Union official calls it ‘the worst and most egregious’ plan ever

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/28/railroaders-to-protest-new-work-scheduling-system-outside-berkshire-hathaway-meeting/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA
 — Some angry railroaders, upset with a new work scheduling system at 
the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, will be protesting outside Berkshire 
Hathaway’s annual meeting Saturday at&nbsp;the CHI Health Center arena.

Locomotive
 engineers say the new attendance policy, called “Hi Viz,” requires them
 to be on call 90% of the time and has led to a workforce that is 
understaffed, overworked and fatigued. They say the policy has forced 
some to quit.

Dennis
 Pierce, the national president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers and Trainmen, called Hi Viz “the worst and most egregious 
attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier” in a recent article 
in Vice, a Canadian-American magazine known for provocative stories.

Hi Viz is similar to an attendance policy recently implemented by Omaha-based Union Pacific.

BNSF
 Railway is one of the prized companies in the Berkshire Hathaway 
portfolio and reported record earnings of $6 billion in 2021.

A spokesman for the BNSF said the goal of Hi
 Viz, which was&nbsp;implemented in February, is to “improve the consistency 
of crews being available for their shifts to run trains” which 
translates into more consistent service.

It also gives crews more “predictability and transparency” when they are called in for work, said spokesman Ben Wilemon.

“We
 understand that change is hard, but as with every other railroad and 
service business, delivering for our customers requires employees to be 
available to work their assigned shifts,” Wilemon said.

The dispute comes as rail shippers are 
experiencing increased delays and railroads are operating with 20% fewer
 workers than before the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials have said.

The
 33,000-member railroad union says it is taking its message “to the 
streets” after being unable to bargain for better wages and working 
conditions.

&nbsp;The union recently launched a series of digital and print advertisements, including some in the Omaha World-Herald, saying&nbsp;that
 BNSF Railway is “Off the Rails” and that some of the record profits 
should be invested in crews that staff increasingly long trains and 
trains that carry hazardous materials.

The
 ads attack Hi-Viz as prohibiting engineers and other rail workers from 
scheduling days off without penalty, even at times “for surgery or jury 
duty.”

Wilemon,
 the BNSF Railway spokesman, said there has been no change in how much 
time off an employee receives and that, on average, more than 50% of 
train crew employees work less than 40 hours a week. 

He
 added that personal leave days were increased by 25% this year and 
maintained that the BNSF has more train crews than a year ago and that 
it has 300 workers in training.

A recent Washington Post story reported the union was “preparing
 to petition President Biden to intervene” by appointing officials to 
mediate a settlement with the railroad or rescinding the prohibition on 
strikes by train workers.

The
 U.S. Surface Transportation Board took testimony earlier this week from
 the nation’s largest railroads, as well as U.S. Secretary of 
Transportation Pete Pete Buttigieg and other federal officials, on 
“inconsistent and unreliable” service by the rail freight industry, 
particularly concerning agricultural and energy&nbsp; goods.

Buttigieg,
 the first Transportation Secretary to address the Surface 
Transportation Board in over 20 years, said the railroad workforce is 
20% less than it was prior to the pandemic and turnover is “far above” 
normal levels, yet railroaders showed up “every day” during the 
pandemic.

Congestion and delays in rail shipments have increased, hurting farmers, Buttigieg said.

He
 said the DOT has already launched a pilot project to improve data 
sharing to reduce wasted time in goods moving from ports to trains and 
to consumers. He said Biden’s infrastructure law includes incentives to 
bolster the workforce.

&nbsp;The
 Surface Transportation Board, he said, should require railroads to 
include impacts on workers in the “improvement plans” that rail 
companies will submit.

“When
 we overburden rail workers, it only furthers turnover, worsens service 
and presents serious safety issues,” Buttigieg said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651179893285.png" alt="The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway yard in Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway yard in Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Union official calls it ‘the worst and most egregious’ plan ever</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/28/railroaders-to-protest-new-work-scheduling-system-outside-berkshire-hathaway-meeting/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA
 — Some angry railroaders, upset with a new work scheduling system at 
the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, will be protesting outside Berkshire 
Hathaway’s annual meeting Saturday at&nbsp;the CHI Health Center arena.Locomotive
 engineers say the new attendance policy, called “Hi Viz,” requires them
 to be on call 90% of the time and has led to a workforce that is 
understaffed, overworked and fatigued. They say the policy has forced 
some to quit.Dennis
 Pierce, the national president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers and Trainmen, called Hi Viz “the worst and most egregious 
attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier” in a recent article 
in Vice, a Canadian-American magazine known for provocative stories.<h2>Union Pacific has similar system</h2>Hi Viz is similar to an attendance policy recently implemented by Omaha-based Union Pacific.BNSF
 Railway is one of the prized companies in the Berkshire Hathaway 
portfolio and reported record earnings of $6 billion in 2021.A spokesman for the BNSF said the goal of Hi
 Viz, which was&nbsp;implemented in February, is to “improve the consistency 
of crews being available for their shifts to run trains” which 
translates into more consistent service.It also gives crews more “predictability and transparency” when they are called in for work, said spokesman Ben Wilemon.“We
 understand that change is hard, but as with every other railroad and 
service business, delivering for our customers requires employees to be 
available to work their assigned shifts,” Wilemon said.The dispute comes as rail shippers are 
experiencing increased delays and railroads are operating with 20% fewer
 workers than before the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials have said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651179973531.jpeg" alt="One of the billboards sponsored by a union representing workers at BNSF Railways. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>One of the billboards sponsored by a union representing workers at BNSF Railways. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>The
 33,000-member railroad union says it is taking its message “to the 
streets” after being unable to bargain for better wages and working 
conditions.&nbsp;The union recently launched a series of digital and print advertisements, including some in the Omaha World-Herald, saying&nbsp;that
 BNSF Railway is “Off the Rails” and that some of the record profits 
should be invested in crews that staff increasingly long trains and 
trains that carry hazardous materials.<h2>‘Off the rails’</h2>The
 ads attack Hi-Viz as prohibiting engineers and other rail workers from 
scheduling days off without penalty, even at times “for surgery or jury 
duty.”Wilemon,
 the BNSF Railway spokesman, said there has been no change in how much 
time off an employee receives and that, on average, more than 50% of 
train crew employees work less than 40 hours a week. He
 added that personal leave days were increased by 25% this year and 
maintained that the BNSF has more train crews than a year ago and that 
it has 300 workers in training.A recent Washington Post story reported the union was “preparing
 to petition President Biden to intervene” by appointing officials to 
mediate a settlement with the railroad or rescinding the prohibition on 
strikes by train workers.The
 U.S. Surface Transportation Board took testimony earlier this week from
 the nation’s largest railroads, as well as U.S. Secretary of 
Transportation Pete Pete Buttigieg and other federal officials, on 
“inconsistent and unreliable” service by the rail freight industry, 
particularly concerning agricultural and energy&nbsp; goods.Buttigieg,
 the first Transportation Secretary to address the Surface 
Transportation Board in over 20 years, said the railroad workforce is 
20% less than it was prior to the pandemic and turnover is “far above” 
normal levels, yet railroaders showed up “every day” during the 
pandemic.<h2>Pilot project on reducing wasted time</h2>Congestion and delays in rail shipments have increased, hurting farmers, Buttigieg said.He
 said the DOT has already launched a pilot project to improve data 
sharing to reduce wasted time in goods moving from ports to trains and 
to consumers. He said Biden’s infrastructure law includes incentives to 
bolster the workforce.&nbsp;The
 Surface Transportation Board, he said, should require railroads to 
include impacts on workers in the “improvement plans” that rail 
companies will submit.“When
 we overburden rail workers, it only furthers turnover, worsens service 
and presents serious safety issues,” Buttigieg said.&nbsp;

Railroaders to protest BNSF work scheduling system in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A jury has acquitted a man charged with first-degree murder in the 2020 death of a man who was on a motorized dirt bike when he was chased down by a car and fatally shot.

Daquandre Perry, 22, was found not guilty Wednesday in the death of 20-year-old John Parks Jr.,&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/omaha-man-acquitted-in-brazen-july-2020-shooting-death/article_a24d3404-c650-11ec-9e69-7f3b5575f829.html" target="_blank">the Omaha World-Herald reported</a>.

Police have said Parks and a friend were riding their dirt bikes on a city street on July 26, 2020, when a black sedan began chasing them and at one point crashed into Parks’ bike. Parks ditched the bike and began running, but a person in the sedan fired several shots, hitting Parks in the neck, police said. Parks managed to scale a fence, but died in a back yard.

Prosecutors argued that several videos showed Perry and another man get out the sedan at an apartment complex about 20 minutes after the shooting, and police found the car had front-end damage consistent with a crash with the dirt bike. Prosecutors also argued that DNA found in the car’s driver’s seat was Perry’s.

But Perry’s attorneys countered that police also found the DNA of three other people in the car and that police had found no murder weapon and or witnesses who could definitively identify the car or the people in it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651173221462.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A jury has acquitted a man charged with first-degree murder in the 2020 death of a man who was on a motorized dirt bike when he was chased down by a car and fatally shot.Daquandre Perry, 22, was found not guilty Wednesday in the death of 20-year-old John Parks Jr.,&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/omaha-man-acquitted-in-brazen-july-2020-shooting-death/article_a24d3404-c650-11ec-9e69-7f3b5575f829.html" target="_blank">the Omaha World-Herald reported</a>.Police have said Parks and a friend were riding their dirt bikes on a city street on July 26, 2020, when a black sedan began chasing them and at one point crashed into Parks’ bike. Parks ditched the bike and began running, but a person in the sedan fired several shots, hitting Parks in the neck, police said. Parks managed to scale a fence, but died in a back yard.Prosecutors argued that several videos showed Perry and another man get out the sedan at an apartment complex about 20 minutes after the shooting, and police found the car had front-end damage consistent with a crash with the dirt bike. Prosecutors also argued that DNA found in the car’s driver’s seat was Perry’s.But Perry’s attorneys countered that police also found the DNA of three other people in the car and that police had found no murder weapon and or witnesses who could definitively identify the car or the people in it.

Jury acquits man of murder in 2020 Omaha shooting death

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN and MARGERY A. BECK The Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Firefighters have been making significant progress Wednesday on the biggest wildfires burning unusually hot and fast for this time of year in the western United States.

But forecasters from the Southwest to the southern High Plains warned of the return the next two days of the same gusty winds and critical fire conditions that sent wildland blazes racing across the landscape last week.

Some of the nearly 1,000 firefighters battling the biggest fire in drought-stricken New Mexico cut away brush and burned out any extra fuel Wednesday ahead of increased danger forecast Thursday into the weekend.

That allowed crews to dig fire lines around about a third of what has become the largest wildfire burning in the U.S. — now 94 square miles — and keep flames from reaching mostly rural homes and ranches that are still in its path northeast of Santa Fe.

“Another great day on the fire line,” federal fire incident commander Carl Schwope said Wednesday night.

“Fire personnel are making great progress,” he told residents at a community meeting in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where numerous rural communities in the nearby mountains remain under evacuation orders.

But he quickly emphasized the success could be short-lived because hotter, drier, windier weather should return Thursday and Friday.

“This fire still has tremendous potential to move and still has a lot of danger,” he said. “We have a couple of critical fire days still ahead.”

The most critical fire danger remains the next two days across practically the entire state of New Mexico, according to the National Weather Service. The elevated-risk area stretches all the way from Arizona’s border with California and Nevada into the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, the service said late Wednesday.

Some light precipitation added moisture to bone dry fuels in the Southwest early this week. But stiffening winds Wednesday likely dried out most of the fine fuels, which are “are expected to be borderline critically dry” on Thursday, the service said.

“It doesn’t mean it will happen but it could happen, just like we saw when this fire blew up,” he said. “The danger is present and it’s very real.”

Authorities said Wednesday they continue to work on damage assessments but haven’t been able to access some areas that are still hot and it’s not yet safe to let some evacuees return to their homes.

“We have containment around the fire’s edge, but there’s still stuff that’s burning inside and we still have a wind event we are waiting for Friday and Saturday,” Lopez said.

“We have to make sure that everything is good enough that I can make decision and know you’ll be safe if we let you back in there,” he said..

The Southwest has been bearing the brunt of large fires, with five incident management teams assigned, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

One complex incident management team was overseeing a large fire in southwest Nebraska. More than 200 firefighters in that state were battling a prairie fire that has been burning since last week.

About 65 square miles of mostly grasses and farmland have been blackened near the Kansas line, several homes have been destroyed and at least one person was killed. The fire was about three-quarters contained Wednesday.

In Arizona, crews on Wednesday worked to contain two major wildfires, with firefighters gaining ground on containment of a blaze in the Prescott National Forest after winds on Tuesday pushed the fire outward. Near Flagstaff, crews patrolled burned areas of a different large fire and looked for hot spots amid milder weather.

Nationally, large fires have burned more than 1,688 square miles this year, putting the U.S. on track to far outpace the 10-year average.

The pressure on firefighters is not likely to let up anytime soon.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf" target="_blank">Climate outlooks</a>&nbsp;indicate likely below normal precipitation from Texas through the southern Rockies and Great Basin, with above normal temperatures likely across much of the U.S into summer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651167381159.jpeg" alt="Road 702 Fire, Nebraska Photo: Nebraska State Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Road 702 Fire, Nebraska Photo: Nebraska State Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN and MARGERY A. BECK The Associated PressALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Firefighters have been making significant progress Wednesday on the biggest wildfires burning unusually hot and fast for this time of year in the western United States.But forecasters from the Southwest to the southern High Plains warned of the return the next two days of the same gusty winds and critical fire conditions that sent wildland blazes racing across the landscape last week.Some of the nearly 1,000 firefighters battling the biggest fire in drought-stricken New Mexico cut away brush and burned out any extra fuel Wednesday ahead of increased danger forecast Thursday into the weekend.That allowed crews to dig fire lines around about a third of what has become the largest wildfire burning in the U.S. — now 94 square miles — and keep flames from reaching mostly rural homes and ranches that are still in its path northeast of Santa Fe.“Another great day on the fire line,” federal fire incident commander Carl Schwope said Wednesday night.“Fire personnel are making great progress,” he told residents at a community meeting in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where numerous rural communities in the nearby mountains remain under evacuation orders.But he quickly emphasized the success could be short-lived because hotter, drier, windier weather should return Thursday and Friday.“This fire still has tremendous potential to move and still has a lot of danger,” he said. “We have a couple of critical fire days still ahead.”The most critical fire danger remains the next two days across practically the entire state of New Mexico, according to the National Weather Service. The elevated-risk area stretches all the way from Arizona’s border with California and Nevada into the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, the service said late Wednesday.Some light precipitation added moisture to bone dry fuels in the Southwest early this week. But stiffening winds Wednesday likely dried out most of the fine fuels, which are “are expected to be borderline critically dry” on Thursday, the service said.“It doesn’t mean it will happen but it could happen, just like we saw when this fire blew up,” he said. “The danger is present and it’s very real.”Authorities said Wednesday they continue to work on damage assessments but haven’t been able to access some areas that are still hot and it’s not yet safe to let some evacuees return to their homes.“We have containment around the fire’s edge, but there’s still stuff that’s burning inside and we still have a wind event we are waiting for Friday and Saturday,” Lopez said.“We have to make sure that everything is good enough that I can make decision and know you’ll be safe if we let you back in there,” he said..The Southwest has been bearing the brunt of large fires, with five incident management teams assigned, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.One complex incident management team was overseeing a large fire in southwest Nebraska. More than 200 firefighters in that state were battling a prairie fire that has been burning since last week.About 65 square miles of mostly grasses and farmland have been blackened near the Kansas line, several homes have been destroyed and at least one person was killed. The fire was about three-quarters contained Wednesday.In Arizona, crews on Wednesday worked to contain two major wildfires, with firefighters gaining ground on containment of a blaze in the Prescott National Forest after winds on Tuesday pushed the fire outward. Near Flagstaff, crews patrolled burned areas of a different large fire and looked for hot spots amid milder weather.Nationally, large fires have burned more than 1,688 square miles this year, putting the U.S. on track to far outpace the 10-year average.The pressure on firefighters is not likely to let up anytime soon.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf" target="_blank">Climate outlooks</a>&nbsp;indicate likely below normal precipitation from Texas through the southern Rockies and Great Basin, with above normal temperatures likely across much of the U.S into summer.

Gusty winds, dryness could fan spring US wildfires again

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden asked Congress on Thursday for an additional $33 billion to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion, a signal that the U.S. is prepared to mount a robust, long-term campaign to bolster Kyiv and weaken Moscow as the bloody war enters its third month with no sign of abating.

Biden’s latest proposal — which the White House said was expected to support Ukraine’s needs for five months — has more than $20 billion in military assistance for Kyiv and for shoring up defenses in nearby countries. There is also $8.5 billion in economic aid to help keep Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government functioning and $3 billion for food and humanitarian programs to help civilians, including the more than five million refugees created by the war.

The assistance package, which now heads to Congress for consideration, would be more than twice as large as an initial $13.6 billion of defense and economic aid for Ukraine and Western allies that Congress enacted last month and is now almost exhausted. It was meant to signify that the U.S. is not tiring of helping to stave off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to expand his nation’s control of its neighbor, and perhaps beyond.

“The cost of this fight is not cheap, but caving to aggression is going to be more costly,” Biden said. “It’s critical this funding gets approved and as quickly as possible.”

The request comes with the fighting, now in its ninth week, sharpening in eastern and southern parts of the country and international tensions growing as Russia cuts off gas supplies to two NATO allies, Poland and Bulgaria.

There is wide, bipartisan support in Congress for giving Ukraine all the assistance it needs to fight the Russians, and its eventual approval seems certain. But Biden and congressional Democrats also want lawmakers to approve billions more to battle the pandemic, and that along with a Republican push to entangle the measure with an extension of some Trump-era immigration restrictions leaves the proposal’s pathway to enactment unclear.

In an accompanying letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Biden also asked lawmakers to include an additional $22.5 billion for vaccines, treatments, testing and aid to other countries in continuing efforts to contain COVID-19.

But that figure, which Biden also requested last month, seems aspirational at best. In a compromise with Republicans, Senate Democrats have already agreed to pare that figure to $10 billion, and reviving the higher amount would be at best an uphill fight.

As if acknowledging the political problems the pandemic response is encountering, Biden’s letter to Pelosi said, “I urge the Congress to include this much needed” pandemic spending in the Ukraine package. That wording seemed to suggest that separating the two initiatives, if needed to speed the Ukraine money, might be palatable to the White House.

Biden was also asking Congress on Thursday for new powers to seize and repurpose the assets of Russian oligarchs.

He wants lawmakers to make it a criminal offense for a person to “knowingly or intentionally possess proceeds directly obtained from corrupt dealings with the Russian government,” double the statute of limitations for foreign money laundering offenses to 10 years, and expand the definition of “racketeering” under U.S. law to include efforts to evade sanctions.

Biden will also ask Congress to allow the federal government use the proceeds from selling the seized assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs to help the people of Ukraine.

In a virtual address to International Monetary Fund and World Bank leaders last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the proceeds of sanctioned property and Central Bank reserves to be used to compensate Ukraine for its losses.

He said that frozen Russian assets “have to be used to rebuild Ukraine after the war as well as to pay for the losses caused to other nations.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said at the time that congressional action would be needed to authorize such actions.

The war has already caused more than $60 billion in damage to buildings and infrastructure, World Bank President David Malpass said last week. And the IMF in its latest world economic outlook forecast that Ukraine’s economy will shrink by 35% this year and next.

In recent weeks, the U.S. and global allies have sanctioned dozens of oligarchs and their family members, along with hundreds of Russian officials involved in or deemed to be supporting its invasion of Ukraine. The White House says the new tools will toughen the impact of the sanctions on Russia’s economy and its ruling class by making sanctions more difficult to evade.

Biden last week warned that $6.5 billion earmarked for security assistance for Ukraine could soon be “exhausted” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-biden-announces-new-military-aid-e78a7db76215a84f86586bb56122cd04">that Congress would need to approve supplemental funding</a>. More than half of the approved money for weapons and equipment for Ukraine’s military has already been drawn down.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden asked Congress on Thursday for an additional $33 billion to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion, a signal that the U.S. is prepared to mount a robust, long-term campaign to bolster Kyiv and weaken Moscow as the bloody war enters its third month with no sign of abating.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F298694382441190%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=4" 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>Biden’s latest proposal — which the White House said was expected to support Ukraine’s needs for five months — has more than $20 billion in military assistance for Kyiv and for shoring up defenses in nearby countries. There is also $8.5 billion in economic aid to help keep Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government functioning and $3 billion for food and humanitarian programs to help civilians, including the more than five million refugees created by the war.The assistance package, which now heads to Congress for consideration, would be more than twice as large as an initial $13.6 billion of defense and economic aid for Ukraine and Western allies that Congress enacted last month and is now almost exhausted. It was meant to signify that the U.S. is not tiring of helping to stave off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to expand his nation’s control of its neighbor, and perhaps beyond.“The cost of this fight is not cheap, but caving to aggression is going to be more costly,” Biden said. “It’s critical this funding gets approved and as quickly as possible.”The request comes with the fighting, now in its ninth week, sharpening in eastern and southern parts of the country and international tensions growing as Russia cuts off gas supplies to two NATO allies, Poland and Bulgaria.There is wide, bipartisan support in Congress for giving Ukraine all the assistance it needs to fight the Russians, and its eventual approval seems certain. But Biden and congressional Democrats also want lawmakers to approve billions more to battle the pandemic, and that along with a Republican push to entangle the measure with an extension of some Trump-era immigration restrictions leaves the proposal’s pathway to enactment unclear.In an accompanying letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Biden also asked lawmakers to include an additional $22.5 billion for vaccines, treatments, testing and aid to other countries in continuing efforts to contain COVID-19.But that figure, which Biden also requested last month, seems aspirational at best. In a compromise with Republicans, Senate Democrats have already agreed to pare that figure to $10 billion, and reviving the higher amount would be at best an uphill fight.As if acknowledging the political problems the pandemic response is encountering, Biden’s letter to Pelosi said, “I urge the Congress to include this much needed” pandemic spending in the Ukraine package. That wording seemed to suggest that separating the two initiatives, if needed to speed the Ukraine money, might be palatable to the White House.Biden was also asking Congress on Thursday for new powers to seize and repurpose the assets of Russian oligarchs.He wants lawmakers to make it a criminal offense for a person to “knowingly or intentionally possess proceeds directly obtained from corrupt dealings with the Russian government,” double the statute of limitations for foreign money laundering offenses to 10 years, and expand the definition of “racketeering” under U.S. law to include efforts to evade sanctions.Biden will also ask Congress to allow the federal government use the proceeds from selling the seized assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs to help the people of Ukraine.In a virtual address to International Monetary Fund and World Bank leaders last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the proceeds of sanctioned property and Central Bank reserves to be used to compensate Ukraine for its losses.He said that frozen Russian assets “have to be used to rebuild Ukraine after the war as well as to pay for the losses caused to other nations.”Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said at the time that congressional action would be needed to authorize such actions.The war has already caused more than $60 billion in damage to buildings and infrastructure, World Bank President David Malpass said last week. And the IMF in its latest world economic outlook forecast that Ukraine’s economy will shrink by 35% this year and next.In recent weeks, the U.S. and global allies have sanctioned dozens of oligarchs and their family members, along with hundreds of Russian officials involved in or deemed to be supporting its invasion of Ukraine. The White House says the new tools will toughen the impact of the sanctions on Russia’s economy and its ruling class by making sanctions more difficult to evade.Biden last week warned that $6.5 billion earmarked for security assistance for Ukraine could soon be “exhausted” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-biden-announces-new-military-aid-e78a7db76215a84f86586bb56122cd04">that Congress would need to approve supplemental funding</a>. More than half of the approved money for weapons and equipment for Ukraine’s military has already been drawn down.

🎥 Biden wants $33 billion more to help Ukraine battle Russia

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Agriculture officials say a large outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed on a farm in northeast Nebraska. 

The outbreak was reported Wednesday in Knox County along the South Dakota border. 

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture says a flock of 2.1 million laying hens on the farm will be euthanized and a 6.2-mile control radius will be established around the farm, which was not identified. 

It is the seventh confirmed case of avian influenza in Nebraska this year. 

The state agriculture department also announced Wednesday that an order prohibiting any type of birds from events such as fairs, swap meets and live bird auctions has been extended to May 15.

By Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Agriculture officials say a large outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed on a farm in northeast Nebraska. The outbreak was reported Wednesday in Knox County along the South Dakota border. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture says a flock of 2.1 million laying hens on the farm will be euthanized and a 6.2-mile control radius will be established around the farm, which was not identified. It is the seventh confirmed case of avian influenza in Nebraska this year. The state agriculture department also announced Wednesday that an order prohibiting any type of birds from events such as fairs, swap meets and live bird auctions has been extended to May 15. It was scheduled to expire on Saturday.

Large bird flu outbreak reported at Knox County farm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trevor Reed is back in the United States one day after the Marine veteran was swapped for a Russian drug trafficker in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow</a>, his mother tweeted early Thursday morning.

“It’s been very exciting day for The Reed family. Trevor is back in the USA,” Paula Reed said on Twitter. Photographs tweeted from the account of Rep. August Pfluger, a Texas Republican, also showed him standing next to Reed.

His destination was not immediately clear. Reed’s parents live in Granbury, Texas, near Dallas.

Reed was swapped in Turkey on Wednesday for Konstantin Yaroshenko, who had been serving a 20-year prison sentence in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy case.

“I think it’s going to really hit home for him and for us when we finally get to see him and touch him,” Reed’s father, Joey, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Reed, a 30-year-old former Marine, was arrested in the summer of 2019 after Russian authorities said he assaulted an officer while being driven by police to a police station following a night of heavy drinking.

He was later sentenced to nine years in prison. The U.S. government described him as unjustly detained and pressed for his release; his family asserted his innocence and expressed concerns about his deteriorating health — which included coughing up blood and a hunger strike.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trevor Reed is back in the United States one day after the Marine veteran was swapped for a Russian drug trafficker in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow</a>, his mother tweeted early Thursday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is the moment we have all been praying for. WELCOME HOME, Trevor Reed! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://twitter.com/freetrevorreed?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@freetrevorreed</a> <a href="https://t.co/GooLSxSfsk">pic.twitter.com/GooLSxSfsk</a>&mdash; Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepPfluger/status/1519611148089364480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It’s been very exciting day for The Reed family. Trevor is back in the USA,” Paula Reed said on Twitter. Photographs tweeted from the account of Rep. August Pfluger, a Texas Republican, also showed him standing next to Reed.His destination was not immediately clear. Reed’s parents live in Granbury, Texas, near Dallas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651147467062.png" alt="President Biden met with the parents of Trevor Reed last month to discuss Trevor's safe return to the United States after being detained in Russia-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden met with the parents of Trevor Reed last month to discuss Trevor's safe return to the United States after being detained in Russia-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Reed was swapped in Turkey on Wednesday for Konstantin Yaroshenko, who had been serving a 20-year prison sentence in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy case.“I think it’s going to really hit home for him and for us when we finally get to see him and touch him,” Reed’s father, Joey, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday.Reed, a 30-year-old former Marine, was arrested in the summer of 2019 after Russian authorities said he assaulted an officer while being driven by police to a police station following a night of heavy drinking.He was later sentenced to nine years in prison. The U.S. government described him as unjustly detained and pressed for his release; his family asserted his innocence and expressed concerns about his deteriorating health — which included coughing up blood and a hunger strike.

Former Marine back in US, one day after Russian prisoner swap

WASHINGTON (AP) —Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday the coronavirus is under better control in the United States. but the pandemic isn’t over — and the challenge is how to keep improving the situation.

“We are in a different moment of the pandemic,” said Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, in an interview with The Associated Press.

After a brutal winter surge, “we’ve now decelerated and transitioned into more of a controlled phase,” he said. “By no means does that mean the pandemic is over.”

His comments came a day after he said on the PBS “NewsHour” that the U.S. was “out of the pandemic phase” and also told The Washington Post that the country was finally “out of the full-blown explosive pandemic phase.”

Fauci’s remarks reflect how health authorities are wrestling with the next stage of the pandemic — how to keep COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations manageable and learn to live with what’s still a mutating and unpredictable virus.

Fauci said the U.S. appears to be out of what he called the “fulminant phase” of the pandemic, huge variant surges that at their worst sparked hundreds of thousands of infections daily, along with tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths.

COVID-19 cases are at a lower point than they’ve been in months and two-thirds of the U.S. population is vaccinated. Nearly half of those who need a booster dose have gotten the extra shot, and effective treatments are available.

“We are much, much better off than we were a year ago,” he said.

Still, there have been lulls before, and while cases are low, they are increasing in many parts of the country. Vaccination rates worldwide are far lower, especially in developing countries.

To keep improving, Fauci ticked off a to-do list: Get more people fully vaccinated; develop even better vaccines; figure out the best booster strategy to counter variants; and make sure people can access treatment as soon as they need it.

“We can’t take our foot off the pedal,” Fauci said. “There’s a lot of viral dynamics throughout the world and we still may get another variant which could lead to another potential surge.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —Dr. Anthony Fauci has given an upbeat assessment of the current state of the coronavirus in the United States, saying the country is “out of the pandemic phase” when it comes to new infections, hospitalizations and deaths, but that it appears to be making a transition to COVID-19 becoming an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-spain-world-health-organization-pandemics-6d9e495e0f6dec94acefabeb0a935b8e">endemic disease</a>&nbsp;— occurring regularly in certain areas.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on the PBS “NewsHour” on Tuesday that the coronavirus remains a pandemic for much of the world, but the threat is not over for the United States, adding that he was speaking about the worst phase of the pandemic.

“Namely, we don’t have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now,” he said.

In comments Wednesday to The Washington Post, however, Fauci seemed to clarify his earlier remarks, saying that unlike the “full-blown explosive pandemic phase” during the brutal winter omicron surge, he was describing what appears to be a period of transition toward the coronavirus becoming an endemic disease.

“The world is still in a pandemic. There’s no doubt about that. Don’t anybody get any misinterpretation of that. We are still experiencing a pandemic,” Fauci told the Post.

His comments come as health authorities wrestle with how to keep COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations manageable and learn to live with what’s still a mutating and unpredictable virus. The Biden administration has stressed that the nation has more tools — vaccinations, booster shots and medications — to better handle infections than earlier in the pandemic.

U.S. cases are far lower than they were in recent months. But health officials are keeping a close eye as highly contagious variants continue to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cases have risen about 25% in the past week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638385235681.png" alt="Fauci said the virus threat is not over for the United States-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Fauci said the virus threat is not over for the United States-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday the coronavirus is under better control in the United States. but the pandemic isn’t over — and the challenge is how to keep improving the situation.“We are in a different moment of the pandemic,” said Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, in an interview with The Associated Press.After a brutal winter surge, “we’ve now decelerated and transitioned into more of a controlled phase,” he said. “By no means does that mean the pandemic is over.”His comments came a day after he said on the PBS “NewsHour” that the U.S. was “out of the pandemic phase” and also told The Washington Post that the country was finally “out of the full-blown explosive pandemic phase.”Fauci’s remarks reflect how health authorities are wrestling with the next stage of the pandemic — how to keep COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations manageable and learn to live with what’s still a mutating and unpredictable virus.Fauci said the U.S. appears to be out of what he called the “fulminant phase” of the pandemic, huge variant surges that at their worst sparked hundreds of thousands of infections daily, along with tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths.COVID-19 cases are at a lower point than they’ve been in months and two-thirds of the U.S. population is vaccinated. Nearly half of those who need a booster dose have gotten the extra shot, and effective treatments are available.“We are much, much better off than we were a year ago,” he said.Still, there have been lulls before, and while cases are low, they are increasing in many parts of the country. Vaccination rates worldwide are far lower, especially in developing countries.To keep improving, Fauci ticked off a to-do list: Get more people fully vaccinated; develop even better vaccines; figure out the best booster strategy to counter variants; and make sure people can access treatment as soon as they need it.“We can’t take our foot off the pedal,” Fauci said. “There’s a lot of viral dynamics throughout the world and we still may get another variant which could lead to another potential surge.”___WASHINGTON (AP) —Dr. Anthony Fauci has given an upbeat assessment of the current state of the coronavirus in the United States, saying the country is “out of the pandemic phase” when it comes to new infections, hospitalizations and deaths, but that it appears to be making a transition to COVID-19 becoming an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-spain-world-health-organization-pandemics-6d9e495e0f6dec94acefabeb0a935b8e">endemic disease</a>&nbsp;— occurring regularly in certain areas.Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on the PBS “NewsHour” on Tuesday that the coronavirus remains a pandemic for much of the world, but the threat is not over for the United States, adding that he was speaking about the worst phase of the pandemic.“Namely, we don’t have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650646265277.png" alt="KDHE image Friday April 22, 2022" />
 <figcaption>KDHE image Friday April 22, 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>In comments Wednesday to The Washington Post, however, Fauci seemed to clarify his earlier remarks, saying that unlike the “full-blown explosive pandemic phase” during the brutal winter omicron surge, he was describing what appears to be a period of transition toward the coronavirus becoming an endemic disease.“The world is still in a pandemic. There’s no doubt about that. Don’t anybody get any misinterpretation of that. We are still experiencing a pandemic,” Fauci told the Post.His comments come as health authorities wrestle with how to keep COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations manageable and learn to live with what’s still a mutating and unpredictable virus. The Biden administration has stressed that the nation has more tools — vaccinations, booster shots and medications — to better handle infections than earlier in the pandemic.U.S. cases are far lower than they were in recent months. But health officials are keeping a close eye as highly contagious variants continue to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cases have risen about 25% in the past week.

Fauci changes his mind, says pandemic is not over

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire at a home.

Just after 10a.m. Wednesday, firefighters responded to a fire at a home at 2206 SW Duane Street in Topeka. Upon arrival, fire crews found smoke and heavy flames coming from the rear of the two-story home.

&nbsp;Two adults, two children and two cats were able to escape the flames prior to the fire department’s arrival..

The Estimated dollar loss – $50,000.00; of which $45,000.00 is associated with structural loss and $5,000.00 is associated with contents loss. Working smoke detectors were not located in the home.

The Kansas Fire Marshal's office is assisting with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651140555915.png" alt="Heavy smoke from the Wednesday house fire -photo by Phil Anderson- photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Heavy smoke from the Wednesday house fire -photo by Phil Anderson- photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fire at a home.Just after 10a.m. Wednesday, firefighters responded to a fire at a home at 2206 SW Duane Street in Topeka. Upon arrival, fire crews found smoke and heavy flames coming from the rear of the two-story home.&nbsp;Two adults, two children and two cats were able to escape the flames prior to the fire department’s arrival..The Estimated dollar loss – $50,000.00; of which $45,000.00 is associated with structural loss and $5,000.00 is associated with contents loss. Working smoke detectors were not located in the home.The Kansas Fire Marshal's office is assisting with the investigation.

2 adults, 2 children and pets escape Kansas house fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is taking steps to expand availability of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-8587aec18a3d1fc5013426f1c02d9af6">the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid</a>, seeking to reassure doctors that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-medication-fa6cd0dcc9dec4d1076b14a521e9a6e5">there is ample supply</a>&nbsp;for people at high risk of severe illness or death from the virus.

Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, was first approved in December. Supply of the regimen was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">initially very limited</a>, but COVID-19 cases across the country have fallen and manufacturing has increased. The White House is now moving to raise awareness of the pill and taking steps to make it easier to access.

The White House said Tuesday it is stepping up outreach to doctors, letting them know they shouldn’t think twice about prescribing the pill to eligible patients. Also, the drug will now be distributed directly to pharmacies, in addition to existing distribution channels run by states. That is expected to boost the number of sites from 20,000 to more than 30,000 next week and eventually to 40,000 locations.

The administration used the pharmacy channel to boost availability of COVID-19 vaccines more than a year ago.

“Paxlovid will be widely available everywhere in America,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator. The drug and antivirals like it “are the key essential tools that we’re going to need to get through the rest of this pandemic,” he said.

Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-kamala-harris-dadf170fbacfd57922cdf51d59e87cdb">Kamala Harris</a>, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, is taking Paxlovid after discussing it with her physicians.

Paxlovid, when administered within five days of symptoms appearing, has been proven to bring about a 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients most likely to get severe disease. About 300 Americans are now dying each day from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus</a>, down from more than 2,600 during the height of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-chicago-illinois-e8727a5e7b1df775d692877e94f8cb73">the omicron wave</a>&nbsp;earlier this year.

The U.S. has ordered enough supply of the pills for 20 million people, which is estimated to last for several more months. The administration has warned that subsequent deliveries are dependent on Congress approving additional COVID-19 response funding.

“What we need to do is to help American physicians and nurse practitioners and others who can prescribe understand that we now have plenty available and anybody who is eligible, anybody who has high risk, should be getting Paxlovid,” Jha said.

He also encouraged people who test positive to contact their doctors to determine their eligibility for the drug that might prevent severe outcomes.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s drug for adults and children age 12 or older with a positive COVID-19 test and early symptoms who face the highest risk of severe outcomes. That includes older people and those with conditions like obesity and heart disease, though the drug is not recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems.

The administration is also working to expand the number of test-to-treat sites that provide a one-stop shop for those with COVID-19 to get tested for the virus, consult with a medical professional if they’re positive and fill a prescription for Paxlovid on site. Currently there are 2,200 locations nationwide, and the administration hopes support from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and pharmacy companies will enable more sites to come online in the coming weeks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651093961654.png" alt="“Paxlovid will be widely available everywhere in America,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“Paxlovid will be widely available everywhere in America,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is taking steps to expand availability of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-8587aec18a3d1fc5013426f1c02d9af6">the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid</a>, seeking to reassure doctors that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-medication-fa6cd0dcc9dec4d1076b14a521e9a6e5">there is ample supply</a>&nbsp;for people at high risk of severe illness or death from the virus.Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, was first approved in December. Supply of the regimen was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">initially very limited</a>, but COVID-19 cases across the country have fallen and manufacturing has increased. The White House is now moving to raise awareness of the pill and taking steps to make it easier to access.The White House said Tuesday it is stepping up outreach to doctors, letting them know they shouldn’t think twice about prescribing the pill to eligible patients. Also, the drug will now be distributed directly to pharmacies, in addition to existing distribution channels run by states. That is expected to boost the number of sites from 20,000 to more than 30,000 next week and eventually to 40,000 locations.The administration used the pharmacy channel to boost availability of COVID-19 vaccines more than a year ago.“Paxlovid will be widely available everywhere in America,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator. The drug and antivirals like it “are the key essential tools that we’re going to need to get through the rest of this pandemic,” he said.Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-kamala-harris-dadf170fbacfd57922cdf51d59e87cdb">Kamala Harris</a>, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, is taking Paxlovid after discussing it with her physicians.Paxlovid, when administered within five days of symptoms appearing, has been proven to bring about a 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients most likely to get severe disease. About 300 Americans are now dying each day from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus</a>, down from more than 2,600 during the height of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-chicago-illinois-e8727a5e7b1df775d692877e94f8cb73">the omicron wave</a>&nbsp;earlier this year.The U.S. has ordered enough supply of the pills for 20 million people, which is estimated to last for several more months. The administration has warned that subsequent deliveries are dependent on Congress approving additional COVID-19 response funding.“What we need to do is to help American physicians and nurse practitioners and others who can prescribe understand that we now have plenty available and anybody who is eligible, anybody who has high risk, should be getting Paxlovid,” Jha said.He also encouraged people who test positive to contact their doctors to determine their eligibility for the drug that might prevent severe outcomes.The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s drug for adults and children age 12 or older with a positive COVID-19 test and early symptoms who face the highest risk of severe outcomes. That includes older people and those with conditions like obesity and heart disease, though the drug is not recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems.The administration is also working to expand the number of test-to-treat sites that provide a one-stop shop for those with COVID-19 to get tested for the virus, consult with a medical professional if they’re positive and fill a prescription for Paxlovid on site. Currently there are 2,200 locations nationwide, and the administration hopes support from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and pharmacy companies will enable more sites to come online in the coming weeks.

Biden administration expands availability of COVID antiviral pill

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for the 2018 stabbing death of his girlfriend's ex-husband. Prosecutors said in a news release Wednesday that Vincenzo Anecio Lucasta was sentenced earlier this month to 258 months in prison for the death of 57-year-old David Paterno, of Shawnee. 

Lucasta pleaded no contest in January to second-degree intentional murder in in the case. Officers found Paterno mortally wounded in his home on Aug. 8, 2018, after a neighbor heard a loud fight inside the home. 

Lucasta had initially been charged with first-degree murder. In addition to prison, he was required to register as a violent offender April 15, according to online KBI records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643320420372.png" alt="Lucasta-photo KBI offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Lucasta-photo KBI offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for the 2018 stabbing death of his girlfriend's ex-husband. Prosecutors said in a news release Wednesday that Vincenzo Anecio Lucasta was sentenced earlier this month to 258 months in prison for the death of 57-year-old David Paterno, of Shawnee. Lucasta pleaded no contest in January to second-degree intentional murder in in the case. Officers found Paterno mortally wounded in his home on Aug. 8, 2018, after a neighbor heard a loud fight inside the home. Lucasta had initially been charged with first-degree murder. In addition to prison, he was required to register as a violent offender April 15, according to online KBI records.

Kan. man sentenced for murder of girlfriend's ex-husband

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/27/nebraska-state-sen-rich-pahls-ardent-opponent-of-tax-exemptions-has-died/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — State Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha, who won re-election to his post after being term-limited in 2012, has died.

Pahls, 78, had missed the last few weeks of the 2022 session of the Nebraska Legislature with an undisclosed illness.&nbsp;

The Nebraska Examiner learned of his passing Wednesday. The cause of death has not been determined.

A
 native of Kansas, Pahls was an educator before becoming an elected 
official, serving eventually as an administrator in the Millard Public 
Schools.

He
 was first elected to the Legislature in 2004 and was re-elected in 
2008. At the end of that term in 2012, he was required to leave the 
Unicameral due to term limits.&nbsp;

Pahls
 served a term on the Omaha City Council before reclaiming a seat in the
 Legislature in 2020, beating Tim Royers by about 1,000 votes in the 
Millard-area District 31.

A longtime friend, Bob Borgeson, said Pahls was “an excellent educator, a great friend, a smart guy and a well-rounded guy.”

“I
 thought he was a great representative for the Millard area,” said 
Borgeson, who had talked with Pahls a week ago about endorsing him in 
Borgeson’s race for the Legislature in District 12.

State
 Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, who served on the Legislature’s Revenue 
Committee with Pahls, called him a “great friend and a true public 
servant” who worked with him to find “common ground” between urban and 
rural Nebraska.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who chairs the Revenue Committee, said Pahl’s death is a “huge loss.”&nbsp;

“He dedicated his whole life to public service, as a teacher, a principal and the Legislature,” Linehan said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts praised Pahls in a 
statement: “Senator Pahls was a dedicated public servant and a great 
man. &nbsp;He was committed to improving his community, first as an educator 
and then through elected service. &nbsp;Nebraska lost a true leader today. 
&nbsp;Susanne and I are praying for the Pahls family, the Millard community, 
and the countless Nebraskans Sen. Pahls impacted as they mourn his 
loss.”

Ricketts ordered flags to be flown at half-staff through the end of Thursday, April 28.

On
 the Revenue Committee, Pahls, a registered Republican, was known for 
arguing against Nebraska’s long list of sales tax exemptions, saying 
that if they were eliminated, property taxes could be dramatically 
decreased.

This year, in his absence, state lawmakers 
passed a Pahls bill that extended the state turnback tax funding that 
helps finance Omaha’s CHI Health Center arena and Ralston’s Liberty 
First Credit Union Arena.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651084743763.png" alt="State Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha. (Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha. (Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/27/nebraska-state-sen-rich-pahls-ardent-opponent-of-tax-exemptions-has-died/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — State Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha, who won re-election to his post after being term-limited in 2012, has died.Pahls, 78, had missed the last few weeks of the 2022 session of the Nebraska Legislature with an undisclosed illness.&nbsp;The Nebraska Examiner learned of his passing Wednesday. The cause of death has not been determined.A
 native of Kansas, Pahls was an educator before becoming an elected 
official, serving eventually as an administrator in the Millard Public 
Schools.He
 was first elected to the Legislature in 2004 and was re-elected in 
2008. At the end of that term in 2012, he was required to leave the 
Unicameral due to term limits.&nbsp;Pahls
 served a term on the Omaha City Council before reclaiming a seat in the
 Legislature in 2020, beating Tim Royers by about 1,000 votes in the 
Millard-area District 31.A longtime friend, Bob Borgeson, said Pahls was “an excellent educator, a great friend, a smart guy and a well-rounded guy.”“I
 thought he was a great representative for the Millard area,” said 
Borgeson, who had talked with Pahls a week ago about endorsing him in 
Borgeson’s race for the Legislature in District 12.State
 Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, who served on the Legislature’s Revenue 
Committee with Pahls, called him a “great friend and a true public 
servant” who worked with him to find “common ground” between urban and 
rural Nebraska.Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who chairs the Revenue Committee, said Pahl’s death is a “huge loss.”&nbsp;“He dedicated his whole life to public service, as a teacher, a principal and the Legislature,” Linehan said.Gov. Pete Ricketts praised Pahls in a 
statement: “Senator Pahls was a dedicated public servant and a great 
man. &nbsp;He was committed to improving his community, first as an educator 
and then through elected service. &nbsp;Nebraska lost a true leader today. 
&nbsp;Susanne and I are praying for the Pahls family, the Millard community, 
and the countless Nebraskans Sen. Pahls impacted as they mourn his 
loss.”Ricketts ordered flags to be flown at half-staff through the end of Thursday, April 28.On
 the Revenue Committee, Pahls, a registered Republican, was known for 
arguing against Nebraska’s long list of sales tax exemptions, saying 
that if they were eliminated, property taxes could be dramatically 
decreased.This year, in his absence, state lawmakers 
passed a Pahls bill that extended the state turnback tax funding that 
helps finance Omaha’s CHI Health Center arena and Ralston’s Liberty 
First Credit Union Arena.

Pahls, longtime Nebraska lawmaker, dies in office

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man accused of being drunk when he crashed into an SUV, killing its driver, has pleaded guilty to a felony county of vehicular homicide while under the influence. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that 24-year-old Ulises Pantoja entered the plea Tuesday in Sarpy County District Court and faces up to 20 years in prison when he's sentenced at a later date. 

Investigators say Pantoja was excessively speeding and drunk when he ran through a stop sign the night of Nov. 24. 

Officials say he hit the SUV driven by 37-year-old Candice McDowell, an Omaha mother of four who was driving home from work.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651078102669.png" alt="Pantoja photo Sarpy Co." />
 <figcaption>Pantoja photo Sarpy Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man accused of being drunk when he crashed into an SUV, killing its driver, has pleaded guilty to a felony county of vehicular homicide while under the influence. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 24-year-old Ulises Pantoja entered the plea Tuesday in Sarpy County District Court and faces up to 20 years in prison when he's sentenced at a later date. Investigators say Pantoja was excessively speeding and drunk when he ran through a stop sign the night of Nov. 24. Officials say he hit the SUV driven by 37-year-old Candice McDowell, an Omaha mother of four who was driving home from work.

Man pleads guilty to DUI crash that killed Omaha woman

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A <a href="https://www.materdeiparish.org/staff/view/id/3873">Catholic priest in</a> Topeka suspended from his public duties after being accused of sexually abusing a minor will not face criminal charges in the case.

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay's office will not file charges against the Rev. John Pilcher after reviewing the results of an investigation conducted by the&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Bureau of Investigation, Kagay told the Capital-Journal this week.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas announced last September that it had suspended<a href="https://www.materdeiparish.org/staff/view/id/3873"> Pilcher, </a>of Mater Dei parish, but said Pilcher denied the allegation and fully cooperated with the investigation.

The archdiocese said it will continue with evaluating Pilcher’s status as a priest.

“Be assured you will soon receive a communication from the Archdiocese upon final resolution of this matter,” a statement from the archdiocese that was read to Mater Dei parishioners this week said.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The pastor of a Catholic parish in Topeka has been suspended from his public duties after being accused of sexually abusing a minor, the archdiocese for northeast Kansas announced Monday.

The Rev. John Pilcher of Mater Dei parish denies the allegation and is fully cooperating, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said. He will remain on leave until an investigation is complete and an independent review board has made a recommendation to Archbishop Joseph Naumann.

The archdiocese said that law enforcement was notified and announcement about the allegation made at all weekend Masses.

The parish includes two churches, Assumption across the street north of the Statehouse and Holy Name in central Topeka. They once were in separate parishes that merged in 2006.

The archdiocese said anyone with knowledge about the case regarding Pilcher or about any other misconduct should contact civil authorities first, then make a report to its confidential report line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632783786235.png" alt="Rev. John Pilcher photo courtesy Mater Dei Catholic Church" />
 <figcaption>Rev. John Pilcher photo courtesy Mater Dei Catholic Church</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A <a href="https://www.materdeiparish.org/staff/view/id/3873">Catholic priest in</a> Topeka suspended from his public duties after being accused of sexually abusing a minor will not face criminal charges in the case.Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay's office will not file charges against the Rev. John Pilcher after reviewing the results of an investigation conducted by the&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Bureau of Investigation, Kagay told the Capital-Journal this week.The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas announced last September that it had suspended<a href="https://www.materdeiparish.org/staff/view/id/3873"> Pilcher, </a>of Mater Dei parish, but said Pilcher denied the allegation and fully cooperated with the investigation.The archdiocese said it will continue with evaluating Pilcher’s status as a priest.“Be assured you will soon receive a communication from the Archdiocese upon final resolution of this matter,” a statement from the archdiocese that was read to Mater Dei parishioners this week said.--------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The pastor of a Catholic parish in Topeka has been suspended from his public duties after being accused of sexually abusing a minor, the archdiocese for northeast Kansas announced Monday.The Rev. John Pilcher of Mater Dei parish denies the allegation and is fully cooperating, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said. He will remain on leave until an investigation is complete and an independent review board has made a recommendation to Archbishop Joseph Naumann.The archdiocese said that law enforcement was notified and announcement about the allegation made at all weekend Masses.The parish includes two churches, Assumption across the street north of the Statehouse and Holy Name in central Topeka. They once were in separate parishes that merged in 2006.The archdiocese said anyone with knowledge about the case regarding Pilcher or about any other misconduct should contact civil authorities first, then make a report to its confidential report line.

DA won't bring charges against Kan. priest accused of sex crimes

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/26/environmental-group-raises-concerns-about-new-groundwater-contamination-at-alten-plant/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — An environmental watchdog group is raising concerns about new 
groundwater sampling that shows some high concentrations of pesticides 
in the vicinity of the AltEn ethanol plant in Mead.

Eight
 of the nine test wells recently drilled showed some level of pesticide 
contamination, according to the Perivallon Group, a collection of 
environmental groups concerned about long-term contamination in the 
vicinity of the plant.

The
 AltEn plant had been using waste seed corn, coated in pesticides, to 
produce ethanol. The facility was shut down last year by the Nebraska 
Department of Environment and Energy, which then sued the plant for 
violating state environmental rules.

In
 a news release, Perivallon spokesman Al Davis said the testing of wells
 sunk 50 feet below AltEn’s wastewater lagoons shows significant 
leaching of the toxic solution from the lagoons.

Davis said NDEE has documented for some time that there are holes in the damaged liners.

“Once
 again, we see that the efforts of the Nebraska Department of 
Environment and Energy, the AltEn Facility Response Group and AltEn LLC 
have not been enough to protect the aquifer from contamination,” Davis 
said.

Davis, a former state senator, was recently 
chosen as State Sen. Carol Blood’s running mate in her campaign for 
Nebraska governor. Blood, of Bellevue, &nbsp;has led the charge in the 
Nebraska Legislature to clean up the AltEn mess and hold those 
responsible accountable.

A
 phone message left with NewFields, one of the companies involved in the
 response at AltEn, was not immediately returned Tuesday afternoon. NDEE
 also did not respond immediately to an email seeking comment.

Earlier
 this year, some Mead officials said they were glad “some progress” was 
being made to clean up the plant site. “We are finally seeing some 
progress,” the Rev. John Schnell, pastor of Mead Covenant Church, said 
in February.

In
 February, Jim Macy, director of the NDEE, said his agency was visiting 
the AltEn site three times a week and was working closely with a group 
of six seed corn companies who volunteered to clean up the site at no 
cost to the state.

The
 AltEn plant has drawn national alarm as an environmental concern since 
it was revealed a year ago that the plant had, for years, been using 
contaminated seed corn. The leftover “seed cake,” after being used for 
ethanol, had been spread on nearby farm fields until the NDEE halted 
that practice.

Now
 piles of wet cake cover 16 acres at the plant. The piles were recently 
covered with a plaster-like covering called Posi-shell. About 180 
million gallons of polluted wastewater are held in the wastewater 
lagoons.

NDEE records indicate that monitoring wells were drilled last month to a depth of up to 55 feet.

Perivallon
 said that of most concern are the levels of three contaminants found in
 the groundwater: Mefenoxam, a fungicide, which tested at 2,700 
micrograms per liter; Thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid, at 2,000 micrograms
 per liter; and the insecticide Chlorantraniliprole, which tested at 960
 micrograms per liter.

Judy
 Wu-Smart, the lead entomologist at the Bee Lab at the nearby&nbsp; 
University of Nebraska-Lincoln research station, said the levels of 
pesticides are not yet at the level to cause “acute toxicity” in 
mammals, but she said they present a lethal risk for aquatic 
invertebrates and beneficial insects. A significant drop in the bee 
population near the AltEn plant in recent years has drawn concerns.

Davis said that his group is also concerned about a “mysterious drop” in the levels of wastewater lagoons at the AltEn site.&nbsp;

That, he said, may be the reason contaminants have leeched into the groundwater.

The
 shallow aquifer in that area, the Todd Valley Aquifer,&nbsp; spans about a 
third of Saunders County and stretches from Mead to Ashland, Parivallon 
said. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651068619326.png" alt="The AltEn Ethanol plant south of Mead, Nebraska, is now closed. It is subject to a clean-up order from state environmental regulators. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The AltEn Ethanol plant south of Mead, Nebraska, is now closed. It is subject to a clean-up order from state environmental regulators. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/26/environmental-group-raises-concerns-about-new-groundwater-contamination-at-alten-plant/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — An environmental watchdog group is raising concerns about new 
groundwater sampling that shows some high concentrations of pesticides 
in the vicinity of the AltEn ethanol plant in Mead.Eight
 of the nine test wells recently drilled showed some level of pesticide 
contamination, according to the Perivallon Group, a collection of 
environmental groups concerned about long-term contamination in the 
vicinity of the plant.The
 AltEn plant had been using waste seed corn, coated in pesticides, to 
produce ethanol. The facility was shut down last year by the Nebraska 
Department of Environment and Energy, which then sued the plant for 
violating state environmental rules.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651068684010.jpeg" alt="Former State Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis (Courtesy Davis for Legislature campaign)" />
 <figcaption>Former State Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis (Courtesy Davis for Legislature campaign)</figcaption>
 </figure>In
 a news release, Perivallon spokesman Al Davis said the testing of wells
 sunk 50 feet below AltEn’s wastewater lagoons shows significant 
leaching of the toxic solution from the lagoons.<h2>Holes in liners</h2>Davis said NDEE has documented for some time that there are holes in the damaged liners.“Once
 again, we see that the efforts of the Nebraska Department of 
Environment and Energy, the AltEn Facility Response Group and AltEn LLC 
have not been enough to protect the aquifer from contamination,” Davis 
said.Davis, a former state senator, was recently 
chosen as State Sen. Carol Blood’s running mate in her campaign for 
Nebraska governor. Blood, of Bellevue, &nbsp;has led the charge in the 
Nebraska Legislature to clean up the AltEn mess and hold those 
responsible accountable.A
 phone message left with NewFields, one of the companies involved in the
 response at AltEn, was not immediately returned Tuesday afternoon. NDEE
 also did not respond immediately to an email seeking comment.<h2>‘Some progress’</h2>Earlier
 this year, some Mead officials said they were glad “some progress” was 
being made to clean up the plant site. “We are finally seeing some 
progress,” the Rev. John Schnell, pastor of Mead Covenant Church, said 
in February.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651068709867.jpeg" alt="Jim Macy, director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Jim Macy, director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>In
 February, Jim Macy, director of the NDEE, said his agency was visiting 
the AltEn site three times a week and was working closely with a group 
of six seed corn companies who volunteered to clean up the site at no 
cost to the state.The
 AltEn plant has drawn national alarm as an environmental concern since 
it was revealed a year ago that the plant had, for years, been using 
contaminated seed corn. The leftover “seed cake,” after being used for 
ethanol, had been spread on nearby farm fields until the NDEE halted 
that practice.Now
 piles of wet cake cover 16 acres at the plant. The piles were recently 
covered with a plaster-like covering called Posi-shell. About 180 
million gallons of polluted wastewater are held in the wastewater 
lagoons.NDEE records indicate that monitoring wells were drilled last month to a depth of up to 55 feet.Perivallon
 said that of most concern are the levels of three contaminants found in
 the groundwater: Mefenoxam, a fungicide, which tested at 2,700 
micrograms per liter; Thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid, at 2,000 micrograms
 per liter; and the insecticide Chlorantraniliprole, which tested at 960
 micrograms per liter.<h2>Beneficial insects at risk</h2>Judy
 Wu-Smart, the lead entomologist at the Bee Lab at the nearby&nbsp; 
University of Nebraska-Lincoln research station, said the levels of 
pesticides are not yet at the level to cause “acute toxicity” in 
mammals, but she said they present a lethal risk for aquatic 
invertebrates and beneficial insects. A significant drop in the bee 
population near the AltEn plant in recent years has drawn concerns.Davis said that his group is also concerned about a “mysterious drop” in the levels of wastewater lagoons at the AltEn site.&nbsp;That, he said, may be the reason contaminants have leeched into the groundwater.The
 shallow aquifer in that area, the Todd Valley Aquifer,&nbsp; spans about a 
third of Saunders County and stretches from Mead to Ashland, Parivallon 
said.

Group raises concerns about contamination at Neb. ethanol plant

WASHINGTON, DC.&nbsp;–&nbsp;U.S. Senator Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Tuesday participated in the committee’s hearing on her bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=ED39FFA4-8F1D-4211-80F9-1B4F3EBD11CA">Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act</a>.

During her opening remarks and line of questioning, Sen. Fischer highlighted how herlegislation&nbsp;would&nbsp;ensure every segment of the beef supply chain can succeed. She also noted&nbsp;that&nbsp;while there is near universal concern over the lack of&nbsp;price&nbsp;discovery&nbsp;and market&nbsp;transparency,&nbsp;voluntary efforts to address these concerns have largely failed&nbsp;from a lack of packer participation.&nbsp;Furthermore,&nbsp;instead of being in the driver’s seat,&nbsp;as was claimed by some witnesses, family ranchers often face a “take it or leave it” market.&nbsp;Finally, Sen. Fischer heard from a producer&nbsp;witness how increases&nbsp;in&nbsp;negotiated&nbsp;sales have not resulted in the economic losses some opponents have predicted.

Two panels of witnesses appeared before the committee. Panel one consisted of&nbsp;USDA Senior Advisor for Fair and Competitive Markets Andy Green&nbsp;and&nbsp;USDA Administrator for Agricultural Marketing Service&nbsp;Bruce Summers.&nbsp;Panel Two consisted of&nbsp;William Ruffin of Ruffin Farms, Kansas Livestock Association and Tiffany Cattle Company President-elect Shawn Tiffany, Ziesch Ranch Owner/Operator Shelly Ziesch, and Colorado State Agricultural &amp; Resource Economics Professor Dr. Stephen Koontz.

WASHINGTON, DC.&nbsp;–&nbsp;U.S. Senator Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Tuesday participated in the committee’s hearing on her bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=ED39FFA4-8F1D-4211-80F9-1B4F3EBD11CA">Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act</a>.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/36fRJqLsVz4?start=8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>During her opening remarks and line of questioning, Sen. Fischer highlighted how herlegislation&nbsp;would&nbsp;ensure every segment of the beef supply chain can succeed. She also noted&nbsp;that&nbsp;while there is near universal concern over the lack of&nbsp;price&nbsp;discovery&nbsp;and market&nbsp;transparency,&nbsp;voluntary efforts to address these concerns have largely failed&nbsp;from a lack of packer participation.&nbsp;Furthermore,&nbsp;instead of being in the driver’s seat,&nbsp;as was claimed by some witnesses, family ranchers often face a “take it or leave it” market.&nbsp;Finally, Sen. Fischer heard from a producer&nbsp;witness how increases&nbsp;in&nbsp;negotiated&nbsp;sales have not resulted in the economic losses some opponents have predicted.Two panels of witnesses appeared before the committee. Panel one consisted of&nbsp;USDA Senior Advisor for Fair and Competitive Markets Andy Green&nbsp;and&nbsp;USDA Administrator for Agricultural Marketing Service&nbsp;Bruce Summers.&nbsp;Panel Two consisted of&nbsp;William Ruffin of Ruffin Farms, Kansas Livestock Association and Tiffany Cattle Company President-elect Shawn Tiffany, Ziesch Ranch Owner/Operator Shelly Ziesch, and Colorado State Agricultural &amp; Resource Economics Professor Dr. Stephen Koontz.

🎥 Ag Committee hearing on Sen. Fischer’s cattle price discovery, transparency act

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, will pay $497,500 to a woman who was injured when she says police fired rubber bullets during racial justice protests in 2020. 

Elise Poole sued the city after she was struck by a rubber bullet during protests near downtown Lincoln on May 31, 2020. 

By Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, will pay $497,500 to a woman who was injured when she says police fired rubber bullets during racial justice protests in 2020. Elise Poole sued the city after she was struck by a rubber bullet during protests near downtown Lincoln on May 31, 2020. The lawsuit claimed that Poole was trying to flee after law enforcement officers fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of protesters. Her attorney said she was struck in the face by a rubber bullet and needed emergency surgery to reattach her nose. The city of Lincoln does not admit liability. City Attorney Yohance Christie said officials do not know exactly what caused Poole's injuries.