By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/class-of-16-new-state-troopers-sworn-in-as-union-calls-for-higher-wages/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Sixteen new state troopers were sworn in and received badges at a ceremony Friday at the State Capitol.

Gov. Pete Ricketts and Attorney General Doug Peterson spoke at the 
ceremony, as did Col. John Bolduc, the superintendent of the Nebraska 
State Patrol.

The addition of the new troopers still leaves the Nebraska State 
Patrol about 60 sworn officers short of its authorized force of 482, 
according to a State Patrol spokesman.

As of early July, the State Patrol had 54 vacancies, and <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/27/state-headed-for-another-showdown-over-wages-paid-for-law-enforcement-officers/">the state troopers union was calling for wage increases</a> to make the salary more competitive with other law enforcement agencies in Nebraska.

Troopers start at $24.57 an hour ($51,105 a year), which, as of July,
 was about $6 an hour less than what new police officers are paid in 
Lincoln and Papillion and $5 an hour less than the pay for new Omaha 
police officers.

Cody Thomas, a spokesman for the State Patrol, said that another 
class of 15 recruits starts on Jan. 3 and that the application process 
for the following camp opens up in about a month.

Nationally, some have labeled the recruiting of new law enforcement 
officers a “crisis” due to the pandemic and negative impressions of 
police left after the in-custody death of George Floyd in 2020.

But low pay, representatives of the state troopers have contended, is also part of the problem.

The newly sworn-in troopers have completed 22 weeks of training.

The new troopers are: Ethan Broker of Hayes Center; Dylan Cramer of 
Merna; Ashley Elrod and Mark Fluckey, both of Omaha; Clarissa Fitzgerald
 of Kearney; Steven Johnson of Waverly; Jonathan Lawrence of Ord; Lazaro
 Pena of Grand Island; Trysten Whitted of Gretna; Anthony Franks of 
Roseville, Minnesota; Logan Krein of Naperville, Illinois; Zachary 
Matthews of Neola, Iowa; Anthony McGlade of Clarinda, Iowa; Kailey Ortiz
 of Fleming, Colorado; Zachariah Sporer of Colorado Springs, Colorado 
;and Justyn Stindt of Belleville, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671297567887.png" alt="The Nebraska State Patrol on Friday graduated a new class of 16 state troopers who recently completed their training. (Courtesy of the Nebraska State Patrol)" />
 <figcaption>The Nebraska State Patrol on Friday graduated a new class of 16 state troopers who recently completed their training. (Courtesy of the Nebraska State Patrol)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/class-of-16-new-state-troopers-sworn-in-as-union-calls-for-higher-wages/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Sixteen new state troopers were sworn in and received badges at a ceremony Friday at the State Capitol.Gov. Pete Ricketts and Attorney General Doug Peterson spoke at the 
ceremony, as did Col. John Bolduc, the superintendent of the Nebraska 
State Patrol.The addition of the new troopers still leaves the Nebraska State 
Patrol about 60 sworn officers short of its authorized force of 482, 
according to a State Patrol spokesman.As of early July, the State Patrol had 54 vacancies, and <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/27/state-headed-for-another-showdown-over-wages-paid-for-law-enforcement-officers/">the state troopers union was calling for wage increases</a> to make the salary more competitive with other law enforcement agencies in Nebraska.Troopers start at $24.57 an hour ($51,105 a year), which, as of July,
 was about $6 an hour less than what new police officers are paid in 
Lincoln and Papillion and $5 an hour less than the pay for new Omaha 
police officers.Cody Thomas, a spokesman for the State Patrol, said that another 
class of 15 recruits starts on Jan. 3 and that the application process 
for the following camp opens up in about a month.Nationally, some have labeled the recruiting of new law enforcement 
officers a “crisis” due to the pandemic and negative impressions of 
police left after the in-custody death of George Floyd in 2020.But low pay, representatives of the state troopers have contended, is also part of the problem.The newly sworn-in troopers have completed 22 weeks of training.The new troopers are: Ethan Broker of Hayes Center; Dylan Cramer of 
Merna; Ashley Elrod and Mark Fluckey, both of Omaha; Clarissa Fitzgerald
 of Kearney; Steven Johnson of Waverly; Jonathan Lawrence of Ord; Lazaro
 Pena of Grand Island; Trysten Whitted of Gretna; Anthony Franks of 
Roseville, Minnesota; Logan Krein of Naperville, Illinois; Zachary 
Matthews of Neola, Iowa; Anthony McGlade of Clarinda, Iowa; Kailey Ortiz
 of Fleming, Colorado; Zachariah Sporer of Colorado Springs, Colorado 
;and Justyn Stindt of Belleville, Kansas.

New Neb. troopers sworn in as union calls for higher wages

REYNOSA, Mexico (AP) — Restrictions that have prevented hundreds of thousands of migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. in recent years remained on track to expire in a matter of days after an appeals court ruling Friday, as thousands more migrants packed shelters on Mexico’s border with the U.S.

The ruling from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals means the restrictions known as Title 42 are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-immigration-asylum-54c11e091d464fe8d9272d607f6778f8">still set to be lifted Wednesday,</a>&nbsp;unless further appeals are filed.

A coalition of 19 Republican-leaning states were pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-public-immigration-covid-5d5f77e27cba4a8063d36d0f384aa893">to keep the asylum restrictions</a>&nbsp;put in place by former President Donald Trump at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Migrants have been denied rights to seek asylum under U.S. and international law 2.5 million times since March 2020 on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. The public-health has left some migrants biding time in Mexico.

Advocates for immigrants had argued that the U.S. was abandoning its longstanding history and commitments to offer refuge to people around the world fleeing persecution, and sued to end the use of Title 42. They’ve also argued the restrictions were a pretext by Trump for restricting migration, and in any case, vaccines and other treatments make that argument outdated.

A judge last month sided with them and set Dec. 21 as the deadline for the federal government to end the practice. Conservative states trying to keep Title 42 in place had pushed to intervene in the case. But a three-judge panel on Friday night rejected their efforts, saying the states had waited too long. Louisiana's Attorney General expressed disappointment with the decision and said they would appeal to the Supreme Court.

Border cities, most notably El Paso, Texas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-immigration-el-paso-d0a9ab87492fd4e9e3061ebefc6e1094">are facing a daily migrant influx</a>&nbsp;that the Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-28ce8e9b1cb7b99d73c8043badbbe270">expects to grow</a>&nbsp;if asylum restrictions are lifted. Tijuana, the largest Mexican border city, has an estimated 5,000 people in more than 30 shelters, Enrique Lucero, the city’s director of migrant affairs said this week.

In Reynosa, Mexico, near McAllen, Texas, nearly 300 migrants — mostly families — crammed into the Casa del Migrante, sleeping on bunk beds and even on the floor.

Rose, a 32-year-old Haitian, has been in the shelter for three weeks with her daughter and 1-year-old son. Rose, who did not provide her last name because she fears it could jeopardize her safety and her attempts to seek asylum, said she learned on her journey of possible changes to U.S. policies. She said she was happy to wait a little longer in Mexico for the lifting of restrictions that were enacted at the outset of the pandemic and that have become a cornerstone of U.S. border enforcement.

“We’re very scared, because the Haitians are deported,” said Rose, who is worried any mistakes in trying to get her family to the U.S. could get her sent back to Haiti.

Inside Senda de Vida 2, a Reynosa shelter opened by an evangelical Christian pastor when his first one reached capacity, about 3,000 migrants are living in tents pitched on concrete slabs and gravel. Flies swarm everywhere under a hot sun beating down even in mid-December.

For the many fleeing violence in Haiti, Venezuela and elsewhere, such shelters offer at least some safety from the cartels that control passage through the Rio Grande and prey on migrants.

In McAllen, about 100 migrants who avoided asylum restrictions rested on floor mats Thursday in a large hall run by Catholic Charities, waiting for transportation to families and friends across the U.S.

Gloria, a 22-year-old from Honduras who is eight months pregnant with her first child, held onto a printed sheet that read: “Please help me. I do not speak English.” Gloria also did not want her last name used out of fear for her safety. She expressed concerns about navigating the airport alone and making it to Florida, where she has a family acquaintance.

Andrea Rudnik, co-founder of an all-volunteer migrant welcome association in Brownsville, Texas, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico, was worried about having enough winter coats for migrants coming from warmer climates.

“We don’t have enough supplies,” she said Friday, noting donations to Team Brownsville are down.

Title 42, which is part of a 1944 public health law, applies to all nationalities but has fallen unevenly on those whom Mexico agrees to take back — Guatemalans, Hondurans, El Salvadorans and, more recently, Venezuelans, in addition to Mexicans. Illegal border crossings of single adults dipped in November, according to a Justice Department court filing released Friday, though it gave no explanation for why. It also did not account for families traveling with young children and children traveling alone.

According to the filing, Border Patrol agents stopped single adults 143,903 times along the Mexican border in November, down 9% from 158,639 times in October and the lowest level since August. Nicaraguans became the second-largest nationality at the border among single adults after Mexicans, surpassing Cubans.

Venezuelan single adults were stopped 3,513 times by Border Patrol agents in November, plunging from 14,697 a month earlier, demonstrating the impact of Mexico's decision on Oct. 12 to accept migrants from the South American country who are expelled from the U.S.

Mexican single adults were stopped 43,504 times, down from 56,088 times in October, more than any other nationality. Nicaraguan adults were stopped 27,369 times, up from 16,497. Cuban adults were stopped 24,690 times, up from 20,744.

In a related development, a federal judge in Amarillo, Texas, ruled Thursday that the Biden administration wrongly ended a Trump-era policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. The ruling had no immediate impact but could prove a longer-term setback for the White House.

White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan said immigration laws would continue to be enforced at the border and the Biden administration would work to expand legal pathways for migrants but discourage “disorderly and unsafe migration.”

“To be clear: the lifting of the Title 42 public health order does not mean the border is open,” he said. “Anyone who suggests otherwise is doing the work of smugglers spreading misinformation to make a quick buck off of vulnerable migrants.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317742720.png" alt="A coalition of 19 Republican-leaning states were pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-public-immigration-covid-5d5f77e27cba4a8063d36d0f384aa893">to keep the asylum restrictions</a>&nbsp;put in place by former President Donald Trump at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>A coalition of 19 Republican-leaning states were pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-public-immigration-covid-5d5f77e27cba4a8063d36d0f384aa893">to keep the asylum restrictions</a>&nbsp;put in place by former President Donald Trump at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>REYNOSA, Mexico (AP) — Restrictions that have prevented hundreds of thousands of migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. in recent years remained on track to expire in a matter of days after an appeals court ruling Friday, as thousands more migrants packed shelters on Mexico’s border with the U.S.The ruling from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals means the restrictions known as Title 42 are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-immigration-asylum-54c11e091d464fe8d9272d607f6778f8">still set to be lifted Wednesday,</a>&nbsp;unless further appeals are filed.A coalition of 19 Republican-leaning states were pushing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-public-immigration-covid-5d5f77e27cba4a8063d36d0f384aa893">to keep the asylum restrictions</a>&nbsp;put in place by former President Donald Trump at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Migrants have been denied rights to seek asylum under U.S. and international law 2.5 million times since March 2020 on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. The public-health has left some migrants biding time in Mexico.Advocates for immigrants had argued that the U.S. was abandoning its longstanding history and commitments to offer refuge to people around the world fleeing persecution, and sued to end the use of Title 42. They’ve also argued the restrictions were a pretext by Trump for restricting migration, and in any case, vaccines and other treatments make that argument outdated.A judge last month sided with them and set Dec. 21 as the deadline for the federal government to end the practice. Conservative states trying to keep Title 42 in place had pushed to intervene in the case. But a three-judge panel on Friday night rejected their efforts, saying the states had waited too long. Louisiana's Attorney General expressed disappointment with the decision and said they would appeal to the Supreme Court.Border cities, most notably El Paso, Texas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-immigration-el-paso-d0a9ab87492fd4e9e3061ebefc6e1094">are facing a daily migrant influx</a>&nbsp;that the Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-28ce8e9b1cb7b99d73c8043badbbe270">expects to grow</a>&nbsp;if asylum restrictions are lifted. Tijuana, the largest Mexican border city, has an estimated 5,000 people in more than 30 shelters, Enrique Lucero, the city’s director of migrant affairs said this week.In Reynosa, Mexico, near McAllen, Texas, nearly 300 migrants — mostly families — crammed into the Casa del Migrante, sleeping on bunk beds and even on the floor.Rose, a 32-year-old Haitian, has been in the shelter for three weeks with her daughter and 1-year-old son. Rose, who did not provide her last name because she fears it could jeopardize her safety and her attempts to seek asylum, said she learned on her journey of possible changes to U.S. policies. She said she was happy to wait a little longer in Mexico for the lifting of restrictions that were enacted at the outset of the pandemic and that have become a cornerstone of U.S. border enforcement.“We’re very scared, because the Haitians are deported,” said Rose, who is worried any mistakes in trying to get her family to the U.S. could get her sent back to Haiti.Inside Senda de Vida 2, a Reynosa shelter opened by an evangelical Christian pastor when his first one reached capacity, about 3,000 migrants are living in tents pitched on concrete slabs and gravel. Flies swarm everywhere under a hot sun beating down even in mid-December.For the many fleeing violence in Haiti, Venezuela and elsewhere, such shelters offer at least some safety from the cartels that control passage through the Rio Grande and prey on migrants.In McAllen, about 100 migrants who avoided asylum restrictions rested on floor mats Thursday in a large hall run by Catholic Charities, waiting for transportation to families and friends across the U.S.Gloria, a 22-year-old from Honduras who is eight months pregnant with her first child, held onto a printed sheet that read: “Please help me. I do not speak English.” Gloria also did not want her last name used out of fear for her safety. She expressed concerns about navigating the airport alone and making it to Florida, where she has a family acquaintance.Andrea Rudnik, co-founder of an all-volunteer migrant welcome association in Brownsville, Texas, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico, was worried about having enough winter coats for migrants coming from warmer climates.“We don’t have enough supplies,” she said Friday, noting donations to Team Brownsville are down.Title 42, which is part of a 1944 public health law, applies to all nationalities but has fallen unevenly on those whom Mexico agrees to take back — Guatemalans, Hondurans, El Salvadorans and, more recently, Venezuelans, in addition to Mexicans. Illegal border crossings of single adults dipped in November, according to a Justice Department court filing released Friday, though it gave no explanation for why. It also did not account for families traveling with young children and children traveling alone.According to the filing, Border Patrol agents stopped single adults 143,903 times along the Mexican border in November, down 9% from 158,639 times in October and the lowest level since August. Nicaraguans became the second-largest nationality at the border among single adults after Mexicans, surpassing Cubans.Venezuelan single adults were stopped 3,513 times by Border Patrol agents in November, plunging from 14,697 a month earlier, demonstrating the impact of Mexico's decision on Oct. 12 to accept migrants from the South American country who are expelled from the U.S.Mexican single adults were stopped 43,504 times, down from 56,088 times in October, more than any other nationality. Nicaraguan adults were stopped 27,369 times, up from 16,497. Cuban adults were stopped 24,690 times, up from 20,744.In a related development, a federal judge in Amarillo, Texas, ruled Thursday that the Biden administration wrongly ended a Trump-era policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. The ruling had no immediate impact but could prove a longer-term setback for the White House.White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan said immigration laws would continue to be enforced at the border and the Biden administration would work to expand legal pathways for migrants but discourage “disorderly and unsafe migration.”“To be clear: the lifting of the Title 42 public health order does not mean the border is open,” he said. “Anyone who suggests otherwise is doing the work of smugglers spreading misinformation to make a quick buck off of vulnerable migrants.”

Border crisis: U.S. court rejects maintaining asylum restrictions

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-chamber-launches-statewide-tech-association/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

A new statewide technology 
organization has been launched to unite Nebraska’s tech minds and to 
push for growth and favorable policies for the industry.

The formation of Tech Nebraska was 
announced Friday by Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Slone during the 
chamber’s innovation and tech summit in Lincoln.

Slone said he expects the new effort 
to position the state as a leader in the future of technology and to 
foster a more diverse workforce.

Still in its early stages, Tech 
Nebraska has tapped board members from Kiewit, Google, Methodist Health 
System, Union Pacific, Meta, Workshop and others. It plans to recruit 
new members, set fundraising goals and hire an executive director and 
staff.

“Nebraska needs a thriving, unified 
tech sector to help drive its economy, compete for top talent and solve 
the challenges of tomorrow,” Slone said. “It’s imperative —&nbsp;regardless 
of whether you run a business in the urban core of Omaha, the shop floor
 in Columbus or from a pasture in the Sandhills.”

Slone said Nebraska ranks in the top 15 states for most tech jobs per capita, a tribute, he said, to the work already underway.

But he noted there is room for 
improvement. The Milken Institute’s State Technology and Science Index 
ranked Nebraska 34 out of 50, a gain from the 38th spot two years 
earlier. The state ranked 46 out of 50 in the 2022 Global Innovation 
Index’s most and least innovative states list, the chamber said.

Tech Nebraska leaders plan to partner
 with existing tech advocates across the state to build Nebraska’s 
reputation. They plan to create a website and social media accounts and 
to learn from progress made in peer states that have had 
statewide-focused tech associations for decades.&nbsp;

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-chamber-launches-statewide-tech-association/">Nebraska Examiner</a>A new statewide technology 
organization has been launched to unite Nebraska’s tech minds and to 
push for growth and favorable policies for the industry.The formation of Tech Nebraska was 
announced Friday by Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Slone during the 
chamber’s innovation and tech summit in Lincoln.Slone said he expects the new effort 
to position the state as a leader in the future of technology and to 
foster a more diverse workforce.Still in its early stages, Tech 
Nebraska has tapped board members from Kiewit, Google, Methodist Health 
System, Union Pacific, Meta, Workshop and others. It plans to recruit 
new members, set fundraising goals and hire an executive director and 
staff.“Nebraska needs a thriving, unified 
tech sector to help drive its economy, compete for top talent and solve 
the challenges of tomorrow,” Slone said. “It’s imperative —&nbsp;regardless 
of whether you run a business in the urban core of Omaha, the shop floor
 in Columbus or from a pasture in the Sandhills.”Slone said Nebraska ranks in the top 15 states for most tech jobs per capita, a tribute, he said, to the work already underway.But he noted there is room for 
improvement. The Milken Institute’s State Technology and Science Index 
ranked Nebraska 34 out of 50, a gain from the 38th spot two years 
earlier. The state ranked 46 out of 50 in the 2022 Global Innovation 
Index’s most and least innovative states list, the chamber said.Tech Nebraska leaders plan to partner
 with existing tech advocates across the state to build Nebraska’s 
reputation. They plan to create a website and social media accounts and 
to learn from progress made in peer states that have had 
statewide-focused tech associations for decades.&nbsp;

Nebraska chamber launches statewide tech association

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-unemployment-rate-up-slightly-over-last-month/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Employment in Nebraska reached another high in November, according to the latest data from the Department of Labor.

“This is the second consecutive month of record nonfarm employment in Nebraska,” said Labor Commissioner John Albin.

That peak number of filled nonfarm 
jobs, he said, reached 1,048,406, which is up 2,554 over the month 
before and up 29,117 over the same time a year earlier.

Private industries showing the most 
job growth over last year were construction and mining, followed by 
leisure and hospitality, then trade, transportation and utilities.

The preliminary, seasonally adjusted 
data released Friday showed Nebraska’s unemployment rate at 2.5%, which 
is up slightly from the 2.4% recorded last month.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was 3.7%, the same as a month earlier.

The data showed Nebraska tied with 
Vermont for ranking fifth in the country for the lowest unemployment 
rate — behind Utah, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.&nbsp;

Consistently since August 2020, over one million Nebraskans have been employed, the department said. 

In calculating unemployment rates, 
labor officials look at a survey conducted by the Census Bureau 
regarding employment status. Individuals who claim unemployment benefits
 and those who aren’t claiming them can both be counted as unemployed, 
depending on their survey responses.

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-unemployment-rate-up-slightly-over-last-month/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Employment in Nebraska reached another high in November, according to the latest data from the Department of Labor.“This is the second consecutive month of record nonfarm employment in Nebraska,” said Labor Commissioner John Albin.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671224301758.jpeg" alt="John Albin, Nebraska Labor Commissioner (Courtesy of Labor Department)" />
 <figcaption>John Albin, Nebraska Labor Commissioner (Courtesy of Labor Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>That peak number of filled nonfarm 
jobs, he said, reached 1,048,406, which is up 2,554 over the month 
before and up 29,117 over the same time a year earlier.Private industries showing the most 
job growth over last year were construction and mining, followed by 
leisure and hospitality, then trade, transportation and utilities.The preliminary, seasonally adjusted 
data released Friday showed Nebraska’s unemployment rate at 2.5%, which 
is up slightly from the 2.4% recorded last month.Nationally, the unemployment rate was 3.7%, the same as a month earlier.The data showed Nebraska tied with 
Vermont for ranking fifth in the country for the lowest unemployment 
rate — behind Utah, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.&nbsp;Consistently since August 2020, over one million Nebraskans have been employed, the department said. In calculating unemployment rates, 
labor officials look at a survey conducted by the Census Bureau 
regarding employment status. Individuals who claim unemployment benefits
 and those who aren’t claiming them can both be counted as unemployed, 
depending on their survey responses.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Nebraska unemployment rate up slightly over last month

BERLIN (AP) — A huge aquarium in Berlin burst, spilling debris, water and hundreds of tropical fish out of the AquaDom tourist attraction in the heart of the German capital early Friday.

Police said parts of the building, which also contains a hotel, cafes and a chocolate store, were damaged as 1 million liters (264,000 gallons) of water poured from the aquarium shortly before 6 a.m. (0500 GMT). Berlin's fire service said two people were slightly injured.

The company that owns the AquaDom, Union Investment Real Estate, said in a statement Friday afternoon that the reasons for the incident were “still unclear.”

Mayor Franziska Giffey said the tank had unleashed a “veritable tsunami” of water but the early morning timing had prevented far more injuries.

“Despite all the destruction, we were still very lucky,” she said. “We would have had terrible human damage” had the aquarium burst even an hour later, once more people were awake and in the hotel and the surrounding area, she said.

The website of the AquaDom described it as the biggest cylindrical tank in the world at 25 meters tall (82 feet tall), although Union Investment Real Estate clarified Friday that the tank portion of the attraction had a height of 14 meters (46 feet).

There was speculation freezing temperatures that got down to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight caused a crack in the acrylic glass tank, which then exploded under the weight of the water. Police said they found no evidence of a malicious act.

Nearly all of the 1,500 fish that were inside at the time of the rupture died, the Berlin Mitte district government confirmed via Twitter, adding “a few fish at the bottom of the tank” could still be saved. Among the 80 types of fish it housed were blue tang and clownfish, two colorful species known from the popular animated movie “Finding Nemo.”

Veterinarians, fire service officers and other officials spent the afternoon working to rescue 400 to 500 smaller fish from a separate set of aquariums housed under the hotel lobby. Without electricity, their tanks were not receiving the necessary oxygen for them to survive, officials said. They were evacuated to other tanks in the neighboring Sea Life aquarium that were unaffected.

“It's a great tragedy that for 1,500 fish there was no chance of survival,” said Almut Neumann, a city official in charge of environmental issues for Berlin's Mitte district. “The focus in the afternoon was clearly on saving the fish in the remaining tanks.”

Various organizations, including the Berlin Zoo, offered to take in the surviving fish.

Aquarium operator Sea Life said it was saddened by the incident and trying to get more information from the owners of the AquaDom. It said what happened with the AquaDom was “unique and unprecedented” and that Sea Life's exhibits were not in danger of similar damage.

Sea Life Berlin is located in the same building and visitors can tour it and the AquaDom on a single ticket.

About 300 guests and employees had to be evacuated from the hotel surrounding the aquarium, police said.

Sandra Weeser, a German lawmaker who was staying in the hotel, said she was woken up by a large bang and thought there might have been an earthquake.

“There are shards (of glass) everywhere. The furniture, everything has been flooded with water," she said. "It looks a bit like a war zone.”

Police said a Lindt chocolate store and several restaurants in the same building complex, as well as an underground parking garage next to the hotel, sustained damage. A fire service spokesman said building safety experts were assessing the extent to which the hotel had sustained structural damage.

Hours after the incident, trucks began clearing away the debris that had spilled out onto the street in front of the hotel. Brightly colored Lindt chocolate wrappers were scattered in front of the building where the chocolate shop was damaged. A small crowd of tourists and onlookers snapped photos from behind the police line across the street.

Animal rights group PETA tweeted Friday that the aquarium became a “death trap” for the fish housed in it. “This man-made tragedy shows that aquariums are not a safe place for fish and other marine life," the group wrote.

The aquarium, which was last modernized in 2020, is a major tourist magnet in Berlin. The 10-minute elevator ride through the tropical tank was one of the highlights of the attraction.

Iva Yudinski, a tourist from Israel who was staying at the hotel, said she was shocked by the incident

“Just yesterday we watched it and we were so amazed (by) its beauty," she said. "Suddenly it’s all gone. Everything is a mess, a total mess.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671220116399.png" alt="Mayor Franziska Giffey said the tank had unleashed a “veritable tsunami” of water but the early morning timing had prevented far more injuries.Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Mayor Franziska Giffey said the tank had unleashed a “veritable tsunami” of water but the early morning timing had prevented far more injuries.Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>BERLIN (AP) — A huge aquarium in Berlin burst, spilling debris, water and hundreds of tropical fish out of the AquaDom tourist attraction in the heart of the German capital early Friday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsealifeberlin1%2Fphotos%2Fa.2144091485815577%2F2157834637774595%2F%3Ftype%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="333" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Police said parts of the building, which also contains a hotel, cafes and a chocolate store, were damaged as 1 million liters (264,000 gallons) of water poured from the aquarium shortly before 6 a.m. (0500 GMT). Berlin's fire service said two people were slightly injured.The company that owns the AquaDom, Union Investment Real Estate, said in a statement Friday afternoon that the reasons for the incident were “still unclear.”Mayor Franziska Giffey said the tank had unleashed a “veritable tsunami” of water but the early morning timing had prevented far more injuries.“Despite all the destruction, we were still very lucky,” she said. “We would have had terrible human damage” had the aquarium burst even an hour later, once more people were awake and in the hotel and the surrounding area, she said.The website of the AquaDom described it as the biggest cylindrical tank in the world at 25 meters tall (82 feet tall), although Union Investment Real Estate clarified Friday that the tank portion of the attraction had a height of 14 meters (46 feet).There was speculation freezing temperatures that got down to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight caused a crack in the acrylic glass tank, which then exploded under the weight of the water. Police said they found no evidence of a malicious act.Nearly all of the 1,500 fish that were inside at the time of the rupture died, the Berlin Mitte district government confirmed via Twitter, adding “a few fish at the bottom of the tank” could still be saved. Among the 80 types of fish it housed were blue tang and clownfish, two colorful species known from the popular animated movie “Finding Nemo.”Veterinarians, fire service officers and other officials spent the afternoon working to rescue 400 to 500 smaller fish from a separate set of aquariums housed under the hotel lobby. Without electricity, their tanks were not receiving the necessary oxygen for them to survive, officials said. They were evacuated to other tanks in the neighboring Sea Life aquarium that were unaffected.“It's a great tragedy that for 1,500 fish there was no chance of survival,” said Almut Neumann, a city official in charge of environmental issues for Berlin's Mitte district. “The focus in the afternoon was clearly on saving the fish in the remaining tanks.”Various organizations, including the Berlin Zoo, offered to take in the surviving fish.Aquarium operator Sea Life said it was saddened by the incident and trying to get more information from the owners of the AquaDom. It said what happened with the AquaDom was “unique and unprecedented” and that Sea Life's exhibits were not in danger of similar damage.Sea Life Berlin is located in the same building and visitors can tour it and the AquaDom on a single ticket.About 300 guests and employees had to be evacuated from the hotel surrounding the aquarium, police said.Sandra Weeser, a German lawmaker who was staying in the hotel, said she was woken up by a large bang and thought there might have been an earthquake.“There are shards (of glass) everywhere. The furniture, everything has been flooded with water," she said. "It looks a bit like a war zone.”Police said a Lindt chocolate store and several restaurants in the same building complex, as well as an underground parking garage next to the hotel, sustained damage. A fire service spokesman said building safety experts were assessing the extent to which the hotel had sustained structural damage.Hours after the incident, trucks began clearing away the debris that had spilled out onto the street in front of the hotel. Brightly colored Lindt chocolate wrappers were scattered in front of the building where the chocolate shop was damaged. A small crowd of tourists and onlookers snapped photos from behind the police line across the street.Animal rights group PETA tweeted Friday that the aquarium became a “death trap” for the fish housed in it. “This man-made tragedy shows that aquariums are not a safe place for fish and other marine life," the group wrote.The aquarium, which was last modernized in 2020, is a major tourist magnet in Berlin. The 10-minute elevator ride through the tropical tank was one of the highlights of the attraction.Iva Yudinski, a tourist from Israel who was staying at the hotel, said she was shocked by the incident“Just yesterday we watched it and we were so amazed (by) its beauty," she said. "Suddenly it’s all gone. Everything is a mess, a total mess.”

World's largest cylindrical tank aquarium with 1500 fish explodes 

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the termination until legal challenges by Texas and Missouri are settled but didn't order the policy reinstated. The impact on the program wasn't immediately clear.

“It’s a common sense policy to prevent people from entering our country illegally,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted after the ruling. “Texas wins again, for now.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.

An email requesting comment from the Department of Homeland Security wasn't immediately returned.

Under President Donald Trump, about 70,000 asylum-seekers were forced to wait in Mexico for U.S. hearings under the policy introduced in January 2019. President Joe Biden — who said it “goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants” — suspended the policy on his first day in office.

That sparked a long and tortured legal and administrative path.

Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, ordered that the policy be reinstated in 2021. The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">complied</a>&nbsp;with the order after agreeing to changes and additions demanded by Mexico. But it didn't enforce the policy widely and only a few thousand people were sent back to wait in Mexico.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that Biden had the ability to end what technically are known as Migrant Protection Protocols. But it threw back to Kacsmaryk one main issue: determining whether the administration’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” and thus violated federal law for crafting regulations.

In his 35-page ruling, the judge said it was likely an October 2021 memo that was the administration's latest effort to nail down termination of the policy did indeed appear to violate the law.

Among other things, the administration failed to consider the benefits of the policy, including reducing illegal immigration and “unmeritorious asylum claims,” the ruling said.

Trump made the policy a centerpiece of border enforcement, which critics said was inhumane for exposing migrants to extreme violence in Mexico and making access to attorneys far more difficult.

Kacsmaryk said the Biden administration memo mentioned conditions that migrants might face while in Mexico but not the hardships they face “when making the dangerous journey to the southern border” in the first place.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the termination until legal challenges by Texas and Missouri are settled but didn't order the policy reinstated. The impact on the program wasn't immediately clear.“It’s a common sense policy to prevent people from entering our country illegally,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted after the ruling. “Texas wins again, for now.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.An email requesting comment from the Department of Homeland Security wasn't immediately returned.Under President Donald Trump, about 70,000 asylum-seekers were forced to wait in Mexico for U.S. hearings under the policy introduced in January 2019. President Joe Biden — who said it “goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants” — suspended the policy on his first day in office.That sparked a long and tortured legal and administrative path.Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, ordered that the policy be reinstated in 2021. The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">complied</a>&nbsp;with the order after agreeing to changes and additions demanded by Mexico. But it didn't enforce the policy widely and only a few thousand people were sent back to wait in Mexico.The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that Biden had the ability to end what technically are known as Migrant Protection Protocols. But it threw back to Kacsmaryk one main issue: determining whether the administration’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” and thus violated federal law for crafting regulations.In his 35-page ruling, the judge said it was likely an October 2021 memo that was the administration's latest effort to nail down termination of the policy did indeed appear to violate the law.Among other things, the administration failed to consider the benefits of the policy, including reducing illegal immigration and “unmeritorious asylum claims,” the ruling said.Trump made the policy a centerpiece of border enforcement, which critics said was inhumane for exposing migrants to extreme violence in Mexico and making access to attorneys far more difficult.Kacsmaryk said the Biden administration memo mentioned conditions that migrants might face while in Mexico but not the hardships they face “when making the dangerous journey to the southern border” in the first place.

US judge blocks Biden bid to end 'Remain in Mexico' policy

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Tony Chrisler and his wife, Melissa, lost everything in the Four County Fire — their house, their barn, about 90 head of cattle, vehicles.

"I walked away with the shirt on my back," Tony Chrisler said.

A third-generation farmer, 52-year-old Chrisler gave up ranching, took a job working for Russell County Road and Bridge and moved into town.

The Dec. 15, 2021, fire came upon their property so quickly nothing could be saved, he said. His adult son and wife tried to move cattle when they smelled smoke, but the fire was moving too fast. Heavy smoke killed the motor on the brand-new four-wheeler his son was riding, and he had to abandon it in a ditch and make a run for it. 

"It could have been a loss," he said of his son. "We're glad everyone is still alive."

Tony and Melissa still hope to rebuild their home, which was 7 miles south of Natoma on the Ellis and Russell county line, but inflation means the insurance won't cover the cost of replacing what they had, Chrisler said.

Although the family still has several dozen head of cattle, Chrisler said he doesn't feel he can give up the security of the county job, which offers health insurance. He said he will likely never be able to go back to farming and ranching full-time.

"Farming is tough anyway," he said, "and then you take everything away that you built for 30 years. You've got to go do something."

Although some ranchers received aid for fencing and rebuilding destroyed structures, the long-term economic effects of the fire for both families and the communities is likely to be prolonged, said Clinton Laflin, livestock production Extension agent for the Midway Extension District and a Russell County rancher.

As a producer, Laflin said he is still being affected daily by last year's fire.

“I went through the fire myself, and it doesn’t seem like it's been a year ago,” he said, “because everything we’ve done in the last year has had some impact from the fire, whether that be feed, moving cattle, record keeping, costs. It’s affected everything we’ve done.”

Dr. Lauren Mack, a Plainville veterinarian, works daily with ranchers who were affected by the fires.

Although ranchers have been able to receive assistance from the government and through private donations, not all costs have been covered, she said.

Fencing costs have been high, and there has been challenges for some to access help through the various recovery programs. Inflation has also made it difficult for ranchers to afford to replace fences, buy feed, rebuild structures and replace other items destroyed in the fire, she said.

Area ranchers have not been able to re-establish their herds to pre-fire levels, she said.

“A lot of the funding that comes through that is supposed to support them didn’t necessarily cover things the way it needed to, especially with inflation," she said. “It’s not just the people who lost cattle. A lot of people lost feed, and we haven’t been able to recover that.”

“I know a couple of people have had to get jobs in town and really adjust how their families function,” Mack said.

Stacy Campbell, K-State Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Hays, said he also is seeing the financial effects of the fire in Ellis County.

“It’s very devastating for some. Even those who are able to stay in business, I would say there will be at least a minimum of a five- if not 10-year economic impact to get back to where they were,” he said.

Losses in the ag sector have far-reaching effects on all the surrounding communities and their economies, Campbell said.

“Any type of disaster like that is going to trickle down into the town. If those guys are affected, they might not be coming to town to buy as many goods or services for their family," he said.

Rancher Randy Marintzer had a section — one square mile of pasture — burned in the Four County Fire.

He's looking at his pasture, which was unable to be grazed this season and wonders what the future will hold. Despite Hays receiving a half inch of rain this week, the area is still 6 inches below average precipitation for the year.

“If it doesn’t rain or snow, it’s going to look pretty tough,” he said. ... "We are just going to have to pray and believe we are going to get some rain."

The threat of fire is still a concern for many in the Four County area.

 Prairie grasses can dry and be ready to burn within an hour of being wet, said Chip Redmond, assistant meteorologist-KSU Weather Data Library/Mesonet manager. 

The Four County Fire burned 164,000 acres in Ellis, Russell, Rooks and Osborne counties. Redmond said many variables go into the fire forecast for this fire season. The season runs from the first frost to the last frost— the time when vegetation is dormant and dry.

The Four County area had several wet years going into last winter. This meant the vegetation was thicker than normal. This year, dry conditions resulted in less growth.

"To the west of Hays, there were areas that never got green this summer," Redmond said. "We still have all the dormant grass from last year, which I don’t think is a whole lot because it's been grazed now or mowed to reduce that vegetation amount.

"It doesn’t totally lessen [the fire risk], but it gives us confidence that maybe we won’t have as aggressive fire behavior as we did last year," he said.

Weather conditions can change rapidly, and Redmond said residents should expect multiple storms in the coming months that will be accompanied by high winds.

The system that caused the 100 mph plus winds on Dec. 15, 2021, was a rare occurrence, called a sting jet, which involves stratospheric air coming to the surface. Redmond said sting jets have only been recorded over land in Kansas a few times.

“The likelihood of a high-impact day like that is very, very low,” he said of the extreme winds.

Although grasses will be less dense because of the drought, trees will show more stress, Redmond said. They will smolder and burn more efficiently and longer. Cedar trees burn quickly, especially in dry conditions, and Redmond encouraged residents to avoid planting them near structures.

Darin Myers, Ellis County Fire Department chief, the area that did not burn last year still has plenty of fuel, which is continuing to keep local fire crews on alert. 

“There is still a lot of the county left that didn’t burn very thankfully," Myers said. "When you look at the drought, we still have that fuel that is out there. What didn’t burn is dry. It’s all out there and available to still burn — cropland to regular pastures or CRP.”

After any major fire incident, the Ellis County Fire Department does a review. Myers identified several areas for improvement in fighting future wildfires.

“You think of places you can fix things if you have money, but that is not always the case,” Myers said. “Some things you can’t fix no matter how much money you throw at it."

The Four County Fire burned a significant portion of the Saline River Valley in northern Ellis and Russell counties. That area is largely unbroken prairie with few county roads. This allowed the fire to spread largely unabated. It also meant getting to the fire was difficult.

In addition, no communication towers were available to firefighters in that area. In the days fire crews were actively fighting the blaze, fire teams were constantly losing contact with each other, Myers said. 

“Until they got up on a hill, they won’t have any radio communications,” Myers said.

The county identified three areas for improvement. The Ellis County Commission immediately purchased more portable radios.

The Ellis County Commission on Tuesday approved a project to mount emergency communication equipment on an existing Midwest Energy tower in the Saline River Valley. That project will cost about $1 million and is being funded with American Rescue Plan Act funds.

However, Myers said it will still be another six to eight months before that equipment is installed, not in time for the current fire season.

The county also upgraded its computer-aided dispatch system. All fire trucks now have mobile data terminals. A CrewForce app allows fire crews and law enforcement to see where fire units have been deployed, road and bridge closures, and water sources.

Another major fire burned about 14,000 acres of grassland in the southwest portion of Ellis County on Oct. 23. That fire was also in a river valley, which made reaching the fire difficult. However, the addition of CrewForce helped the crews better direct resources, Myers said.

Area farmers were essential resources in fighting that fire. They hooked up discs and manned graders to build fire breaks along the flanks of the fire, which allowed the fire crew to fight the active front of the fire. 

Even a year later, Ellis County still doesn't have a complete picture of the full financial loss as a result of the Four County Fire and is still seeking aid in the recovery.

Myers estimated Ellis County Fire had several thousand man-hours dedicated to fighting the fire over the three days of the incident.

The incident started as a wind event, but many expenses that were incurred by the fire department were because of fire. FEMA funds will cover wind damage, but not fire. 

Officials are still working with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, FEMA, Kansas legislators and the Kansas Congressional delegation to find further relief, Myers said.

“Here we are a year later and we still don’t have the answer,” he said.

“I’m hoping that is a once-in-a-career situation, but we’re in the same predicament we were a year ago," Myers said. "If we have another day like that, it can happen just as quickly. We’re just as dry if not dryer than last year.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671039304357.png" alt="Firefighters on the fire line of the Four County Fire in December 2021. Photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service" />
 <figcaption>Firefighters on the fire line of the Four County Fire in December 2021. Photo courtesy Kansas Forest Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostTony Chrisler and his wife, Melissa, lost everything in the Four County Fire — their house, their barn, about 90 head of cattle, vehicles."I walked away with the shirt on my back," Tony Chrisler said. A third-generation farmer, 52-year-old Chrisler gave up ranching, took a job working for Russell County Road and Bridge and moved into town.The Dec. 15, 2021, fire came upon their property so quickly nothing could be saved, he said. His adult son and wife tried to move cattle when they smelled smoke, but the fire was moving too fast. Heavy smoke killed the motor on the brand-new four-wheeler his son was riding, and he had to abandon it in a ditch and make a run for it. "It could have been a loss," he said of his son. "We're glad everyone is still alive." Tony and Melissa still hope to rebuild their home, which was 7 miles south of Natoma on the Ellis and Russell county line, but inflation means the insurance won't cover the cost of replacing what they had, Chrisler said. Although the family still has several dozen head of cattle, Chrisler said he doesn't feel he can give up the security of the county job, which offers health insurance. He said he will likely never be able to go back to farming and ranching full-time. "Farming is tough anyway," he said, "and then you take everything away that you built for 30 years. You've got to go do something."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671049929331.png" alt="A burned tractor shows the intensity of the heat from the Dec. 15 wildfire from a farm in Russell County. High Plains Journal photo by Payton Stoppel" />
 <figcaption>A burned tractor shows the intensity of the heat from the Dec. 15 wildfire from a farm in Russell County. High Plains Journal photo by Payton Stoppel</figcaption>
 </figure>Although some ranchers received aid for fencing and rebuilding destroyed structures, the long-term economic effects of the fire for both families and the communities is likely to be prolonged, said Clinton Laflin, livestock production Extension agent for the Midway Extension District and a Russell County rancher.As a producer, Laflin said he is still being affected daily by last year's fire.“I went through the fire myself, and it doesn’t seem like it's been a year ago,” he said, “because everything we’ve done in the last year has had some impact from the fire, whether that be feed, moving cattle, record keeping, costs. It’s affected everything we’ve done.”Dr. Lauren Mack, a Plainville veterinarian, works daily with ranchers who were affected by the fires.Although ranchers have been able to receive assistance from the government and through private donations, not all costs have been covered, she said.Fencing costs have been high, and there has been challenges for some to access help through the various recovery programs. Inflation has also made it difficult for ranchers to afford to replace fences, buy feed, rebuild structures and replace other items destroyed in the fire, she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671050018504.jpeg" alt="A semi-truck that was blown over off of Kansas Highway 18 near Paradise during the Dec. 15, 2021, wind storm was caught in a wildfire. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A semi-truck that was blown over off of Kansas Highway 18 near Paradise during the Dec. 15, 2021, wind storm was caught in a wildfire. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Area ranchers have not been able to re-establish their herds to pre-fire levels, she said.“A lot of the funding that comes through that is supposed to support them didn’t necessarily cover things the way it needed to, especially with inflation," she said. “It’s not just the people who lost cattle. A lot of people lost feed, and we haven’t been able to recover that.”“I know a couple of people have had to get jobs in town and really adjust how their families function,” Mack said.Stacy Campbell, K-State Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Hays, said he also is seeing the financial effects of the fire in Ellis County.“It’s very devastating for some. Even those who are able to stay in business, I would say there will be at least a minimum of a five- if not 10-year economic impact to get back to where they were,” he said.Losses in the ag sector have far-reaching effects on all the surrounding communities and their economies, Campbell said.“Any type of disaster like that is going to trickle down into the town. If those guys are affected, they might not be coming to town to buy as many goods or services for their family," he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671050124057.jpeg" alt="The burned out shells of vehicles at a home in Paradise.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The burned out shells of vehicles at a home in Paradise.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Praying for rain</h2>Rancher Randy Marintzer had a section — one square mile of pasture — burned in the Four County Fire. He's looking at his pasture, which was unable to be grazed this season and wonders what the future will hold. Despite Hays receiving a half inch of rain this week, the area is still 6 inches below average precipitation for the year.“If it doesn’t rain or snow, it’s going to look pretty tough,” he said. ... "We are just going to have to pray and believe we are going to get some rain."The threat of fire is still a concern for many in the Four County area. Prairie grasses can dry and be ready to burn within an hour of being wet, said Chip Redmond, assistant meteorologist-KSU Weather Data Library/Mesonet manager. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639687509045.jpeg" alt="Burned home near Paradise after the Four County Fire on Dec. 15, 2021. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Burned home near Paradise after the Four County Fire on Dec. 15, 2021. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The Four County Fire burned 164,000 acres in Ellis, Russell, Rooks and Osborne counties. Redmond said many variables go into the fire forecast for this fire season. The season runs from the first frost to the last frost— the time when vegetation is dormant and dry. The Four County area had several wet years going into last winter. This meant the vegetation was thicker than normal. This year, dry conditions resulted in less growth."To the west of Hays, there were areas that never got green this summer," Redmond said. "We still have all the dormant grass from last year, which I don’t think is a whole lot because it's been grazed now or mowed to reduce that vegetation amount."It doesn’t totally lessen [the fire risk], but it gives us confidence that maybe we won’t have as aggressive fire behavior as we did last year," he said.<h2>Sting jet</h2>Weather conditions can change rapidly, and Redmond said residents should expect multiple storms in the coming months that will be accompanied by high winds.The system that caused the 100 mph plus winds on Dec. 15, 2021, was a rare occurrence, called a sting jet, which involves stratospheric air coming to the surface. Redmond said sting jets have only been recorded over land in Kansas a few times.“The likelihood of a high-impact day like that is very, very low,” he said of the extreme winds.Although grasses will be less dense because of the drought, trees will show more stress, Redmond said. They will smolder and burn more efficiently and longer. Cedar trees burn quickly, especially in dry conditions, and Redmond encouraged residents to avoid planting them near structures. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671039592280.jpeg" alt="The Four County Fire as captured from fire vehicles. Photo courtesy of Ellis County Fire " />
 <figcaption>The Four County Fire as captured from fire vehicles. Photo courtesy of Ellis County Fire </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Improving fire response</h2>Darin Myers, Ellis County Fire Department chief, the area that did not burn last year still has plenty of fuel, which is continuing to keep local fire crews on alert. “There is still a lot of the county left that didn’t burn very thankfully," Myers said. "When you look at the drought, we still have that fuel that is out there. What didn’t burn is dry. It’s all out there and available to still burn — cropland to regular pastures or CRP.”After any major fire incident, the Ellis County Fire Department does a review. Myers identified several areas for improvement in fighting future wildfires.“You think of places you can fix things if you have money, but that is not always the case,” Myers said. “Some things you can’t fix no matter how much money you throw at it."The Four County Fire burned a significant portion of the Saline River Valley in northern Ellis and Russell counties. That area is largely unbroken prairie with few county roads. This allowed the fire to spread largely unabated. It also meant getting to the fire was difficult.In addition, no communication towers were available to firefighters in that area. In the days fire crews were actively fighting the blaze, fire teams were constantly losing contact with each other, Myers said. “Until they got up on a hill, they won’t have any radio communications,” Myers said.The county identified three areas for improvement. The Ellis County Commission immediately purchased more portable radios.The Ellis County Commission on Tuesday approved a project to mount emergency communication equipment on an existing Midwest Energy tower in the Saline River Valley. That project will cost about $1 million and is being funded with American Rescue Plan Act funds.However, Myers said it will still be another six to eight months before that equipment is installed, not in time for the current fire season.The county also upgraded its computer-aided dispatch system. All fire trucks now have mobile data terminals. A CrewForce app allows fire crews and law enforcement to see where fire units have been deployed, road and bridge closures, and water sources.Another major fire burned about 14,000 acres of grassland in the southwest portion of Ellis County on Oct. 23. That fire was also in a river valley, which made reaching the fire difficult. However, the addition of CrewForce helped the crews better direct resources, Myers said.Area farmers were essential resources in fighting that fire. They hooked up discs and manned graders to build fire breaks along the flanks of the fire, which allowed the fire crew to fight the active front of the fire. <h2>Still no recovery money</h2>Even a year later, Ellis County still doesn't have a complete picture of the full financial loss as a result of the Four County Fire and is still seeking aid in the recovery.Myers estimated Ellis County Fire had several thousand man-hours dedicated to fighting the fire over the three days of the incident.The incident started as a wind event, but many expenses that were incurred by the fire department were because of fire. FEMA funds will cover wind damage, but not fire. Officials are still working with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, FEMA, Kansas legislators and the Kansas Congressional delegation to find further relief, Myers said.“Here we are a year later and we still don’t have the answer,” he said.“I’m hoping that is a once-in-a-career situation, but we’re in the same predicament we were a year ago," Myers said. "If we have another day like that, it can happen just as quickly. We’re just as dry if not dryer than last year.”

3rd generation Kan. rancher gives up ag; financial effects of fire may last years

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense passed the Senate on Thursday and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

The bill provides for about $45 billion more for defense programs than Biden requested and roughly 10% more than last year’s bill as lawmakers look to account for inflation and boost the nation’s military competitiveness with China and Russia. It includes a 4.6% pay raise for servicemembers and the Defense Department’s civilian workforce.

The Senate passed the defense policy bill by a vote of 83-11. The measure also received broad bipartisan support in the House last week.

To win GOP support for the 4,408-page bill, Democrats agreed to Republican demands to scrap the requirement for service members to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill directs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to rescind his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-4cf7451267919302de4a7b591508e80c">August 2021 memorandum</a>&nbsp;imposing the mandate.

Before approving the measure, the Senate voted down a couple of efforts to amend it, including a proposal from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to speed the permitting process for energy projects. The effort had drawn fierce opposition from some environmental advocacy groups who worried it would accelerate fossil fuel projects such as gas pipelines and limit the public’s input on such projects.

Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, secured a commitment from Biden and Democratic leaders last summer to support the permitting package in return&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-manchin-budget-agreement-7b0ee6e3e0b70357288fd69f44473b9b">for his support</a>&nbsp;of a landmark law to curb climate change.

Machin’s legislation sets deadlines for completion of National Environmental Policy Act reviews for major energy and natural resource projects. It would require courts to consider litigation involving energy project permits on an expedited basis. It also directs federal agencies to permit the completion of a natural gas pipeline in his home state and Virginia “without further administrative or judicial delay or impediment.”

“We’re on the verge of doing something unbelievable, but let me tell you, most of it will be for naught. Because without permitting reform, the United States of America is more litigious than any nation on earth,” Manchin told colleagues.

Biden voiced his support for Manchin’s legislation a few hours before Thursday’s vote. He said far too many projects face delays and described Manchin’s amendment “as a way to cut Americans’ energy bills, promote U.S. energy security, and boost our ability to get energy projects built and connected to the grid.“

Not only did some environmental advocacy groups bash Manchin’s proposal, but so did many Republicans. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said it didn’t go far enough, calling it “reform in name only.”

The amendment fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage, 47-47.

An amendment from Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also went down to defeat. It would have allowed for the reinstatement of those service members discharged for failing to obey an order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and compensate them for any pay and benefits lost as a result of the separation.

“People serving our military are the finest among us. Over 8,000 were terminated because they refused to get this experimental vaccine, and so I’m urging all of my colleagues to support Senator Cruz’s and my amendment,” Johnson said.

But opponents worried about the precedent of rewarding members of the military who disobeyed an order. Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said orders are not suggestions, they are commands.

“What message do we send if we pass this bill? It is a very dangerous one,” Reed said. “What we’re telling soldiers is, ‘if you disagree, don’t follow the order, and then just lobby Congress, and they’ll come along and they’ll restore your rank, or restore your benefits, or restore everything.’”

The amendment failed, with 40 senators supporting it and 54 opposing it.

The defense bill sets policy and provides a roadmap for future investments. Lawmakers will have to follow up with spending bills to bring many provisions to reality. It’s one of the final bills Congress is expected to approve before adjourning, so lawmakers were eager to attach their top priorities to it.

The directive to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-lloyd-austin-united-states-government-and-politics-ef76a0da58520cacbbfce003d66ed183">rescind the</a>&nbsp;vaccine mandate for service members proved to be among the most controversial provisions, but Democrats agreed to it to allow the bill to advance.

As of early this month, about 99% of the active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had been vaccinated, and 98% of the Army. Service members who are not vaccinated are not allowed to deploy, particularly sailors or Marines on ships. There may be a few exceptions to that, based on religious or other exemptions and the duties of the service member.

The vaccination numbers for the Guard and Reserve are lower, but generally all are more than 90%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629972789785.png" alt="The Senate passed the defense policy bill by a vote of 83-11. The measure also received broad bipartisan support in the House last week. photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>The Senate passed the defense policy bill by a vote of 83-11. The measure also received broad bipartisan support in the House last week. photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense passed the Senate on Thursday and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.The bill provides for about $45 billion more for defense programs than Biden requested and roughly 10% more than last year’s bill as lawmakers look to account for inflation and boost the nation’s military competitiveness with China and Russia. It includes a 4.6% pay raise for servicemembers and the Defense Department’s civilian workforce.The Senate passed the defense policy bill by a vote of 83-11. The measure also received broad bipartisan support in the House last week.To win GOP support for the 4,408-page bill, Democrats agreed to Republican demands to scrap the requirement for service members to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill directs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to rescind his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-4cf7451267919302de4a7b591508e80c">August 2021 memorandum</a>&nbsp;imposing the mandate.Before approving the measure, the Senate voted down a couple of efforts to amend it, including a proposal from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to speed the permitting process for energy projects. The effort had drawn fierce opposition from some environmental advocacy groups who worried it would accelerate fossil fuel projects such as gas pipelines and limit the public’s input on such projects.Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, secured a commitment from Biden and Democratic leaders last summer to support the permitting package in return&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-manchin-budget-agreement-7b0ee6e3e0b70357288fd69f44473b9b">for his support</a>&nbsp;of a landmark law to curb climate change.Machin’s legislation sets deadlines for completion of National Environmental Policy Act reviews for major energy and natural resource projects. It would require courts to consider litigation involving energy project permits on an expedited basis. It also directs federal agencies to permit the completion of a natural gas pipeline in his home state and Virginia “without further administrative or judicial delay or impediment.”“We’re on the verge of doing something unbelievable, but let me tell you, most of it will be for naught. Because without permitting reform, the United States of America is more litigious than any nation on earth,” Manchin told colleagues.Biden voiced his support for Manchin’s legislation a few hours before Thursday’s vote. He said far too many projects face delays and described Manchin’s amendment “as a way to cut Americans’ energy bills, promote U.S. energy security, and boost our ability to get energy projects built and connected to the grid.“Not only did some environmental advocacy groups bash Manchin’s proposal, but so did many Republicans. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said it didn’t go far enough, calling it “reform in name only.”The amendment fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage, 47-47.An amendment from Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also went down to defeat. It would have allowed for the reinstatement of those service members discharged for failing to obey an order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and compensate them for any pay and benefits lost as a result of the separation.“People serving our military are the finest among us. Over 8,000 were terminated because they refused to get this experimental vaccine, and so I’m urging all of my colleagues to support Senator Cruz’s and my amendment,” Johnson said.But opponents worried about the precedent of rewarding members of the military who disobeyed an order. Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said orders are not suggestions, they are commands.“What message do we send if we pass this bill? It is a very dangerous one,” Reed said. “What we’re telling soldiers is, ‘if you disagree, don’t follow the order, and then just lobby Congress, and they’ll come along and they’ll restore your rank, or restore your benefits, or restore everything.’”The amendment failed, with 40 senators supporting it and 54 opposing it.The defense bill sets policy and provides a roadmap for future investments. Lawmakers will have to follow up with spending bills to bring many provisions to reality. It’s one of the final bills Congress is expected to approve before adjourning, so lawmakers were eager to attach their top priorities to it.The directive to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-lloyd-austin-united-states-government-and-politics-ef76a0da58520cacbbfce003d66ed183">rescind the</a>&nbsp;vaccine mandate for service members proved to be among the most controversial provisions, but Democrats agreed to it to allow the bill to advance.As of early this month, about 99% of the active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had been vaccinated, and 98% of the Army. Service members who are not vaccinated are not allowed to deploy, particularly sailors or Marines on ships. There may be a few exceptions to that, based on religious or other exemptions and the duties of the service member.The vaccination numbers for the Guard and Reserve are lower, but generally all are more than 90%.____

Bill to rescind COVID vaxx mandate for troops passes Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is once more making some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-usps-government-covid-tests-64a4e2cc86c501187a5bb401c1552188">free COVID-19 tests</a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Summary%20=%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20Body%20=%20SOCIAL%20MEDIA:%20Ahead%20of%20potential%20coronavirus%20surge,%20Biden%20administration%20to%20again%20make%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available.%20EMBARGOED%20UNTIL%205am%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.%20After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said.%20The%20official%20spoke%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20The%20administration%20is%20putting%20personnel%20and%20equipment%20on%20standby%20should%20they%20been%20needed%20to%20help%20overwhelmed%20hospitals%20and%20nursing%20homes,%20as%20was%20necessary%20in%20earlier%20waves%20of%20the%20virus.%20So%20far%20there%20have%20been%20no%20requests%20for%20assistance,%20but%20surge%20teams,%20ventilators%20and%20personal%20protective%20equipment%20are%20ready,%20the%20official%20said.%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20also%20encouraging%20states%20and%20local%20governments%20to%20do%20more%20to%20encourage%20people%20to%20getU%20the%20updated%20bivalent%20COVID-19%20vaccines,%20which%20scientists%20say%20are%20more%20effective%20at%20protecting%20against%20serious%20illness%20and%20death%20from%20the%20currently%20circulating%20variants.%20The%20administration%20is%20also%20reiterating%20best%20practices%20to%20nursing%20homes%20and%20long-term%20care%20facilities%20for%20virus%20prevention%20and%20treatment,%20and%20encouraging%20administrators%20as%20well%20as%20governments%20to%20encourage%20vulnerable%20populations%20to%20get%20the%20new%20shots.%20The%20planning%20comes%20as%20the%20administration%20has%20struggled%20to%20convince%20most%20Americans%20to%20get%20the%20updated%20boosters%20as%20cases%20and%20deaths%20have%20declined%20from%20pandemic%20highs%20and%20most%20people%20have%20embraced%20a%20return%20to%20most%20of%20their%20pre-pandemic%20activities.%20The%20official%20said%20funding%20for%20the%20new%20tests%20has%20been%20reallocated%20from%20other%20virus%20programs%20while%20the%20White%20House%20struggles%20to%20get%20congressional%20buy-in%20for%20additional%20COVID-19%20emergency%20funding.%20The%20official%20declined%20to%20detail%20how%20much%20is%20being%20spent%20on%20the%20new%20tests%20or%20from%20which%20programs%20they%20were%20diverted%20from."></a>&nbsp;available to all U.S. households as it releases its contingency plans with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;cases ticking upward this winter.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/15/fact-sheet-biden-administration-announces-covid-19-winter-preparedness-plan/">Click here to read </a>the plan details

After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available per household through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">covidtests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Thursday. COVID-19 cases have shown a marked increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, and further increases are projected from indoor gathering and travel around Christmas and New Year's.

Cases are up across 90% of the country, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Thursday during a briefing. Deaths and hospitalizations are also on the rise, with nearly 3,000 deaths reported last week. Most of those have been concentrated in people age 65 and older, Jha said.

“We don’t want this winter to look like last winter or the winter before,” Jha said.

As cases begin to rise again, much of the United States is also dealing with other respiratory viruses heading into this winter with an influx of flu and RSV, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">respiratory syncytial virus</a>. Jha told reporters he is confident that the worst of RSV -- which hit young children particularly hard -- is over, but that flu cases are only just spiking.

The administration is putting personnel and equipment on standby should they be needed to help overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes, as was necessary in earlier waves of the coronavirus. So far, there have been no requests for assistance, but surge teams, ventilators and personal protective equipment are ready, the White House said.

The administration is also urging states and local governments to do more to encourage people to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines</a>, which scientists say are more effective at protecting against serious illness and death from the currently circulating variants. The administration is reiterating best practices to nursing homes and long-term care facilities for virus prevention and treatment and is urging administrators as well as governments to encourage vulnerable populations to get the new shots. Less than half of all nursing home residents have received the latest booster shot, Jha said.

The planning comes as the administration has struggled to persuade most Americans to get the updated boosters as cases and deaths have declined from pandemic highs and most people have embraced a return to most of their pre-pandemic activities. Less than 14% of people in the U.S. older than have gotten the most recent booster.

The White House said the new tests would come from the national stockpile, which still has reserves even after the administration shut off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-lifestyle-only-on-ap-57e63ac3d5c508f3d41afdedbdc2aaea">the at-home testing program</a>&nbsp;in September, citing a lack of money from Congress. The administration is still asking Congress for billions more dollars for the virus response.

The pause on free at-home testing program this summer allowed the administration to save some free at-home tests for the surge in cases this winter, Jha said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642088735613.png" alt="Funding for the new tests has been reallocated from other virus programs while the White House struggles to get congressional buy-in for additional COVID-19 emergency funding-White House Photo" />
 <figcaption>Funding for the new tests has been reallocated from other virus programs while the White House struggles to get congressional buy-in for additional COVID-19 emergency funding-White House Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is once more making some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-usps-government-covid-tests-64a4e2cc86c501187a5bb401c1552188">free COVID-19 tests</a><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Summary%20=%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20Body%20=%20SOCIAL%20MEDIA:%20Ahead%20of%20potential%20coronavirus%20surge,%20Biden%20administration%20to%20again%20make%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available.%20EMBARGOED%20UNTIL%205am%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20once%20again%20making%20some%20free%20COVID-19%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20American%20households,%20as%20it%20unveils%20its%20contingency%20plans%20for%20potential%20coronavirus%20surges%20this%20winter.%20After%20a%20three%20month%20hiatus,%20the%20administration%20is%20making%20four%20rapid%20virus%20tests%20available%20to%20all%20U.S.%20households%20through%20covidtests.gov%20starting%20Thursday,%20a%20senior%20administration%20official%20said.%20The%20official%20spoke%20on%20the%20condition%20of%20anonymity%20to%20discuss%20the%20program.%20COVID-19%20cases%20have%20shown%20a%20marked%20increase%20after%20the%20Thanksgiving%20holiday%20and%20further%20increases%20are%20projected%20from%20indoor%20gathering%20and%20travel%20around%20Christmas%20and%20New%20Years.%20The%20administration%20is%20putting%20personnel%20and%20equipment%20on%20standby%20should%20they%20been%20needed%20to%20help%20overwhelmed%20hospitals%20and%20nursing%20homes,%20as%20was%20necessary%20in%20earlier%20waves%20of%20the%20virus.%20So%20far%20there%20have%20been%20no%20requests%20for%20assistance,%20but%20surge%20teams,%20ventilators%20and%20personal%20protective%20equipment%20are%20ready,%20the%20official%20said.%20The%20Biden%20administration%20is%20also%20encouraging%20states%20and%20local%20governments%20to%20do%20more%20to%20encourage%20people%20to%20getU%20the%20updated%20bivalent%20COVID-19%20vaccines,%20which%20scientists%20say%20are%20more%20effective%20at%20protecting%20against%20serious%20illness%20and%20death%20from%20the%20currently%20circulating%20variants.%20The%20administration%20is%20also%20reiterating%20best%20practices%20to%20nursing%20homes%20and%20long-term%20care%20facilities%20for%20virus%20prevention%20and%20treatment,%20and%20encouraging%20administrators%20as%20well%20as%20governments%20to%20encourage%20vulnerable%20populations%20to%20get%20the%20new%20shots.%20The%20planning%20comes%20as%20the%20administration%20has%20struggled%20to%20convince%20most%20Americans%20to%20get%20the%20updated%20boosters%20as%20cases%20and%20deaths%20have%20declined%20from%20pandemic%20highs%20and%20most%20people%20have%20embraced%20a%20return%20to%20most%20of%20their%20pre-pandemic%20activities.%20The%20official%20said%20funding%20for%20the%20new%20tests%20has%20been%20reallocated%20from%20other%20virus%20programs%20while%20the%20White%20House%20struggles%20to%20get%20congressional%20buy-in%20for%20additional%20COVID-19%20emergency%20funding.%20The%20official%20declined%20to%20detail%20how%20much%20is%20being%20spent%20on%20the%20new%20tests%20or%20from%20which%20programs%20they%20were%20diverted%20from."></a>&nbsp;available to all U.S. households as it releases its contingency plans with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;cases ticking upward this winter.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/15/fact-sheet-biden-administration-announces-covid-19-winter-preparedness-plan/">Click here to read </a>the plan details<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1071570614242015%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=56" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available per household through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">covidtests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Thursday. COVID-19 cases have shown a marked increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, and further increases are projected from indoor gathering and travel around Christmas and New Year's.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">COVID cases are going up across the country. But we have the tools, infrastructure, and know-how we need to manage this moment. Today, we announced our Winter COVID-19 Preparedness Plan to ensure we stay ahead of increases in cases this winter. Take a look: <a href="https://t.co/qULXMZYD4Z">pic.twitter.com/qULXMZYD4Z</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1603464920888184846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Cases are up across 90% of the country, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Thursday during a briefing. Deaths and hospitalizations are also on the rise, with nearly 3,000 deaths reported last week. Most of those have been concentrated in people age 65 and older, Jha said.“We don’t want this winter to look like last winter or the winter before,” Jha said.As cases begin to rise again, much of the United States is also dealing with other respiratory viruses heading into this winter with an influx of flu and RSV, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">respiratory syncytial virus</a>. Jha told reporters he is confident that the worst of RSV -- which hit young children particularly hard -- is over, but that flu cases are only just spiking.The administration is putting personnel and equipment on standby should they be needed to help overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes, as was necessary in earlier waves of the coronavirus. So far, there have been no requests for assistance, but surge teams, ventilators and personal protective equipment are ready, the White House said.The administration is also urging states and local governments to do more to encourage people to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines</a>, which scientists say are more effective at protecting against serious illness and death from the currently circulating variants. The administration is reiterating best practices to nursing homes and long-term care facilities for virus prevention and treatment and is urging administrators as well as governments to encourage vulnerable populations to get the new shots. Less than half of all nursing home residents have received the latest booster shot, Jha said.The planning comes as the administration has struggled to persuade most Americans to get the updated boosters as cases and deaths have declined from pandemic highs and most people have embraced a return to most of their pre-pandemic activities. Less than 14% of people in the U.S. older than have gotten the most recent booster.The White House said the new tests would come from the national stockpile, which still has reserves even after the administration shut off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-lifestyle-only-on-ap-57e63ac3d5c508f3d41afdedbdc2aaea">the at-home testing program</a>&nbsp;in September, citing a lack of money from Congress. The administration is still asking Congress for billions more dollars for the virus response.The pause on free at-home testing program this summer allowed the administration to save some free at-home tests for the surge in cases this winter, Jha said.___

🎥White House winter COVID-19 plan includes more free tests

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/15/its-time-to-deal-with-this-kansas-water-authority-wants-to-save-ogallala-aquifer/">Kansas Reflector</a>

COLBY — Kansas should scrap its de facto policy of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/29/western-kansas-economy-threatened-by-reliance-on-irrigating-crops-with-ogallala-aquifer/">draining the Ogallala Aquifer</a>, a state board decided Wednesday.

Instead, the board said, the Kansas government should take steps to stop the decline of the aquifer, which supplies water to one-sixth of the world’s grain supply, and save it for future generations.

“It has taken decades for this to be said formally in writing by an official state body,” said Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office. “… This is nothing less than historic.”

Saving the water source that supports Western Kansas’ economy and communities may seem like an obvious stance to take, but for about 70 years, the state’s policies and management decisions have reflected the idea that eventually, the Ogallala would dry up, said Earl Lewis, Kansas’ chief engineer.&nbsp;

The Kansas Water Authority, which is made up of agricultural and industrial water users and utilities, wants to chart a new course. It voted almost unanimously Wednesday to recommend that the state scrap the policy of “planned depletion.”

“It’s time to deal with this while we still have some choices,” said John Bailey, a member of the Kansas Water Authority from Pittsburg. “If we don’t, we’re going to find ourselves in a very bad situation.”

The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest underground sources of fresh water, stretches across parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. After World War II farmers started pumping water from it to irrigate crops in arid western Kansas, establishing the region as a booming farming economy. For decades, the water was used with little thought of ensuring enough remained for future generations.&nbsp;

But now, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/16/why-an-ambitious-effort-to-overhaul-kansas-water-management-fell-short/">water is running out</a>. Some&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/09/nonrenewable-resource-as-western-kansas-dries-up-legislature-revisits-water-policy/">parts of the aquifer have half the water they had before irrigation</a>&nbsp;on the aquifer began. Parts of western Kansas have an estimated 10 years of water left. There’s little surface water since streams that reliably flowed through the area in 1961 all but disappeared, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/HighPlains/HPA_Atlas/index.html">Kansas Geological Survey</a>.

Draining the aquifer would fundamentally change life in western Kansas. Farm properties would lose their value if there’s no water to grow a crop. Families could lose their livelihoods and communities could disappear.

But while it’s widely accepted that the Ogallala is essential to western Kansas, Kansas Water Authority chairwoman Dawn Buehler said many farmers have been waiting on the government to tell them it’s time to do something.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671114142211.png" alt="Dawn Buehler, chairwoman of the Kansas Water Authority, presides over a meeting Wednesday in Colby. The authority voted to adopt language saying Kansas should not deplete the Ogallala Aquifer. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Dawn Buehler, chairwoman of the Kansas Water Authority, presides over a meeting Wednesday in Colby. The authority voted to adopt language saying Kansas should not deplete the Ogallala Aquifer. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/15/its-time-to-deal-with-this-kansas-water-authority-wants-to-save-ogallala-aquifer/">Kansas Reflector</a>COLBY — Kansas should scrap its de facto policy of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/29/western-kansas-economy-threatened-by-reliance-on-irrigating-crops-with-ogallala-aquifer/">draining the Ogallala Aquifer</a>, a state board decided Wednesday.Instead, the board said, the Kansas government should take steps to stop the decline of the aquifer, which supplies water to one-sixth of the world’s grain supply, and save it for future generations.“It has taken decades for this to be said formally in writing by an official state body,” said Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office. “… This is nothing less than historic.”Saving the water source that supports Western Kansas’ economy and communities may seem like an obvious stance to take, but for about 70 years, the state’s policies and management decisions have reflected the idea that eventually, the Ogallala would dry up, said Earl Lewis, Kansas’ chief engineer.&nbsp;The Kansas Water Authority, which is made up of agricultural and industrial water users and utilities, wants to chart a new course. It voted almost unanimously Wednesday to recommend that the state scrap the policy of “planned depletion.”“It’s time to deal with this while we still have some choices,” said John Bailey, a member of the Kansas Water Authority from Pittsburg. “If we don’t, we’re going to find ourselves in a very bad situation.”The Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest underground sources of fresh water, stretches across parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. After World War II farmers started pumping water from it to irrigate crops in arid western Kansas, establishing the region as a booming farming economy. For decades, the water was used with little thought of ensuring enough remained for future generations.&nbsp;But now, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/16/why-an-ambitious-effort-to-overhaul-kansas-water-management-fell-short/">water is running out</a>. Some&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/09/nonrenewable-resource-as-western-kansas-dries-up-legislature-revisits-water-policy/">parts of the aquifer have half the water they had before irrigation</a>&nbsp;on the aquifer began. Parts of western Kansas have an estimated 10 years of water left. There’s little surface water since streams that reliably flowed through the area in 1961 all but disappeared, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/HighPlains/HPA_Atlas/index.html">Kansas Geological Survey</a>.Draining the aquifer would fundamentally change life in western Kansas. Farm properties would lose their value if there’s no water to grow a crop. Families could lose their livelihoods and communities could disappear.But while it’s widely accepted that the Ogallala is essential to western Kansas, Kansas Water Authority chairwoman Dawn Buehler said many farmers have been waiting on the government to tell them it’s time to do something.&nbsp;“We’ve heard that over and over from people —&nbsp;that, ‘Well, you know, we’re not at a dangerous zone yet because they’ll let us know when it’s time,’ ” Buehler said.She continued: “I think the importance of today was saying, ‘It’s time.’ ”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671114592256.png" alt="Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas is embarking on a two-year study of playas that hold water during wet periods in Scott County and elsewhere to better understand their role in recharge of the underground Ogallala aquifer. (Bill Johnson/Kansas Geological Survey)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas is embarking on a two-year study of playas that hold water during wet periods in Scott County and elsewhere to better understand their role in recharge of the underground Ogallala aquifer. (Bill Johnson/Kansas Geological Survey)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A vote to change course</h2>The Kansas Water Authority, which meets roughly every two months in different locations around the state, voted Wednesday to place language in the body’s annual report to the governor and legislature saying the “policy of planned depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer is no longer in the best interest of the state of Kansas.”The report will also recommend the state create a formal process to establish goals and actions to “halt the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer while promoting flexible and innovative management within a timeframe that achieves agricultural productivity, thriving economies and vibrant communities —&nbsp;now and for future generations of Kansans.”&nbsp;It had wide support among the authority members.&nbsp;“My opinion of this is that it should have been done 15 years ago or 20,” said Lynn Goossen, a farmer from Colby who serves on the Kansas Water Authority and the board of the groundwater management district in northwest Kansas.&nbsp;Goossen said there are parts of Kansas where the aquifer still has abundant water left but that people are “sticking their heads in the sand” rather than saving it.&nbsp;Some water users have pursued a longshot idea to draw water from the Missouri River via an aqueduct to southwest Kansas. They&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/21/officials-plan-to-truck-6000-gallons-of-water-from-missouri-river-across-kansas/">trucked 6,000 gallons of water from northeast Kansas</a>&nbsp;across the state as a “proof of concept.”&nbsp;The goal to “halt” the decline of the aquifer gave pause to one member of the authority who asked that the statement instead say officials should “address” the decline of the aquifer.&nbsp;Randy Hayzlett, a farmer and rancher from Lakin who serves on the authority, was the lone vote against the language, though the subsequent vote to send the full annual report to policymakers was unanimous.&nbsp;Hayzlett said he couldn’t support establishing the goal without details about what it would mean to “halt” the decline of the aquifer.&nbsp;“That’s a pretty strong word, and it’s going to affect a lot of people,” he said.Hayzlett said he wanted to do everything possible to remedy the decline of the Ogallala but didn’t want to throw a word out there without a plan to achieve it.“Is it going to halt declining the aquifer? Is it going to halt the economy of western Kansas?” he said. “Just what’s it going to put a cap on and then how are we going to get there?”Lewis said Kansas has talked about the issue of the Ogallala Aquifer for 50 years. If authority members wait for a plan, he said, they’ll get bogged down in the details.&nbsp;“What you’re doing is really setting a course,” Lewis said. “You’re saying, ‘I want to go in that direction. … I don’t know how I’m going to get there and it’s going to take a lot of us working together to get there.’ ”