CHEROKEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Galena Police Department are conducting a death investigation in Galena, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.

Just after 6:30p.m.&nbsp; Wednesday, Galena Police officers were dispatched to 801 East 11th Street in Galena after a subject reported that he had located a deceased person.

Officers&nbsp; found a man identified as the homeowner, 68-year-old Jerrold L. Brewer. It was not immediately clear how Brewer died.

The KBI was asked to assist in the death investigation. Special agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the home. An autopsy is scheduled., according to the KBI.

CHEROKEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Galena Police Department are conducting a death investigation in Galena, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.Just after 6:30p.m.&nbsp; Wednesday, Galena Police officers were dispatched to 801 East 11th Street in Galena after a subject reported that he had located a deceased person.Officers&nbsp; found a man identified as the homeowner, 68-year-old Jerrold L. Brewer. It was not immediately clear how Brewer died.The KBI was asked to assist in the death investigation. Special agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the home. An autopsy is scheduled., according to the KBI.

KBI: 68-year-old man found dead in his Kansas home

The Kansas Board of Regents named Dr. <a href="https://cals.ncsu.edu/about/administrative-team/dean-richard-linton/">Richard Linton</a> as the 15th president of Kansas State University during a special meeting Thursday morning. He has served as the Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University since 2012.

Regent Carl Ice was chair of the KSU presidential search search committee.

According to his NC-State bio, Dr. Richard Linton earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in food science, and a Ph.D. in food science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.&nbsp;Prior to his role as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, Linton served as department chair of food science and technology at the Ohio State University (2011-2012), and as a faculty member of the Department of Food Science at Purdue University (1994-2011). While at Purdue, Linton was a founder and director of the Center for Food Safety Engineering and the associate director of agricultural research programs.

Linton’s research interests include modeling the growth and inactivation of foodborne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella&nbsp;spp.) within different food systems, and, development of rapid detection technologies for biological and chemical foodborne hazards.&nbsp;

Throughout his career, Linton has worked with various segments of the food and agricultural industry, integrating applied research projects and outreach programs.&nbsp;His area of expertise is the development and implementation of food safety management programs, including Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point systems.&nbsp;He has helped several food manufacturers and retail food operations in the creation of adequate food safety and food quality management programs.&nbsp;In the classroom, Linton has led the instruction for graduate-level courses in food microbiology and undergraduate-level courses in food safety, food safety management, introductory food science, and leadership principles.

Linton has received several service awards.&nbsp;He and his colleagues were recognized as recipients of the United States Department of Agriculture Group Honor Award for Excellence.&nbsp;He received an honorary lifetime membership to the Indiana Environmental Health Association, the Purdue University Extension Award of Merit, the Purdue University Research Team Award, the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Team Award, and was named a Purdue University Faculty Scholar.&nbsp;Nationally, he has been recognized by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) for his leadership in research and outreach programs with the Howard Macy Award and the Myron Solberg Award.&nbsp;In 2008, he was elected as an IFT Fellow.

During his 20-year academic career, Linton has published over 60 referred journal articles, 11 textbooks, and over 75 Extension publications.&nbsp;He has also presented over 250 invited talks at state, national, and international meetings and has received more than $15 million in research funding.

Since 2012, Linton has been serving as the dean of CALS at NC&nbsp;State.&nbsp;He leads a college of over 325 faculty in 12 different departments, over 2,500 undergraduate students, and nearly 750 graduate students.&nbsp;Under his direction, the college has developed a strategic plan that focuses on “building people, programs, and partnerships.&nbsp;Collaboration with industry and government is critical to the mission of the college and Linton’s dedication is demonstrated through the Plant Sciences Initiative and the Food Processing and Manufacturing Initiative, two initiatives that have the potential to create jobs, find solutions to global challenges in agriculture and foster support for local growers.

TOPEKA—The Kansas Board of Regents has announced a public meeting of the board on Thursday morning to vote on a new president for Kansas State University, according to a statement from K-State.

The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan. The doors open at 9:30 a.m. and face masks will be required.

Following the meeting, an informal reception will be held in the Main Ballroom of the Union from approximately 10:30 a.m. to noon. The K-State family is encouraged to attend.

In May, Richard Myers announced plans to retire.&nbsp; He has served the university as president since 2016.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638461462056.png" alt="Dr. Linton as he addressed those gathered at Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan Thursday morning." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Linton as he addressed those gathered at Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan Thursday morning.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Board of Regents named Dr. <a href="https://cals.ncsu.edu/about/administrative-team/dean-richard-linton/">Richard Linton</a> as the 15th president of Kansas State University during a special meeting Thursday morning. He has served as the Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University since 2012.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WUymiAXcZZA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Regent Carl Ice was chair of the KSU presidential search search committee.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638460877866.png" alt="Regents gathered ahead of Thursday's announcement" />
 <figcaption>Regents gathered ahead of Thursday's announcement</figcaption>
 </figure>According to his NC-State bio, Dr. Richard Linton earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in food science, and a Ph.D. in food science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.&nbsp;Prior to his role as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, Linton served as department chair of food science and technology at the Ohio State University (2011-2012), and as a faculty member of the Department of Food Science at Purdue University (1994-2011). While at Purdue, Linton was a founder and director of the Center for Food Safety Engineering and the associate director of agricultural research programs.Linton’s research interests include modeling the growth and inactivation of foodborne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella&nbsp;spp.) within different food systems, and, development of rapid detection technologies for biological and chemical foodborne hazards.&nbsp;Throughout his career, Linton has worked with various segments of the food and agricultural industry, integrating applied research projects and outreach programs.&nbsp;His area of expertise is the development and implementation of food safety management programs, including Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point systems.&nbsp;He has helped several food manufacturers and retail food operations in the creation of adequate food safety and food quality management programs.&nbsp;In the classroom, Linton has led the instruction for graduate-level courses in food microbiology and undergraduate-level courses in food safety, food safety management, introductory food science, and leadership principles.Linton has received several service awards.&nbsp;He and his colleagues were recognized as recipients of the United States Department of Agriculture Group Honor Award for Excellence.&nbsp;He received an honorary lifetime membership to the Indiana Environmental Health Association, the Purdue University Extension Award of Merit, the Purdue University Research Team Award, the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Team Award, and was named a Purdue University Faculty Scholar.&nbsp;Nationally, he has been recognized by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) for his leadership in research and outreach programs with the Howard Macy Award and the Myron Solberg Award.&nbsp;In 2008, he was elected as an IFT Fellow.During his 20-year academic career, Linton has published over 60 referred journal articles, 11 textbooks, and over 75 Extension publications.&nbsp;He has also presented over 250 invited talks at state, national, and international meetings and has received more than $15 million in research funding.Since 2012, Linton has been serving as the dean of CALS at NC&nbsp;State.&nbsp;He leads a college of over 325 faculty in 12 different departments, over 2,500 undergraduate students, and nearly 750 graduate students.&nbsp;Under his direction, the college has developed a strategic plan that focuses on “building people, programs, and partnerships.&nbsp;Collaboration with industry and government is critical to the mission of the college and Linton’s dedication is demonstrated through the Plant Sciences Initiative and the Food Processing and Manufacturing Initiative, two initiatives that have the potential to create jobs, find solutions to global challenges in agriculture and foster support for local growers.TOPEKA—The Kansas Board of Regents has announced a public meeting of the board on Thursday morning to vote on a new president for Kansas State University, according to a statement from K-State.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WUymiAXcZZA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan. The doors open at 9:30 a.m. and face masks will be required.Following the meeting, an informal reception will be held in the Main Ballroom of the Union from approximately 10:30 a.m. to noon. The K-State family is encouraged to attend.In May, Richard Myers announced plans to retire.&nbsp; He has served the university as president since 2016.TOPEKA—The Kansas Board of Regents has announced a public meeting of the board on Thursday morning to vote on a new president for Kansas State University, according to a statement from K-State.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WUymiAXcZZA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan. The doors open at 9:30 a.m. and face masks will be required.Following the meeting, an informal reception will be held in the Main Ballroom of the Union from approximately 10:30 a.m. to noon. The K-State family is encouraged to attend.In May, Richard Myers announced plans to retire.&nbsp; He has served the university as president since 2016.

🎥 Regents name Dr. Richard Linton 15th president of K-State

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal incident and have identified 50-year-old Stephen Long of Seguin, Texas as the victim.

Just after 2:00 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a disturbance call at Blu nightclub in the 8700 block of W. Maple in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp; Police located Long in the parking lot, unresponsive with a head injury.

Investigators learned that Long was leaving the bar and got into an argument with someone in the parking lot. A 34-year-old man later identified as Christopher Parish of Wichita went up to Long and shoved him, causing him to fall backward and hit his head, according to Macy.

EMS&nbsp;pronounced Long deceased at the scene.

Police contacted Parish at the scene and transported him to City Hall and subsequently booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of involuntary manslaughter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638381464881.png" alt="Police at the scene of the early Wednesday morning investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the early Wednesday morning investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal incident and have identified 50-year-old Stephen Long of Seguin, Texas as the victim.Just after 2:00 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a disturbance call at Blu nightclub in the 8700 block of W. Maple in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp; Police located Long in the parking lot, unresponsive with a head injury.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638392716488.png" alt="Parish-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Parish-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators learned that Long was leaving the bar and got into an argument with someone in the parking lot. A 34-year-old man later identified as Christopher Parish of Wichita went up to Long and shoved him, causing him to fall backward and hit his head, according to Macy.EMS&nbsp;pronounced Long deceased at the scene.Police contacted Parish at the scene and transported him to City Hall and subsequently booked him into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Police: Man dies after he is shoved in Kan. bar parking lot argument

WASHINGTON (AP) — Greeks who are over age 60 and refuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;vaccinations could be hit with monthly fines of more than one-quarter of their pensions — a get-tough policy that the country’s politicians say will cost votes but save lives.

In Israel, potential carriers of the new omicron variant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-pandemics-israel-coronavirus-pandemic-tel-aviv-336a805c6cda2313468cbe1ad052caee">could be tracked</a>&nbsp;by the nation’s domestic security agency in seeming defiance of a Supreme Court ruling from the last go-round.

Weekly protests in the Netherlands over the country’s 5 p.m. lockdown and other new restrictions have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-8dec504840df02613cd6a7f3236e1e91">descended into violence</a>, despite what appears to be overwhelming acceptance of the rules.

With the delta variant of COVID-19 pushing up cases in Europe and growing fears over the omicron variant, governments around the world are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-variant-travel-industry-d90a5190aefa24ae6e076b13e9dd22d4">weighing new measures</a>&nbsp;for populations tired of hearing about restrictions and vaccines.

It’s a thorny calculus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-445b8e7e0b3c53081d6525c83dc4dbca">made more difficult</a>&nbsp;by the prospect of backlash, increased social divisions and, for many politicians, the fear of being voted out of office.

“I know the frustration that we all feel with this omicron variant, the sense of exhaustion that we could be going through this all over again,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday, two days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-england-boris-johnson-scotland-8886fa8e4414d5993ddc618781e0456f">government announced that masks would be mandatory</a>&nbsp;again in stores and on public transportation and required all visitors from abroad to undergo a COVID-19 test and quarantine. “We’re trying to take a balanced and proportioned approach.”

New restrictions, or variations on the old ones, are cropping up around the world, especially in Europe, where leaders are at pains to explain what looks like a failed promise: that mass vaccinations would mean an end to widely loathed limitations.

“People need normality. They need families, they need to see people, obviously safely, socially distancing, but I really think, this Christmas now, people have had enough,” said Belinda Storey, who runs a stall at a Christmas market in Nottingham, England.

In the Netherlands, where the curfew went into effect last week, mounted police patrol to break up demonstrations against the new lockdown, which is among the world’s strictest. But most people appeared resigned to rush through errands and head home.

“The only thing we can do is to listen to the rules, follow them and hope it’s not getting worse. For me it’s no problem. I’m a nurse. I know how sick people get,” said Wilma van Kampen.

In Greece, residents over 60 face fines of 100 euros ($113) a month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-greece-52f34d671f16b23e075a1f4b52f747a2">if they fail to get vaccinated</a>. The fines will be tacked onto tax bills in January.

About 17% of Greeks over 60 are unvaccinated despite various efforts to prod them to get their shots, and nine in 10 Greeks currently dying of COVID-19 are over 60.

“I don’t care whether the measure will cost me some extra votes in the elections,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday after lawmakers passed the measure. “I am convinced that we are doing the right thing, and I am convinced that this policy will save lives.”

Employing a carrot instead of a stick, Slovakia’s government is proposing to give people 60 and older a 500-euro ($568) bonus if they get vaccinated.

In Israel, the government this week approved resuming the use of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-travel-health-lifestyle-36287673df09cdc3630e5dd1e05cdc7c">controversial phone-monitoring technology</a>&nbsp;to perform contact tracing of people confirmed to have the omicron variant.

Israeli rights groups have decried the use of the technology as a violation of privacy rights, and others have noted that its accuracy in indoor places is flawed, leading to large numbers of people being wrongly flagged. The Supreme Court earlier this year issued a ruling limiting its use.

“We need to use this tool in extreme situations, and I am not convinced we are in that kind of situation,” Justice Minister Gideon Saar told Israeli public broadcaster Kan this week.

In South Africa, which alerted the World Health Organization to the omicron variant, previous restrictions included curfews and a ban on alcohol sales. This time, President Cyril Ramaphosa is simply calling on more people to get vaccines “to help restore the social freedoms we all yearn for.”

In the U.S., there is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-infectious-diseases-anthony-fauci-44fab8b3448ad31f0865aebb26f91741">little appetite in either political party</a>&nbsp;for a return to lockdowns or strict contact tracing. Enforcing even simple measures like mask-wearing has become a political flashpoint. And Republicans are suing to block the Biden administration’s new get-vaccinated-or-get-tested requirement for large employers.

President Joe Biden, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-health-c6c9d651f631464e168f7a47b6e353bf">political fate may well hinge on controlling the pandemic</a>, has used a combination of pressure and urgent appeals to induce people to get their first shots or a booster. Also, the administration is working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested within a day before boarding their flight, instead of the current three days.

But Biden has said the U.S. will fight COVID-19 and the new variant “not with shutdowns or lockdowns but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing, and more.”

“If people are vaccinated and wear their masks, there’s no need for the lockdowns,” he added.

The rise of the new variant makes little difference to Mark Christensen, a grain buyer for an ethanol plant in Nebraska. He rejects any vaccination mandate and doesn’t understand why it would be needed. In any event, he said, most businesses in his corner of the state are too small to fall under the regulations.

“If they were just encouraging me to take it, that’s one thing,” Christensen said. “But I believe in freedom of choice, not decisions by force.”

Chile has taken a harder line since the emergence of omicron: People over 18 must receive a booster dose every six months to keep their pass that allows access to restaurants, hotels and public gatherings.

And Chile never dropped its requirement to wear masks in public — probably the most common renewed restriction around the world.

Dr. Madhukar Pai, of McGill University’s School of Population and Public Health, said that masks are an easy and pain-free way of keeping transmission down, but that cheap, at-home tests need to be much more widespread, in both rich and poor countries.

He said both approaches give people a sense of control over their own behavior that is lost with a lockdown and make it easier to accept the need to do things like cancel a party or stay inside.

Pai said requiring boosters universally, as is essentially the case in Israel, Chile and many countries in Europe, including France, will only prolong the pandemic by making it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/65898ec544463b26ca78ba1e696edf19">harder to get first doses to the developing world</a>. That raises the odds of still more variants.

Lockdowns, he said, should be the very last choice.

“Lockdowns only come up when a system is failing,” he said. “We do it when the hospital system is about to collapse. It’s a last resort that indicates you have failed to do all the right things.”

That’s not&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-immigration-business-taiwan-wuhan-a5bf3ccccf435a5adf45faa57758c9f7">how lockdowns are seen</a>&nbsp;in communist China, which allows little dissent. At each new outbreak, entire cities are sealed, and sometimes millions of people undergo mass testing. In the strictest lockdowns, people are forbidden to leave their homes, and groceries are brought to their door.

So far, China hasn’t seen the need for new restrictions in response to the omicron variant. The head of China’s Center for Disease Control’s Epidemiology unit, Wu Zunyou, said omicron, for now, poses a manageable threat, and “no matter what variant, our public health measures are effective.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638445855822.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Greeks who are over age 60 and refuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;vaccinations could be hit with monthly fines of more than one-quarter of their pensions — a get-tough policy that the country’s politicians say will cost votes but save lives.In Israel, potential carriers of the new omicron variant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-pandemics-israel-coronavirus-pandemic-tel-aviv-336a805c6cda2313468cbe1ad052caee">could be tracked</a>&nbsp;by the nation’s domestic security agency in seeming defiance of a Supreme Court ruling from the last go-round.Weekly protests in the Netherlands over the country’s 5 p.m. lockdown and other new restrictions have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-8dec504840df02613cd6a7f3236e1e91">descended into violence</a>, despite what appears to be overwhelming acceptance of the rules.With the delta variant of COVID-19 pushing up cases in Europe and growing fears over the omicron variant, governments around the world are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-variant-travel-industry-d90a5190aefa24ae6e076b13e9dd22d4">weighing new measures</a>&nbsp;for populations tired of hearing about restrictions and vaccines.It’s a thorny calculus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-445b8e7e0b3c53081d6525c83dc4dbca">made more difficult</a>&nbsp;by the prospect of backlash, increased social divisions and, for many politicians, the fear of being voted out of office.“I know the frustration that we all feel with this omicron variant, the sense of exhaustion that we could be going through this all over again,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday, two days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-england-boris-johnson-scotland-8886fa8e4414d5993ddc618781e0456f">government announced that masks would be mandatory</a>&nbsp;again in stores and on public transportation and required all visitors from abroad to undergo a COVID-19 test and quarantine. “We’re trying to take a balanced and proportioned approach.”New restrictions, or variations on the old ones, are cropping up around the world, especially in Europe, where leaders are at pains to explain what looks like a failed promise: that mass vaccinations would mean an end to widely loathed limitations.“People need normality. They need families, they need to see people, obviously safely, socially distancing, but I really think, this Christmas now, people have had enough,” said Belinda Storey, who runs a stall at a Christmas market in Nottingham, England.In the Netherlands, where the curfew went into effect last week, mounted police patrol to break up demonstrations against the new lockdown, which is among the world’s strictest. But most people appeared resigned to rush through errands and head home.“The only thing we can do is to listen to the rules, follow them and hope it’s not getting worse. For me it’s no problem. I’m a nurse. I know how sick people get,” said Wilma van Kampen.In Greece, residents over 60 face fines of 100 euros ($113) a month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-greece-52f34d671f16b23e075a1f4b52f747a2">if they fail to get vaccinated</a>. The fines will be tacked onto tax bills in January.About 17% of Greeks over 60 are unvaccinated despite various efforts to prod them to get their shots, and nine in 10 Greeks currently dying of COVID-19 are over 60.“I don’t care whether the measure will cost me some extra votes in the elections,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday after lawmakers passed the measure. “I am convinced that we are doing the right thing, and I am convinced that this policy will save lives.”Employing a carrot instead of a stick, Slovakia’s government is proposing to give people 60 and older a 500-euro ($568) bonus if they get vaccinated.In Israel, the government this week approved resuming the use of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-travel-health-lifestyle-36287673df09cdc3630e5dd1e05cdc7c">controversial phone-monitoring technology</a>&nbsp;to perform contact tracing of people confirmed to have the omicron variant.Israeli rights groups have decried the use of the technology as a violation of privacy rights, and others have noted that its accuracy in indoor places is flawed, leading to large numbers of people being wrongly flagged. The Supreme Court earlier this year issued a ruling limiting its use.“We need to use this tool in extreme situations, and I am not convinced we are in that kind of situation,” Justice Minister Gideon Saar told Israeli public broadcaster Kan this week.In South Africa, which alerted the World Health Organization to the omicron variant, previous restrictions included curfews and a ban on alcohol sales. This time, President Cyril Ramaphosa is simply calling on more people to get vaccines “to help restore the social freedoms we all yearn for.”In the U.S., there is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-infectious-diseases-anthony-fauci-44fab8b3448ad31f0865aebb26f91741">little appetite in either political party</a>&nbsp;for a return to lockdowns or strict contact tracing. Enforcing even simple measures like mask-wearing has become a political flashpoint. And Republicans are suing to block the Biden administration’s new get-vaccinated-or-get-tested requirement for large employers.President Joe Biden, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-health-c6c9d651f631464e168f7a47b6e353bf">political fate may well hinge on controlling the pandemic</a>, has used a combination of pressure and urgent appeals to induce people to get their first shots or a booster. Also, the administration is working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested within a day before boarding their flight, instead of the current three days.But Biden has said the U.S. will fight COVID-19 and the new variant “not with shutdowns or lockdowns but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing, and more.”“If people are vaccinated and wear their masks, there’s no need for the lockdowns,” he added.The rise of the new variant makes little difference to Mark Christensen, a grain buyer for an ethanol plant in Nebraska. He rejects any vaccination mandate and doesn’t understand why it would be needed. In any event, he said, most businesses in his corner of the state are too small to fall under the regulations.“If they were just encouraging me to take it, that’s one thing,” Christensen said. “But I believe in freedom of choice, not decisions by force.”Chile has taken a harder line since the emergence of omicron: People over 18 must receive a booster dose every six months to keep their pass that allows access to restaurants, hotels and public gatherings.And Chile never dropped its requirement to wear masks in public — probably the most common renewed restriction around the world.Dr. Madhukar Pai, of McGill University’s School of Population and Public Health, said that masks are an easy and pain-free way of keeping transmission down, but that cheap, at-home tests need to be much more widespread, in both rich and poor countries.He said both approaches give people a sense of control over their own behavior that is lost with a lockdown and make it easier to accept the need to do things like cancel a party or stay inside.Pai said requiring boosters universally, as is essentially the case in Israel, Chile and many countries in Europe, including France, will only prolong the pandemic by making it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/65898ec544463b26ca78ba1e696edf19">harder to get first doses to the developing world</a>. That raises the odds of still more variants.Lockdowns, he said, should be the very last choice.“Lockdowns only come up when a system is failing,” he said. “We do it when the hospital system is about to collapse. It’s a last resort that indicates you have failed to do all the right things.”That’s not&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-immigration-business-taiwan-wuhan-a5bf3ccccf435a5adf45faa57758c9f7">how lockdowns are seen</a>&nbsp;in communist China, which allows little dissent. At each new outbreak, entire cities are sealed, and sometimes millions of people undergo mass testing. In the strictest lockdowns, people are forbidden to leave their homes, and groceries are brought to their door.So far, China hasn’t seen the need for new restrictions in response to the omicron variant. The head of China’s Center for Disease Control’s Epidemiology unit, Wu Zunyou, said omicron, for now, poses a manageable threat, and “no matter what variant, our public health measures are effective.”___

Omicron and delta spell return of unpopular restrictions

The
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 71,899 checks totaling more than 
$1.8 million to consumers, including many older Americans, tricked into 
paying for supposedly free in-home medical alert devices. The money 
comes from a settlement with New York-based Lifewatch, Inc.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/DoNotCallComplaints/Maps"></a>

The<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/07/ftc-florida-attorney-general-sue-stop-deceptive-robocalls">FTC’s complaint</a>,
 filed jointly with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, alleged that 
the defendants bombarded consumers with at least a billion unsolicited 
robocalls to pitch supposedly “free” medical alert systems. These
 pre-recorded messages claimed that Lifewatch’s medical alert system was
 endorsed or recommended by reputable organizations like the American 
Heart Association. The company’s telemarketers often told consumers that
 a medical alert system had been purchased for them, and they could 
receive it “at no cost whatsoever.” Consumers eventually learned that 
they were responsible for monthly monitoring fees and that it was 
difficult to cancel without paying a penalty.

In addition to imposing the monetary penalty to provide consumer refunds, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/142_3123_lifewatch_-_final_order_0.pdf">the order settling the FTC’s charges</a> bans
 the Lifewatch defendants from telemarketing and prohibits them from 
misrepresenting the terms associated with the sale of any product or 
service.

The
 FTC is returning $1,808,260 to defrauded consumers. All checks are for 
$25.15, and will expire in 90 days, as indicated on the check. 
Recipients who have questions about their refund can call the 
administrator, Analytics, LLC, at 1-866-484-1466. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check. 

In
 2020, FTC actions led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers
 across the country, but the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 71,899 checks totaling more than 
$1.8 million to consumers, including many older Americans, tricked into 
paying for supposedly free in-home medical alert devices. The money 
comes from a settlement with New York-based Lifewatch, Inc.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/DoNotCallComplaints/Maps"></a> The<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/07/ftc-florida-attorney-general-sue-stop-deceptive-robocalls">FTC’s complaint</a>,
 filed jointly with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, alleged that 
the defendants bombarded consumers with at least a billion unsolicited 
robocalls to pitch supposedly “free” medical alert systems. These
 pre-recorded messages claimed that Lifewatch’s medical alert system was
 endorsed or recommended by reputable organizations like the American 
Heart Association. The company’s telemarketers often told consumers that
 a medical alert system had been purchased for them, and they could 
receive it “at no cost whatsoever.” Consumers eventually learned that 
they were responsible for monthly monitoring fees and that it was 
difficult to cancel without paying a penalty.In addition to imposing the monetary penalty to provide consumer refunds, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/142_3123_lifewatch_-_final_order_0.pdf">the order settling the FTC’s charges</a> bans
 the Lifewatch defendants from telemarketing and prohibits them from 
misrepresenting the terms associated with the sale of any product or 
service.The
 FTC is returning $1,808,260 to defrauded consumers. All checks are for 
$25.15, and will expire in 90 days, as indicated on the check. 
Recipients who have questions about their refund can call the 
administrator, Analytics, LLC, at 1-866-484-1466. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check. In
 2020, FTC actions led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers
 across the country, but the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

FTC: $1.8M in refunds sent to victims of telemarketing scheme

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government could be heading for temporary shutdown, with Republicans poised to stall a must-pass funding bill in their effort to force a debate in Congress on rolling back the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for some workers.

Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate who are opposed to Biden’s vaccine rules want Congress to take a hardline stand against the mandated shots, even if it means shutting down federal offices over the weekend. But not all Republicans are on board. One GOP senator after another left a private lunch meeting Wednesday voicing concern they will be blamed for even a short stoppage of the federal government that will not play well with the public.

Friday is a government funding deadline and the Republican objections — particularly in the Senate, where any single senator can hold up proceedings to stall a vote — could delay passage of legislation needed to keep federal operations running.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber saying Democrats are prepared to support the funding bill and urging Republicans not to engage in shutdown politics.

“Our Republican colleagues, meanwhile, can either work with us to move the process quickly through the chamber, or they can engage in obstructive tactics that will make a government shutdown almost a certainty,” said Schumer, D-N.Y.

Political backlash over the Biden administration's coronavirus vaccine mandates has been building for months. The White House sees the vaccinations as the quickest way to end the pandemic that has claimed more than 780,000 deaths in the U.S. Wednesday sparked fresh fears, with the country's first detected case of a troubling new variant. During the last government shutdown battle in September, Republicans also tried to halt the vaccine mandate.

As the political arguments mount over slapping vaccine requirements on some groups of workers, so too have legal challenges. Courts have been knocking back the Biden administration's vaccine mandates — including a ruling this week blocking enforcement of a requirement for some health care workers.

For some Republicans, the court cases, along with their own worries about a potentially disruptive government shutdown, are shifting them away from engaging in a high-stakes shutdown.

“One of the things I’m a little concerned about is: Why would we make ourselves the object of public attention by creating the specter of a government shutdown?” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a party leader.

On Wednesday, one Republican, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, made the case to his colleagues to link the effort to halt the vaccine mandates to the spending bill during a private lunch meeting at the Capitol.

The idea is to have the Senate vote to strip funding from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to implement the Biden administration's requirement that private employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are vaccinated or regularly tested, senators said.

Lee appears to have backing from a few senators and hardline Republicans in the House. “This is a chance to correct a wrong," said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who launched a similar effort against vaccine mandates during the last government funding battle.

But among most other Republican senators, enthusiasm for a shutdown ran thin.

“I just hate to see a shutdown — shut down the government — because people have been through a lot," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said while exiting the lunch session.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters that with the new coronavirus variant: “There’s too much chaos in our country right now, too much concern about omicron. The last thing we need is more confusion and fear.”

Minority leader Mitch McConnell has been opposed to the shutdown strategy, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. He did not say a word during the private lunch, but publicly McConnell has been upbeat that there will be no shutdown of the federal government.

“We’re going to be OK,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters in the halls of the Capitol.

The Biden administration has pursued vaccine requirements on several groups of workers at it seeks to get more shots in arms to crush the virus, but the effort is facing one setback after another in legal cases.

This week, a federal judge blocked the administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states. Earlier, a federal appeals court temporarily halted the OSHA requirement that employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are fully vaccinated.

The administration has previously implemented policies requiring millions of federal employees and federal contractors, including military troops, to be fully vaccinated. Those efforts are also being contested in federal courts.

Polling from The Associated Press shows Americans are divided over Biden's effort to vaccinate workers, with Democrats overwhelmingly for it while most Republicans are against it.

Some Republicans prefer an effort from Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to simply vote to reject the administration’s mandates in a congressional review action expected next week, separate from the federal funding fight.

From the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was confident the government funding bill would be approved by Congress and routine federal operations would not shut down this weekend.

“We have every confidence they will move forward and prevent the government from shutting down,” Psaki said.

She was highly critical of Republicans seeking to prevent the mandates from going into effect.

“These supporters of the former president are advocating for shutting the federal government down, so that 20% of the public who are refusing to get vaccinated or tested can be free to infect their coworkers, our children, filling hospitals,” Psaki said. “They want to shut the government down in order to advocate for people to assert that on society.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government could be heading for temporary shutdown, with Republicans poised to stall a must-pass funding bill in their effort to force a debate in Congress on rolling back the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for some workers.Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate who are opposed to Biden’s vaccine rules want Congress to take a hardline stand against the mandated shots, even if it means shutting down federal offices over the weekend. But not all Republicans are on board. One GOP senator after another left a private lunch meeting Wednesday voicing concern they will be blamed for even a short stoppage of the federal government that will not play well with the public.Friday is a government funding deadline and the Republican objections — particularly in the Senate, where any single senator can hold up proceedings to stall a vote — could delay passage of legislation needed to keep federal operations running.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber saying Democrats are prepared to support the funding bill and urging Republicans not to engage in shutdown politics.“Our Republican colleagues, meanwhile, can either work with us to move the process quickly through the chamber, or they can engage in obstructive tactics that will make a government shutdown almost a certainty,” said Schumer, D-N.Y.Political backlash over the Biden administration's coronavirus vaccine mandates has been building for months. The White House sees the vaccinations as the quickest way to end the pandemic that has claimed more than 780,000 deaths in the U.S. Wednesday sparked fresh fears, with the country's first detected case of a troubling new variant. During the last government shutdown battle in September, Republicans also tried to halt the vaccine mandate.As the political arguments mount over slapping vaccine requirements on some groups of workers, so too have legal challenges. Courts have been knocking back the Biden administration's vaccine mandates — including a ruling this week blocking enforcement of a requirement for some health care workers.For some Republicans, the court cases, along with their own worries about a potentially disruptive government shutdown, are shifting them away from engaging in a high-stakes shutdown.“One of the things I’m a little concerned about is: Why would we make ourselves the object of public attention by creating the specter of a government shutdown?” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a party leader.On Wednesday, one Republican, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, made the case to his colleagues to link the effort to halt the vaccine mandates to the spending bill during a private lunch meeting at the Capitol.The idea is to have the Senate vote to strip funding from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to implement the Biden administration's requirement that private employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are vaccinated or regularly tested, senators said.Lee appears to have backing from a few senators and hardline Republicans in the House. “This is a chance to correct a wrong," said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who launched a similar effort against vaccine mandates during the last government funding battle.But among most other Republican senators, enthusiasm for a shutdown ran thin.“I just hate to see a shutdown — shut down the government — because people have been through a lot," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said while exiting the lunch session.Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters that with the new coronavirus variant: “There’s too much chaos in our country right now, too much concern about omicron. The last thing we need is more confusion and fear.”Minority leader Mitch McConnell has been opposed to the shutdown strategy, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. He did not say a word during the private lunch, but publicly McConnell has been upbeat that there will be no shutdown of the federal government.“We’re going to be OK,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters in the halls of the Capitol.The Biden administration has pursued vaccine requirements on several groups of workers at it seeks to get more shots in arms to crush the virus, but the effort is facing one setback after another in legal cases.This week, a federal judge blocked the administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states. Earlier, a federal appeals court temporarily halted the OSHA requirement that employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are fully vaccinated.The administration has previously implemented policies requiring millions of federal employees and federal contractors, including military troops, to be fully vaccinated. Those efforts are also being contested in federal courts.Polling from The Associated Press shows Americans are divided over Biden's effort to vaccinate workers, with Democrats overwhelmingly for it while most Republicans are against it.Some Republicans prefer an effort from Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to simply vote to reject the administration’s mandates in a congressional review action expected next week, separate from the federal funding fight.From the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was confident the government funding bill would be approved by Congress and routine federal operations would not shut down this weekend.“We have every confidence they will move forward and prevent the government from shutting down,” Psaki said.She was highly critical of Republicans seeking to prevent the mandates from going into effect.“These supporters of the former president are advocating for shutting the federal government down, so that 20% of the public who are refusing to get vaccinated or tested can be free to infect their coworkers, our children, filling hospitals,” Psaki said. “They want to shut the government down in order to advocate for people to assert that on society.”

GOP risks government shutdown to fight Biden vaccine mandate

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 6p.m. Tuesday, police responded to home in the 700 Block SW Western Ave reference to a stabbing that had occurred, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

Upon arrival, officers located a man suffering from injuries that were consistent with a stabbing. The victim was later transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Police identified a suspect later identified as 39-year-old James Henry&nbsp;in the area and took him into custody without incident.

Henry of Topeka is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638366155613.png" alt="Henry photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Henry photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.Just after 6p.m. Tuesday, police responded to home in the 700 Block SW Western Ave reference to a stabbing that had occurred, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.Upon arrival, officers located a man suffering from injuries that were consistent with a stabbing. The victim was later transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police identified a suspect later identified as 39-year-old James Henry&nbsp;in the area and took him into custody without incident.Henry of Topeka is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

Police arrest Kansas man after stabbing sends victim to hospital


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Gas prices generally are trending downward, though they are still above $3 a gallon locally.

"Kansas is fifth cheapest in the country again this week," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "Reno County today is $3.04 a gallon, just slightly above the statewide average."

Prices are well below that average as close as Wichita, with Sedgwick County at $2.94 a gallon.

"Demand has started to tick downward seasonally as we usually see this time of year," Steward said. "Those crude oil prices have been heading downward. Most recently, they have been about $20 less per barrel than we saw at their peak in late October."

A recent survey of Kansas drivers from AAA said many of them are driving differently right now.

Forty-four percent said they have changed their daily driving habits because of gas prices recently," Steward said. 

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of drivers say they try to consolidate errands, carpool or otherwise drive less when the price of gas tops $3 a gallon.

By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Gas prices generally are trending downward, though they are still above $3 a gallon locally."Kansas is fifth cheapest in the country again this week," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "Reno County today is $3.04 a gallon, just slightly above the statewide average."Prices are well below that average as close as Wichita, with Sedgwick County at $2.94 a gallon."Demand has started to tick downward seasonally as we usually see this time of year," Steward said. "Those crude oil prices have been heading downward. Most recently, they have been about $20 less per barrel than we saw at their peak in late October."A recent survey of Kansas drivers from AAA said many of them are driving differently right now.Forty-four percent said they have changed their daily driving habits because of gas prices recently," Steward said. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of drivers say they try to consolidate errands, carpool or otherwise drive less when the price of gas tops $3 a gallon.

With less demand gas prices are down in Kansas

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas man was convicted Wednesday of raping a woman while he was working as a nurse at a hospital in Missouri.

Chukwuemeka U. Emmanuel, 37, of Overland Park, was found guilty of first-degree rape after a bench trial. He will be sentenced Jan. 27, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ansascity.com/news/local/crime/article256262517.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

He was charged in June 2019 after a woman reported that Emmanuel raped her when she asked him for help to clean up because her catheter was leaking, according to court records.

The woman was being treated at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri, and was medicated with morphine and other narcotics to help manage pain, hospital officials said.

Emmanuel was working as a “float nurse” hired through an outside agency. He was fired after the allegations were made and fled the state before being apprehended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638409375370.png" alt="Emmanuel-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Emmanuel-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas man was convicted Wednesday of raping a woman while he was working as a nurse at a hospital in Missouri.Chukwuemeka U. Emmanuel, 37, of Overland Park, was found guilty of first-degree rape after a bench trial. He will be sentenced Jan. 27, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ansascity.com/news/local/crime/article256262517.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.He was charged in June 2019 after a woman reported that Emmanuel raped her when she asked him for help to clean up because her catheter was leaking, according to court records.The woman was being treated at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri, and was medicated with morphine and other narcotics to help manage pain, hospital officials said.Emmanuel was working as a “float nurse” hired through an outside agency. He was fired after the allegations were made and fled the state before being apprehended.

Ex-nurse convicted of raping patient at KC-area hospital

HARPER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 1p.m. Wednesday in Harper County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol&nbsp; reported a&nbsp; 2014 Nissan Altima driven by Thomas Morgan Burel, 17, McKinney, Texas, was southbound on Kansas 14 two miles north of Harper.

The car's right tire dropped off the west edge of the roadway. The Nissan came back on the roadway, traveled across the southbound lane and into the northbound lanes where it struck a 2008 Kenworth semi driven by James B. Long, 60, Sunset Estates,&nbsp;Saskatchewan.

Burel was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Prairie Rose Funeral Home. Long was not injured. Burel was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

HARPER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 1p.m. Wednesday in Harper County.The Kansas Highway Patrol&nbsp; reported a&nbsp; 2014 Nissan Altima driven by Thomas Morgan Burel, 17, McKinney, Texas, was southbound on Kansas 14 two miles north of Harper.The car's right tire dropped off the west edge of the roadway. The Nissan came back on the roadway, traveled across the southbound lane and into the northbound lanes where it struck a 2008 Kenworth semi driven by James B. Long, 60, Sunset Estates,&nbsp;Saskatchewan.Burel was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Prairie Rose Funeral Home. Long was not injured. Burel was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Teen driver dies after crash with semi on Kansas highway

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A lawsuit filed against a Wichita car dealership by the wife of a police officer injured when he was run over by a sport utility vehicle from the business has been settled for an undisclosed amount. 

Officer Brian Arterburn was critically injured in February 2017 when he was hit by the SUV while putting down stop sticks to stop the vehicle. His wife, fellow Wichita police officer Claudale Arterburn, sued Eddy's Chevrolet Cadillac, its owners and the driver of the SUV, Justin Terrazas.

Terrazas pleaded guilty to charges in the case and was sentenced to nearly 29 years in prison. The lawsuit had sought $75 million in actual and punitive damages.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638371336490.png" alt="Officer Brian Arterburn and Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Officer Brian Arterburn and Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A lawsuit filed against a Wichita car dealership by the wife of a police officer injured when he was run over by a sport utility vehicle from the business has been settled for an undisclosed amount. Officer Brian Arterburn was critically injured in February 2017 when he was hit by the SUV while putting down stop sticks to stop the vehicle. His wife, fellow Wichita police officer Claudale Arterburn, sued Eddy's Chevrolet Cadillac, its owners and the driver of the SUV, Justin Terrazas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638371521538.png" alt="Justin Terrazas has ten previous felony convictions that include burglary, theft, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated battery, flee and elude law enforcement and for drugs-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Justin Terrazas has ten previous felony convictions that include burglary, theft, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, aggravated battery, flee and elude law enforcement and for drugs-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>Terrazas pleaded guilty to charges in the case and was sentenced to nearly 29 years in prison. The lawsuit had sought $75 million in actual and punitive damages.

Wife of injured Kansas police officer settles with car dealership

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday went to Minnesota to pitch his completed infrastructure deal and a giant social spending bill that he's still trying to get passed, but also found himself reassuring the nation he would fight the evolving COVID-19 threat without resorting to “shutdowns and lockdowns.”

Biden met with students at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount in a garage space with a bulldozer, backhoe and cargo truck before delivering a speech criticizing GOP lawmakers for opposing his social services and climate spending bill that would expand health care coverage, enhance job training for students at community colleges, and offer child care benefits for middle and low income Americans.

Biden has been eager to build momentum for his agenda, but he finds himself once again forced to divert attention to battling the virus—this time because of global concerns about the spread of the omicron strain of the virus. Health officials identified the first U.S. case in California Wednesday.

He said that on Thursday, he would detail his plan for how “we’re going to fight COVID this winter, not with shutdowns and lockdowns” but “with more widespread vaccination, boosters, testing and much more.”

Biden came to the suburban Minneapolis tech college looking to tout his $1 trillion infrastructure plan and making the case for an addition $1.75 trillion spending bill, which he is still trying to get through the Senate. The legislation includes $5 billion for community colleges to expand workforce training programs.

“Technology moves so rapidly,” Biden told students. “You’ve got to get an education to make it work.”

The trip came as Biden, who in addition to facing the threat of the new omicron strain of the coronavirus is also batting high levels of inflation as vital parts of his agenda are still await congressional approval. Biden also needs to get Congress to move to temporarily fund the government and preserve its ability to borrow as the debt limit could be breached in December.

Biden holds out the infrastructure package, containing money for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems and a shift to electrical vehicles, as evidence that he can work across the political aisle. The measure passed with solid Republican support..

Biden won Minnesota in last year's presidential election with 52.6% of the vote. He's visited the state's second congressional district, a potentially vulnerable seat in the midterms that narrowly went to Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in 2020.

The president noted that Minnesotans saw first-hand the need to invest in rebuilding the nation's infrastructure in August 2007 when a portion of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 and injuring more than 140 more.

“No more talking, time for action,” Biden said. “This law makes significant investments in our roads and bridges.′

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638307389869.png" alt="On Tuesday, President Biden signed a series of bills for veterans to address disparities in benefits, continuation of service, tuition for survivors, as well as a proposal to help mothers who have served.-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>On Tuesday, President Biden signed a series of bills for veterans to address disparities in benefits, continuation of service, tuition for survivors, as well as a proposal to help mothers who have served.-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday went to Minnesota to pitch his completed infrastructure deal and a giant social spending bill that he's still trying to get passed, but also found himself reassuring the nation he would fight the evolving COVID-19 threat without resorting to “shutdowns and lockdowns.”Biden met with students at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount in a garage space with a bulldozer, backhoe and cargo truck before delivering a speech criticizing GOP lawmakers for opposing his social services and climate spending bill that would expand health care coverage, enhance job training for students at community colleges, and offer child care benefits for middle and low income Americans.Biden has been eager to build momentum for his agenda, but he finds himself once again forced to divert attention to battling the virus—this time because of global concerns about the spread of the omicron strain of the virus. Health officials identified the first U.S. case in California Wednesday.He said that on Thursday, he would detail his plan for how “we’re going to fight COVID this winter, not with shutdowns and lockdowns” but “with more widespread vaccination, boosters, testing and much more.”Biden came to the suburban Minneapolis tech college looking to tout his $1 trillion infrastructure plan and making the case for an addition $1.75 trillion spending bill, which he is still trying to get through the Senate. The legislation includes $5 billion for community colleges to expand workforce training programs.“Technology moves so rapidly,” Biden told students. “You’ve got to get an education to make it work.”The trip came as Biden, who in addition to facing the threat of the new omicron strain of the coronavirus is also batting high levels of inflation as vital parts of his agenda are still await congressional approval. Biden also needs to get Congress to move to temporarily fund the government and preserve its ability to borrow as the debt limit could be breached in December.Biden holds out the infrastructure package, containing money for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems and a shift to electrical vehicles, as evidence that he can work across the political aisle. The measure passed with solid Republican support..Biden won Minnesota in last year's presidential election with 52.6% of the vote. He's visited the state's second congressional district, a potentially vulnerable seat in the midterms that narrowly went to Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in 2020.The president noted that Minnesotans saw first-hand the need to invest in rebuilding the nation's infrastructure in August 2007 when a portion of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 and injuring more than 140 more.“No more talking, time for action,” Biden said. “This law makes significant investments in our roads and bridges.′

Biden puts focus on infrastructure amid new virus concerns

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 32-year-old northeast Kansas man has pleaded guilty to participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

Mark Roger Rebegila, of St. Marys, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. Several other charges were dropped. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 10. 

He is the third of eight Kansas residents charged in the Capitol riot to plead guilty. A federal affidavit says Rebegila told the FBI that he entered the Capitol after others had crashed the barriers. Prosecutors say he also took videos of himself inside the Capitol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614042711157.png" alt="Mark Roger Rebegila was interviewed at his home in January after a tipster reported seeing a video of him inside the Capitol- photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Mark Roger Rebegila was interviewed at his home in January after a tipster reported seeing a video of him inside the Capitol- photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 32-year-old northeast Kansas man has pleaded guilty to participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Mark Roger Rebegila, of St. Marys, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. Several other charges were dropped. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 10. He is the third of eight Kansas residents charged in the Capitol riot to plead guilty. A federal affidavit says Rebegila told the FBI that he entered the Capitol after others had crashed the barriers. Prosecutors say he also took videos of himself inside the Capitol.

Kansas man pleads guilty for role in riot at Capitol

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that total tax collections for November were $626.8 million. That is 3.1%, or $18.9 million, more than the estimate, according to a media release from her office.

<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.164MllZmf8WHgqUFgq-55uTp6w6Z25sRSinxzyq3r4k/s/1303160919/br/122065361989-l" target="_blank">Click here to view the tax receipts&nbsp;</a>

 Those collections are $70.1 million, or 12.6%, more than last November.

“While our state revenue numbers continue to be encouraging, maintaining fiscal responsibility is paramount moving forward,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“That’s how we will sustain strategic investments in critical state services – and how we will ‘Axe the Food Sales Tax’ long-term, providing much-needed relief to Kansas families.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Revenue numbers come after the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group made up of state financial advisors, researchers, and university economists, by statute, met to evaluate the estimates for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Individual income tax collections were below the estimate for the month by 1.6%, or $4.6 million, with $288.9 million collected.&nbsp; These collections were below estimate for the month due to remittance due dates. Even with that, these collections saw a growth of $13.5 million, or 4.9%, above last November. Corporate income tax collections were $5.4 million, or 64.1%, more than the estimate with $13.7 million collected. That is a $8.5 million, or 165.5%, more than last November.

Sales and use tax collections were 13.8%, or $34.5 million, more than last November. These collections were $285.4 million for the month, which is $8.5 million or 3.1% more than the estimate. To break that down, retail sales collections were $223.6 million. That is $6.6 million, or 3.0%, more than the estimate for the month and $21.9 million more than last November. Compensating use tax collections were $61.8 million for the month, which is $1.9 million, or 3.2%, more than the estimate. That is a growth of $12.6 million, or 25.7%, over the same month last year.

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that total tax collections for November were $626.8 million. That is 3.1%, or $18.9 million, more than the estimate, according to a media release from her office.<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.164MllZmf8WHgqUFgq-55uTp6w6Z25sRSinxzyq3r4k/s/1303160919/br/122065361989-l" target="_blank">Click here to view the tax receipts&nbsp;</a> Those collections are $70.1 million, or 12.6%, more than last November.“While our state revenue numbers continue to be encouraging, maintaining fiscal responsibility is paramount moving forward,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“That’s how we will sustain strategic investments in critical state services – and how we will ‘Axe the Food Sales Tax’ long-term, providing much-needed relief to Kansas families.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Revenue numbers come after the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group made up of state financial advisors, researchers, and university economists, by statute, met to evaluate the estimates for the remainder of the fiscal year.Individual income tax collections were below the estimate for the month by 1.6%, or $4.6 million, with $288.9 million collected.&nbsp; These collections were below estimate for the month due to remittance due dates. Even with that, these collections saw a growth of $13.5 million, or 4.9%, above last November. Corporate income tax collections were $5.4 million, or 64.1%, more than the estimate with $13.7 million collected. That is a $8.5 million, or 165.5%, more than last November.Sales and use tax collections were 13.8%, or $34.5 million, more than last November. These collections were $285.4 million for the month, which is $8.5 million or 3.1% more than the estimate. To break that down, retail sales collections were $223.6 million. That is $6.6 million, or 3.0%, more than the estimate for the month and $21.9 million more than last November. Compensating use tax collections were $61.8 million for the month, which is $1.9 million, or 3.2%, more than the estimate. That is a growth of $12.6 million, or 25.7%, over the same month last year.

Kansas total tax collections $70M more than last November

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A suspect who barricaded himself inside a home shot two children and a woman in Kansas City, Kansas, Wednesday before turning the gun on himself, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s office said.

Officers who responded to a call of a shooting at Wellborn Park found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds.

The suspect fled the scene and later barricaded himself inside the Kansas City, Kansas home, the sheriff’s office said.

Officers set up a perimeter around the house after hearing gunshots. When they entered the home they found the suspect dead and one of the children dead. The other child was suffering from gunshot wounds, authorities said.

Sheriff’s department spokesman Capt. Kyle Harvey said conditions of the injured child and the woman were not immediately available.

The woman was the suspect’s girlfriend but their relationship with the children had not been determined, Harvey said. No names have been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638384786383.png" alt="The injured woman was the suspect’s girlfriend but their relationship with the children had not been determined- photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>The injured woman was the suspect’s girlfriend but their relationship with the children had not been determined- photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A suspect who barricaded himself inside a home shot two children and a woman in Kansas City, Kansas, Wednesday before turning the gun on himself, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s office said.Officers who responded to a call of a shooting at Wellborn Park found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds.The suspect fled the scene and later barricaded himself inside the Kansas City, Kansas home, the sheriff’s office said.Officers set up a perimeter around the house after hearing gunshots. When they entered the home they found the suspect dead and one of the children dead. The other child was suffering from gunshot wounds, authorities said.Sheriff’s department spokesman Capt. Kyle Harvey said conditions of the injured child and the woman were not immediately available.The woman was the suspect’s girlfriend but their relationship with the children had not been determined, Harvey said. No names have been released.

Child, suspect dead and 2 injured after standoff at Kan. home 

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516424-1/press-secretary-jen-psaki-dr-anthony-fauci-reporters-omicron-case-detected-us&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> the comments from Dr. Fauci

WASHINGTON (AP) — A person in California who had been vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a>&nbsp;became the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new virus strain.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive on Nov. 29. Fauci said the person was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot and was experiencing “mild symptoms.”

The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread. Clusters of cases have also been identified in about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-japan-192d15ef14bb3dd478bc36ab4aa325f0">two dozen other nations</a>.

“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” Fauci said.

He said the person was improving and added, “I think what’s happening now is another example of why it’s important for people to get vaccinated. But also boosting. Boosting is very important.”

Officials said they had contacted everyone who had close contact with the person and they had all tested negative.

Genomic sequencing was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco and the sequence was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking steps to tighten U.S. testing rules for travelers from overseas, including requiring a test for all travelers within a day of boarding a flight to the U.S. regardless of vaccination status. It was also considering mandating post-arrival testing.

Officials said those measures would only “buy time” for the country to learn more about the new variant and to take appropriate precautions, but that given its transmissibility its arrival in the U.S. was inevitable.

Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious than previous strains, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine. Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said more would be known about the omicron strain in two to four weeks as scientists grow and test lab samples of the virus.

California’s Department of Public Health credited the state’s “large-scale testing and early detection systems” for identifying the case.

“We recognize that everyone is exhausted, and the news of a new variant can be overwhelming. It is important that we collectively focus on the things we know prevent the spread of COVID-19, and its variants,” state public health officials said in a statement.

The announcement of the first U.S. case comes before President Joe Biden plans to outline his strategy on Thursday to combat the virus over the winter. Biden has tried to quell alarm over the omicron variant, saying it was a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic.”

Biden and public health officials have grown more urgent in their pleas for more Americans to get vaccinated — and for those who have been vaccinated to get booster shots to maximize their protection against the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638385235681.png" alt="Dr. Fauci said during a White House news briefing Wednesday afternoon that the patient was vaccinated and it was unclear if they had received a booster.-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Fauci said during a White House news briefing Wednesday afternoon that the patient was vaccinated and it was unclear if they had received a booster.-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516424-1/press-secretary-jen-psaki-dr-anthony-fauci-reporters-omicron-case-detected-us&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> the comments from Dr. FauciWASHINGTON (AP) — A person in California who had been vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a>&nbsp;became the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new virus strain.Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive on Nov. 29. Fauci said the person was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot and was experiencing “mild symptoms.”The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread. Clusters of cases have also been identified in about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-japan-192d15ef14bb3dd478bc36ab4aa325f0">two dozen other nations</a>.“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” Fauci said.He said the person was improving and added, “I think what’s happening now is another example of why it’s important for people to get vaccinated. But also boosting. Boosting is very important.”Officials said they had contacted everyone who had close contact with the person and they had all tested negative.Genomic sequencing was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco and the sequence was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking steps to tighten U.S. testing rules for travelers from overseas, including requiring a test for all travelers within a day of boarding a flight to the U.S. regardless of vaccination status. It was also considering mandating post-arrival testing.Officials said those measures would only “buy time” for the country to learn more about the new variant and to take appropriate precautions, but that given its transmissibility its arrival in the U.S. was inevitable.Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious than previous strains, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine. Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said more would be known about the omicron strain in two to four weeks as scientists grow and test lab samples of the virus.California’s Department of Public Health credited the state’s “large-scale testing and early detection systems” for identifying the case.“We recognize that everyone is exhausted, and the news of a new variant can be overwhelming. It is important that we collectively focus on the things we know prevent the spread of COVID-19, and its variants,” state public health officials said in a statement.The announcement of the first U.S. case comes before President Joe Biden plans to outline his strategy on Thursday to combat the virus over the winter. Biden has tried to quell alarm over the omicron variant, saying it was a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic.”Biden and public health officials have grown more urgent in their pleas for more Americans to get vaccinated — and for those who have been vaccinated to get booster shots to maximize their protection against the virus.

 🎥  1st case of Omicron variant identified in United States

TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 4,477 to a total of 469,767, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 19 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,705.

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

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

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

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

TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 4,477 to a total of 469,767, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 19 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,705.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638382066533.png" alt="Wednesday December 1, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday December 1, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: 4,400 new cases, 19 more COVID deaths

OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A fourth student, a 17-year-old boy, died Wednesday from wounds he suffered when a sophomore opened fire at a Michigan high school a day earlier, authorities said.

The other dead included a 16-year-old boy who died in a deputy’s patrol car on the way to a hospital. Eight people were wounded, some critically, including a 14-year-old girl who was placed on a ventilator after surgery.

Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School, located in a community of about 22,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.

“The person that’s got the most insight and the motive is not talking,” he said at a news conference late Tuesday.

Deputies rushed to the school around lunchtime as more than 100 calls flooded 911 dispatchers with reports of a shooter. They arrested the student in a hallway within minutes of their arrival. He put his hands in the air as deputies approached, Bouchard said.

The boy’s father on Friday bought the 9 mm Sig Sauer used in the shooting, Bouchard said. He didn’t know why the man bought the semiautomatic handgun, which his son had been posting pictures of and practicing shooting, Bouchard said.

Authorities did not immediately release the boy’s name.

The four students who were killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling, who died Wednesday.

Bouchard said Myre died in a patrol car as a deputy tried to get him to an emergency room.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638381044457.png" alt="Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting photo courtesy WWJT TV" />
 <figcaption>Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting photo courtesy WWJT TV</figcaption>
 </figure>OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A fourth student, a 17-year-old boy, died Wednesday from wounds he suffered when a sophomore opened fire at a Michigan high school a day earlier, authorities said.The other dead included a 16-year-old boy who died in a deputy’s patrol car on the way to a hospital. Eight people were wounded, some critically, including a 14-year-old girl who was placed on a ventilator after surgery.Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School, located in a community of about 22,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.“The person that’s got the most insight and the motive is not talking,” he said at a news conference late Tuesday.Deputies rushed to the school around lunchtime as more than 100 calls flooded 911 dispatchers with reports of a shooter. They arrested the student in a hallway within minutes of their arrival. He put his hands in the air as deputies approached, Bouchard said.The boy’s father on Friday bought the 9 mm Sig Sauer used in the shooting, Bouchard said. He didn’t know why the man bought the semiautomatic handgun, which his son had been posting pictures of and practicing shooting, Bouchard said.Authorities did not immediately release the boy’s name.The four students who were killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling, who died Wednesday.Bouchard said Myre died in a patrol car as a deputy tried to get him to an emergency room.A teacher who received a graze wound to the shoulder left the hospital, but seven students ranging in age from 14 to 17 remained hospitalized through the night with gunshot wounds, he said.The gun the boy was carrying had seven more rounds of ammo in it when he surrendered, Bouchard said.Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the student’s parents advised their son not to talk to investigators. Police must seek permission from a juvenile’s parents or guardian to speak with them, he added.Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement that her office expects to issue charges quickly and that an update would be given Wednesday.Authorities were made aware of posts on social media that said there had been threats of a shooting at the roughly 1,700-student school, but Bouchard said they didn’t know about the rumors until after the attack.He stressed how crucial it is for tips of the kind to be sent to authorities, while also cautioning against spreading social media rumors before a full investigation.McCabe also downplayed the significance of a situation in early November when a deer head was thrown off the school roof, which he said was “absolutely unrelated” to the shooting. The vandalism prompted school administrators to post two letters to parents on the school’s website, saying they were responding to rumors of a threat against the school but had found none.Bouchard said the student in custody had no previous run-ins with his department and he wasn’t aware of any disciplinary history at school.“That’s part of our investigation to determine what happened prior to this event and if some signs were missed how were they missed and why,” he said.The campus was placed on lockdown during the attack, with some children sheltering in locked classrooms. They were later taken to a nearby Meijer grocery store to be picked up by their parents.The district said in a statement that all of its schools would be closed for the rest of the week.Isabel Flores, a 15-year-old ninth-grader, told WJBK-TV that she and other students heard gunshots and saw another student bleeding from the face. They then ran from the area through the rear of the school, she said.Authorities said they were searching the suspect’s cellphone, school video footage and social media posts for any evidence of a possible motive.School administrators had posted two letters to parents on the school’s website in November, saying they were responding to rumors of a threat against the school following a bizarre vandalism incident.According to a Nov. 4 letter written by Principal Steve Wolf, someone threw a deer head into a courtyard from the school’s roof, painted several windows on the roof with red acrylic paint and used the same paint on concrete near the school building during the early morning hours. Without specifically referencing that incident, a second post on Nov. 12 assured “there has been no threat to our building nor our students.”Both the sheriff and undersheriff emphasized that Tuesday’s shooting was unrelated to the deer head or any earlier investigation by their office.“That was a different incident, different student,” McCabe said.A concerned parent, Robin Redding, said her son, Treshan Bryant, is a 12th grader at the school but stayed home Tuesday. Redding said her son had heard threats that there could be a shooting.“This couldn’t be just random,” she said.Bryant said he texted several younger cousins in the morning and they said they didn’t want to go to school, and he got a bad feeling. He asked his mom if he could do his assignments online.Bryant said he had heard vague threats “for a long time now” about plans for a shooting.At a vigil Tuesday night at LakePoint Community Church, Leeann Dersa choked back tears as she hugged friends and neighbors. Dersa has lived nearly all of her 73 years in Oxford. Her grandchildren attended the high school.“Scared us all something terrible. It’s awful,” Dersa said of the shooting.Pastor Jesse Holt said news of the shooting flooded in to him and his wife, including texts from some of the 20 to 25 students who are among the 400-member congregation.“Some were very scared, hiding under their desks and texting us, `We’re safe, we’re OK. We heard gunshots, but we’re OK.’ They were trying to calm us, at least that’s how it felt,” he said.