SUPERIOR&nbsp; — A wanted subject was arrested Sunday following a standoff at a residence in Superior. The operation began with an investigation by the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office.

Sunday morning, the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT Team to serve an arrest warrant on an individual at a home at 224 Collett Street in Superior. The suspect, identified as Clint Younger, 38, was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants.

After repeated announcements were made for Younger to voluntarily leave the home, SWAT members made entry into the home and made contact with Younger and a female subject. Both were taken into custody without further incident.

Younger was lodged in Nuckolls County Jail for the outstanding warrants. The female, identified as Stacy Delamotte, 34, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and released.&nbsp;

The entire incident lasted approximately 90 minutes. The Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office, Superior Police Department, and Nebraska State Patrol collaborated in this operation.

SUPERIOR&nbsp; — A wanted subject was arrested Sunday following a standoff at a residence in Superior. The operation began with an investigation by the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office.Sunday morning, the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT Team to serve an arrest warrant on an individual at a home at 224 Collett Street in Superior. The suspect, identified as Clint Younger, 38, was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants.After repeated announcements were made for Younger to voluntarily leave the home, SWAT members made entry into the home and made contact with Younger and a female subject. Both were taken into custody without further incident.Younger was lodged in Nuckolls County Jail for the outstanding warrants. The female, identified as Stacy Delamotte, 34, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and released.&nbsp;The entire incident lasted approximately 90 minutes. The Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office, Superior Police Department, and Nebraska State Patrol collaborated in this operation.

Wanted subject arrested following standoff in Superior

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police have identified a man killed in a reported shooting in Lincoln over the weekend. 

Police said in a news release Monday that officers called Saturday to an apartment complex for a report of a disturbance found 76-year-old Luis Noguera, of Lincoln, dead in a hallway with wounds to his head. 

Police had said a day earlier that the wounds appeared to be from a shooting. 

Police arrested 52-year-old Timothy McPeak on suspicion of second-degree murder and a weapons count. 

Investigators say Noguera and McPeak were both residents in the apartment building and had argued before the attack.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police have identified a man killed in a reported shooting in Lincoln over the weekend. Police said in a news release Monday that officers called Saturday to an apartment complex for a report of a disturbance found 76-year-old Luis Noguera, of Lincoln, dead in a hallway with wounds to his head. Police had said a day earlier that the wounds appeared to be from a shooting. An autopsy has been scheduled. Police arrested 52-year-old Timothy McPeak on suspicion of second-degree murder and a weapons count. Investigators say Noguera and McPeak were both residents in the apartment building and had argued before the attack.

Police identify 76-year-old man shot to death in Lincoln

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, has died. He was 65.

Taylor's family and the company say Taylor took his own life after suffering from symptoms related to COVID-19, including severe tinnitus. Tinnitus is a common condition involving ringing or other noises in one or both ears.

Experts say the coronavirus can exacerbate tinnitus problems. A statement says Taylor's suffering greatly intensified in recent days and became unbearable. Taylor recently committed to funding a clinical study to help military members suffering from tinnitus.

Taylor opened the first Texas Roadhouse restaurant in 1993. The company is based in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, has died. He was 65.Taylor's family and the company say Taylor took his own life after suffering from symptoms related to COVID-19, including severe tinnitus. Tinnitus is a common condition involving ringing or other noises in one or both ears.Experts say the coronavirus can exacerbate tinnitus problems. A statement says Taylor's suffering greatly intensified in recent days and became unbearable. Taylor recently committed to funding a clinical study to help military members suffering from tinnitus.Taylor opened the first Texas Roadhouse restaurant in 1993. The company is based in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Texas Roadhouse CEO Kent Taylor dies amid COVID-19 struggle

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — State health officials reported three new coronavirus deaths in South Dakota Saturday and 205 new infections.

 Those who died were all over 80 years of age and included one man and two women from Davison, Grant and Minnehaha counties. 

The new infections bring the state’s total to 115,723 with 2,233 of those still active cases. 

There are 69 people hospitalized in South Dakota with 18 patients in intensive care and four on ventilators. 

In the Black Hills region hospitals, three patients are being treated for COVID-19 with one in ICU and no one on a ventilator.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — State health officials reported three new coronavirus deaths in South Dakota Saturday and 205 new infections. Those who died were all over 80 years of age and included one man and two women from Davison, Grant and Minnehaha counties. The new infections bring the state’s total to 115,723 with 2,233 of those still active cases. There are 69 people hospitalized in South Dakota with 18 patients in intensive care and four on ventilators. In the Black Hills region hospitals, three patients are being treated for COVID-19 with one in ICU and no one on a ventilator.

3 additional COVID-19 deaths in South Dakota, 205 new infections

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that the 
next batch of Economic Impact Payments will be issued to taxpayers this 
week, with many of these coming by paper check or prepaid debit card.

For taxpayers receiving direct deposit, this batch of payments began 
processing on Friday and will have an official pay date of Wednesday, 
March 24, with some people seeing these in their accounts earlier, 
potentially as provisional or pending deposits. A large number of this 
latest batch of payments will also be mailed, so taxpayers who do not 
receive a direct deposit by March 24 should watch the mail carefully in 
the coming weeks for a paper check or a prepaid debit card, known as an 
Economic Impact Payment Card, or EIP Card.

No action is needed by most people to obtain this round of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs). People can check the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov on to see if the their payment has been scheduled.

"The IRS continues to send the third round of stimulus payments in 
record time," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Since this new set of
 payments will include more mailed payments, we urge people to carefully
 watch their mail for a check or debit card in the coming weeks."

Following enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, the 
IRS moved quickly to start delivering the third round of Economic Impact
 Payments. The IRS initiated the first batch of the $1,400 stimulus 
payments, mostly by direct deposit, on March 12.

Today marks the second batch of payments, with additional payments 
anticipated on a weekly basis going forward. The vast majority of 
taxpayers receiving EIPs will receive it by direct deposit. In addition,
 the IRS and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service leveraged data in their 
systems to convert many payments to direct deposits that otherwise would
 have been sent as paper checks or debit cards. This accelerated the 
disbursement of these payments by weeks.

Watch the mail for paper checks, EIP Cards

Taxpayers should note that the form of payment for the third EIP may 
be different than earlier stimulus payments. More people are receiving 
direct deposits, while those receiving them in the mail may get either a
 paper check or an EIP Card – which may be different than how they 
received their previous stimulus payments. IRS and the Treasury 
Department urge eligible people who have not received a direct deposit 
to watch their mail carefully during this period.

Paper checks will arrive by mail in a white envelope from the U.S. 
Department of the Treasury. For those taxpayers who received their tax 
refund by mail, this paper check will look similar, but will be labeled 
as an "Economic Impact Payment" in the memo field.

The EIP Card will also come in a white envelope prominently 
displaying the seal of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The card has
 the Visa name on the front and the issuing bank,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. on the 
back. Information included with the card will explain that this is an 
Economic Impact Payment. Each mailing will include instructions on how 
to securely activate and use the card. It is important to note that none
 of the EIP cards issued for any of the three rounds is reloadable; 
recipients will receive a separate card and will not be able to reload 
funds onto an existing card. EIP Cards are safe, convenient, and secure.
 EIP Card recipients can make purchases online or in stores anywhere 
Visa Debit Cards are accepted. They can get cash from domestic 
in-network ATMs, transfer funds to a personal bank account, and obtain a
 replacement EIP Card if needed without incurring any fees. They can 
also check their card balance online, through a mobile app, or by phone 
without incurring fees. The EIP Card provides consumer protections 
against fraud, loss, and other errors. The EIP Card is sponsored by the 
Bureau of the Fiscal Service and is issued by Treasury's financial 
agent,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. The IRS does not determine who receives a prepaid 
debit card.

More information about these cards is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eipcard.com/">EIPcard.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that the 
next batch of Economic Impact Payments will be issued to taxpayers this 
week, with many of these coming by paper check or prepaid debit card.For taxpayers receiving direct deposit, this batch of payments began 
processing on Friday and will have an official pay date of Wednesday, 
March 24, with some people seeing these in their accounts earlier, 
potentially as provisional or pending deposits. A large number of this 
latest batch of payments will also be mailed, so taxpayers who do not 
receive a direct deposit by March 24 should watch the mail carefully in 
the coming weeks for a paper check or a prepaid debit card, known as an 
Economic Impact Payment Card, or EIP Card.No action is needed by most people to obtain this round of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs). People can check the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov on to see if the their payment has been scheduled."The IRS continues to send the third round of stimulus payments in 
record time," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Since this new set of
 payments will include more mailed payments, we urge people to carefully
 watch their mail for a check or debit card in the coming weeks."Following enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, the 
IRS moved quickly to start delivering the third round of Economic Impact
 Payments. The IRS initiated the first batch of the $1,400 stimulus 
payments, mostly by direct deposit, on March 12.Today marks the second batch of payments, with additional payments 
anticipated on a weekly basis going forward. The vast majority of 
taxpayers receiving EIPs will receive it by direct deposit. In addition,
 the IRS and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service leveraged data in their 
systems to convert many payments to direct deposits that otherwise would
 have been sent as paper checks or debit cards. This accelerated the 
disbursement of these payments by weeks.<h2>Watch the mail for paper checks, EIP Cards</h2>Taxpayers should note that the form of payment for the third EIP may 
be different than earlier stimulus payments. More people are receiving 
direct deposits, while those receiving them in the mail may get either a
 paper check or an EIP Card – which may be different than how they 
received their previous stimulus payments. IRS and the Treasury 
Department urge eligible people who have not received a direct deposit 
to watch their mail carefully during this period.Paper checks will arrive by mail in a white envelope from the U.S. 
Department of the Treasury. For those taxpayers who received their tax 
refund by mail, this paper check will look similar, but will be labeled 
as an "Economic Impact Payment" in the memo field.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616432859263.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The EIP Card will also come in a white envelope prominently 
displaying the seal of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The card has
 the Visa name on the front and the issuing bank,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. on the 
back. Information included with the card will explain that this is an 
Economic Impact Payment. Each mailing will include instructions on how 
to securely activate and use the card. It is important to note that none
 of the EIP cards issued for any of the three rounds is reloadable; 
recipients will receive a separate card and will not be able to reload 
funds onto an existing card. EIP Cards are safe, convenient, and secure.
 EIP Card recipients can make purchases online or in stores anywhere 
Visa Debit Cards are accepted. They can get cash from domestic 
in-network ATMs, transfer funds to a personal bank account, and obtain a
 replacement EIP Card if needed without incurring any fees. They can 
also check their card balance online, through a mobile app, or by phone 
without incurring fees. The EIP Card provides consumer protections 
against fraud, loss, and other errors. The EIP Card is sponsored by the 
Bureau of the Fiscal Service and is issued by Treasury's financial 
agent,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. The IRS does not determine who receives a prepaid 
debit card.More information about these cards is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eipcard.com/">EIPcard.com</a>.

IRS: Next round of stimulus payments via check or debit cards

LONDON (AP) — AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States, the company announced Monday.

AstraZeneca said its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-regulator-review-astrazeneca-shot-blood-clot-links-437190969ed016e40bdfcbb4b63fc7a9">rare blood clots identified in Europe</a>.

Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorized in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the U.S. — and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-pause-astrazeneca-doubt-elsewhere-3ae7c1aca20f36c03cacbe7c3f23d1a7">struggled to gain public trust</a>&nbsp;amid a troubled rollout. The study comprised more than 30,000 volunteers, of whom two-thirds were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots.

In a statement, AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine had a 79% efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and was 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalization, though it has not yet published full data. Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people — something previous studies in other countries had failed to establish. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were given to people four weeks apart.

“These findings reconfirm previous results observed,” said Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester School of Medicine who helped lead the trial. “It’s exciting to see similar efficacy results in people over 65 for the first time.”

The AstraZeneca shot is a pillar of a U.N.-backed project known as COVAX that aims to get COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries, and it has also become a key tool in European countries’ efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts.

The early findings from the U.S. study are just one set of information AstraZeneca must submit to the Food and Drug Administration. An FDA advisory committee will publicly debate the evidence behind the shots before the agency decides whether to allow emergency use of the vaccine. In the past, the time between a company revealing efficacy data and a shot being authorized in the U.S. has been about a month.

Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester who was not connected to the study, described the results as “good news” for the vaccine.

“The earlier U.K., Brazil, South Africa trials had a more variable and inconsistent design and it was thought that the U.S. FDA would never approve the use of the AZ vaccine on this basis, but now the U.S. clinical trial has confirmed the efficacy of this vaccine in their own clinical trials,” he said.

Scientists have been awaiting results of the U.S. study in hopes it will clear up some of the confusion about just how well the shots really work, particularly in older people. Previous research suggested the vaccine was effective in younger populations, but there were no solid data proving its efficacy in those over 65, often those most vulnerable to COVID-19.

Britain first authorized the vaccine based on partial results from testing in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa that suggested the shots were about 70% effective. But those results were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that led some participants to get just a half dose in their first shot — an error the researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge.

Then came more questions, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">how well the vaccine protected older adults</a>&nbsp;and how long to wait before the second dose. Some European countries including Germany, France and Belgium initially withheld the shot from older adults and only reversed their decisions after new data suggested it was offering seniors protection.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine development was rocky in the U.S., too. Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration suspended the company’s study for an unusual six weeks, as frustrated regulators sought information about some neurologic complaints reported in Britain; ultimately, there was no evidence the vaccine was to blame.

Last week, more than a dozen countries, mostly in Europe, temporarily suspended their use of the AstraZeneca shot after reports it was linked to blood clots. On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency concluded after an investigation that the vaccine did not raise the overall risk of blood clots, but could not rule out that it was connected to two very rare types of clots. It recommended adding a warning about these cases to the vaccine’s leaflet.

It’s not unheard of for such rare problems to crop up as vaccines are rolled out since trials typically look at tens of thousands of people, and some issues are only seen once the shot is used in millions of people.

France, Germany, Italy and other countries subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-germany-coronavirus-pandemic-08d5b84cdd1ceddf1557f68f61332c26">resumed their use of the shot</a>&nbsp;on Friday, with senior politicians rolling up their sleeves to show the vaccine was safe.

AstraZeneca said it would continue to analyze the U.S. data before submitting it to the FDA in the coming weeks. It said the data would also soon be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is what scientists call a “viral vector” vaccine. The shots are made with a harmless virus, a cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees. It acts like a Trojan horse to carry the spike protein’s genetic material into the body, which in turn produces some harmless protein. That primes the immune system to fight if the real virus comes along.

Two other companies, Johnson &amp; Johnson and China’s CanSino Biologics, make COVID-19 vaccines using the same technology but using different cold viruses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616409995625.png" alt="Photo courtesy AstraZeneca" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AstraZeneca</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States, the company announced Monday.AstraZeneca said its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-regulator-review-astrazeneca-shot-blood-clot-links-437190969ed016e40bdfcbb4b63fc7a9">rare blood clots identified in Europe</a>.Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorized in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the U.S. — and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-pause-astrazeneca-doubt-elsewhere-3ae7c1aca20f36c03cacbe7c3f23d1a7">struggled to gain public trust</a>&nbsp;amid a troubled rollout. The study comprised more than 30,000 volunteers, of whom two-thirds were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots.In a statement, AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine had a 79% efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and was 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalization, though it has not yet published full data. Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people — something previous studies in other countries had failed to establish. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were given to people four weeks apart.“These findings reconfirm previous results observed,” said Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester School of Medicine who helped lead the trial. “It’s exciting to see similar efficacy results in people over 65 for the first time.”The AstraZeneca shot is a pillar of a U.N.-backed project known as COVAX that aims to get COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries, and it has also become a key tool in European countries’ efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts.The early findings from the U.S. study are just one set of information AstraZeneca must submit to the Food and Drug Administration. An FDA advisory committee will publicly debate the evidence behind the shots before the agency decides whether to allow emergency use of the vaccine. In the past, the time between a company revealing efficacy data and a shot being authorized in the U.S. has been about a month.Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester who was not connected to the study, described the results as “good news” for the vaccine.“The earlier U.K., Brazil, South Africa trials had a more variable and inconsistent design and it was thought that the U.S. FDA would never approve the use of the AZ vaccine on this basis, but now the U.S. clinical trial has confirmed the efficacy of this vaccine in their own clinical trials,” he said.Scientists have been awaiting results of the U.S. study in hopes it will clear up some of the confusion about just how well the shots really work, particularly in older people. Previous research suggested the vaccine was effective in younger populations, but there were no solid data proving its efficacy in those over 65, often those most vulnerable to COVID-19.Britain first authorized the vaccine based on partial results from testing in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa that suggested the shots were about 70% effective. But those results were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that led some participants to get just a half dose in their first shot — an error the researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge.Then came more questions, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">how well the vaccine protected older adults</a>&nbsp;and how long to wait before the second dose. Some European countries including Germany, France and Belgium initially withheld the shot from older adults and only reversed their decisions after new data suggested it was offering seniors protection.AstraZeneca’s vaccine development was rocky in the U.S., too. Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration suspended the company’s study for an unusual six weeks, as frustrated regulators sought information about some neurologic complaints reported in Britain; ultimately, there was no evidence the vaccine was to blame.Last week, more than a dozen countries, mostly in Europe, temporarily suspended their use of the AstraZeneca shot after reports it was linked to blood clots. On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency concluded after an investigation that the vaccine did not raise the overall risk of blood clots, but could not rule out that it was connected to two very rare types of clots. It recommended adding a warning about these cases to the vaccine’s leaflet.It’s not unheard of for such rare problems to crop up as vaccines are rolled out since trials typically look at tens of thousands of people, and some issues are only seen once the shot is used in millions of people.France, Germany, Italy and other countries subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-germany-coronavirus-pandemic-08d5b84cdd1ceddf1557f68f61332c26">resumed their use of the shot</a>&nbsp;on Friday, with senior politicians rolling up their sleeves to show the vaccine was safe.AstraZeneca said it would continue to analyze the U.S. data before submitting it to the FDA in the coming weeks. It said the data would also soon be published in a peer-reviewed journal.The AstraZeneca vaccine is what scientists call a “viral vector” vaccine. The shots are made with a harmless virus, a cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees. It acts like a Trojan horse to carry the spike protein’s genetic material into the body, which in turn produces some harmless protein. That primes the immune system to fight if the real virus comes along.Two other companies, Johnson &amp; Johnson and China’s CanSino Biologics, make COVID-19 vaccines using the same technology but using different cold viruses.___

AstraZeneca: US data shows vaccine effective for all ages

WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as they use their own funds to offset those cuts.

Republican governors, lawmakers and attorneys general have expressed apprehension about a provision in the wide-ranging relief act signed by President Joe Biden that prohibits states from using $195 billion of federal aid “to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction” in net tax revenue. The restriction could apply through 2024.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, on Wednesday asked a federal judge to block the tax-cut provision.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-arizona-coronavirus-pandemic-west-virginia-d924f907e9879189289d4b5d4ae846df">Republican attorneys general from 21 other states</a>&nbsp;wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen seeking clarification on the prohibition, which they said could be construed “to deny states the ability to cut taxes in any manner whatsoever.”

A treasury spokesperson told The Associated Press that the provision isn’t meant as a blanket prohibition on tax cuts. States can still offset tax reductions through other means.

“In other words, states are free to make policy decisions to cut taxes – they just cannot use the pandemic relief funds to pay for those tax cuts,” the Treasury Department said.

The treasury’s application of the law could provide clearance for some tax cuts, such as Missouri legislation that would expand online sales taxes to offset proposed income tax reductions in 2023. Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig said he thinks his legislation is OK but has asked the state attorney general for guidance on whether it could run afoul of the federal law.

“To say that we’re cutting taxes because of the (federal) money would be a ridiculous argument,” Koenig said, “because this is an entire package that is completely separate.”

Top Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have made income tax cuts a priority for several years. House Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch recently decried the federal government’s attempts to guide state tax policy.

“It absolutely should be up to the states to decide what their tax rates are and how much their citizens have to pay in taxes,” Finch said.

But Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed two GOP tax-cutting bills in 2019, welcomed the restrictions on using federal pandemic aid to offset tax cuts. She said Kansas is still “digging out” from budget shortfalls that followed a tax-cutting experiment in 2012-13 under former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.

“I’m glad that we can’t use this money for tax cuts,” Kelly said. “I don’t think we should do tax cuts anyway at this point as we are recovering from this pandemic.”

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said formal guidance from the Treasury Department will be critical in determining how much flexibility exists for states. The Republican governor, however, wants lawmakers to move forward with his proposal to set aside $50 million for tax reductions, including a cut to sales taxes on used vehicles.

“We should not let federal restrictions weigh in on that direction we’re going as a state,” Hutchinson said.

The nonprofit Tax Foundation said in an analysis last week that state tax cuts financed by natural growth in state revenue or new tax hikes likely are fine under the federal law. But it said questions could arise if states use the aid to pay public health workers, freeing existing state revenue and contributing to a surplus that helps finance a tax cut.

Yost said he sued because “the federal government should be encouraging states to innovate and grow business, not holding vital relief funding hostage to its preferred pro-tax policies.”

Legislatures in numerous states are considering tax cuts this year.

The Republican-led Oklahoma House last week passed bills to reduce the corporate and individual income tax rates and restore the ability for a refund of the earned income tax credit. The Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates those bills could cost the state $103 million next year and $284 million the following year. But the House speaker’s office said a $1 billion surplus gives the state plenty of room to offset potential tax cuts.

The Republican-controlled Mississippi House has passed legislation that would phase out the state income tax, cut the grocery tax in half and increase the sales tax on most items. The plan faces opposition in the GOP-led Senate, but so does the federal limitation on state tax reductions.

“Our tax policy needs to be formulated on what’s best for Mississippi, not ... as the winds blow from D.C.,” said Sen. Josh Harkins, a Republican who is chairman of the state Senate Finance Committee.

Georgia Republicans are working on a $140 million annual cut that would raise the income threshold at which taxes begin. Some Republicans also are maneuvering to cut the top income tax rate. That plan, which was shelved last year among fears of a sharp drop in state revenue, would forgo more than $500 million a year. Proposed business tax incentives also are moving through the Legislature.

Louisiana’s Republican-led Legislature plans to debate a tax overhaul during its session that begins in mid-April. GOP leaders have said they want to keep it as close to “revenue neutral” as possible, and Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he won’t support any package that cuts revenue.

“But we fear the provisions in the federal law could put this work in jeopardy,” said Dawn Starns McVea, the Louisiana director of the National Federation of Independent Business.

The federal law’s tax cut provision also has created uncertainty in Utah, where the Republican-led Legislature passed $100 million in tax cuts this year benefitting families, veterans and older residents receiving Social Security. The state Tax Commission chairman said the reductions would have happened regardless of whether Utah received federal coronavirus relief, but Republican Attorney General Sean Reyes said those tax cuts are “now at risk” because of the federal law.

Under the law, states that use part of their aid to offset tax reductions could have to repay an equal amount to the federal government. Because of uncertainty over what could trigger that, the Republican chairman of South Carolina’s House budget-writing committee said he plans to move slowly in using the federal money.

“If you put it toward replenishing unemployment, is that considered a tax cut for businesses?” Rep. Murrell Smith said. “If you wanted to set up a small business grant program, is that going to be ... a tax cut for small business owners?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616028076289.png" alt="“I’m glad that we can’t use this money for tax cuts,” Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said. “I don’t think we should do tax cuts anyway at this point as we are recovering from this pandemic.”" />
 <figcaption>“I’m glad that we can’t use this money for tax cuts,” Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said. “I don’t think we should do tax cuts anyway at this point as we are recovering from this pandemic.”</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as they use their own funds to offset those cuts.Republican governors, lawmakers and attorneys general have expressed apprehension about a provision in the wide-ranging relief act signed by President Joe Biden that prohibits states from using $195 billion of federal aid “to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction” in net tax revenue. The restriction could apply through 2024.Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, on Wednesday asked a federal judge to block the tax-cut provision.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-arizona-coronavirus-pandemic-west-virginia-d924f907e9879189289d4b5d4ae846df">Republican attorneys general from 21 other states</a>&nbsp;wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen seeking clarification on the prohibition, which they said could be construed “to deny states the ability to cut taxes in any manner whatsoever.”A treasury spokesperson told The Associated Press that the provision isn’t meant as a blanket prohibition on tax cuts. States can still offset tax reductions through other means.“In other words, states are free to make policy decisions to cut taxes – they just cannot use the pandemic relief funds to pay for those tax cuts,” the Treasury Department said.The treasury’s application of the law could provide clearance for some tax cuts, such as Missouri legislation that would expand online sales taxes to offset proposed income tax reductions in 2023. Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig said he thinks his legislation is OK but has asked the state attorney general for guidance on whether it could run afoul of the federal law.“To say that we’re cutting taxes because of the (federal) money would be a ridiculous argument,” Koenig said, “because this is an entire package that is completely separate.”Top Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have made income tax cuts a priority for several years. House Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch recently decried the federal government’s attempts to guide state tax policy.“It absolutely should be up to the states to decide what their tax rates are and how much their citizens have to pay in taxes,” Finch said.But Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed two GOP tax-cutting bills in 2019, welcomed the restrictions on using federal pandemic aid to offset tax cuts. She said Kansas is still “digging out” from budget shortfalls that followed a tax-cutting experiment in 2012-13 under former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.“I’m glad that we can’t use this money for tax cuts,” Kelly said. “I don’t think we should do tax cuts anyway at this point as we are recovering from this pandemic.”Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said formal guidance from the Treasury Department will be critical in determining how much flexibility exists for states. The Republican governor, however, wants lawmakers to move forward with his proposal to set aside $50 million for tax reductions, including a cut to sales taxes on used vehicles.“We should not let federal restrictions weigh in on that direction we’re going as a state,” Hutchinson said.The nonprofit Tax Foundation said in an analysis last week that state tax cuts financed by natural growth in state revenue or new tax hikes likely are fine under the federal law. But it said questions could arise if states use the aid to pay public health workers, freeing existing state revenue and contributing to a surplus that helps finance a tax cut.Yost said he sued because “the federal government should be encouraging states to innovate and grow business, not holding vital relief funding hostage to its preferred pro-tax policies.”Legislatures in numerous states are considering tax cuts this year.The Republican-led Oklahoma House last week passed bills to reduce the corporate and individual income tax rates and restore the ability for a refund of the earned income tax credit. The Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates those bills could cost the state $103 million next year and $284 million the following year. But the House speaker’s office said a $1 billion surplus gives the state plenty of room to offset potential tax cuts.The Republican-controlled Mississippi House has passed legislation that would phase out the state income tax, cut the grocery tax in half and increase the sales tax on most items. The plan faces opposition in the GOP-led Senate, but so does the federal limitation on state tax reductions.“Our tax policy needs to be formulated on what’s best for Mississippi, not ... as the winds blow from D.C.,” said Sen. Josh Harkins, a Republican who is chairman of the state Senate Finance Committee.Georgia Republicans are working on a $140 million annual cut that would raise the income threshold at which taxes begin. Some Republicans also are maneuvering to cut the top income tax rate. That plan, which was shelved last year among fears of a sharp drop in state revenue, would forgo more than $500 million a year. Proposed business tax incentives also are moving through the Legislature.Louisiana’s Republican-led Legislature plans to debate a tax overhaul during its session that begins in mid-April. GOP leaders have said they want to keep it as close to “revenue neutral” as possible, and Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he won’t support any package that cuts revenue.“But we fear the provisions in the federal law could put this work in jeopardy,” said Dawn Starns McVea, the Louisiana director of the National Federation of Independent Business.The federal law’s tax cut provision also has created uncertainty in Utah, where the Republican-led Legislature passed $100 million in tax cuts this year benefitting families, veterans and older residents receiving Social Security. The state Tax Commission chairman said the reductions would have happened regardless of whether Utah received federal coronavirus relief, but Republican Attorney General Sean Reyes said those tax cuts are “now at risk” because of the federal law.Under the law, states that use part of their aid to offset tax reductions could have to repay an equal amount to the federal government. Because of uncertainty over what could trigger that, the Republican chairman of South Carolina’s House budget-writing committee said he plans to move slowly in using the federal money.“If you put it toward replenishing unemployment, is that considered a tax cut for businesses?” Rep. Murrell Smith said. “If you wanted to set up a small business grant program, is that going to be ... a tax cut for small business owners?”___

Treasury says state tax cuts OK if separated from virus aid

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 76-year-old man is dead following a shooting in Lincoln. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that police were called Saturday to a report of a disturbance and found the victim dead with gunshot wounds.

 The victim’s name has not been released, pending notification of relatives. 

Police say a 52-year-old man is jailed on suspicion of second-degree murder and a weapons crime. 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 76-year-old man is dead following a shooting in Lincoln. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that police were called Saturday to a report of a disturbance and found the victim dead with gunshot wounds. The victim’s name has not been released, pending notification of relatives. Police say a 52-year-old man is jailed on suspicion of second-degree murder and a weapons crime. Formal charges have not been filed.

76-year-old man shot to death in Lincoln

Nearly a year after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the nation’s first statewide shutdown because of the coronavirus, masks remain mandated, indoor dining and other activities are significantly limited, and Disneyland remains closed.

By contrast, Florida has no statewide restrictions. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has prohibited municipalities from fining people who refuse to wear masks. And Disney World has been open since July.

Despite their differing approaches, California and Florida have experienced almost identical outcomes in COVID-19 case rates.

How have two states that took such divergent tacks arrived at similar points?

“This is going to be an important question that we have to ask ourselves: What public health measures actually were the most impactful, and which ones had negligible effect or backfired by driving behavior underground?” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rochelle-walensky-coronavirus-pandemic-fe2e65c19506b99ebdb8f1e0badc846b">research has found&nbsp;</a>that mask mandates and limits on group activities such as indoor dining can help slow the spread of the coronavirus, states with greater government-imposed restrictions have not always fared better than those without them.

California and Florida both have a COVID-19 case rate of around 8,900 per 100,000 residents since the pandemic began, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And both rank in the middle among states for COVID-19 death rates — Florida was 27th as of Friday; California was 28th.

Connecticut and South Dakota are another example. Both rank among the 10 worst states for COVID-19 death rates. Yet Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, imposed numerous statewide restrictions over the past year after an early surge in deaths, while South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, issued no mandates as virus deaths soared in the fall.

While Lamont ordered quarantines for certain out-of-state visitors, Noem launched a $5 million tourism advertising campaign and welcomed people to a massive motorcycle rally, which some health experts said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3ea1a021f82fee05736f22138df90ddf">spread the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;throughout the Midwest.

“Even in a pandemic, public health policy needs to take into account people’s economic and social well-being,” Noem said during a recent conservative convention.

Lamont recently announced that he is lifting capacity limits at retail stores, restaurants and other facilities, effective March 19. But bars that don’t serve food will remain closed and a mask mandate will continue.

“This is not Texas. This is not Mississippi. This is Connecticut,” Lamont said, referencing other states that recently lifted mask mandates.

“We’re finding what works is wearing the mask, social distancing and vaccinations,” he said.

As new COVID-19 cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-deaths-coronavirus-declining-fcec736ac8474e121bfc3b2fd41718b2">decrease</a>&nbsp;nationally, governors in more than half the states have taken actions during past two weeks to end or ease coronavirus restrictions, according to an Associated Press tally. Some capacity limits ended Friday in Maryland and Oklahoma. Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Wyoming are relaxing restrictions in the coming week.

In almost all cases, governors have lauded their approach to the pandemic, while critics have accused them of being too stringent or too lax.

California’s slow reopening is expected to gain steam in April. But Republicans in California are helping organize a recall effort against Newsom that has drawn nearly 2 million petition signatures from people frustrated over his long-lasting limits on businesses, church gatherings and people’s activities. He also faces intense pressure over public school closures and the glacial pace of getting them reopened.

Newson asserted that California has been a leader in combating the virus while delivering his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-sacramento-coronavirus-pandemic-california-gavin-newsom-d5f2c262eca65d10753554a959182673">State of the State address&nbsp;</a>this past week from Dodger Stadium, where the empty seats roughly equaled the state’s 55,000 COVID-19 deaths.

“From the earliest days of this pandemic, California trusted in science and data, and we met the moment,” Newsom said.

He added: “We’re not going to change course just because of a few naysayers and doomsdayers.”

In his own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-coronavirus-pandemic-ron-desantis-609e639c5445c8a71cd984ba51147a46">State of the State address</a>, DeSantis asserted that Florida was in better shape than others because its businesses and schools are open. Florida’s unemployment rate ranked below the national average, and significantly lower than California’s, at the start of this year.

“While so many other states kept locking people down over these many months, Florida lifted people up,” DeSantis said.

Determining which approach is best is more complicated than just looking at statewide policies and overall case rates.

Like Florida, Missouri had no statewide mask mandate, ended business restrictions last June and has a cumulative COVID-19 death rate similar to California’s. In the absence of statewide orders, many of the largest cities in Florida and Missouri imposed their own mask requirements and business restrictions. In Missouri, that meant about half the population was still subject to mask mandates.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson has touted “a balanced approach” to the pandemic that left many public health decisions up to local officials and allowed Missouri’s economy “to come back strong.” New COVID-19 cases and unemployment are both low, and consumer spending has returned to pre-pandemic levels, Parson said this past week.

State health director Randall Williams believes residents heeded Parson’s call to voluntarily mask up when Missouri’s coronavirus cases spiked last fall to some of the highest levels nationally.

Public health experts said individual choices could help explain the similar outcomes among some states with loose or strict orders from the governor.

Some people voluntarily were “being more vigilant in states where the guidelines are more relaxed,” said Thomas Tsai, an assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Yet in states with more government mandates, “people generally in public were wearing masks and following the guidelines, but in private they were letting down their guard and less vigilant,” he said.

Imposing strict measures, like forbidding families from visiting grandparents and friends from gathering, is like taking an abstinence-only approach to combating drug use and sexually transmitted disease, said Adalja, of Johns Hopkins University.

Some will comply. But other “people are going to do those activities, anyway,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586444648763.png" alt="Sign warns customers of COVID precautions at a business on Wanamaker Road in Topeka in the spring of 2020" />
 <figcaption>Sign warns customers of COVID precautions at a business on Wanamaker Road in Topeka in the spring of 2020</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID A. LIEB, Associated PressNearly a year after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the nation’s first statewide shutdown because of the coronavirus, masks remain mandated, indoor dining and other activities are significantly limited, and Disneyland remains closed.By contrast, Florida has no statewide restrictions. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has prohibited municipalities from fining people who refuse to wear masks. And Disney World has been open since July.Despite their differing approaches, California and Florida have experienced almost identical outcomes in COVID-19 case rates.How have two states that took such divergent tacks arrived at similar points?“This is going to be an important question that we have to ask ourselves: What public health measures actually were the most impactful, and which ones had negligible effect or backfired by driving behavior underground?” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.Though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rochelle-walensky-coronavirus-pandemic-fe2e65c19506b99ebdb8f1e0badc846b">research has found&nbsp;</a>that mask mandates and limits on group activities such as indoor dining can help slow the spread of the coronavirus, states with greater government-imposed restrictions have not always fared better than those without them.California and Florida both have a COVID-19 case rate of around 8,900 per 100,000 residents since the pandemic began, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And both rank in the middle among states for COVID-19 death rates — Florida was 27th as of Friday; California was 28th.Connecticut and South Dakota are another example. Both rank among the 10 worst states for COVID-19 death rates. Yet Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, imposed numerous statewide restrictions over the past year after an early surge in deaths, while South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, issued no mandates as virus deaths soared in the fall.While Lamont ordered quarantines for certain out-of-state visitors, Noem launched a $5 million tourism advertising campaign and welcomed people to a massive motorcycle rally, which some health experts said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3ea1a021f82fee05736f22138df90ddf">spread the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;throughout the Midwest.Both contend their approach is the best.“Even in a pandemic, public health policy needs to take into account people’s economic and social well-being,” Noem said during a recent conservative convention.Lamont recently announced that he is lifting capacity limits at retail stores, restaurants and other facilities, effective March 19. But bars that don’t serve food will remain closed and a mask mandate will continue.“This is not Texas. This is not Mississippi. This is Connecticut,” Lamont said, referencing other states that recently lifted mask mandates.“We’re finding what works is wearing the mask, social distancing and vaccinations,” he said.As new COVID-19 cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-deaths-coronavirus-declining-fcec736ac8474e121bfc3b2fd41718b2">decrease</a>&nbsp;nationally, governors in more than half the states have taken actions during past two weeks to end or ease coronavirus restrictions, according to an Associated Press tally. Some capacity limits ended Friday in Maryland and Oklahoma. Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Wyoming are relaxing restrictions in the coming week.In almost all cases, governors have lauded their approach to the pandemic, while critics have accused them of being too stringent or too lax.California’s slow reopening is expected to gain steam in April. But Republicans in California are helping organize a recall effort against Newsom that has drawn nearly 2 million petition signatures from people frustrated over his long-lasting limits on businesses, church gatherings and people’s activities. He also faces intense pressure over public school closures and the glacial pace of getting them reopened.Newson asserted that California has been a leader in combating the virus while delivering his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-sacramento-coronavirus-pandemic-california-gavin-newsom-d5f2c262eca65d10753554a959182673">State of the State address&nbsp;</a>this past week from Dodger Stadium, where the empty seats roughly equaled the state’s 55,000 COVID-19 deaths.“From the earliest days of this pandemic, California trusted in science and data, and we met the moment,” Newsom said.He added: “We’re not going to change course just because of a few naysayers and doomsdayers.”In his own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-coronavirus-pandemic-ron-desantis-609e639c5445c8a71cd984ba51147a46">State of the State address</a>, DeSantis asserted that Florida was in better shape than others because its businesses and schools are open. Florida’s unemployment rate ranked below the national average, and significantly lower than California’s, at the start of this year.“While so many other states kept locking people down over these many months, Florida lifted people up,” DeSantis said.Determining which approach is best is more complicated than just looking at statewide policies and overall case rates.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604316770033.png" alt="Missouri Governor Mike Parson&nbsp;has touted “a balanced approach” to the pandemic." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Governor Mike Parson&nbsp;has touted “a balanced approach” to the pandemic.</figcaption>
 </figure>Like Florida, Missouri had no statewide mask mandate, ended business restrictions last June and has a cumulative COVID-19 death rate similar to California’s. In the absence of statewide orders, many of the largest cities in Florida and Missouri imposed their own mask requirements and business restrictions. In Missouri, that meant about half the population was still subject to mask mandates.Republican Gov. Mike Parson has touted “a balanced approach” to the pandemic that left many public health decisions up to local officials and allowed Missouri’s economy “to come back strong.” New COVID-19 cases and unemployment are both low, and consumer spending has returned to pre-pandemic levels, Parson said this past week.State health director Randall Williams believes residents heeded Parson’s call to voluntarily mask up when Missouri’s coronavirus cases spiked last fall to some of the highest levels nationally.Public health experts said individual choices could help explain the similar outcomes among some states with loose or strict orders from the governor.Some people voluntarily were “being more vigilant in states where the guidelines are more relaxed,” said Thomas Tsai, an assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Yet in states with more government mandates, “people generally in public were wearing masks and following the guidelines, but in private they were letting down their guard and less vigilant,” he said.Imposing strict measures, like forbidding families from visiting grandparents and friends from gathering, is like taking an abstinence-only approach to combating drug use and sexually transmitted disease, said Adalja, of Johns Hopkins University.Some will comply. But other “people are going to do those activities, anyway,” he said.___

Virus tolls similar despite governors' contrasting actions

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida couple who spent decades as missionaries and ministers died 15 minutes apart of COVID-19. 

Bill and Esther Ilnisky were married almost 67 years when they died recently at a Palm Beach County hospice. Their daughter says while she misses them, she is consoled by the fact that they died together. 

The Ilniskys spent 10 years in Jamaica and seven in Lebanon as Christian missionaries. They then moved to West Palm Beach in the 1970s and spent four decades running an Assemblies of God church there. 

He was 88 and she was 92 when they died March 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611181661423.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida couple who spent decades as missionaries and ministers died 15 minutes apart of COVID-19. Bill and Esther Ilnisky were married almost 67 years when they died recently at a Palm Beach County hospice. Their daughter says while she misses them, she is consoled by the fact that they died together. The Ilniskys spent 10 years in Jamaica and seven in Lebanon as Christian missionaries. They then moved to West Palm Beach in the 1970s and spent four decades running an Assemblies of God church there. He was 88 and she was 92 when they died March 1.

Married 66 years, husband, wife die minutes apart of virus

LINCOLN, Neb. – The new restaurant at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, The View at Mahoney, will open April 1 and feature an Easter buffet April 4.

For the month of April, guests who enter the park only to eat at restaurant will not be required to have a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission park entry permit.

The View at Mahoney, located inside Peter Kiewit Lodge, will have a main menu, fine dining menu and kids menu. A gluten-free menu will be available upon request. It also will offer catering, to-go purchasing of sandwiches and sodas, and delivery to cabins, lodge rooms, campsites and the Ashland area. It will have an alcohol license in May.

“We’re excited to open The View, welcoming guests back with a great new dining experience at Mahoney State Park,” said Jake Rodiek, superintendent of the park. “The restaurant offers a stellar view of the Platte River and will be great place for a night out, family get-togethers and overnight park guests alike.”

For more information, call The View at Mahoney at 402-944-2882. For catering, call 402-730-1952 or email amberly@theviewatmahoney.net.

Keep up-to-date with the restaurant and its offering through its Facebook page.

LINCOLN, Neb. – The new restaurant at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, The View at Mahoney, will open April 1 and feature an Easter buffet April 4.For the month of April, guests who enter the park only to eat at restaurant will not be required to have a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission park entry permit.The View at Mahoney, located inside Peter Kiewit Lodge, will have a main menu, fine dining menu and kids menu. A gluten-free menu will be available upon request. It also will offer catering, to-go purchasing of sandwiches and sodas, and delivery to cabins, lodge rooms, campsites and the Ashland area. It will have an alcohol license in May.“We’re excited to open The View, welcoming guests back with a great new dining experience at Mahoney State Park,” said Jake Rodiek, superintendent of the park. “The restaurant offers a stellar view of the Platte River and will be great place for a night out, family get-togethers and overnight park guests alike.”For more information, call The View at Mahoney at 402-944-2882. For catering, call 402-730-1952 or email amberly@theviewatmahoney.net.Keep up-to-date with the restaurant and its offering through its Facebook page.

New restaurant The View at Mahoney will open April 1

By TOM SHINE <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/pandemic-took-toll-mental-health-experts-say-it-could-get-worse-it-gets-better">Kansas News Service</a>

While the pandemic will be remembered as a major public health crisis, it was a significant mental health emergency as well.

The Kaiser Family Foundations says <a href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use-issue-brief/" target="_blank">4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic</a>. That’s compared to 1 in 10 in 2019.

Michelle
 Calvert is the director of quality and strategic innovation at Comcare,
 a community mental health center that provides services in Sedgwick 
County.

She talked with Tom Shine and The Range about what 
Comcare has experienced since the pandemic began; when people should 
seek treatment, and what comes next for mental health as the pandemic 
winds down.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Tom
 Shine: In the first few months (of the pandemic), case calls went down,
 referrals went down, everything kind of settled down.

Then since July, you've seen a steady increase again of more cases. What … are typical things you're seeing since July?

Michelle Calvert: Our overall trends since the pandemic started is 
just people aren't reaching out for help overall. We're seeing folks 
come in who have greater mental health needs, who just are mentally 
sicker. We're seeing an increase in aggression, increase in psychosis. 
So we're just seeing this huge need that is starting to bubble over.

Why aren't they seeking help if it's out there?

There's a huge stigma associated with mental health and asking for help.

Still
 after all these years. There is just so much associated with mental 
illness that is negative And we really want to encourage the community 
to say, ‘Hey, if you're not doing OK, ask for help. If you need support,
 ask for help.’

And there are people here 24 hours a day that want to help you.

How
 do people know when it's time to seek treatment? I think all of us have
 a day where we feel kind of down in the dumps or blue. What's the 
difference between that and a serious mental health problem?

We
 know it's time to reach out for help when somebody is feeling like 
their depression, their anxiety, the things that they're struggling 
with, is starting to impact the way that they live. So I know it's a 
little bit cliché to say live, laugh, love, but when your mental health 
is impacting the way you live, so you're struggling with going to work 
or functioning as you normally would. If you're struggling with 
relationships; you're struggling to find joy and things that you would 
typically find joy in. Those are the times that you need to reach out 
for some help.

What lessons have the pandemic taught us about treating mental health?

So
 I think that the pandemic has really taught us to look out for each 
other, to be aware of what's going on. And it's really helped us to see 
that we need to support each other as much as we possibly can.

We're
 hopefully nearing the end of the pandemic. We're certainly taking the 
first steps to get there, but I would assume that mental health issues 
are going to continue for some time. Is that a fair assessment?

I
 think absolutely right. Mental health issues are going to continue for 
quite some time. And I anticipate that they will get worse before they 
get better.

I will say, though, that national research does show 
that after a natural disaster, we tend to see reduction in suicidal 
thinking and suicide attempts. However, that same research suggests that
 there is often an increase in distress, depression, anxiety and PTSD 
following those disasters.

I think that the pot is really just boiling with mental health right now, and the pandemic has just turned up the heat.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616168040318.png" alt="Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOM SHINE <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/pandemic-took-toll-mental-health-experts-say-it-could-get-worse-it-gets-better">Kansas News Service</a>While the pandemic will be remembered as a major public health crisis, it was a significant mental health emergency as well.The Kaiser Family Foundations says <a href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use-issue-brief/" target="_blank">4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic</a>. That’s compared to 1 in 10 in 2019.Michelle
 Calvert is the director of quality and strategic innovation at Comcare,
 a community mental health center that provides services in Sedgwick 
County.She talked with Tom Shine and The Range about what 
Comcare has experienced since the pandemic began; when people should 
seek treatment, and what comes next for mental health as the pandemic 
winds down.The interview was edited for length and clarity.Tom
 Shine: In the first few months (of the pandemic), case calls went down,
 referrals went down, everything kind of settled down.Then since July, you've seen a steady increase again of more cases. What … are typical things you're seeing since July?<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616168104615.jpeg" alt=" Michelle Calvert is the director of quality and strategic innovation at Comcare. Credit Courtesy" />
 <figcaption> Michelle Calvert is the director of quality and strategic innovation at Comcare. Credit Courtesy</figcaption>
 </figure>Michelle Calvert: Our overall trends since the pandemic started is 
just people aren't reaching out for help overall. We're seeing folks 
come in who have greater mental health needs, who just are mentally 
sicker. We're seeing an increase in aggression, increase in psychosis. 
So we're just seeing this huge need that is starting to bubble over.Why aren't they seeking help if it's out there?There's a huge stigma associated with mental health and asking for help.Still after all these years?Still
 after all these years. There is just so much associated with mental 
illness that is negative And we really want to encourage the community 
to say, ‘Hey, if you're not doing OK, ask for help. If you need support,
 ask for help.’And there are people here 24 hours a day that want to help you.How
 do people know when it's time to seek treatment? I think all of us have
 a day where we feel kind of down in the dumps or blue. What's the 
difference between that and a serious mental health problem?We
 know it's time to reach out for help when somebody is feeling like 
their depression, their anxiety, the things that they're struggling 
with, is starting to impact the way that they live. So I know it's a 
little bit cliché to say live, laugh, love, but when your mental health 
is impacting the way you live, so you're struggling with going to work 
or functioning as you normally would. If you're struggling with 
relationships; you're struggling to find joy and things that you would 
typically find joy in. Those are the times that you need to reach out 
for some help.What lessons have the pandemic taught us about treating mental health?So
 I think that the pandemic has really taught us to look out for each 
other, to be aware of what's going on. And it's really helped us to see 
that we need to support each other as much as we possibly can.We're
 hopefully nearing the end of the pandemic. We're certainly taking the 
first steps to get there, but I would assume that mental health issues 
are going to continue for some time. Is that a fair assessment?I
 think absolutely right. Mental health issues are going to continue for 
quite some time. And I anticipate that they will get worse before they 
get better.I will say, though, that national research does show 
that after a natural disaster, we tend to see reduction in suicidal 
thinking and suicide attempts. However, that same research suggests that
 there is often an increase in distress, depression, anxiety and PTSD 
following those disasters.I think that the pot is really just boiling with mental health right now, and the pandemic has just turned up the heat.

Pandemic took toll on mental health — and it could get worse before it gets better

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A father allegedly carried his 2-year-old daughter into an elephant habitat at the famous San Diego Zoo to take a photo with the animals. 

An elephant seemed like it wanted to charge at them, and the father dropped his child when they tried to escape the enclosure Friday. 

The elephant was not harmed, and the man was able to get his daughter out of the habitat safely. The 25-year-old father was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment. 

Police told The San Diego Union-Tribune that the man “wanted to take a photo with the African bull elephant.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616263091541.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN DIEGO (AP) — A father allegedly carried his 2-year-old daughter into an elephant habitat at the famous San Diego Zoo to take a photo with the animals. An elephant seemed like it wanted to charge at them, and the father dropped his child when they tried to escape the enclosure Friday. The elephant was not harmed, and the man was able to get his daughter out of the habitat safely. The 25-year-old father was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment. Police told The San Diego Union-Tribune that the man “wanted to take a photo with the African bull elephant.”

Man carries toddler into San Diego Zoo's elephant habitat

WASHINGTON (AP)—Four men described as leaders of the far-right Proud Boys have been charged in the U.S. Capitol riots, as an indictment ordered unsealed on Friday presents fresh evidence of how federal officials believe group members planned and carried out a coordinated attack to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

So far, at least 19 leaders, members or associates of the neo-fascist Proud Boys have been charged in federal court with offenses related to the Jan. 6 riots. The latest indictment suggests the Proud Boys deployed a much larger contingent in Washington, with over 60 users “participating in” an encrypted messaging channel for group members that was created a day before the riots.

The Proud Boys abandoned an earlier channel and created the new “Boots on the Ground” channel after police arrested the group's top leader, Enrique Tarrio, in Washington. Tarrio was arrested on Jan. 4 and charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December. He was ordered to stay out of the District of Columbia.

Tarrio hasn't been charged in connection with the riots, but the latest indictment refers to him by his title as Proud Boys' chairman.

Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs, two of the four defendants charged in the latest indictment, were arrested several weeks ago on separate but related charges. The new indictment also charges Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe.

Nordean, 30, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and member of the group’s national “Elders Council.” Biggs, 37, of Ormond Beach,&nbsp;Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl, 35, of Philadelphia, and Donohoe, 33, of&nbsp;North Carolina, serve as presidents of their local Proud Boys chapters, according to the indictment.

Attorneys for the four men didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday.

Proud Boys members, who describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists,” have frequently engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded&nbsp; the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

The Proud Boys met at the Washington Monument around 10 a.m. on Jan. 6 and marched to the Capitol before then-President Donald Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House.

Around two hours later, just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results, a group of Proud Boys followed a crowd of people who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, the indictment says. Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors.

At 3:38 p.m., Donohoe announced on the “Boots on the Ground” channel that he and others were “regrouping with a second force” as some rioters began to leave the Capitol, according to the indictment.

“This was not simply a march. This was an incredible attack on our institutions of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough said during a recent hearing for Nordean’s case.

Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making them difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

After Tarrio's arrest, Donohoe expressed concern that their encrypted communications could be “compromised” when police searched the group chairman's phone, according to the new indictment. In a Jan. 4 post on a newly created channel, Donohoe warned members that they could be “looking at Gang charges" and wrote, “Stop everything immediately,” the indictment says.

A day before the riots, Biggs posted on the “Boots on the Ground” channel that the group had a “plan” for the night before and the day of the riots, according to the indictment.

In Nordean’s case, a federal judge accused prosecutors of backtracking on their claims that he instructed Proud Boys members to split up into smaller groups and directed a “strategic plan” to breach the Capitol.

“That’s a far cry from what I heard at the hearing today,” U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said on March 3.

Howell concluded that Nordean was extensively involved in “pre-planning” for the events of Jan. 6 and that he and other Proud Boys “were clearly prepared for a violent confrontation” that day. However, she said evidence that Nordean directed other Proud Boys members to break into the building is “weak to say the least” and ordered him freed from jail before trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616179979394.png" alt="Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making them difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making them difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)—Four men described as leaders of the far-right Proud Boys have been charged in the U.S. Capitol riots, as an indictment ordered unsealed on Friday presents fresh evidence of how federal officials believe group members planned and carried out a coordinated attack to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.So far, at least 19 leaders, members or associates of the neo-fascist Proud Boys have been charged in federal court with offenses related to the Jan. 6 riots. The latest indictment suggests the Proud Boys deployed a much larger contingent in Washington, with over 60 users “participating in” an encrypted messaging channel for group members that was created a day before the riots.The Proud Boys abandoned an earlier channel and created the new “Boots on the Ground” channel after police arrested the group's top leader, Enrique Tarrio, in Washington. Tarrio was arrested on Jan. 4 and charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a protest in December. He was ordered to stay out of the District of Columbia.Tarrio hasn't been charged in connection with the riots, but the latest indictment refers to him by his title as Proud Boys' chairman.Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs, two of the four defendants charged in the latest indictment, were arrested several weeks ago on separate but related charges. The new indictment also charges Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe.Nordean, 30, of Auburn, Washington, was a Proud Boys chapter president and member of the group’s national “Elders Council.” Biggs, 37, of Ormond Beach,&nbsp;Florida, is a self-described Proud Boys organizer. Rehl, 35, of Philadelphia, and Donohoe, 33, of&nbsp;North Carolina, serve as presidents of their local Proud Boys chapters, according to the indictment.Attorneys for the four men didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday.Proud Boys members, who describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists,” have frequently engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded&nbsp; the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.The Proud Boys met at the Washington Monument around 10 a.m. on Jan. 6 and marched to the Capitol before then-President Donald Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House.Around two hours later, just before Congress convened a joint session to certify the election results, a group of Proud Boys followed a crowd of people who breached barriers at a pedestrian entrance to the Capitol grounds, the indictment says. Several Proud Boys also entered the Capitol building itself after the mob smashed windows and forced open doors.At 3:38 p.m., Donohoe announced on the “Boots on the Ground” channel that he and others were “regrouping with a second force” as some rioters began to leave the Capitol, according to the indictment.“This was not simply a march. This was an incredible attack on our institutions of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough said during a recent hearing for Nordean’s case.Prosecutors have said the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios. The Chinese-made devices can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making them difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.After Tarrio's arrest, Donohoe expressed concern that their encrypted communications could be “compromised” when police searched the group chairman's phone, according to the new indictment. In a Jan. 4 post on a newly created channel, Donohoe warned members that they could be “looking at Gang charges" and wrote, “Stop everything immediately,” the indictment says.“This comes from the top,” he added.A day before the riots, Biggs posted on the “Boots on the Ground” channel that the group had a “plan” for the night before and the day of the riots, according to the indictment.In Nordean’s case, a federal judge accused prosecutors of backtracking on their claims that he instructed Proud Boys members to split up into smaller groups and directed a “strategic plan” to breach the Capitol.“That’s a far cry from what I heard at the hearing today,” U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said on March 3.Howell concluded that Nordean was extensively involved in “pre-planning” for the events of Jan. 6 and that he and other Proud Boys “were clearly prepared for a violent confrontation” that day. However, she said evidence that Nordean directed other Proud Boys members to break into the building is “weak to say the least” and ordered him freed from jail before trial.

4 linked to Proud Boys charged in plot to attack Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has voted to unlatch a gateway to citizenship for young “Dreamers,” migrant farm workers and immigrants who have fled war or natural disasters, giving Democrats wins in the year’s first votes on an issue that faces an uphill climb in the Senate.

On a near party-line 228-197 vote Thursday, lawmakers approved one bill offering legal status to around 2 million “Dreamers,” brought to the U.S. illegally as children, and hundreds of thousands of migrants admitted for humanitarian reasons from a dozen troubled countries.

They then voted 247-174 for a second measure creating similar protections for 1 million farm workers who have worked in the U.S. illegally. The government estimates they comprise half the nation’s agricultural laborers.

In a statement after the votes, President Joe Biden called the action a “critical first step” toward a more sweeping overhaul he’s proposed. He said he wants to work with Congress toward “building a 21st century immigration system that is grounded in dignity, safety, and fairness, and finally enacts the long term solutions we need to create an orderly and humane immigration system.”

Both bills largely hit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-ap-top-news-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-4dcf287375d1a1563deb737988b84dd4">a wall of opposition from Republicans</a>&nbsp;insistent that any immigration legislation bolster security at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/is-us-mexico-border-in-crisis-explained-aea57dde734f5cccb920e0d5d6111e65">the Mexican border</a>, which waves of migrants have tried breaching in recent weeks. The GOP has accused congressional Democrats of ignoring that problem and Biden of fueling it by erasing former President Donald Trump’s restrictive policies, even though that surge began while Trump was still in office.

While “Dreamers” win wide public support and migrant farm workers are a backbone of the agriculture industry, both House bills face gloomy prospects in the evenly split Senate. That chamber’s 50 Democrats will need at least 10 GOP supporters to break Republican filibusters.

The outlook was even grimmer for Biden’s more ambitious goal of legislation making citizenship possible for all 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, easing visa restrictions, improving border security technology and spending billions in Central America to ease problems that prompt people to leave.

Nine House Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for the “Dreamers” measure, but 30 GOP lawmakers backed the farm workers bill, giving it a more bipartisan hue.

Congress has long deadlocked over immigration, which again seems headed toward becoming political ammunition. Republicans could use it to rally conservative voters in upcoming elections, while Democrats could add it to a stack of House-passed measures languishing in the Senate to build support for abolishing that chamber’s bill-killing filibusters.

Democrats said their measures were aimed not at border security but at immigrants who deserve help.

“They’re so much of our country,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said of “Dreamers,” who like many immigrants have held front-line jobs during the pandemic. “These immigrant communities strengthen, enrich and ennoble our nation, and they must be allowed to stay.”

Neither House measure would directly affect those trying to enter from Mexico. Republicans criticized them anyway for lacking border security provisions and used the debate to lambaste Biden, who’s ridden a wave of popularity since taking office and winning a massive COVID-19 relief package.

“It is a Biden border crisis, and it is spinning out of control,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616180562006.png" alt="The “Dreamers” bill would grant conditional legal status for 10 years to many immigrants up to age 18 who were brought into the U.S. illegally before this year-photo courtesy House Speaker Nancy Pelosi" />
 <figcaption>The “Dreamers” bill would grant conditional legal status for 10 years to many immigrants up to age 18 who were brought into the U.S. illegally before this year-photo courtesy House Speaker Nancy Pelosi</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has voted to unlatch a gateway to citizenship for young “Dreamers,” migrant farm workers and immigrants who have fled war or natural disasters, giving Democrats wins in the year’s first votes on an issue that faces an uphill climb in the Senate.On a near party-line 228-197 vote Thursday, lawmakers approved one bill offering legal status to around 2 million “Dreamers,” brought to the U.S. illegally as children, and hundreds of thousands of migrants admitted for humanitarian reasons from a dozen troubled countries.They then voted 247-174 for a second measure creating similar protections for 1 million farm workers who have worked in the U.S. illegally. The government estimates they comprise half the nation’s agricultural laborers.In a statement after the votes, President Joe Biden called the action a “critical first step” toward a more sweeping overhaul he’s proposed. He said he wants to work with Congress toward “building a 21st century immigration system that is grounded in dignity, safety, and fairness, and finally enacts the long term solutions we need to create an orderly and humane immigration system.”Both bills largely hit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-ap-top-news-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-4dcf287375d1a1563deb737988b84dd4">a wall of opposition from Republicans</a>&nbsp;insistent that any immigration legislation bolster security at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/is-us-mexico-border-in-crisis-explained-aea57dde734f5cccb920e0d5d6111e65">the Mexican border</a>, which waves of migrants have tried breaching in recent weeks. The GOP has accused congressional Democrats of ignoring that problem and Biden of fueling it by erasing former President Donald Trump’s restrictive policies, even though that surge began while Trump was still in office.While “Dreamers” win wide public support and migrant farm workers are a backbone of the agriculture industry, both House bills face gloomy prospects in the evenly split Senate. That chamber’s 50 Democrats will need at least 10 GOP supporters to break Republican filibusters.The outlook was even grimmer for Biden’s more ambitious goal of legislation making citizenship possible for all 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, easing visa restrictions, improving border security technology and spending billions in Central America to ease problems that prompt people to leave.Nine House Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for the “Dreamers” measure, but 30 GOP lawmakers backed the farm workers bill, giving it a more bipartisan hue.Congress has long deadlocked over immigration, which again seems headed toward becoming political ammunition. Republicans could use it to rally conservative voters in upcoming elections, while Democrats could add it to a stack of House-passed measures languishing in the Senate to build support for abolishing that chamber’s bill-killing filibusters.Democrats said their measures were aimed not at border security but at immigrants who deserve help.“They’re so much of our country,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said of “Dreamers,” who like many immigrants have held front-line jobs during the pandemic. “These immigrant communities strengthen, enrich and ennoble our nation, and they must be allowed to stay.”Neither House measure would directly affect those trying to enter from Mexico. Republicans criticized them anyway for lacking border security provisions and used the debate to lambaste Biden, who’s ridden a wave of popularity since taking office and winning a massive COVID-19 relief package.“It is a Biden border crisis, and it is spinning out of control,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.While the number of migrants caught trying to cross the border from Mexico has been rising since last April, the 100,441 encountered last month was the highest figure since March 2019.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9da3a0c7cb6e20dd5fc441a2bd90658e">Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas&nbsp;</a>has said the number is tracking toward a 20-year high.In another measure of the problem, around 14,000 children and teens are in Customs and Border Protection custody or Health and Human Services Department shelters while officials find relatives or sponsors to take them, Biden administration officials told reporters.Democrats were making that problem worse, Republicans said, with bills they said entice more immigrants to sneak into the U.S. and provide amnesty to immigrants who break laws to get here.“We don’t know who these people are. We don’t know what their intentions are,” Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., said of immigrant farm workers who might seek legal status. He added, “It’s frightening, it’s irresponsible, it’s endangering American lives.”During earlier debate on the “Dreamers” bill, Democrats said Republicans were going too far.“Sometimes I stand in this chamber, and I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone, listening to a number of my Republican colleagues espouse white supremacist ideology to denigrate our ‘Dreamers,’” said Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y.Maine Rep. Jared Golden’s vote against the farm workers measure made him the only Democrat to oppose either bill.The House approved “Dreamer” and farm worker bills in 2019 by similar partisan margins, and both died in what was a Republican-run Senate. Trump, who as president constricted legal and illegal immigration, would have signed neither.Biden has suspended work on Trump’s wall along the Mexican border, ended his separation of young children from migrant families and allowed apprehended minors to stay in the U.S. as officials decide if they can legally remain. He has also turned away most single adults and families.The “Dreamers” bill would grant conditional legal status for 10 years to many immigrants up to age 18 who were brought into the U.S. illegally before this year. They’d have to meet education and other requirements. “Dreamers” get their name from never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act.To attain legal permanent residence, or a green card, they’d have to obtain a higher education degree, serve in the military or be employed for at least three years. Like others with green cards, they could then apply for citizenship after five years.The measure would also grant green cards to an estimated 400,000 immigrants with temporary protected status or deferred enforced departure status, which temporarily allow people fleeing extraordinary problems into the U.S.The other bill would let immigrant farm workers who’ve worked in the country illegally over the past two years get certified agriculture worker status. That would let them, their spouses and children remain in the U.S. for renewable 5 1/2-year periods.To earn green cards, they’d have to pay a $1,000 fine and work up to an additional eight years, depending on how long they’ve already held farm jobs.The legislation would cap wage increases, streamline the H-2A visa process for legal immigrant farm workers and phase in a mandatory system for electronically verifying the legal status of agriculture laborers.___