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

Just before&nbsp;7 p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 600 block of north Kansas Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.&nbsp;

Officers located one man with a single gunshot wound and a second man with a head injury. Both individuals were transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

During preliminary investigation, it was discovered that a disturbance had occurred to the east of Kansas Ave. on NE Curtis Street, which resulted in the injuries.

On Friday, police arrested&nbsp;Jerry A. Brown, 49 of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634994803860.png" alt="Brown photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have made an arrest.Just before&nbsp;7 p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 600 block of north Kansas Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.&nbsp;Officers located one man with a single gunshot wound and a second man with a head injury. Both individuals were transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.During preliminary investigation, it was discovered that a disturbance had occurred to the east of Kansas Ave. on NE Curtis Street, which resulted in the injuries.On Friday, police arrested&nbsp;Jerry A. Brown, 49 of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

Kan. man jailed after altercation that sent 2 men to the hospital

RICHARDSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 1a.m. Friday hours, sheriff's deputies in Nebraska arrested 39-year-old Amber Gayer of Topeka, for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Driving Under Suspension.

Gayer was booked into the Richardson County Jail. She has two previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635113213762.png" alt="Gayer remains in the Richardson County jail, according to online records" />
 <figcaption>Gayer remains in the Richardson County jail, according to online records</figcaption>
 </figure>RICHARDSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.Just before 1a.m. Friday hours, sheriff's deputies in Nebraska arrested 39-year-old Amber Gayer of Topeka, for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Driving Under Suspension.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635026781954.png" alt="Photo Richardson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Richardson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Gayer was booked into the Richardson County Jail. She has two previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kan. felon was traveling with pink handgun

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Inmates with mental health issues are waiting months to get the medication and treatment they need to be deemed competent to assist in their own defense because a state hospital is so overtaxed.

Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. The man ultimately was sentenced to 16 months — less than a quarter of the amount of time he had been incarcerated.

Armbrister said the case encapsulates the “dark underbelly” of the state’s criminal justice system, which he believes fails to properly account for the mental health of those who are held in jail prior to conviction.

A large part of the reason that his case took so long was a significant backlog of inmates ordered to receive mental health treatment at the Larned State Hospital in Pawnee County. The backlog has led to many inmates spending months, if not years, behind bars even though they haven’t been convicted of a crime.

Armbrister said he believes the state must do more to fix the problem.

“I firmly believe the state of Kansas needs to build another state hospital, somewhere in the (Kansas City) metro area,” he said. “Larned is basically being swamped.”

The hospital’s backlog is an issue that affects not only Douglas County, but the entire state.

The state hospital’s waiting list includes 157 male inmates and 14 female inmates, according to data provided by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which oversees the hospital. For the male inmates, the average wait time is 171 days — or close to six months — KDADS spokeswoman Cara Sloan-Ramos said in an email.

But Sloan-Ramos said the hospital is working to provide mobile services for competency treatment. She said it is specifically working with Sedgwick and Shawnee counties — home to Wichita and Topeka, respectively — to identify offenders who meet criteria to receive services in a jail setting rather than at the state hospital.

Whether that option could help Douglas County inmates remains to be seen. One inmate from the county has been on the hospital’s waiting list for almost a full year, but 18 people are still ahead of him.

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez said the backlog is a longstanding problem that “absolutely negatively impacts the rights” of inmates. She said one of the only options her office has is to dismiss cases, which often is not appropriate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634755726300.png" alt="Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Inmates with mental health issues are waiting months to get the medication and treatment they need to be deemed competent to assist in their own defense because a state hospital is so overtaxed.Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said the situation is so bad that the case of one man with severe mental health issues took six years to make it through the court system. The man ultimately was sentenced to 16 months — less than a quarter of the amount of time he had been incarcerated.Armbrister said the case encapsulates the “dark underbelly” of the state’s criminal justice system, which he believes fails to properly account for the mental health of those who are held in jail prior to conviction.A large part of the reason that his case took so long was a significant backlog of inmates ordered to receive mental health treatment at the Larned State Hospital in Pawnee County. The backlog has led to many inmates spending months, if not years, behind bars even though they haven’t been convicted of a crime.Armbrister said he believes the state must do more to fix the problem.“I firmly believe the state of Kansas needs to build another state hospital, somewhere in the (Kansas City) metro area,” he said. “Larned is basically being swamped.”The hospital’s backlog is an issue that affects not only Douglas County, but the entire state.The state hospital’s waiting list includes 157 male inmates and 14 female inmates, according to data provided by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which oversees the hospital. For the male inmates, the average wait time is 171 days — or close to six months — KDADS spokeswoman Cara Sloan-Ramos said in an email.But Sloan-Ramos said the hospital is working to provide mobile services for competency treatment. She said it is specifically working with Sedgwick and Shawnee counties — home to Wichita and Topeka, respectively — to identify offenders who meet criteria to receive services in a jail setting rather than at the state hospital.Whether that option could help Douglas County inmates remains to be seen. One inmate from the county has been on the hospital’s waiting list for almost a full year, but 18 people are still ahead of him.Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez said the backlog is a longstanding problem that “absolutely negatively impacts the rights” of inmates. She said one of the only options her office has is to dismiss cases, which often is not appropriate.

Kansas inmates wait months for mental health treatment

ELLIS COUNTY—Two people included a northwest Kansas man died in two separate accidents early Sunday in northwest Kansas.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just after 3a.m. in Ellis County, a 2014 Hyundai Sonata driven by Dalton Charles Hall, 20, Savoy, Illinois, was westbound on 8th Street in Hays at a high rate of speed. 

The driver failed to obey the stop sign at the U.S. 183 Alternate. The car continued westbound over the embankment, went airborne, impacted the ground at the bottom of the embankment and flipped end-over-end coming to rest on its top.

A passenger Jacob Ray Rivera, 19, Selma, California, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Brocks Funeral Home.

EMS transported Hall and two additional passengers Chelsy&nbsp;Mendoza, 20, and Victoria Angelica Borrego, 21, both of Selma, California to Hays Medical Center. Hall, Mendoza and&nbsp;Borrego, were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Just after 4a.m. Sunday in Sheridan County, a 1994 Ford Ranger driven by Vernon J. Rietcheck, 79, Hoxie, was westbound on U.S. 24 eight miles east of Hoxie. The driver attempted to make a left turn onto Kansas 188. 

The pickup missed the roadway to the west, traveled off the concrete culvert and to rest facing south, high centered on the concrete culvert.&nbsp;

Rietcheck was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Brocks North Hill Chapel. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

ELLIS COUNTY—Two people included a northwest Kansas man died in two separate accidents early Sunday in northwest Kansas.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just after 3a.m. in Ellis County, a 2014 Hyundai Sonata driven by Dalton Charles Hall, 20, Savoy, Illinois, was westbound on 8th Street in Hays at a high rate of speed. The driver failed to obey the stop sign at the U.S. 183 Alternate. The car continued westbound over the embankment, went airborne, impacted the ground at the bottom of the embankment and flipped end-over-end coming to rest on its top.A passenger Jacob Ray Rivera, 19, Selma, California, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Brocks Funeral Home.EMS transported Hall and two additional passengers Chelsy&nbsp;Mendoza, 20, and Victoria Angelica Borrego, 21, both of Selma, California to Hays Medical Center. Hall, Mendoza and&nbsp;Borrego, were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.Just after 4a.m. Sunday in Sheridan County, a 1994 Ford Ranger driven by Vernon J. Rietcheck, 79, Hoxie, was westbound on U.S. 24 eight miles east of Hoxie. The driver attempted to make a left turn onto Kansas 188. The pickup missed the roadway to the west, traveled off the concrete culvert and to rest facing south, high centered on the concrete culvert.&nbsp;Rietcheck was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Brocks North Hill Chapel. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

2 dead after 2 violent accidents in NW Kansas

By ABIGAIL CENSKY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-21/why-new-political-maps-could-give-more-power-to-kansas-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — For the first time in more than 30 years, 
Kansas will count all of its college students in the towns where they go
 to school for redrawing state legislative districts next year.

Since
 1990, Lawrence, Manhattan, Emporia and other college towns lost out on 
the potential political clout those students represented in an archaic 
and costly census readjustment aimed at preserving rural political 
power.

“I never really expected (the change) to happen,” said 
Davis Hammet, who leads the Loud Light group focused on mobilizing young
 voters.

“I remember like, six, seven years ago reading the Kansas
 Constitution and thinking about how getting rid of this census 
adjustment would be one of the most important things for the youth vote 
and for representative democracy in Kansas,” he said.

Yet in 2019,
 an overwhelming majority of Kansas voters and a bipartisan group of 
state lawmakers agreed with Hammet — voting for Kansas to stop spending 
additional money to readjust the U.S. Census count on college campuses 
and military bases. Kansas passed a <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020/b2019_20/measures/documents/scr1605_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a> ending the practice.

Now,
 communities like Manhattan and Lawrence, home to the state’s largest 
universities, can expect a louder voice in the Legislature. Still, the 
power of university towns across Kansas will largely depend on how 
Republicans controlling the process draw the districts.

“Even if 
places like Lawrence in Manhattan get a bit more representation, those 
lines can still be drawn politically,” said Patrick Miller, a professor 
of political science at the University of Kansas.

Which is, essentially, “however the Republican majority in Topeka wants,” he said.

But Republicans risk blowback if their maps appear too cynically drawn to sap Democrats of Statehouse influence.

The proposed redistricting <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/misc/proposedguidelinesandcriteriafor2022congressionalandstatelegislativeredistricting.pdf" target="_blank">guidelines</a>
 for 2022 indicate a state House district should have roughly 23,504 
people and a state Senate District should have roughly 73,447 people. 
Deviations from those ideal numbers shouldn’t be greater than 5% in most
 cases.

Now that students are included in the district population 
totals, the two Lawrence area districts, represented by Democratic Reps.
 Christina Haswood and Mike Amyx, have too many people for one district.

Haswood said she worries the pandemic means some students who would’ve ordinarily been on campus weren’t there to be counted.

“We’re really not capturing a good year,” she said.

<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Publications/Redistricting/Kansas-Population-Change-2010-2020-by-House-District.pdf" target="_blank">Population gain maps</a>
 compiled by the Kansas Legislative Research Department show Haswood’s 
district needs to trim out 1,554 too many people and Amyx’s district 
must lose 6,892.

The same surplus exists for House districts in 
Riley County. Students at Kansas State University bump numbers in House 
District 66 to roughly 8,000 people more than the ideal range, and 
nearly 3,000 people above the ideal range in House District 67.

All
 of those people will have to go into new districts or be added to 
districts which are redrawn to include people leftover from districts 
like Haswood’s and Amyx’s.

State Senate districts in both Douglas 
and Riley counties have roughly 12,000 too many people. Miller said 
smaller college towns like Emporia, Hays and Pittsburg could also 
potentially gain representation, but he said, “the lines can still be 
drawn in ways that offset that and advantage Republicans.”

That 
could mean new seats for the Lawrence and Manhattan area, or districts 
that take some population gains and stretch farther out into nearby 
rural areas.

“You start messing with one district and it affects 
several others as you go through the process,” said Republican Rep. Mark
 Schreiber, who represents a district including Emporia State. 
Schrieber’s district needs to add 490 people, but he said he’s not 
worried about the change.

“It’s a big puzzle,” Schreiber said, “that’s what they’re charged to come up with.”

Haswood
 said she’s hopeful the maps will be drawn in good faith, but “this is 
politics and we all will be fighting to ensure gerrymandering does not 
happen.”

Even if college towns gain more representation, it’s not 
likely to yield anything but a marginal benefit to Democrats or 
seriously endanger any Republican incumbents.

In fact, communities
 like Manhattan and Lawrence could wind up getting more representation 
thanks to students yet walk away from the 2022 redistricting cycle with 
an overall more Republican district because of how lines are drawn.

“That is absolutely a realistic scenario,” Miller said.

Abigail Censky is the political reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @AbigailCensky or email her at abigailcensky@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634842084911.png" alt="Abigail Censky / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Abigail Censky / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By ABIGAIL CENSKY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-21/why-new-political-maps-could-give-more-power-to-kansas-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — For the first time in more than 30 years, 
Kansas will count all of its college students in the towns where they go
 to school for redrawing state legislative districts next year.Since
 1990, Lawrence, Manhattan, Emporia and other college towns lost out on 
the potential political clout those students represented in an archaic 
and costly census readjustment aimed at preserving rural political 
power.“I never really expected (the change) to happen,” said 
Davis Hammet, who leads the Loud Light group focused on mobilizing young
 voters.“I remember like, six, seven years ago reading the Kansas
 Constitution and thinking about how getting rid of this census 
adjustment would be one of the most important things for the youth vote 
and for representative democracy in Kansas,” he said.Yet in 2019,
 an overwhelming majority of Kansas voters and a bipartisan group of 
state lawmakers agreed with Hammet — voting for Kansas to stop spending 
additional money to readjust the U.S. Census count on college campuses 
and military bases. Kansas passed a <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020/b2019_20/measures/documents/scr1605_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a> ending the practice.Now,
 communities like Manhattan and Lawrence, home to the state’s largest 
universities, can expect a louder voice in the Legislature. Still, the 
power of university towns across Kansas will largely depend on how 
Republicans controlling the process draw the districts.“Even if 
places like Lawrence in Manhattan get a bit more representation, those 
lines can still be drawn politically,” said Patrick Miller, a professor 
of political science at the University of Kansas.Which is, essentially, “however the Republican majority in Topeka wants,” he said.But Republicans risk blowback if their maps appear too cynically drawn to sap Democrats of Statehouse influence.The proposed redistricting <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/misc/proposedguidelinesandcriteriafor2022congressionalandstatelegislativeredistricting.pdf" target="_blank">guidelines</a>
 for 2022 indicate a state House district should have roughly 23,504 
people and a state Senate District should have roughly 73,447 people. 
Deviations from those ideal numbers shouldn’t be greater than 5% in most
 cases.Now that students are included in the district population 
totals, the two Lawrence area districts, represented by Democratic Reps.
 Christina Haswood and Mike Amyx, have too many people for one district.Haswood said she worries the pandemic means some students who would’ve ordinarily been on campus weren’t there to be counted.“We’re really not capturing a good year,” she said.<a href="http://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Publications/Redistricting/Kansas-Population-Change-2010-2020-by-House-District.pdf" target="_blank">Population gain maps</a>
 compiled by the Kansas Legislative Research Department show Haswood’s 
district needs to trim out 1,554 too many people and Amyx’s district 
must lose 6,892.The same surplus exists for House districts in 
Riley County. Students at Kansas State University bump numbers in House 
District 66 to roughly 8,000 people more than the ideal range, and 
nearly 3,000 people above the ideal range in House District 67.All
 of those people will have to go into new districts or be added to 
districts which are redrawn to include people leftover from districts 
like Haswood’s and Amyx’s.State Senate districts in both Douglas 
and Riley counties have roughly 12,000 too many people. Miller said 
smaller college towns like Emporia, Hays and Pittsburg could also 
potentially gain representation, but he said, “the lines can still be 
drawn in ways that offset that and advantage Republicans.”That 
could mean new seats for the Lawrence and Manhattan area, or districts 
that take some population gains and stretch farther out into nearby 
rural areas.“You start messing with one district and it affects 
several others as you go through the process,” said Republican Rep. Mark
 Schreiber, who represents a district including Emporia State. 
Schrieber’s district needs to add 490 people, but he said he’s not 
worried about the change.“It’s a big puzzle,” Schreiber said, “that’s what they’re charged to come up with.”Haswood
 said she’s hopeful the maps will be drawn in good faith, but “this is 
politics and we all will be fighting to ensure gerrymandering does not 
happen.”Even if college towns gain more representation, it’s not 
likely to yield anything but a marginal benefit to Democrats or 
seriously endanger any Republican incumbents.In fact, communities
 like Manhattan and Lawrence could wind up getting more representation 
thanks to students yet walk away from the 2022 redistricting cycle with 
an overall more Republican district because of how lines are drawn.“That is absolutely a realistic scenario,” Miller said.Abigail Censky is the political reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @AbigailCensky or email her at abigailcensky@kcur.org.

Why new political maps could give more power to Kan. college towns

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death Friday following an altercation with another man in the yard of a home in Kansas City police said.

Police on Saturday identified the victim as 28-year-old Darryl Gilland. A person of interest remains in custody as detectives work with prosecutors on charges, police said in a news release.

Officers responding shortly before 3:30 p.m. to a cutting call were directed to the rear of the residence where they found the victim who had been stabbed.

Emergency medical responders declared the man dead at the scene. Police placed the other man in custody for further investigation.

Detectives are not searching for any other suspects in the case.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death Friday following an altercation with another man in the yard of a home in Kansas City police said.Police on Saturday identified the victim as 28-year-old Darryl Gilland. A person of interest remains in custody as detectives work with prosecutors on charges, police said in a news release.Officers responding shortly before 3:30 p.m. to a cutting call were directed to the rear of the residence where they found the victim who had been stabbed.Emergency medical responders declared the man dead at the scene. Police placed the other man in custody for further investigation.Detectives are not searching for any other suspects in the case.

Police: ID victim in fatal stabbing at home in Kansas City

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE, Associated Press

Millions more Americans are now eligible for COVID-19 boosters, but figuring out who’s eligible and when can be confusing. And adding to the challenge is that this time around, people can choose a different brand of vaccine for that extra dose.

A number of factors, including the vaccine you started with and when your last dose was, help determine when you qualify. Just like the initial shots, boosters are free and will be available at pharmacies, doctors’ offices and clinics.

People who are fully vaccinated are still strongly protected against hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But immunity against infection can wane over time, and the extra-contagious delta variant is spreading widely. U.S. health authorities want to shore up protection in at-risk people who were vaccinated months ago, though they emphasize that the priority remains getting the unvaccinated their first shots.

ARE BOOSTERS AVAILABLE FOR ALL THREE VACCINES AUTHORIZED IN THE U.S.?

Yes, Pfizer boosters began last month, and this week the government cleared extra doses of the Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines too. More than 120 million Americans will become eligible for a booster in the coming months, or about 2 out of every 3 vaccinated adults, officials say. But who’s eligible — and when — differs depending on which vaccine you got first.

If you got Pfizer or Moderna shots first, you’re eligible if your last dose was at least six months ago and you’re 65 or older, or are a younger adult who has health problems or a job or living conditions that put you at higher risk of severe illness or exposure to the coronavirus. Health care workers, for example, are included because they are regularly exposed to the virus and can’t come to work with even the mildest of infections.

Anyone who got a J&amp;J shot at least two months ago is eligible, regardless of age or other factors.

WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT VACCINES?

A single shot of the J&amp;J vaccine is less effective than two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer formulas, and health authorities decided it was important for the J&amp;J recipients to achieve a similar level of protection. As for the timing, J&amp;J simply tested more people with a two-month booster than one at six months. For recipients of Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, there’s no clear data that everybody needs another dose, but immunity against infection in at least some people appeared to wane around six months.

WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO WAIT SIX MONTHS?

Experts agree that getting a booster too soon can reduce the benefit. Timing matters because the immune system gradually builds layers of defenses over months, and letting that response mature improves the chances another, later dose will provide even stronger protection.

WHAT DOES ‘MIXING AND MATCHING’ BOOSTER DOSES MEAN?

It means a booster of a different brand from your original vaccination. That gives flexibility in situations such as nursing homes where only one type of booster might be brought in. It also gives people at risk of a rare side effect linked to one kind of vaccine the option of switching to a different shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration didn’t recommend that people switch but left open the option. Preliminary results of a government study found an extra dose of any vaccine triggered a boost of virus-fighting antibodies regardless of what shots people got to begin with. For people who originally got a J&amp;J vaccination, the Moderna and Pfizer shots appeared to offer a stronger boost. But researchers cautioned the study was too small to say one combination is better than another.

DO I NEED A BOOSTER TO STILL BE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED?

No, the CDC says people still are considered fully vaccinated starting two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the single-dose J&amp;J shot. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the definition of fully vaccinated is not being changed for now because not everyone is eligible for boosters at this point.

Nobody knows. Some scientists think eventually people may get regular COVID-19 shots like annual flu vaccinations. But researchers will need to study how long protection from the current boosters lasts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635085085116.png" alt="A COVID booster vaccine drive-through clinic last month in Lawrence- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health" />
 <figcaption>A COVID booster vaccine drive-through clinic last month in Lawrence- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE, Associated PressMillions more Americans are now eligible for COVID-19 boosters, but figuring out who’s eligible and when can be confusing. And adding to the challenge is that this time around, people can choose a different brand of vaccine for that extra dose.A number of factors, including the vaccine you started with and when your last dose was, help determine when you qualify. Just like the initial shots, boosters are free and will be available at pharmacies, doctors’ offices and clinics.Here are some things to know:WHY ARE BOOSTERS NEEDED?People who are fully vaccinated are still strongly protected against hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But immunity against infection can wane over time, and the extra-contagious delta variant is spreading widely. U.S. health authorities want to shore up protection in at-risk people who were vaccinated months ago, though they emphasize that the priority remains getting the unvaccinated their first shots.ARE BOOSTERS AVAILABLE FOR ALL THREE VACCINES AUTHORIZED IN THE U.S.?Yes, Pfizer boosters began last month, and this week the government cleared extra doses of the Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines too. More than 120 million Americans will become eligible for a booster in the coming months, or about 2 out of every 3 vaccinated adults, officials say. But who’s eligible — and when — differs depending on which vaccine you got first.CAN I GET A BOOSTER NOW?If you got Pfizer or Moderna shots first, you’re eligible if your last dose was at least six months ago and you’re 65 or older, or are a younger adult who has health problems or a job or living conditions that put you at higher risk of severe illness or exposure to the coronavirus. Health care workers, for example, are included because they are regularly exposed to the virus and can’t come to work with even the mildest of infections.WHAT IF I GOT THE J&amp;J SHOT?Anyone who got a J&amp;J shot at least two months ago is eligible, regardless of age or other factors.WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT VACCINES?A single shot of the J&amp;J vaccine is less effective than two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer formulas, and health authorities decided it was important for the J&amp;J recipients to achieve a similar level of protection. As for the timing, J&amp;J simply tested more people with a two-month booster than one at six months. For recipients of Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, there’s no clear data that everybody needs another dose, but immunity against infection in at least some people appeared to wane around six months.WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO WAIT SIX MONTHS?Experts agree that getting a booster too soon can reduce the benefit. Timing matters because the immune system gradually builds layers of defenses over months, and letting that response mature improves the chances another, later dose will provide even stronger protection.WHAT DOES ‘MIXING AND MATCHING’ BOOSTER DOSES MEAN?It means a booster of a different brand from your original vaccination. That gives flexibility in situations such as nursing homes where only one type of booster might be brought in. It also gives people at risk of a rare side effect linked to one kind of vaccine the option of switching to a different shot.SHOULD I SEEK OUT A DIFFERENT VACCINE?The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration didn’t recommend that people switch but left open the option. Preliminary results of a government study found an extra dose of any vaccine triggered a boost of virus-fighting antibodies regardless of what shots people got to begin with. For people who originally got a J&amp;J vaccination, the Moderna and Pfizer shots appeared to offer a stronger boost. But researchers cautioned the study was too small to say one combination is better than another.DO I NEED A BOOSTER TO STILL BE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED?No, the CDC says people still are considered fully vaccinated starting two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the single-dose J&amp;J shot. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the definition of fully vaccinated is not being changed for now because not everyone is eligible for boosters at this point.WILL THIS BE MY LAST BOOSTER?Nobody knows. Some scientists think eventually people may get regular COVID-19 shots like annual flu vaccinations. But researchers will need to study how long protection from the current boosters lasts.___

Is it time to get a COVID-19 booster? Which one?

TOPEKA, Kansas. –&nbsp;Lansing Correctional Facility resident Lawrence A. Brown, Jr., died Friday after being transported to St. John’s Hospital, in Leavenworth where he was pronounced deceased by hospital staff, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 The cause of death is pending an autopsy, but is not believed to be COVID-19 related.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of KDOC, the death is under investigation by KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

Brown, 32, was currently serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction (Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635078594657.png" alt="Brown was serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction for Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee." />
 <figcaption>Brown was serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction for Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kansas. –&nbsp;Lansing Correctional Facility resident Lawrence A. Brown, Jr., died Friday after being transported to St. John’s Hospital, in Leavenworth where he was pronounced deceased by hospital staff, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections. The cause of death is pending an autopsy, but is not believed to be COVID-19 related.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of KDOC, the death is under investigation by KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).Brown, 32, was currently serving a 122-month sentence for a Sedgwick County conviction (Battery of a Corrections Officer or Employee).&nbsp;

State reports death of 32-year-old Kansas inmate 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">the Texas law that bans most abortions</a>&nbsp;to remain in place, but has agreed to hear arguments in the case in early November.

The justices said Friday they will decide whether the Justice Department and abortion providers can sue in federal court over a law that Justice Sonia Sotomayor said was “enacted in open disregard of the constitutional rights of women seeking abortion care in Texas.”

Answering that question will help determine whether the law should be blocked while legal challenges continue. The court is moving at an unusually fast pace that suggests it plans to make a decision quickly. Arguments are set for Nov. 1.

The court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a85_5h25.pdf" target="_blank">action</a>&nbsp;leaves in place for the time being a law that clinics say has led to an 80% reduction in abortions in the nation’s second-largest state.

The justices said in their order that they were deferring action on a request from the Justice Department to put the law on hold. Sotomayor wrote that she would have blocked the law now.

“The promise of future adjudication offers cold comfort, however, for Texas women seeking abortion care, who are entitled to relief now,” Sotomayor wrote.

Sotomayor was the only justice to make her views clear, but it seems there were not five votes on the nine-member court to immediately block the law Friday. It takes just four justices to decide to hear a case.

The court first declined to block the law in September, in response to an emergency filing by the abortion providers. The vote was 5-4 vote, with the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joining two other conservatives in the majority. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Sotomayor and the other two liberal justices in voting to keep the law on hold while the legal fight goes on in lower courts.

Now, though, the justices, in a rare move, have decided to weigh in before lower courts definitively decide the issues.

Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, said she was happy the law remains in effect. “This is a great development for the Pro-Life movement because the law will continue to save an estimated 100 babies per day, and because the justices will actually discuss whether these lawsuits are valid in the first place,” Schwartz said in a statement.

Amy Hagstrom Miller, the chief executive of Whole Woman’s Health, said Friday’s order means patients will continue to be denied care at her four clinics in Texas, on top of the hundreds who already have been turned away. Providers say the ability of Texas’ nearly two dozen clinics to stay open is threatened the longer the law stays in effect, although Hagstrom Miller said she was not aware of any imminent closures.

But she said clinics are trying “to band together and get resources” to keep doors open. In 2013, another restrictive Texas anti-abortion law led to the closing of half the state’s 40-plus clinics. The Supreme Court ultimately struck down that law in 2016, but some clinics never reopened.

“It’s a matter of time if this law continues to be enforced,” Hagstrom Miller said. “It will cause clinics to close and further decimate the fabric of care that is needed to take care of people across the state.”

The law has been in effect since September, aside from a district court-ordered pause that lasted just 48 hours, and bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.

That’s well before the Supreme Court’s major abortion decisions allow states to prohibit abortion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-15-week-ban-5d066a9dc0030a4f8297711f341c9f5a">although the court has agreed to hear an appeal from Mississippi asking it to overrule those decisions, in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey</a>.

But the Texas law was written to evade early federal court review by putting enforcement of it into the hands of private citizens, rather than state officials.

The focus of the high court arguments will not be on the abortion ban, but whether the Justice Department and the providers can sue and obtain a court order that effectively prevents the law from being enforced, the Supreme Court said in its brief order.

If the law stays in effect, “no decision of this Court is safe. States need not comply with, or even challenge, precedents with which they disagree. They may simply outlaw the exercise of whatever rights they disfavor,” the Biden administration wrote in a brief filed earlier in the day.

Other state-enforced bans on abortion before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks, have been blocked by courts because they conflict with Supreme Court precedents.

“Texas should not obtain a different result simply by pairing its unconstitutional law with an unprecedented enforcement scheme designed to evade the traditional mechanisms for judicial review,” the administration wrote.

A day earlier, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21A85/197064/20211021113524436_21A85_United%20States%20v.%20Texas_Opposition.pdf" target="_blank">state urged the court to leave the law in place</a>, saying the federal government lacked the authority to file its lawsuit challenging the Texas ban.

The Justice Department filed suit over the law after the Supreme Court rejected the earlier effort by abortion providers to put the measure on hold temporarily.

In early October, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled for the administration, putting the law on hold and allowing abortions to resume.

Two days later, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the law back into effect.

The court already is hearing arguments on Dec. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">the Mississippi case</a>&nbsp;in which that state is calling for the court to overrule the Roe and Casey decisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634041318695.png" alt="Abortion protesters in Kansas City in September 2021-photo Planned Parenthood" />
 <figcaption>Abortion protesters in Kansas City in September 2021-photo Planned Parenthood</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">the Texas law that bans most abortions</a>&nbsp;to remain in place, but has agreed to hear arguments in the case in early November.The justices said Friday they will decide whether the Justice Department and abortion providers can sue in federal court over a law that Justice Sonia Sotomayor said was “enacted in open disregard of the constitutional rights of women seeking abortion care in Texas.”Answering that question will help determine whether the law should be blocked while legal challenges continue. The court is moving at an unusually fast pace that suggests it plans to make a decision quickly. Arguments are set for Nov. 1.The court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a85_5h25.pdf" target="_blank">action</a>&nbsp;leaves in place for the time being a law that clinics say has led to an 80% reduction in abortions in the nation’s second-largest state.The justices said in their order that they were deferring action on a request from the Justice Department to put the law on hold. Sotomayor wrote that she would have blocked the law now.“The promise of future adjudication offers cold comfort, however, for Texas women seeking abortion care, who are entitled to relief now,” Sotomayor wrote.Sotomayor was the only justice to make her views clear, but it seems there were not five votes on the nine-member court to immediately block the law Friday. It takes just four justices to decide to hear a case.The court first declined to block the law in September, in response to an emergency filing by the abortion providers. The vote was 5-4 vote, with the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joining two other conservatives in the majority. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Sotomayor and the other two liberal justices in voting to keep the law on hold while the legal fight goes on in lower courts.Now, though, the justices, in a rare move, have decided to weigh in before lower courts definitively decide the issues.Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, said she was happy the law remains in effect. “This is a great development for the Pro-Life movement because the law will continue to save an estimated 100 babies per day, and because the justices will actually discuss whether these lawsuits are valid in the first place,” Schwartz said in a statement.Amy Hagstrom Miller, the chief executive of Whole Woman’s Health, said Friday’s order means patients will continue to be denied care at her four clinics in Texas, on top of the hundreds who already have been turned away. Providers say the ability of Texas’ nearly two dozen clinics to stay open is threatened the longer the law stays in effect, although Hagstrom Miller said she was not aware of any imminent closures.But she said clinics are trying “to band together and get resources” to keep doors open. In 2013, another restrictive Texas anti-abortion law led to the closing of half the state’s 40-plus clinics. The Supreme Court ultimately struck down that law in 2016, but some clinics never reopened.“It’s a matter of time if this law continues to be enforced,” Hagstrom Miller said. “It will cause clinics to close and further decimate the fabric of care that is needed to take care of people across the state.”The law has been in effect since September, aside from a district court-ordered pause that lasted just 48 hours, and bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.That’s well before the Supreme Court’s major abortion decisions allow states to prohibit abortion,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-15-week-ban-5d066a9dc0030a4f8297711f341c9f5a">although the court has agreed to hear an appeal from Mississippi asking it to overrule those decisions, in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey</a>.But the Texas law was written to evade early federal court review by putting enforcement of it into the hands of private citizens, rather than state officials.The focus of the high court arguments will not be on the abortion ban, but whether the Justice Department and the providers can sue and obtain a court order that effectively prevents the law from being enforced, the Supreme Court said in its brief order.If the law stays in effect, “no decision of this Court is safe. States need not comply with, or even challenge, precedents with which they disagree. They may simply outlaw the exercise of whatever rights they disfavor,” the Biden administration wrote in a brief filed earlier in the day.Other state-enforced bans on abortion before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks, have been blocked by courts because they conflict with Supreme Court precedents.“Texas should not obtain a different result simply by pairing its unconstitutional law with an unprecedented enforcement scheme designed to evade the traditional mechanisms for judicial review,” the administration wrote.A day earlier, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21A85/197064/20211021113524436_21A85_United%20States%20v.%20Texas_Opposition.pdf" target="_blank">state urged the court to leave the law in place</a>, saying the federal government lacked the authority to file its lawsuit challenging the Texas ban.The Justice Department filed suit over the law after the Supreme Court rejected the earlier effort by abortion providers to put the measure on hold temporarily.In early October, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled for the administration, putting the law on hold and allowing abortions to resume.Two days later, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the law back into effect.The court already is hearing arguments on Dec. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">the Mississippi case</a>&nbsp;in which that state is calling for the court to overrule the Roe and Casey decisions.___

Court fast tracks showdown on nation's most restrictive abortion law

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault and have a&nbsp; suspect in custody.

Just before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, police responded to a 911 call on N. Ash in Wichita, according to a media release.

 They contacted a female victim who reported being raped by an unknown man. The victim reported that she had been talking to the suspect online. 

After talking online, the suspect went to the victim's home. When the suspect arrived at the home, the victim realized it was not the person she thought she had been talking to. The suspect then entered her home and sexually assaulted her before leaving.

Officers identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jeffrey Scroggins. Officers located and took him into custody in the 1900 block of W. 35th Street South in Wichita.

 He was interviewed by Domestic Violence-Sex Crimes detectives and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail&nbsp;on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Rape.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634850741103.png" alt="Scroggins photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Scroggins photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault and have a&nbsp; suspect in custody.Just before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, police responded to a 911 call on N. Ash in Wichita, according to a media release. They contacted a female victim who reported being raped by an unknown man. The victim reported that she had been talking to the suspect online. After talking online, the suspect went to the victim's home. When the suspect arrived at the home, the victim realized it was not the person she thought she had been talking to. The suspect then entered her home and sexually assaulted her before leaving.Officers identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jeffrey Scroggins. Officers located and took him into custody in the 1900 block of W. 35th Street South in Wichita. He was interviewed by Domestic Violence-Sex Crimes detectives and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail&nbsp;on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Rape.

Rape arrest: After online chat man went to Kan. woman's home

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 8a.m. Friday, a sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on 118th Road west of US Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

After identifying that the driver’s license was suspended.  The deputy arrested the driver, Nicole Lynn Thompson, 30, of Holton. 

She is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634995653451.png" alt="Thompson-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Thompson-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just after 8a.m. Friday, a sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on 118th Road west of US Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.After identifying that the driver’s license was suspended. The deputy arrested the driver, Nicole Lynn Thompson, 30, of Holton. She is being held in the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended.

Sheriff: Kan. woman had suspended license, was transporting drugs

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people were critically injured in a road-rage shooting in Wichita. KSN-TV reports that officers responding to an 11 p.m. Friday call of a shooting arrived to find two people with gunshot wounds.

Police say one is a 26-year-old woman believed to be the driver and the other is a man in his mid-20s who is believed to be a passenger. 

Both were transported to a local hospital in critical, but stable condition. Police said they were headed eastbound on Kellogg when they were involved in some sort of road range incident with another vehicle. Several shots were fired from a white four-door car.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people were critically injured in a road-rage shooting in Wichita. KSN-TV reports that officers responding to an 11 p.m. Friday call of a shooting arrived to find two people with gunshot wounds.Police say one is a 26-year-old woman believed to be the driver and the other is a man in his mid-20s who is believed to be a passenger. Both were transported to a local hospital in critical, but stable condition. Police said they were headed eastbound on Kellogg when they were involved in some sort of road range incident with another vehicle. Several shots were fired from a white four-door car.

Police: 2 critically injured in Kansas road-rage shooting

By LUCIE KRISMAN <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/20/safer-classrooms-workgroup-talks-mental-health-covid-19-precautions-in-schools/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Kansas schools need mental health resources and continued precautions such as masking and testing, according to Wednesday’s<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuGSY5Pka8g"> Safer Classrooms Workgroup</a> meeting.

Marci Nielsen, chief COVID-19 
coordination adviser to Gov. Laura Kelly, told the group the state’s 
daily COVID-19 cases have declined through October, along with testing 
and vaccinations. As of Wednesday, the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment <a target="_blank" href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">reports</a> 426,923 total COVID-19 cases, 14,521 hospitalizations and 6,185 statewide deaths.

Through participation in KDHE’s 
provided school-based COVID-19 testing, Nielsen said, 595 positive cases
 have been reported across 102 districts. Active outbreaks decreased 
from last week’s total of 84 to 56 this week, and Nielsen said there 
were significantly fewer positive students in schools with&nbsp; mask 
mandates. The vaccination rate for Kansas youth currently trails the 
national rate by 7 percentage points, but pending vaccine approval for 
5- to 11-year-olds could help those numbers rise, she said.&nbsp;

“There are preventative measures that
 can help protect your children in school settings and keep those 
schools open safely, and it does start with vaccination,” Nielsen said. 
“Good news for Kansas and good news for keeping our schools open, given 
that this is really our top priority.”

Randy Watson, Kansas commissioner of 
education, said keeping students in schools takes a three-pronged 
approach, emphasizing vaccinations, masking and testing. When it comes 
to student success throughout the pandemic, Watson said the largest 
losses on a state level have been decreases in academic achievement 
(specifically in mathematics), social skills, and numbers of students 
opting for secondary education after graduation. Federal funds have been
 set aside to offset those losses, he said, with more than 90% of 
federal and state relief dollars going directly to school districts.

“We’re still in the hurricane,” 
Watson said. “But we’re starting to respond for what does it look like 
when the sun comes out after the hurricane, and what we do to mitigate 
the loss that we’re having so far.”&nbsp;

During a facilitated discussion period, group members discussed the declaration of a national <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/">mental health emergency</a> and how it affects Kansas, following the U.S. Department of Education’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ed.gov/documents/students/supporting-child-student-social-emotional-behavioral-mental-health.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">guide</a> for how schools can implement mental health resources.&nbsp;

Dena Hubbard of Children’s Mercy 
hospital in Kansas City said this is an opportunity for Kansas to invest
 in the mental health challenges that have been exacerbated by the 
pandemic, such as neglect and abuse of children. As a mother, she said, 
she has seen the effects of mental health challenges firsthand and 
schools would benefit from partnering with state providers to implement 
mental health services.&nbsp;

“It is real, and we are all 
experiencing a collective trauma,” she said. “I hope that one of the 
silver linings from the pandemic is that we are going to treat the brain
 as any other organ, and we are going to invest in our children and 
their emotional well being as part of their overall health.”

Kelli Netson-Amore of the University 
of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita said the pandemic has shown how 
communities rely on schools for vital services, such as communicating 
with children face-to-face, monitoring for child abuse and providing 
children with food. Wichita has recently seen new programs for 
psychologists to work with children and health care systems in schools, 
she said, and these programs help normalize seeking mental health 
assistance while minimizing the distance a student has to travel.&nbsp;

“I think continuing to do some of 
those things helps in the short-term and the long-term,” Netson-Amore 
said. “Everybody’s doing the best they can, but we absolutely have to 
prioritize keeping these kids alive.”&nbsp;

When it comes to easing restrictions 
such as masking throughout the state’s schools, Hubbard said it would be
 wise for Kansas schools to wait for vaccine approval for younger 
students first. She noted that while public health guidance around 
COVID-19 has changed over time as more information has become available,
 keeping students protected will keep them from experiencing more 
challenges from the pandemic.&nbsp;

“With a novel virus like this, in 
leadership, you have to act with speed and not precision,” Hubbard said.
 “If we want to keep kids safe and healthy, protect them, and improve 
their development and their academic work, we have to get a handle on 
this pandemic. And the way to do it are the things that you outline at 
the very beginning and end of every one of these: vaccines, masks and 
testing.” 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634824446483.png" alt="In its Wednesday meeting, the Safer Classrooms Workgroup highlighted mental health resources and ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools. (Screen capture from YouTube video by Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>In its Wednesday meeting, the Safer Classrooms Workgroup highlighted mental health resources and ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools. (Screen capture from YouTube video by Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By LUCIE KRISMAN <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/20/safer-classrooms-workgroup-talks-mental-health-covid-19-precautions-in-schools/">Kansas Reflector</a>Kansas schools need mental health resources and continued precautions such as masking and testing, according to Wednesday’s<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuGSY5Pka8g"> Safer Classrooms Workgroup</a> meeting.Marci Nielsen, chief COVID-19 
coordination adviser to Gov. Laura Kelly, told the group the state’s 
daily COVID-19 cases have declined through October, along with testing 
and vaccinations. As of Wednesday, the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment <a target="_blank" href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">reports</a> 426,923 total COVID-19 cases, 14,521 hospitalizations and 6,185 statewide deaths.Through participation in KDHE’s 
provided school-based COVID-19 testing, Nielsen said, 595 positive cases
 have been reported across 102 districts. Active outbreaks decreased 
from last week’s total of 84 to 56 this week, and Nielsen said there 
were significantly fewer positive students in schools with&nbsp; mask 
mandates. The vaccination rate for Kansas youth currently trails the 
national rate by 7 percentage points, but pending vaccine approval for 
5- to 11-year-olds could help those numbers rise, she said.&nbsp;“There are preventative measures that
 can help protect your children in school settings and keep those 
schools open safely, and it does start with vaccination,” Nielsen said. 
“Good news for Kansas and good news for keeping our schools open, given 
that this is really our top priority.”Randy Watson, Kansas commissioner of 
education, said keeping students in schools takes a three-pronged 
approach, emphasizing vaccinations, masking and testing. When it comes 
to student success throughout the pandemic, Watson said the largest 
losses on a state level have been decreases in academic achievement 
(specifically in mathematics), social skills, and numbers of students 
opting for secondary education after graduation. Federal funds have been
 set aside to offset those losses, he said, with more than 90% of 
federal and state relief dollars going directly to school districts.“We’re still in the hurricane,” 
Watson said. “But we’re starting to respond for what does it look like 
when the sun comes out after the hurricane, and what we do to mitigate 
the loss that we’re having so far.”&nbsp;During a facilitated discussion period, group members discussed the declaration of a national <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/">mental health emergency</a> and how it affects Kansas, following the U.S. Department of Education’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ed.gov/documents/students/supporting-child-student-social-emotional-behavioral-mental-health.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">guide</a> for how schools can implement mental health resources.&nbsp;Dena Hubbard of Children’s Mercy 
hospital in Kansas City said this is an opportunity for Kansas to invest
 in the mental health challenges that have been exacerbated by the 
pandemic, such as neglect and abuse of children. As a mother, she said, 
she has seen the effects of mental health challenges firsthand and 
schools would benefit from partnering with state providers to implement 
mental health services.&nbsp;“It is real, and we are all 
experiencing a collective trauma,” she said. “I hope that one of the 
silver linings from the pandemic is that we are going to treat the brain
 as any other organ, and we are going to invest in our children and 
their emotional well being as part of their overall health.”Kelli Netson-Amore of the University 
of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita said the pandemic has shown how 
communities rely on schools for vital services, such as communicating 
with children face-to-face, monitoring for child abuse and providing 
children with food. Wichita has recently seen new programs for 
psychologists to work with children and health care systems in schools, 
she said, and these programs help normalize seeking mental health 
assistance while minimizing the distance a student has to travel.&nbsp;“I think continuing to do some of 
those things helps in the short-term and the long-term,” Netson-Amore 
said. “Everybody’s doing the best they can, but we absolutely have to 
prioritize keeping these kids alive.”&nbsp;When it comes to easing restrictions 
such as masking throughout the state’s schools, Hubbard said it would be
 wise for Kansas schools to wait for vaccine approval for younger 
students first. She noted that while public health guidance around 
COVID-19 has changed over time as more information has become available,
 keeping students protected will keep them from experiencing more 
challenges from the pandemic.&nbsp;“With a novel virus like this, in 
leadership, you have to act with speed and not precision,” Hubbard said.
 “If we want to keep kids safe and healthy, protect them, and improve 
their development and their academic work, we have to get a handle on 
this pandemic. And the way to do it are the things that you outline at 
the very beginning and end of every one of these: vaccines, masks and 
testing.”

Workgroup focuses on mental health, COVID precaution in Kan. schools

PHILLIPS COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just before 8p.m. Friday in Phillips County.

According to the Phillips County Sheriff, a 2008 Nissan passenger vehicle driven by Brian Martin, 39, of Smith Center, was traveling in the 200 block of East Limestone Road.

He swerved to miss a deer,&nbsp; lost control of the vehicle, which went airborne and rolled.&nbsp; A passenger in the vehicle, Lucas Martin, 42, of Phillipsburg, was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;

Brian Martin was able to call 911 but was unable to give an exact location. He succumbed to his injuries prior to emergency personnel locating the crash.

Disoriented, Lucas Martin wandered from the crash scene, but was eventually located by a family member. An ambulance and transported him to Phillips County Hospital. The sheriff's office did not have an update on his condition early Saturday.

PHILLIPS COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just before 8p.m. Friday in Phillips County.According to the Phillips County Sheriff, a 2008 Nissan passenger vehicle driven by Brian Martin, 39, of Smith Center, was traveling in the 200 block of East Limestone Road.He swerved to miss a deer,&nbsp; lost control of the vehicle, which went airborne and rolled.&nbsp; A passenger in the vehicle, Lucas Martin, 42, of Phillipsburg, was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;Brian Martin was able to call 911 but was unable to give an exact location. He succumbed to his injuries prior to emergency personnel locating the crash.Disoriented, Lucas Martin wandered from the crash scene, but was eventually located by a family member. An ambulance and transported him to Phillips County Hospital. The sheriff's office did not have an update on his condition early Saturday.

Kansas man calls 911 after crash, dies from injuries

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A driver who crashed Friday evening into a tree in Kansas City was later found to have been shot, police said.

Officers were dispatched at 9:15 p.m. to an injury accident. The man was unresponsive when police and emergency medical responders arrived at the scene of the crash, police said in a news release.

Medical responders began treating him and transported him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

It was discovered during his treatment that he had been shot. Detectives were notified a time later that he had died.

Detectives and crime scene personnel processed the scene at the time of the call. Police said they are following up in the hopes somebody saw something in the area around that time.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A driver who crashed Friday evening into a tree in Kansas City was later found to have been shot, police said.Officers were dispatched at 9:15 p.m. to an injury accident. The man was unresponsive when police and emergency medical responders arrived at the scene of the crash, police said in a news release.Medical responders began treating him and transported him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.It was discovered during his treatment that he had been shot. Detectives were notified a time later that he had died.Detectives and crime scene personnel processed the scene at the time of the call. Police said they are following up in the hopes somebody saw something in the area around that time.

KCPD: Driver who crashed into tree had been fatally shot

NEMAHA COUNTY –&nbsp;&nbsp;A Kansas man identified as 38-year-old Kelly J. Hall, wounded in an officer-involved shooting&nbsp; outside a residence in Sabetha, Kansas, remained hospitalized in critical condition late Friday, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, the Sabetha Police Department and the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a man who was threatening suicide, according to the KBI.

When officers arrived at 319 N. 9th Street in Sabetha, they tried to convince Hall to come outside so they could verify his welfare. He would not exit the house, so they attempted to communicate with him over their public announcement (PA) system.

During the incident officers heard several pops coming from inside the residence. Attempts to communicate continued until Hall stepped outside the front door holding an air-powered nail gun. Officers and deputies ordered him to drop the nail gun. Hall began firing nails in the direction of officers. A deputy from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and an officer from the Sabetha Police Department fired rounds at Hall, striking him. Shots were fired at around 9:45 p.m.

Hall retreated back into the residence. Officers and deputies entered the house and rendered aid to Hall. EMS responded and transported him to the Sabetha Community Hospital. He was later transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.

No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

NEMAHA COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting in Sabetha.

Just before 7:30p.m. Wednesday, officers from the Sabetha Police Department and deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 300 block of N. 9th&nbsp;Street in Sabetha, after the report of a suicidal subject, according to KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood.

&nbsp;At approximately 9:45 p.m., shots were fired and A 38-year-old white male was wounded. He was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.&nbsp; No officers or deputies were injured.

NEMAHA COUNTY –&nbsp;&nbsp;A Kansas man identified as 38-year-old Kelly J. Hall, wounded in an officer-involved shooting&nbsp; outside a residence in Sabetha, Kansas, remained hospitalized in critical condition late Friday, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, the Sabetha Police Department and the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a man who was threatening suicide, according to the KBI.When officers arrived at 319 N. 9th Street in Sabetha, they tried to convince Hall to come outside so they could verify his welfare. He would not exit the house, so they attempted to communicate with him over their public announcement (PA) system.During the incident officers heard several pops coming from inside the residence. Attempts to communicate continued until Hall stepped outside the front door holding an air-powered nail gun. Officers and deputies ordered him to drop the nail gun. Hall began firing nails in the direction of officers. A deputy from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and an officer from the Sabetha Police Department fired rounds at Hall, striking him. Shots were fired at around 9:45 p.m.Hall retreated back into the residence. Officers and deputies entered the house and rendered aid to Hall. EMS responded and transported him to the Sabetha Community Hospital. He was later transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.-------------NEMAHA COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting in Sabetha.Just before 7:30p.m. Wednesday, officers from the Sabetha Police Department and deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 300 block of N. 9th&nbsp;Street in Sabetha, after the report of a suicidal subject, according to KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood.&nbsp;At approximately 9:45 p.m., shots were fired and A 38-year-old white male was wounded. He was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.&nbsp; No officers or deputies were injured.------------------

Kan. man who shot nail gun at officers remains in critical condition

CHEYENNE COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Saturday in Cheyenne County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Ford Bronco driven by Serrano, John Carlos Serrano, 17, Bird City, was westbound on U.S. 36 a quarter mile east of Bird City.

The SUV began to pass a semi to the left while the roadway curved. The vehicle continued straight left the roadway into the south ditch and collided with a concrete barrier.

EMS transported Serrano to St. Francis Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

CHEYENNE COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 1:30a.m. Saturday in Cheyenne County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Ford Bronco driven by Serrano, John Carlos Serrano, 17, Bird City, was westbound on U.S. 36 a quarter mile east of Bird City.The SUV began to pass a semi to the left while the roadway curved. The vehicle continued straight left the roadway into the south ditch and collided with a concrete barrier.EMS transported Serrano to St. Francis Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas teen dies after SUV strikes concrete barrier

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than six weeks after promising a new vaccination-or-testing rule covering the millions of Americans at companies with 100 or more workers, President Joe Biden’s most aggressive move yet to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is almost ready to see the light of day.

The three largest public universities in Kansas will require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Officials with Kansas State, the University of Kansas and Wichita State all announced Friday that employees will need to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. The announcement came after the Board of Regents determined that an executive order from President Joe Biden applies to universities that work on federal contracts.&nbsp;

An obscure White House office is expected to give the green light any day to the rule’s fine print detailing how and when companies will have to require their employees to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.

The full enforcement deadline, which could carry penalties of about $14,000 per violation, may not take effect until after the new year. That’s why Biden and his aides have for weeks encouraged businesses to act as though the rule was already in effect and start imposing vaccination requirements.

The regulation, to be published in the Federal Register, was drafted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under emergency authorities to protect worker safety and will cover an estimated 80 million U.S. workers. The White House sees it as a potent tool to winnow down the ranks of roughly 65 million Americans who have thus far refused to get a shot.

Unlike healthcare providers or federal employees, who may not have a testing alternative to vaccination, private sector workers won’t necessarily face termination if they don’t get vaccinated. But some businesses may choose to impose their own more stringent vaccination mandate, and it’s possible that businesses may be allowed to pass on the cost of weekly COVID-19 testing to their unvaccinated employees.

White House officials declined to discuss when the rule will be published or go into details on when businesses will have to comply.

For the last week, federal officials have hosted more than two dozen listening sessions with industry groups, businesses and advocacy organizations. Some have been supportive of the rule, others vehemently opposed, but all are eager to learn more about the fine print of the regulation.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups that represent large employers are worried that the proposal’s threshold -– applying to companies with 100 or more employees – could cause workers to migrate to jobs at smaller employers where they won’t need to be vaccinated.

“We really stressed the concern about employers losing employees, and what that would mean in the context of current supply-chain challenges and the upcoming holiday season,” said Marc Freedman, vice president for employment policy at the Chamber of Commerce. “You could start to see some very serious disruptions.”

Freedman, who took part in the chamber’s call with administration officials, said the 100-worker threshold would also hurt job creation by giving employers who have 90 or 95 employees a reason not to expand.

The experience of United Airlines and health-care providers that acted early to require vaccination suggests that very few employees will give up their jobs because of a vaccine mandate. United says about 200 of its 67,000 U.S. workers face termination for refusing to get vaccinated and another 2,000 are still seeking medical or religious exemptions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631817363595.png" alt="President Biden says,"just get the shot." However, White House officials declined to discuss when the rule will be published or go into details on when businesses will have to comply.-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden says,"just get the shot." However, White House officials declined to discuss when the rule will be published or go into details on when businesses will have to comply.-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — More than six weeks after promising a new vaccination-or-testing rule covering the millions of Americans at companies with 100 or more workers, President Joe Biden’s most aggressive move yet to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is almost ready to see the light of day.The three largest public universities in Kansas will require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Officials with Kansas State, the University of Kansas and Wichita State all announced Friday that employees will need to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. The announcement came after the Board of Regents determined that an executive order from President Joe Biden applies to universities that work on federal contracts.&nbsp;An obscure White House office is expected to give the green light any day to the rule’s fine print detailing how and when companies will have to require their employees to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.The full enforcement deadline, which could carry penalties of about $14,000 per violation, may not take effect until after the new year. That’s why Biden and his aides have for weeks encouraged businesses to act as though the rule was already in effect and start imposing vaccination requirements.The regulation, to be published in the Federal Register, was drafted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under emergency authorities to protect worker safety and will cover an estimated 80 million U.S. workers. The White House sees it as a potent tool to winnow down the ranks of roughly 65 million Americans who have thus far refused to get a shot.Unlike healthcare providers or federal employees, who may not have a testing alternative to vaccination, private sector workers won’t necessarily face termination if they don’t get vaccinated. But some businesses may choose to impose their own more stringent vaccination mandate, and it’s possible that businesses may be allowed to pass on the cost of weekly COVID-19 testing to their unvaccinated employees.White House officials declined to discuss when the rule will be published or go into details on when businesses will have to comply.For the last week, federal officials have hosted more than two dozen listening sessions with industry groups, businesses and advocacy organizations. Some have been supportive of the rule, others vehemently opposed, but all are eager to learn more about the fine print of the regulation.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups that represent large employers are worried that the proposal’s threshold -– applying to companies with 100 or more employees – could cause workers to migrate to jobs at smaller employers where they won’t need to be vaccinated.“We really stressed the concern about employers losing employees, and what that would mean in the context of current supply-chain challenges and the upcoming holiday season,” said Marc Freedman, vice president for employment policy at the Chamber of Commerce. “You could start to see some very serious disruptions.”Freedman, who took part in the chamber’s call with administration officials, said the 100-worker threshold would also hurt job creation by giving employers who have 90 or 95 employees a reason not to expand.The experience of United Airlines and health-care providers that acted early to require vaccination suggests that very few employees will give up their jobs because of a vaccine mandate. United says about 200 of its 67,000 U.S. workers face termination for refusing to get vaccinated and another 2,000 are still seeking medical or religious exemptions.State government vaccination mandate deadlines went into effect this week in Washington state, Massachusetts and New Jersey after a host of legal challenges by state employees and first responders’ unions.In Washington, the state patrol lost 127 employees, including 67 troopers, who left due to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for state employees, about 6% of the agency’s staff, officials said.The Northwest state’s mandate also led to the high-profile firing of Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich and his four assistants, who wouldn’t get vaccinated.In Massachusetts, nearly 1,600 state employees had not proved they were vaccinated or had sought a vaccine exemption by a Sunday deadline. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker announced in August that some 44,000 executive branch workers and contractors would be required to get vaccinated or face suspension and ultimately the loss of their jobs.The National Association of Manufacturers is arguing that companies should get credit — perhaps an exemption from the rules — for taking early steps to get a high percentage of workers vaccinated. Manufacturers have expressed worry that they could see higher quit rates because many plants are located in rural areas where opposition to vaccination is stronger.The manufacturers, the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups are also pushing the administration to let employers make unvaccinated workers pay for their own weekly COVID-19 testing.“A lot of our members feel strongly that the vaccine is widely available, it is free, and so if a person opts not to be vaccinated potentially the onus of the test can and should fall on the employee who has made a choice not to vaccinate,” said Robyn Boerstling, a NAM vice president. She said employers should pay for testing if an employee has a medical condition or a “proven and true” religious reason for seeking an exemption.Business groups, however, are not optimistic on the test-cost issue, saying that OSHA has a history of making employers bear the cost of new regulations.Retailers are worried about the timing of the new regulation taking effect as they prepare for the critical holiday season. They want to push the rule’s effective date into next year.Several people who took part in the discussions with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which is doing the final review of the proposal, said they got no hints whether their arguments would sway the administration. They described conference-call meetings –- virtual because of the pandemic -– in which White House staffers listened and did not respond to their arguments.It is not clear how the business community will respond once the final rule is published.Business officials said legal challenges are more likely to come from Republican-led states such as Texas. And Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the conservative Job Creators Network, reiterated his pledge Tuesday after meeting with the White House officials to sue to block the rule’s implementation. Two dozen attorneys general in GOP states vowed last month to use “every available legal option” to kill the mandate.