC4few2HLj6oB0-EXERIrIz4YtvVNGW6CVP1y1jdg==&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">www.KansasCool.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631565046482.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KMCTOPEKA&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Kansas Manufacturing Council has announced the 16 products headed to the next round of
 voting for the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhLQmueMl8bRX267yrdzEat8syy-4YStw5yyGkPqpnFkc9Ung-sZ2AcnL_JC4few2HLj6oB0-EXERIrIz4YtvVNGW6CVP1y1jdg==&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">2021 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas</a>&nbsp;tournament.They include <a href="https://www.patsbeefjerky.com/shop">Pat's Beef Jerky</a> made in Liebenthal.Presented by BKD CPAs &amp; Advisors,&nbsp;more than 14,000 votes were cast during
 the first round of voting that concluded Sept. 10.KMC Interim Executive Director Sherriene Jones-Sontag said the
 competition is to raise awareness about the state’s manufacturing industry
 and is a great way to learn about the many products manufactured in Kansas."It’s also a wonderful opportunity for Kansas
 manufacturers to show their best stuff and prove they have what it takes to
 be the&nbsp;Coolest Thing Made in Kansas," said Jones-Sontag.The winner will be announced during the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhHTy7NMsHKPQsPnBX-qZQpSy-pAPCgOzXj8rlCIC3MX2dV3liyxrI3SRLdxWHtQDSrgPcw9GYy9fKVF6nFj65GElu2K3VOoWb005kxaN75jA&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">Kansas Manufacturing Summit</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhHTy7NMsHKPQsPnBX-qZQpSy-pAPCgOzXj8rlCIC3MX2dV3liyxrI3SRLdxWHtQDSrgPcw9GYy9fKVF6nFj65GElu2K3VOoWb005kxaN75jA&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a>on Oct. 12, at the Kansas Star Casino and
 Event Center.&nbsp;The 32 manufacturers
 featured in the contest will be invited to display their products during
 the Coolest Celebration Reception to take place the night before the
 summit.&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhJXddIFPI-vg0jUPD_S23JizwyiKjdakc3Xt61LctL9bM3r8309ZsvHo95hIUcjVW-oA1CvtvpdgZgsIafzM1khDb6LvYLKzUhT-sjQ4ZYeekWRp-2l10aQS3OYDffxdutzCAYmrVRkVDVHzfSPTR8EQ-5Mhv59aKlQTD_5cyr9y9wmDlymE_Io=&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to read the list of the 32
 products that qualified for the tournament.The reigning&nbsp;Coolest Thing Made in
 Kansas&nbsp;is the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhJhgzXBe8ZseE6_pdh4DgDRC1h371uFbHKFhQC3EyRZwOsai9OISGEsD-LUyU39veU3q02RoUF-2W2I13iKKfWsCgAPnVvFzlw==&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">EMP Shield</a>&nbsp;made in
 Burlington. EMP Shield is the world’s first electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
 surge protection technology for an entire home and vehicle tested to
 military and UL 1449 standards from ETL. How cool is that?TOURNAMENT DETAILS﻿Voting Rules·&nbsp; Voting during the tournament is
open to the public. A voter may vote once per match-up per round. ·&nbsp; Nominated products will advance through a series of voting rounds. ·&nbsp; Products receiving the most votes during each voting period will advance to the next rounds of 16, eight, and four. ·&nbsp; The winner will be announced October 12 at the 2021 Kansas Manufacturing Summit. ·&nbsp; The number of votes received will be reset at the beginning of each round. 2021 Contest Calendar·&nbsp; Sept. 13 – 24:&nbsp;Voting
for Top 16 Products · Sept. 27 – Oct. 1st: Voting for Top Eight Products · Oct. 4 – Oct. 1h: Voting for Top Four Products · Oct. 12: 2021 CTMK Winner Announced &nbsp; Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NfO8OvS-jjW_GmHv1hGjJv079bZdDMV3_g-ojkj7i1cw-T-hYkvRhLQmueMl8bRX267yrdzEat8syy-4YStw5yyGkPqpnFkc9Ung-sZ2AcnL_JC4few2HLj6oB0-EXERIrIz4YtvVNGW6CVP1y1jdg==&amp;c=T1XY8DZ0npQwJ6blfAa6fpQ8b4yocP6u4TaFU15EjRb5VOtP-Agucw==&amp;ch=Y3FrYl0UV1QKMDiYX4NewvcfmtyU8rjLrw28OpKPRdA2gJa3ZeAczg==" target="_blank">www.KansasCool.com</a>

Pat's Beef Jerky among contestants for 'Coolest Thing Made in Kansas'

BOSTON (AP) — Apple released a critical software patch to fix a security vulnerability that researchers said could allow hackers to directly infect iPhones and other Apple devices without any user action.

Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said the security issue was exploited to plant spyware on a Saudi activist’s iPhone. They said they had high confidence that the world’s most infamous hacker-for-hire firm, Israel’s NSO Group, was behind that attack.

The previously unknown vulnerability affected all major Apple devices — iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches, the researchers said. NSO Group responded with a one-sentence statement saying it will continue providing tools for fighting “terror and crime.”

It was the first time a so-called “zero-click” exploit — one that doesn’t require users to click on suspect links or open infected files — has been caught and analyzed, the researchers said. They found the malicious code on Sept. 7 and immediately alerted Apple. The targeted activist asked to remain anonymous, they said.

“We’re not necessarily attributing this attack to the Saudi government,” said researcher Bill Marczak.

Citizen Lab previously found evidence of zero-click exploits being used to hack into the phones of al-Jazeera journalists and other targets, but hasn’t previously seen the malicious code itself.

Although security experts say that average iPhone, iPad and Mac user generally need not worry — such attacks tend to be limited to specific targets — the discovery still alarmed security professionals.

Malicious image files were transmitted to the activist’s phone via the iMessage instant-messaging app before it was hacked with NSO’s Pegasus spyware, which opens a phone to eavesdropping and remote data theft, Marczak said. It was discovered during a second examination of the phone, which forensics showed had been infected in March. He said the malicious file causes devices to crash.

Citizen Lab says the case reveals, once again, that NSO Group is allowing its spyware to be used against ordinary civilians.

<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212807" target="_blank">In a blog post</a>, Apple said it was issuing a security update for iPhones and iPads because a “maliciously crafted” PDF file could lead to them being hacked. It said it was aware that the issue may have been exploited and cited Citizen Lab.

In a subsequent statement, Apple security chief Ivan Krstić commended Citizen Lab and said such exploits “are not a threat to the overwhelming majority of our users.” He noted, as he has in the past, that such exploits typically cost millions of dollars to develop and often have a short shelf life. Apple didn’t respond to questions regarding whether this was the first time it had patched a zero-click vulnerability.

Users should get alerts on their iPhones prompting them to update the phone’s iOS software. Those who want to jump the gun can go into the phone settings, click “General” then “Software Update,” and trigger the patch update directly.

Citizen Lab called the iMessage exploit FORCEDENTRY and said it was effective against Apple iOS, MacOS and WatchOS devices. It urged people to immediately install security updates.

Researcher John Scott-Railton said the news highlights the importance of securing popular messaging apps against such attacks. “Chat apps are increasingly becoming a major way that nation-states and mercenary hackers are gaining access to phones,” he said. “And it’s why it’s so important that companies focus on making sure that they are as locked down as possible.”

The researchers said it also undermines NSO Group’s claims that it only sells its spyware to law enforcement officials for use against criminals and terrorists and audits its customers to ensure it’s not abused.

“If Pegasus was only being used against criminals and terrorists, we never would have found this stuff,” said Marczak.

Facebook’s WhatsApp was also allegedly targeted by an NSO zero-click exploit. In October 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-us-news-israel-spyware-a7ad0788b9e4498a878009d1a8c5a206">Facebook sued NSO in U.S. federal court</a>&nbsp;for allegedly targeting some 1,400 users of the encrypted messaging service with spyware.

In July, a global media consortium published a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-middle-east-israel-jamal-khashoggi-2b72451d84cd60fdcdfa37d8ee908784">damning report</a>&nbsp;on how clients of NSO Group have been spying for years on journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, and people close to them, with the hacker-for-hire group directly involved in the targeting. Amnesty International said it confirmed 37 successful Pegasus infections based on a leaked targeting list whose origin was not disclosed.

One case involved the fiancee of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi just four days after he was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The CIA attributed the murder to the Saudi government.

The recent revelations also prompted calls for an investigation into whether Hungary’s right-wing government used Pegasus to secretly monitor critical journalists, lawyers and business figures. India’s parliament also erupted in protests as opposition lawmakers accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of using NSO Groups’ product to spy on political opponents and others.

France is also trying to get to the bottom of allegations that President Emmanuel Macron and members of his government may have been targeted in 2019 by an unidentified Moroccan security service using Pegasus. Morocco, a key French ally, denied those reports and is taking legal action to counter allegations implicating the North African kingdom in the spyware scandal.

BOSTON (AP) — Apple released a critical software patch to fix a security vulnerability that researchers said could allow hackers to directly infect iPhones and other Apple devices without any user action.Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said the security issue was exploited to plant spyware on a Saudi activist’s iPhone. They said they had high confidence that the world’s most infamous hacker-for-hire firm, Israel’s NSO Group, was behind that attack.The previously unknown vulnerability affected all major Apple devices — iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches, the researchers said. NSO Group responded with a one-sentence statement saying it will continue providing tools for fighting “terror and crime.”It was the first time a so-called “zero-click” exploit — one that doesn’t require users to click on suspect links or open infected files — has been caught and analyzed, the researchers said. They found the malicious code on Sept. 7 and immediately alerted Apple. The targeted activist asked to remain anonymous, they said.“We’re not necessarily attributing this attack to the Saudi government,” said researcher Bill Marczak.Citizen Lab previously found evidence of zero-click exploits being used to hack into the phones of al-Jazeera journalists and other targets, but hasn’t previously seen the malicious code itself.Although security experts say that average iPhone, iPad and Mac user generally need not worry — such attacks tend to be limited to specific targets — the discovery still alarmed security professionals.Malicious image files were transmitted to the activist’s phone via the iMessage instant-messaging app before it was hacked with NSO’s Pegasus spyware, which opens a phone to eavesdropping and remote data theft, Marczak said. It was discovered during a second examination of the phone, which forensics showed had been infected in March. He said the malicious file causes devices to crash.Citizen Lab says the case reveals, once again, that NSO Group is allowing its spyware to be used against ordinary civilians.<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212807" target="_blank">In a blog post</a>, Apple said it was issuing a security update for iPhones and iPads because a “maliciously crafted” PDF file could lead to them being hacked. It said it was aware that the issue may have been exploited and cited Citizen Lab.In a subsequent statement, Apple security chief Ivan Krstić commended Citizen Lab and said such exploits “are not a threat to the overwhelming majority of our users.” He noted, as he has in the past, that such exploits typically cost millions of dollars to develop and often have a short shelf life. Apple didn’t respond to questions regarding whether this was the first time it had patched a zero-click vulnerability.Users should get alerts on their iPhones prompting them to update the phone’s iOS software. Those who want to jump the gun can go into the phone settings, click “General” then “Software Update,” and trigger the patch update directly.Citizen Lab called the iMessage exploit FORCEDENTRY and said it was effective against Apple iOS, MacOS and WatchOS devices. It urged people to immediately install security updates.Researcher John Scott-Railton said the news highlights the importance of securing popular messaging apps against such attacks. “Chat apps are increasingly becoming a major way that nation-states and mercenary hackers are gaining access to phones,” he said. “And it’s why it’s so important that companies focus on making sure that they are as locked down as possible.”The researchers said it also undermines NSO Group’s claims that it only sells its spyware to law enforcement officials for use against criminals and terrorists and audits its customers to ensure it’s not abused.“If Pegasus was only being used against criminals and terrorists, we never would have found this stuff,” said Marczak.Facebook’s WhatsApp was also allegedly targeted by an NSO zero-click exploit. In October 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-us-news-israel-spyware-a7ad0788b9e4498a878009d1a8c5a206">Facebook sued NSO in U.S. federal court</a>&nbsp;for allegedly targeting some 1,400 users of the encrypted messaging service with spyware.In July, a global media consortium published a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-middle-east-israel-jamal-khashoggi-2b72451d84cd60fdcdfa37d8ee908784">damning report</a>&nbsp;on how clients of NSO Group have been spying for years on journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, and people close to them, with the hacker-for-hire group directly involved in the targeting. Amnesty International said it confirmed 37 successful Pegasus infections based on a leaked targeting list whose origin was not disclosed.One case involved the fiancee of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi just four days after he was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The CIA attributed the murder to the Saudi government.The recent revelations also prompted calls for an investigation into whether Hungary’s right-wing government used Pegasus to secretly monitor critical journalists, lawyers and business figures. India’s parliament also erupted in protests as opposition lawmakers accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of using NSO Groups’ product to spy on political opponents and others.France is also trying to get to the bottom of allegations that President Emmanuel Macron and members of his government may have been targeted in 2019 by an unidentified Moroccan security service using Pegasus. Morocco, a key French ally, denied those reports and is taking legal action to counter allegations implicating the North African kingdom in the spyware scandal.

Apple fixes security hole reportedly used to hack iPhone

John Charles Squier, age 60, passed away peacefully at his home in 
Ransom, Kansas, on September 10, 2021. He was born October 22, 1960, to Russell and Veta 
(Walker) Squier.

John was a United States Army Ranger veteran, world traveler, poet, 
author, philosopher of life and brother to many. One of John’s greatest 
achievements was the publication of his novel and his collection of 
poetry writings.

Survivors include a brother Marion Lee (Colette Pearce) Squier, 
Austin, Texas, 2 nieces Stefanie Squier and Cecily (Dave Kehr) Squier; 2
 great nephews Nels and Karsten Visser; and many friends he met along 
his journey in life. He was preceded in death by a brother William 
Squier, Jr; a sister, Doveta Squier and his parents William Russell 
Squier and Veta (Walker) Squier.

John left his stamp on this world through his stories (told and 
untold) and friendships along the way. John left us with some simple yet
 profound words of advice “Don’t ever change and keep learning. Do what 
you love and continue to grow with it. Never stop growing as a person. 
We all get this one life, use it wisely.” He lives on in the hearts and 
minds of his many friends, family and colleagues.

Services will be held October 23, 2021, at 2pm at the American Legion Sunley-Squier Post 382, Brownell, Kansas.

Memories and words of support can be left for the family by writing in the guest book.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631634695685.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>John Charles Squier, age 60, passed away peacefully at his home in 
Ransom, Kansas, on September 10, 2021. He was born October 22, 1960, to Russell and Veta 
(Walker) Squier.John was a United States Army Ranger veteran, world traveler, poet, 
author, philosopher of life and brother to many. One of John’s greatest 
achievements was the publication of his novel and his collection of 
poetry writings.Survivors include a brother Marion Lee (Colette Pearce) Squier, 
Austin, Texas, 2 nieces Stefanie Squier and Cecily (Dave Kehr) Squier; 2
 great nephews Nels and Karsten Visser; and many friends he met along 
his journey in life. He was preceded in death by a brother William 
Squier, Jr; a sister, Doveta Squier and his parents William Russell 
Squier and Veta (Walker) Squier.John left his stamp on this world through his stories (told and 
untold) and friendships along the way. John left us with some simple yet
 profound words of advice “Don’t ever change and keep learning. Do what 
you love and continue to grow with it. Never stop growing as a person. 
We all get this one life, use it wisely.” He lives on in the hearts and 
minds of his many friends, family and colleagues.Services will be held October 23, 2021, at 2pm at the American Legion Sunley-Squier Post 382, Brownell, Kansas.Memories and words of support can be left for the family by writing in the guest book.

John Charles Squier

WASHINGTON — With many businesses facing a tight job market, the 
Internal Revenue Service reminds employers to check out a valuable tax 
credit available to them for hiring long-term unemployment recipients 
and other groups of workers facing significant barriers to employment.

During <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/small-business-week">National Small Business Week</a>,
 the IRS is highlighting tax benefits and resources designed to help new
 and existing small businesses. For any business now hiring, the Work 
Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) may help.

Legislation enacted in December extended the WOTC through the end of 
2025. This long-standing tax benefit encourages employers to hire 
workers certified as members of any of ten targeted groups facing 
barriers to employment. With millions of Americans out of work at one 
time or another since the pandemic began, the IRS noted that one of 
these targeted groups is long-term unemployment recipients who have been
 unemployed for at least 27 consecutive weeks and have received state or
 federal unemployment benefits during part or all of that time.

The other groups include certain veterans and recipients of various 
kinds of public assistance, among others. Specifically, the 10 groups 
are:

To qualify for the credit, an employer must first request certification by submitting IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8850">Form 8850, Pre-screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit</a>, to their state workforce agency (SWA). Do not submit this form to the IRS.

Normally, Form 8850 must be submitted to the SWA within 28 days after
 the eligible worker begins work. But under a special relief provision, a
 November&nbsp;8, 2021, submission deadline applies to two groups of new 
hires—qualified summer youth employees living in Empowerment Zones and 
designated community residents living in Empowerment Zones.

To qualify for the Nov. 8 submission deadline, eligible employees 
must start work on or after January&nbsp;1, 2021, and before October&nbsp;9, 2021.
 Other requirements and further details can be found in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-43.pdf">Notice 2021-43</a> and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8850.pdf">instructions to Form 8850</a>.

Eligible businesses claim the WOTC on their federal income tax 
return. It is generally based on wages paid to eligible workers during 
the first year of employment.

The credit is first figured on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-5884">Form 5884, Work Opportunity Credit</a>, and then is claimed on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-3800">Form 3800, General Business Credit</a>.

Though the credit is not available to tax-exempt organizations for 
most groups of new hires, a special rule allows them to claim the WOTC 
for hiring qualified veterans. These organizations claim the credit 
against payroll taxes on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-5884-c">Form 5884-C, Work Opportunity Credit for Qualified Tax Exempt Organizations</a>.

For more information about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/work-opportunity-tax-credit">IRS.gov/wotc</a>.

Help spread the word-advance Child Tax Credit

The IRS encourages employers to help get the word out about the 
advance&nbsp;payments of the Child Tax Credit during Small Business Week. 
Employers have direct access to many who may receive this credit. More 
information on the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance&nbsp;Child Tax Credit</a> is available on IRS.gov. The website has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-resources-and-guidance">tools employers can use</a>
 to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for
 paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — With many businesses facing a tight job market, the 
Internal Revenue Service reminds employers to check out a valuable tax 
credit available to them for hiring long-term unemployment recipients 
and other groups of workers facing significant barriers to employment.During <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/small-business-week">National Small Business Week</a>,
 the IRS is highlighting tax benefits and resources designed to help new
 and existing small businesses. For any business now hiring, the Work 
Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) may help.Legislation enacted in December extended the WOTC through the end of 
2025. This long-standing tax benefit encourages employers to hire 
workers certified as members of any of ten targeted groups facing 
barriers to employment. With millions of Americans out of work at one 
time or another since the pandemic began, the IRS noted that one of 
these targeted groups is long-term unemployment recipients who have been
 unemployed for at least 27 consecutive weeks and have received state or
 federal unemployment benefits during part or all of that time.The other groups include certain veterans and recipients of various 
kinds of public assistance, among others. Specifically, the 10 groups 
are:<ul>
 <li>Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients,</li><li>Unemployed veterans, including disabled veterans,</li><li>Formerly incarcerated individuals,</li><li>Designated community residents living in Empowerment Zones or Rural Renewal Counties,</li><li>Vocational rehabilitation referrals,</li><li>Summer youth employees living in Empowerment Zones,</li><li>Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients,</li><li>Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients,</li><li>Long-term family assistance recipients,</li><li>Long-term unemployment recipients.</li>
 </ul>To qualify for the credit, an employer must first request certification by submitting IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8850">Form 8850, Pre-screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit</a>, to their state workforce agency (SWA). Do not submit this form to the IRS.Normally, Form 8850 must be submitted to the SWA within 28 days after
 the eligible worker begins work. But under a special relief provision, a
 November&nbsp;8, 2021, submission deadline applies to two groups of new 
hires—qualified summer youth employees living in Empowerment Zones and 
designated community residents living in Empowerment Zones.To qualify for the Nov. 8 submission deadline, eligible employees 
must start work on or after January&nbsp;1, 2021, and before October&nbsp;9, 2021.
 Other requirements and further details can be found in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-43.pdf">Notice 2021-43</a> and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8850.pdf">instructions to Form 8850</a>.Eligible businesses claim the WOTC on their federal income tax 
return. It is generally based on wages paid to eligible workers during 
the first year of employment.The credit is first figured on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-5884">Form 5884, Work Opportunity Credit</a>, and then is claimed on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-3800">Form 3800, General Business Credit</a>.Though the credit is not available to tax-exempt organizations for 
most groups of new hires, a special rule allows them to claim the WOTC 
for hiring qualified veterans. These organizations claim the credit 
against payroll taxes on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-5884-c">Form 5884-C, Work Opportunity Credit for Qualified Tax Exempt Organizations</a>.For more information about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/work-opportunity-tax-credit">IRS.gov/wotc</a>.<h2>Help spread the word-advance Child Tax Credit</h2>The IRS encourages employers to help get the word out about the 
advance&nbsp;payments of the Child Tax Credit during Small Business Week. 
Employers have direct access to many who may receive this credit. More 
information on the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance&nbsp;Child Tax Credit</a> is available on IRS.gov. The website has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-resources-and-guidance">tools employers can use</a>
 to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for
 paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share.

Renewed tax credit can help employers hire workers

The Kansas benchmark at CHS closed out the month of August with an average price of &nbsp;$57.96 per barrel, the best August average in McPherson in three years. Kansas prices are 20 dollars a barrel higher than at the first of the year. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $60 per barrel after gaining $1.50 on Friday. U.S. crude futures prices rose above $70 Monday, after settling Friday at $69.72 per barrel. Baker Hughes reported an increase of seven oil rigs, bringing its weekly Rotary Rig Count to 503 active rigs nationwide. Louisiana saw an increase of four rigs, while the count in Texas was up three. The weekly Rig Count in Kansas was up one rig to nine active rigs in eastern Kansas. The count west of Wichita was unchanged at 25 rigs. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports drilling underway on one lease in Stafford County. Kansas regulators approved 16 drilling permits last week. That makes 693 new drilling locations statewide so far this year. There are five new permits east of Wichita, and 11 in Western Kansas, including one in Stafford County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 36 newly-completed wells across Kansas, 7 of them east of Wichita and 29 in Western Kansas, including one in Barton County, three in Ellis County, and two each in Russell and Stafford counties. Shutdowns in the Gulf of Mexico contributed to a huge decline in U.S. crude production. August production in the Gulf of Mexico was down 300, barrels per day from July. The government said output for the week through September 3rd dropped to just over 10 million barrels per day, down more than one and a half million barrels per day from the week before, but still slightly better than last year at this time. EIA expects Gulf production to rebound by the end of the year. U.S. crude inventories were down 1.5 million barrels last week and are about six percent below the five-year average for this time of year. EIA said imports were down half a million barrels per day but the four-week average is up more than 12 percent from a year ago. Oil-by-rail shipments last week were down slightly from the week before, but largely unchanged from a year ago at 10,065 tanker cars hauling petroleum and petroleum products. The Association of American Railroads reports a slight weekly decline but another big jump year-over-year in Canada. A consumer group investigating spikes in the price of natural gas during February's cold snap got some bad news last week from the Kansas Corporation Commission. The Natural Gas Transportation Customer Coalition was hoping to receive and make public the supplier invoices from utilities in the region as well as information from S&amp;P Global Platts on its Daily Price Index. The group says ratepayers will soon be asked to pay more than $450 million for seven days of natural gas, and they blame price gouging. But the KCC says it does not have jurisdiction over federal market manipulation, and says all the key investigative bodies in Kansas already have access to the invoices from Kansas utilities. The Commission denied both requests for subpoenas. Kansas regulators have not yet approved any rate increases to pay for the February storm response. A refinery in Texas suspended operations because of a shortage of oxygen brought on in part by a spike in COVID cases. Refineries use oxygen in their sulfur-recovery process to meet emissions standards. Bloomberg cites an environmental filing in Texas which says Citgo Petroleum halted some operations due to a higher medical need for oxygen in the area. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was investigating nearly 350 reports of oil spills in and along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The storm wreaked havoc on offshore oil production platforms and onshore oil and gas processing plants. More than a week after Ida made landfall on Aug. 29, about 88% of the region's offshore oil production remained shut, and more than 100 of the area's production platforms remained unoccupied. The government says the amount of money we spent on energy in 2019 fell to $1.2 trillion, down five percent in real terms compared to the year before. The Energy Information Administration says total energy consumption fell by one percent, while average prices fell five percent. EIA reported per-capita energy spending in the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors was down six percent. The most controversial pipeline in the world could be open for business next month. Unnamed sources tell Bloomberg the Russian firm Gazprom plans to start pushing natural gas into Germany through the Nord Stream Two pipeline on October first. The last section of pipe was set to be lowered onto the seabed last week. The next step would be to connect the Danish and German sections before pre-commissioning work is carried out. The project still needs to receive technical certification, insurance, and approval from the German regulator. The long-awaited pipeline could provide some relief to European gas markets facing a supply crunch before the start of winter, with prices already at a record.

By JOHN P. TRETBARThe Kansas benchmark at CHS closed out the month of August with an average price of &nbsp;$57.96 per barrel, the best August average in McPherson in three years. Kansas prices are 20 dollars a barrel higher than at the first of the year. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $60 per barrel after gaining $1.50 on Friday. U.S. crude futures prices rose above $70 Monday, after settling Friday at $69.72 per barrel. Baker Hughes reported an increase of seven oil rigs, bringing its weekly Rotary Rig Count to 503 active rigs nationwide. Louisiana saw an increase of four rigs, while the count in Texas was up three. The weekly Rig Count in Kansas was up one rig to nine active rigs in eastern Kansas. The count west of Wichita was unchanged at 25 rigs. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports drilling underway on one lease in Stafford County. Kansas regulators approved 16 drilling permits last week. That makes 693 new drilling locations statewide so far this year. There are five new permits east of Wichita, and 11 in Western Kansas, including one in Stafford County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 36 newly-completed wells across Kansas, 7 of them east of Wichita and 29 in Western Kansas, including one in Barton County, three in Ellis County, and two each in Russell and Stafford counties. Shutdowns in the Gulf of Mexico contributed to a huge decline in U.S. crude production. August production in the Gulf of Mexico was down 300, barrels per day from July. The government said output for the week through September 3rd dropped to just over 10 million barrels per day, down more than one and a half million barrels per day from the week before, but still slightly better than last year at this time. EIA expects Gulf production to rebound by the end of the year. U.S. crude inventories were down 1.5 million barrels last week and are about six percent below the five-year average for this time of year. EIA said imports were down half a million barrels per day but the four-week average is up more than 12 percent from a year ago. Oil-by-rail shipments last week were down slightly from the week before, but largely unchanged from a year ago at 10,065 tanker cars hauling petroleum and petroleum products. The Association of American Railroads reports a slight weekly decline but another big jump year-over-year in Canada. A consumer group investigating spikes in the price of natural gas during February's cold snap got some bad news last week from the Kansas Corporation Commission. The Natural Gas Transportation Customer Coalition was hoping to receive and make public the supplier invoices from utilities in the region as well as information from S&amp;P Global Platts on its Daily Price Index. The group says ratepayers will soon be asked to pay more than $450 million for seven days of natural gas, and they blame price gouging. But the KCC says it does not have jurisdiction over federal market manipulation, and says all the key investigative bodies in Kansas already have access to the invoices from Kansas utilities. The Commission denied both requests for subpoenas. Kansas regulators have not yet approved any rate increases to pay for the February storm response. A refinery in Texas suspended operations because of a shortage of oxygen brought on in part by a spike in COVID cases. Refineries use oxygen in their sulfur-recovery process to meet emissions standards. Bloomberg cites an environmental filing in Texas which says Citgo Petroleum halted some operations due to a higher medical need for oxygen in the area. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was investigating nearly 350 reports of oil spills in and along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The storm wreaked havoc on offshore oil production platforms and onshore oil and gas processing plants. More than a week after Ida made landfall on Aug. 29, about 88% of the region's offshore oil production remained shut, and more than 100 of the area's production platforms remained unoccupied. The government says the amount of money we spent on energy in 2019 fell to $1.2 trillion, down five percent in real terms compared to the year before. The Energy Information Administration says total energy consumption fell by one percent, while average prices fell five percent. EIA reported per-capita energy spending in the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors was down six percent. The most controversial pipeline in the world could be open for business next month. Unnamed sources tell Bloomberg the Russian firm Gazprom plans to start pushing natural gas into Germany through the Nord Stream Two pipeline on October first. The last section of pipe was set to be lowered onto the seabed last week. The next step would be to connect the Danish and German sections before pre-commissioning work is carried out. The project still needs to receive technical certification, insurance, and approval from the German regulator. The long-awaited pipeline could provide some relief to European gas markets facing a supply crunch before the start of winter, with prices already at a record.

News From the Oil Patch: Prices $20 higher than open of 2021

Each year here in Inman, we see one or two hummingbirds in the spring or in the fall, then we’ll hustle to get a feeder up but never see them again. Three weeks ago, the scenario repeated itself, we put up a couple feeders, and three of the little buggers have been regularly slurping sugar water every day since. In researching hummingbird “gurus” here in KS, I was told to contact Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary County.

Chuck told me both his mother and grandmother were avid bird watchers. He says “I was predisposed as early as four years old to be an avid “birder” like them, and now backyard “birding” is my passion.” He says that hummingbirds here in KS “leisurely” begin meandering south in late July; the adult males first, followed by the adult females then this-years young. Otte also says winds and weather fronts &amp; patterns help determine when they leave for their winter digs in southern Mexico or northern Central America. I just assumed they would all go together in one large group, especially so the youngsters could safely follow, but he says that’s not the case. &nbsp;

Here in the Hutchinson area, we are in a transition zone that runs north clear to North Dakota, putting us on the very western edge of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds range, but they are still the most likely species we’ll see. West of us, the Rufous, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned and Calliope species are more prevalent, and being this close to the edge of their boundaries, it’s possible to see some of those species around our area too.&nbsp;

When talking hummingbirds, feeding them always enters the discussion, and Otte had lots of advice. He advises feeding hummingbirds straight sugar water, mixed one-part sugar to four parts water; NO red food color, NO honey, NO sugar substitutes or other additives, just straight sugar water. Don’t mix the syrup stronger than that as hummingbirds get most of their water from the syrup they drink. They are attracted to the color red, so it may be helpful if the feeder is red, but avoid yellow on the feeder as yellow attracts bees and wasps. Put the feeders up in mid-April for the hummers’ arrival and take them down in early June. If you continue seeing a couple birds after that, they are possibly nesting nearby and leaving a feeder up will benefit them. Otherwise, put feeders back up around July 20, and leave them up till the little guys leave in early October. Otte says while there is obviously no guarantee the same hummers will visit you next year, Ruby-throated hummingbirds do remember where they feed in the fall. He also debunked the theory that leaving feeders up longer in the fall will coerce hummingbirds to stay too late, putting their migration in peril. Otte says their instinct and drive to migrate and to leave when they need to leave is stronger than anything we humans can do to keep them here.

Natural attracters can also help draw and possibly keep hummingbirds near your garden. Plants with red or bright orange cone-shaped flowers that produce lots of nectar are especially noticed by hummingbirds. Salvia, red Cannas, Hollyhocks and Trumpet vine are all good. Another fact new to me is that hummers’ need to eat small insects for protein, so as they flit amongst your flowers, they are also looking for snacks besides just nectar.

I won’t get into hummingbird trivia here, like how fast their little hearts beat or how fast their tiny delicate wings move, but I challenge you to watch one for any length of time without finding yourself completely in awe of God’s handiwork the day He Created hummingbirds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>Each year here in Inman, we see one or two hummingbirds in the spring or in the fall, then we’ll hustle to get a feeder up but never see them again. Three weeks ago, the scenario repeated itself, we put up a couple feeders, and three of the little buggers have been regularly slurping sugar water every day since. In researching hummingbird “gurus” here in KS, I was told to contact Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary County.Chuck told me both his mother and grandmother were avid bird watchers. He says “I was predisposed as early as four years old to be an avid “birder” like them, and now backyard “birding” is my passion.” He says that hummingbirds here in KS “leisurely” begin meandering south in late July; the adult males first, followed by the adult females then this-years young. Otte also says winds and weather fronts &amp; patterns help determine when they leave for their winter digs in southern Mexico or northern Central America. I just assumed they would all go together in one large group, especially so the youngsters could safely follow, but he says that’s not the case. &nbsp;Here in the Hutchinson area, we are in a transition zone that runs north clear to North Dakota, putting us on the very western edge of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds range, but they are still the most likely species we’ll see. West of us, the Rufous, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned and Calliope species are more prevalent, and being this close to the edge of their boundaries, it’s possible to see some of those species around our area too.&nbsp;When talking hummingbirds, feeding them always enters the discussion, and Otte had lots of advice. He advises feeding hummingbirds straight sugar water, mixed one-part sugar to four parts water; NO red food color, NO honey, NO sugar substitutes or other additives, just straight sugar water. Don’t mix the syrup stronger than that as hummingbirds get most of their water from the syrup they drink. They are attracted to the color red, so it may be helpful if the feeder is red, but avoid yellow on the feeder as yellow attracts bees and wasps. Put the feeders up in mid-April for the hummers’ arrival and take them down in early June. If you continue seeing a couple birds after that, they are possibly nesting nearby and leaving a feeder up will benefit them. Otherwise, put feeders back up around July 20, and leave them up till the little guys leave in early October. Otte says while there is obviously no guarantee the same hummers will visit you next year, Ruby-throated hummingbirds do remember where they feed in the fall. He also debunked the theory that leaving feeders up longer in the fall will coerce hummingbirds to stay too late, putting their migration in peril. Otte says their instinct and drive to migrate and to leave when they need to leave is stronger than anything we humans can do to keep them here.Natural attracters can also help draw and possibly keep hummingbirds near your garden. Plants with red or bright orange cone-shaped flowers that produce lots of nectar are especially noticed by hummingbirds. Salvia, red Cannas, Hollyhocks and Trumpet vine are all good. Another fact new to me is that hummers’ need to eat small insects for protein, so as they flit amongst your flowers, they are also looking for snacks besides just nectar.I won’t get into hummingbird trivia here, like how fast their little hearts beat or how fast their tiny delicate wings move, but I challenge you to watch one for any length of time without finding yourself completely in awe of God’s handiwork the day He Created hummingbirds.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com. &nbsp;