CEDAR BLUFFS, Neb. (AP) - One person was killed in the head-on crash of a pickup truck and a snowplow on state Highway 109 just east of Cedar Bluffs in eastern Nebraska, authorities in Saunders County said.

The crash happened when a westbound truck driven by Dennis Campbell, 69, of Fremont, crossed the center line and hit the eastbound Nebraska Highway Department plow head-on, investigators said.

The Saunders County Sheriff's Office said the road was snow-covered at the time of the crash. Campbell died at the scene, and a woman who was a passenger in his truck was taken to a Fremont hospital with serious injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1575032082458.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CEDAR BLUFFS, Neb. (AP) - One person was killed in the head-on crash of a pickup truck and a snowplow on state Highway 109 just east of Cedar Bluffs in eastern Nebraska, authorities in Saunders County said.The crash happened when a westbound truck driven by Dennis Campbell, 69, of Fremont, crossed the center line and hit the eastbound Nebraska Highway Department plow head-on, investigators said.The Saunders County Sheriff's Office said the road was snow-covered at the time of the crash. Campbell died at the scene, and a woman who was a passenger in his truck was taken to a Fremont hospital with serious injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Deputies: 1 killed in head-on crash near Cedar Bluffs

JEFFERSON COUNTY —A Nebraska man was injured in an accident just before 7a.m. Monday in Jefferson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Andrew Joseph Miller, 38, Valley Falls, was pulling into a gas station at 1420 K4 Highway in Valley Falls, Kansas.

The pickup struck Dennis L. Roth, 79, Wolbach, Nebraska, who was walking into the gas station store.

EMS transported Roth to a Topeka hospital for treatment of serious injures, according to the KHP. Miller was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

JEFFERSON COUNTY —A Nebraska man was injured in an accident just before 7a.m. Monday in Jefferson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Andrew Joseph Miller, 38, Valley Falls, was pulling into a gas station at 1420 K4 Highway in Valley Falls, Kansas.The pickup struck Dennis L. Roth, 79, Wolbach, Nebraska, who was walking into the gas station store.EMS transported Roth to a Topeka hospital for treatment of serious injures, according to the KHP. Miller was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Nebraska man struck by pickup in Kan. gas station parking lot

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Sheriff's officials in Nebraska have identified a Wyoming couple at the center of a police shootout over the weekend that saw a woman killed and a man with her injured. 

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office in southeastern Nebraska said Monday that 30-year-old Hailey Stainbrook, of Casper, Wyoming, died and 26-year-old Christian Alexander, of Evansville, Wyoming, was critically wounded Saturday during a shootout with police in Lincoln. 

The couple were suspected in a robbery reported in the parking lot of a Lincoln hotel around 8:30 a.m. Saturday. 

Sheriff Terry Wagner said a Nebraska state trooper later spotted their vehicle and a chase ensued in which Alexander fired at officers. 

Once the vehicle was stopped, officers exchanged gunfire with the couple.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Sheriff's officials in Nebraska have identified a Wyoming couple at the center of a police shootout over the weekend that saw a woman killed and a man with her injured. The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office in southeastern Nebraska said Monday that 30-year-old Hailey Stainbrook, of Casper, Wyoming, died and 26-year-old Christian Alexander, of Evansville, Wyoming, was critically wounded Saturday during a shootout with police in Lincoln. The couple were suspected in a robbery reported in the parking lot of a Lincoln hotel around 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Sheriff Terry Wagner said a Nebraska state trooper later spotted their vehicle and a chase ensued in which Alexander fired at officers. Once the vehicle was stopped, officers exchanged gunfire with the couple.

Sheriff IDs woman killed, man wounded in police shootout

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration enforcement in the U.S. would be more targeted under President Joe Biden than under his predecessor, with authorities directed to focus on people in the country illegally who pose a threat, according to guidelines released Thursday.

<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2021/021821_civil-immigration-enforcement_interim-guidance.pdf" target="_blank">The guidelines</a>&nbsp;set a new course for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which drew fierce criticism under President Donald Trump for arresting and removing anyone in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.

Under Biden, ICE would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as “aggravated” felonies or recently crossed the border.

It is the latest break from Trump’s immigration policies, but it is also far from the notion of “abolish ICE” that became a rallying cry among some progressives angered by what they considered indiscriminate enforcement.

Trump, whose administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, early on directed ICE to apprehend anyone who was in the country illegally. In June 2019, he tweeted that “next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70c173c8d213438e9fbef4d1f2bba07b">That never happened.&nbsp;</a>Total deportations were higher under the first term of President Barack Obama, who also made national security and public safety an enforcement priority, than under Trump in part because many cities and states, opposed to his administration’s approach to immigration, balked at cooperating with ICE on removals.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, portrayed the new guidelines, which are considered temporary until a permanent policy comes down in about three months, as a more effective use of resources at an agency that has about 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel.

“By focusing our limited resources on cases that present threats to national security, border security, and public safety, our agency will more ably and effectively execute its law enforcement mission,” ICE acting Director Tae Johnson said in announcing the new guidelines. “Like every law enforcement agency at the local, state, and federal level, we must prioritize our efforts to achieve the greatest security and safety impact.”

ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations and inevitably result in potentially dangerous people slipping from their grasp, said Jon Feere, a senior adviser to ICE under Trump.

Feere noted, for example, that worksite enforcement operations, which occurred more frequently under Trump, typically result in charges such as identity theft or fraud. Those wouldn’t qualify as aggravated felonies but nonetheless can be useful crimes to pursue as part of efforts to break up smuggling rings and traffickers.

“Not allowing ICE to carry out its responsibilities as it does now is a de facto dismantling of the agency,” he said. “And what is the policy rationale? Who wins from all of this? The smugglers? The traffickers?”

The new guidelines could shield a substantial number of people. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimated that 87% of noncitizens in the country without authorization would not be priorities for enforcement if Biden used the national security and public safety criteria as was done under Obama.

In defending the new guidelines, DHS officials pointedly noted that they do not specifically exempt anyone from being arrested and removed from the U.S. if they are illegally in the country.

But they set out a series of priorities for removal, and agents and officers would be required to get approval to pursue cases that aren’t in the three main categories. Also, weekly arrest reports would be submitted to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has repeatedly said he wants to fix what he considers a flawed U.S. immigration system.

The national security category includes anyone suspected of involvement with terrorism or espionage. The border security category covers anyone apprehended along the border or point of entry or who came into the U.S. after Nov. 1. The public safety category applies to anyone convicted of a crime that involved their “active” participation in gang activity or convicted of an aggravated felony.

There is a wide array of aggravated felonies that apply to noncitizens as laid out by Congress. They include violent offenses and drug trafficking, but in the past have also been defined more broadly for noncitizens facing deportation. The new guidelines direct agents and officers to consider the “seriousness” of the criminal conviction as well as how long ago it occurred.

ICE would otherwise have broad leeway to let a noncitizen stay in the country, with officers directed to consider such factors as ties to the community as well as personal and family circumstances and medical condition. The rules, for example, call for “particular attention” in the case of noncitizens who are elderly or “known to be suffering from serious physical or mental illness.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562938154243.png" alt="ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations Photo courtesy U.S. Homeland Security" />
 <figcaption>ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations Photo courtesy U.S. Homeland Security</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration enforcement in the U.S. would be more targeted under President Joe Biden than under his predecessor, with authorities directed to focus on people in the country illegally who pose a threat, according to guidelines released Thursday.<a href="https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/releases/2021/021821_civil-immigration-enforcement_interim-guidance.pdf" target="_blank">The guidelines</a>&nbsp;set a new course for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which drew fierce criticism under President Donald Trump for arresting and removing anyone in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.Under Biden, ICE would primarily apprehend and remove people who pose a threat to national security, committed crimes designated as “aggravated” felonies or recently crossed the border.It is the latest break from Trump’s immigration policies, but it is also far from the notion of “abolish ICE” that became a rallying cry among some progressives angered by what they considered indiscriminate enforcement.Trump, whose administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, early on directed ICE to apprehend anyone who was in the country illegally. In June 2019, he tweeted that “next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70c173c8d213438e9fbef4d1f2bba07b">That never happened.&nbsp;</a>Total deportations were higher under the first term of President Barack Obama, who also made national security and public safety an enforcement priority, than under Trump in part because many cities and states, opposed to his administration’s approach to immigration, balked at cooperating with ICE on removals.The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, portrayed the new guidelines, which are considered temporary until a permanent policy comes down in about three months, as a more effective use of resources at an agency that has about 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel.“By focusing our limited resources on cases that present threats to national security, border security, and public safety, our agency will more ably and effectively execute its law enforcement mission,” ICE acting Director Tae Johnson said in announcing the new guidelines. “Like every law enforcement agency at the local, state, and federal level, we must prioritize our efforts to achieve the greatest security and safety impact.”ICE officers and agents have expressed concern in recent days about a top-down directive that will limit their ability to conduct enforcement operations and inevitably result in potentially dangerous people slipping from their grasp, said Jon Feere, a senior adviser to ICE under Trump.Feere noted, for example, that worksite enforcement operations, which occurred more frequently under Trump, typically result in charges such as identity theft or fraud. Those wouldn’t qualify as aggravated felonies but nonetheless can be useful crimes to pursue as part of efforts to break up smuggling rings and traffickers.“Not allowing ICE to carry out its responsibilities as it does now is a de facto dismantling of the agency,” he said. “And what is the policy rationale? Who wins from all of this? The smugglers? The traffickers?”The new guidelines could shield a substantial number of people. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute estimated that 87% of noncitizens in the country without authorization would not be priorities for enforcement if Biden used the national security and public safety criteria as was done under Obama.In defending the new guidelines, DHS officials pointedly noted that they do not specifically exempt anyone from being arrested and removed from the U.S. if they are illegally in the country.But they set out a series of priorities for removal, and agents and officers would be required to get approval to pursue cases that aren’t in the three main categories. Also, weekly arrest reports would be submitted to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has repeatedly said he wants to fix what he considers a flawed U.S. immigration system.The national security category includes anyone suspected of involvement with terrorism or espionage. The border security category covers anyone apprehended along the border or point of entry or who came into the U.S. after Nov. 1. The public safety category applies to anyone convicted of a crime that involved their “active” participation in gang activity or convicted of an aggravated felony.There is a wide array of aggravated felonies that apply to noncitizens as laid out by Congress. They include violent offenses and drug trafficking, but in the past have also been defined more broadly for noncitizens facing deportation. The new guidelines direct agents and officers to consider the “seriousness” of the criminal conviction as well as how long ago it occurred.ICE would otherwise have broad leeway to let a noncitizen stay in the country, with officers directed to consider such factors as ties to the community as well as personal and family circumstances and medical condition. The rules, for example, call for “particular attention” in the case of noncitizens who are elderly or “known to be suffering from serious physical or mental illness.”

US reverts to targeted immigration enforcement under Biden

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A 2-year-old boy who was reported missing in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Friday was found dead several hours later in a dumpster. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reported Saturday that Athian Rivera was found not far from where he went missing. 

The boy was last seen around noon Friday and police and firefighters conducted an extensive search and used a reverse 911 call to notify residents within a half-mile to be on the lookout for him. 

They did not take questions at a brief news conference late Friday.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A 2-year-old boy who was reported missing in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Friday was found dead several hours later in a dumpster. The Casper Star-Tribune reported Saturday that Athian Rivera was found not far from where he went missing. The boy was last seen around noon Friday and police and firefighters conducted an extensive search and used a reverse 911 call to notify residents within a half-mile to be on the lookout for him. Police say they are investigating. They did not take questions at a brief news conference late Friday.

Missing 2-year-old boy found dead in dumpster in Cheyenne

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A man has died in a crash after driving the wrong way on Interstate 480 on the eastern end of Omaha, police there said.

The crash happened about 11:15 p.m. Sunday when 35-year-old Agang Wol was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of I-480 near Dodge Street, police said.

Investigators said Wol's vehicle hit another vehicle nearly head-on, and Wol was pronounced dead at the scene. A 33-year-old woman driving the other vehicle was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, officials said. Police said she is expected to survive.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1563361166533.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A man has died in a crash after driving the wrong way on Interstate 480 on the eastern end of Omaha, police there said.The crash happened about 11:15 p.m. Sunday when 35-year-old Agang Wol was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of I-480 near Dodge Street, police said.Investigators said Wol's vehicle hit another vehicle nearly head-on, and Wol was pronounced dead at the scene. A 33-year-old woman driving the other vehicle was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, officials said. Police said she is expected to survive.

Omaha police say man killed in I-480 crash Sunday night

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Sheriff's investigators say an 18-month-old girl has died after being hit by a pickup truck driven by her father in eastern Nebraska.

 The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the accident happened Saturday evening on a rural property just northwest of Bennington.

 Investigators say 37-year-old Joshua Hannum was driving the truck when he hit 18-month-old Hazel Hannum. 

The child was rushed to an Omaha hospital, where she died. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Sheriff's investigators say an 18-month-old girl has died after being hit by a pickup truck driven by her father in eastern Nebraska. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the accident happened Saturday evening on a rural property just northwest of Bennington. Investigators say 37-year-old Joshua Hannum was driving the truck when he hit 18-month-old Hazel Hannum. The child was rushed to an Omaha hospital, where she died. Her death remains under investigation.

Nebraska toddler hit, killed by truck driven by her father

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities are searching for a 33-year-old man in connection with a woman whose body was found in a downtown Ames apartment on Saturday. 

Police said Sunday afternoon they are looking for Richard G. Fleck in connection with the woman’s death. 

Authorities said he may be in the Kansas City, Missouri area. 

Officers found the woman around 7 p.m. Saturday after they were sent to check on her welfare. 

Ames Police didn’t say how the woman died, but they classified her death as a homicide. 

Police did not immediately release the woman’s name or any additional details about her death.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities are searching for a 33-year-old man in connection with a woman whose body was found in a downtown Ames apartment on Saturday. Police said Sunday afternoon they are looking for Richard G. Fleck in connection with the woman’s death. Authorities said he may be in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Officers found the woman around 7 p.m. Saturday after they were sent to check on her welfare. Ames Police didn’t say how the woman died, but they classified her death as a homicide. Police did not immediately release the woman’s name or any additional details about her death.

Police look for man after woman found dead in Ames apartment

LINCOLN – The third year of the Nebraska Upland Slam gave more than 300 hunters a reason to take advantage of the state’s excellent mixed-bag hunting opportunities.

The Nebraska Upland Slam, a partnership between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Pheasants Forever &amp; Quail Forever of Nebraska, challenged hunters to harvest all four of Nebraska’s primary upland game bird species – ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite quail, sharp-tailed grouse, and greater prairie-chicken – during a single hunting season.

This season, 144 hunters completed the Slam, up from 122 in its last year; 123 of the finishers were from Nebraska, compared to 107 in 2019-2020. The remaining Slams were completed by hunters from 12 states. The finishers included seven female and four youth hunters.

In the Slam’s third season, 904 entries were submitted (256 pheasant harvests, 221 quail, 220 sharp-tailed grouse and 207 greater prairie-chicken). More than half of these harvests occurred on publicly accessible lands, and approximately 13% of them were first-time harvests (first time in a lifetime to harvest that upland species).

Hunters who completed the Slam received an official certificate and pin and were entered into an end-of-year grand prize drawing from Pheasants Forever &amp; Quail Forever of Nebraska. Grand prize winner Craig Lowe of Webb City, Missouri, drew a Browning Maxus 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun; Shawn O’Connor of Greeley, Nebraska, won a Quail Forever Print of the Year; Andy Seelhoff of Syracuse, Nebraska, won a Ruff Land Kennel; and Faith Zimmer of Genoa, Nebraska, won a Youth Lifetime Hunt Permit, a new prize to the Upland Slam. The names of all hunters who successfully completed the Slam can be found at OutdoorNebraska.org/UplandSlamFinishers.

Participating hunters who harvested at least one species were entered into monthly drawings for prizes. Awareness of the Slam has grown nationwide over the past three seasons, with 27 different states represented by participating hunters.

The Upland Slam promotes Nebraska’s excellent mixed bag opportunities and growing availability of publicly accessible lands. The challenge motivates new hunters to participate, providing one more reason to go afield in pursuit of Nebraska’s upland game birds.

LINCOLN – The third year of the Nebraska Upland Slam gave more than 300 hunters a reason to take advantage of the state’s excellent mixed-bag hunting opportunities.The Nebraska Upland Slam, a partnership between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Pheasants Forever &amp; Quail Forever of Nebraska, challenged hunters to harvest all four of Nebraska’s primary upland game bird species – ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite quail, sharp-tailed grouse, and greater prairie-chicken – during a single hunting season.This season, 144 hunters completed the Slam, up from 122 in its last year; 123 of the finishers were from Nebraska, compared to 107 in 2019-2020. The remaining Slams were completed by hunters from 12 states. The finishers included seven female and four youth hunters.In the Slam’s third season, 904 entries were submitted (256 pheasant harvests, 221 quail, 220 sharp-tailed grouse and 207 greater prairie-chicken). More than half of these harvests occurred on publicly accessible lands, and approximately 13% of them were first-time harvests (first time in a lifetime to harvest that upland species).Hunters who completed the Slam received an official certificate and pin and were entered into an end-of-year grand prize drawing from Pheasants Forever &amp; Quail Forever of Nebraska. Grand prize winner Craig Lowe of Webb City, Missouri, drew a Browning Maxus 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun; Shawn O’Connor of Greeley, Nebraska, won a Quail Forever Print of the Year; Andy Seelhoff of Syracuse, Nebraska, won a Ruff Land Kennel; and Faith Zimmer of Genoa, Nebraska, won a Youth Lifetime Hunt Permit, a new prize to the Upland Slam. The names of all hunters who successfully completed the Slam can be found at OutdoorNebraska.org/UplandSlamFinishers.Participating hunters who harvested at least one species were entered into monthly drawings for prizes. Awareness of the Slam has grown nationwide over the past three seasons, with 27 different states represented by participating hunters.The Upland Slam promotes Nebraska’s excellent mixed bag opportunities and growing availability of publicly accessible lands. The challenge motivates new hunters to participate, providing one more reason to go afield in pursuit of Nebraska’s upland game birds.

Nebraska’s third Upland Slam sees 144 finishers

DENVER (AP)—Boeing has recommended that airlines ground all of 777s with the type of engine that suffered a catastrophic failure over Denver this weekend, as U.S. regulators ordered United Airlines to step up inspections of those planes.

(Click below to hear some of the radio traffic and 911 calls police received Saturday during the plane incident over Broomfield, Colorado)

Several airlines, including United, said they were temporarily removing the aircraft from service after one of the American carrier’s planes made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Saturday because its right engine blew apart just after takeoff. Pieces of the casing of the engine, a Pratt &amp; Whitney PW4000, rained down on suburban neighborhoods. None of the 231 passengers or 10 crew on board were hurt, and the plane landed safely, authorities said.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement Sunday that based on an initial review of safety data, inspectors “concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.”

Dickson said that would likely mean some planes would be grounded — and Boeing said they should be until the FAA sets up an inspection regime. Japan ordered the planes out of service, according to the financial newspaper Nikkei, while saying that an engine in the same family suffered trouble in December.

Boeing said there were 69 777s with the Pratt &amp; Whitney 4000-112 engines in service and another 59 in storage.

United is the only U.S. airline with the engine in its fleet, according to the FAA, and it had 24 of the planes in service. Two Japanese airlines have another 32 that are being pulled while Asiana Airlines grounded nine, seven of which were in service, until Boeing establishes a plan to fix the problems. Korean Air said it was discussing whether to ground 16 aircraft, six of which are in service.

“We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground and further inspections are conducted by Pratt &amp; Whitney,” Boeing said in a statement issued Sunday, referring to American and Japanese regulators.

The engine maker said it was sending a team to work with investigators.

The emergency landing this past weekend is the latest trouble for Boeing, which saw its 737 Max planes grounded for more than a year after two deadly crashes in 2019. The planes began returning to the skies late last year — a huge boost for the aircraft maker, which lost billions during the Max grounding because it has been unable to deliver new planes to customers.

Video posted on Twitter from Saturday’s emergency showed the engine fully engulfed in flames as the plane flew through the air. Freeze frames from different video taken by a passenger sitting slightly in front of the engine and also posted on Twitter appeared to show a broken fan blade in the engine.

Passengers, who were heading to Honolulu, said they feared the plane would crash after an explosion and flash of light, while people on the ground saw huge chunks of the aircraft pour down, just missing one home and crushing a truck. The explosion, visible from the ground, left a trail of black smoke in the sky.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said that two of the engine’s fan blades were fractured and the remainder of the fan blades “exhibited damage.” But it cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about what happened.

United says it will work closely with the FAA and the NTSB “to determine any additional steps that are needed to ensure these aircraft meet our rigorous safety standards and can return to service.”

The NTSB said the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were transported to its lab in Washington so the data can be analyzed. NTSB investigations can take up to a year or longer, although in major cases the agency generally releases some investigative material midway through the process.

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said an engine in the PW4000 family suffered trouble on a Japan Airlines 777 flying to Tokyo from Naha on Dec. 4. The airline has said the plane had engine trouble after takeoff and returned to Naha. An inspection showed damage to the engine case and missing fan blades, according to the airline. Stricter inspections were ordered in response.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will stop operating a combined 32 planes with that engine, Nikkei reported. ___

This story has been updated to correct the name of one of the Japanese airlines mentioned. It is Japan Airlines, not Japan Airways.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614000152481.png" alt="Debris from a United Airlines 777 in the. yard of a home north of Denver-photo courtesy Broomfield Police" />
 <figcaption>Debris from a United Airlines 777 in the. yard of a home north of Denver-photo courtesy Broomfield Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP)—Boeing has recommended that airlines ground all of 777s with the type of engine that suffered a catastrophic failure over Denver this weekend, as U.S. regulators ordered United Airlines to step up inspections of those planes.(Click below to hear some of the radio traffic and 911 calls police received Saturday during the plane incident over Broomfield, Colorado)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LUZIjWG69xI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Several airlines, including United, said they were temporarily removing the aircraft from service after one of the American carrier’s planes made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Saturday because its right engine blew apart just after takeoff. Pieces of the casing of the engine, a Pratt &amp; Whitney PW4000, rained down on suburban neighborhoods. None of the 231 passengers or 10 crew on board were hurt, and the plane landed safely, authorities said.U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement Sunday that based on an initial review of safety data, inspectors “concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.”Dickson said that would likely mean some planes would be grounded — and Boeing said they should be until the FAA sets up an inspection regime. Japan ordered the planes out of service, according to the financial newspaper Nikkei, while saying that an engine in the same family suffered trouble in December.Boeing said there were 69 777s with the Pratt &amp; Whitney 4000-112 engines in service and another 59 in storage.United is the only U.S. airline with the engine in its fleet, according to the FAA, and it had 24 of the planes in service. Two Japanese airlines have another 32 that are being pulled while Asiana Airlines grounded nine, seven of which were in service, until Boeing establishes a plan to fix the problems. Korean Air said it was discussing whether to ground 16 aircraft, six of which are in service.“We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground and further inspections are conducted by Pratt &amp; Whitney,” Boeing said in a statement issued Sunday, referring to American and Japanese regulators.The engine maker said it was sending a team to work with investigators.The emergency landing this past weekend is the latest trouble for Boeing, which saw its 737 Max planes grounded for more than a year after two deadly crashes in 2019. The planes began returning to the skies late last year — a huge boost for the aircraft maker, which lost billions during the Max grounding because it has been unable to deliver new planes to customers.Video posted on Twitter from Saturday’s emergency showed the engine fully engulfed in flames as the plane flew through the air. Freeze frames from different video taken by a passenger sitting slightly in front of the engine and also posted on Twitter appeared to show a broken fan blade in the engine.Passengers, who were heading to Honolulu, said they feared the plane would crash after an explosion and flash of light, while people on the ground saw huge chunks of the aircraft pour down, just missing one home and crushing a truck. The explosion, visible from the ground, left a trail of black smoke in the sky.The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said that two of the engine’s fan blades were fractured and the remainder of the fan blades “exhibited damage.” But it cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about what happened.United says it will work closely with the FAA and the NTSB “to determine any additional steps that are needed to ensure these aircraft meet our rigorous safety standards and can return to service.”The NTSB said the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were transported to its lab in Washington so the data can be analyzed. NTSB investigations can take up to a year or longer, although in major cases the agency generally releases some investigative material midway through the process.Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said an engine in the PW4000 family suffered trouble on a Japan Airlines 777 flying to Tokyo from Naha on Dec. 4. The airline has said the plane had engine trouble after takeoff and returned to Naha. An inspection showed damage to the engine case and missing fan blades, according to the airline. Stricter inspections were ordered in response.Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will stop operating a combined 32 planes with that engine, Nikkei reported. ___This story has been updated to correct the name of one of the Japanese airlines mentioned. It is Japan Airlines, not Japan Airways.

🎤 Boeing will ground 777s after debris rained on Denver suburb

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A woman was killed and a man was critically wounded Saturday during a shootout with police in Lincoln. 

Before the shooting, a robbery was reported in the parking lot of a Lincoln hotel around 8:30 a.m. Saturday. 

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said a Nebraska state trooper spotted the suspect’s vehicle after the victim's credit card was used.

 During the chase, the man fired at officers. Once the suspect's vehicle was stopped, officers exchanged gunfire with them and wounded the man and woman. 

The woman died and the man remains hospitalized.

 A state trooper who was injured during the chase was treated at a hospital and released.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A woman was killed and a man was critically wounded Saturday during a shootout with police in Lincoln. Before the shooting, a robbery was reported in the parking lot of a Lincoln hotel around 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said a Nebraska state trooper spotted the suspect’s vehicle after the victim's credit card was used. During the chase, the man fired at officers. Once the suspect's vehicle was stopped, officers exchanged gunfire with them and wounded the man and woman. The woman died and the man remains hospitalized. A state trooper who was injured during the chase was treated at a hospital and released.

Woman dies, man wounded in shootout with police in Lincoln

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is reminding those with 
income from a farming or fishing business can avoid making any estimated
 tax payments by filing and paying their entire tax due on or before 
March 1.

This rule generally applies if farming or fishing income was at least
 two-thirds of the taxpayer's total gross income in either the current 
or the preceding tax year. Those who choose not to file by March 1 
should have made an estimated tax payment by Jan. 15 to avoid an 
estimated tax penalty. For more information on estimated tax, refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>.

Those in the farming business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-f-form-1040">Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax</a> to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from farming are $400 or more. For more information refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc554">Topic No. 554</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p225">Publication 225, Farmer's Tax Guide</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/agriculture-tax-center">Agriculture Tax Center</a>.

Those in the fishing business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-c-form-1040">Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040)</a>
 to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from fishing are 
$400 or more. For general information about the rules applying to 
individuals, including commercial fishermen who file Schedule C, refer 
to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p334">Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business</a>.

Those whose trade or business is a partnership or corporation see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p541">Publication 541, Partnerships</a> or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p542">Publication 542, Corporations</a>.

IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>
 is a free online service where people can make same day payments or 
schedule them up to 365 days in advance directly from a checking or 
savings account. There are no IRS fees and no pre-registration. IRS 
Direct Pay is available seven days a week, and users receive instant 
confirmation after they submit a payment or they can opt-in to receive 
email notifications.

IRS Direct Pay cannot be used to pay the federal highway use tax, 
payroll taxes or other business taxes. Anyone wishing to pay these 
business taxes electronically can enroll in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-the-electronic-federal-tax-payment-system">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)</a>. EFTPS is also a free service.

For more information about these and other payment options visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is reminding those with 
income from a farming or fishing business can avoid making any estimated
 tax payments by filing and paying their entire tax due on or before 
March 1.This rule generally applies if farming or fishing income was at least
 two-thirds of the taxpayer's total gross income in either the current 
or the preceding tax year. Those who choose not to file by March 1 
should have made an estimated tax payment by Jan. 15 to avoid an 
estimated tax penalty. For more information on estimated tax, refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>.Those in the farming business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-f-form-1040">Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax</a> to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from farming are $400 or more. For more information refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc554">Topic No. 554</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p225">Publication 225, Farmer's Tax Guide</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/agriculture-tax-center">Agriculture Tax Center</a>.Those in the fishing business report income and expenses on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-c-form-1040">Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship)</a>. They also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-se-form-1040">Schedule SE (Form 1040)</a>
 to figure self-employment tax if their net earnings from fishing are 
$400 or more. For general information about the rules applying to 
individuals, including commercial fishermen who file Schedule C, refer 
to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p334">Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business</a>.Those whose trade or business is a partnership or corporation see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p541">Publication 541, Partnerships</a> or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p542">Publication 542, Corporations</a>.<h2>IRS Direct Pay is safe, fast and free</h2>IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>
 is a free online service where people can make same day payments or 
schedule them up to 365 days in advance directly from a checking or 
savings account. There are no IRS fees and no pre-registration. IRS 
Direct Pay is available seven days a week, and users receive instant 
confirmation after they submit a payment or they can opt-in to receive 
email notifications.IRS Direct Pay cannot be used to pay the federal highway use tax, 
payroll taxes or other business taxes. Anyone wishing to pay these 
business taxes electronically can enroll in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-the-electronic-federal-tax-payment-system">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)</a>. EFTPS is also a free service.For more information about these and other payment options visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a>.

IRS reminds farmers and fishers of March 1 tax deadline

KANSAS CITY (AP) — When massive demonstrations against racial injustice erupted across the nation last summer, protesters used an increasingly common tactic to draw attention to their cause: swarming out onto major roads to temporarily paralyze traffic.

This method sometimes resulted in searing images of drivers plowing through crowds, causing serious injuries and in some cases, deaths.

Now, Republican politicians across the country are moving to stop the road-blocking maneuver, proposing increased penalties for demonstrators who run onto highways and legal immunity for drivers who hit them. The bills are among dozens introduced in Legislatures aimed at cracking down on demonstrations.

“It’s not going to be a peaceful protest if you’re impeding the freedom of others,” said Rep. Kevin McDugle, the author of an Oklahoma bill granting criminal and civil immunity to people who drive into crowds on roads. “The driver of that truck had his family in there, and they were scared to death."

He referred to an incident in July in which a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer drove through Black Lives Matter protesters on Interstate 244 in Tulsa. Three people were seriously injured, including a 33-year-old man who fell from an overpass and was left paralyzed from the waist down.

Tumultuous demonstrations by left-leaning and right-leaning groups have stirred new debate about what tactics are acceptable free speech and which go too far. In addition to blocking roads, Black Lives Matter demonstrators have taken over parks and painted slogans on streets and structures, while right-wing groups have brandished firearms and stormed capitol buildings. Local authorities' responses have wavered as they try to avoid escalating conflicts.

Now legislators in Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah and about a dozen other states have introduced new counterprotest measures.

The traffic-blocking tactic has attracted the most concern because of the obvious hazard.

In one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMhbUTQjfR8">particularly chilling incident</a>&nbsp;in Minneapolis, a large tanker truck drove at high speed through thousands of protesters gathered on a closed highway. Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt, though a criminal complaint says at least one protester suffered abrasions.

Mark Faulk, a longtime Oklahoma activist who was arrested last year for blocking a roadway, said dramatic tactics are necessary to get people's attention.

“The idea of escalating it to the point where you disrupt the convenience of the citizens and of the status quo, you have to do that sometimes to make a point," Faulk said.

But Carmyn Taylor, 20, recalled the sight of a pickup truck bearing down on protesters spread across the six-lane I-244 in Tulsa.

“The most vivid thing I remember is when I got pulled to the ground. I remember seeing both sets of wheels run over my legs, which was a little traumatizing," said Taylor, who suffered a broken leg and a sprained ankle. “For the first two weeks after the accident, I couldn't walk."

In Seattle, Summer Taylor, 24, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ff3c4fb3a627d694b5d888dcd48c89b0">killed and another person was seriously injured</a>&nbsp;in July when a man drove his car into protestors on a closed Seattle freeway. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2dfCHZ1FQg">graphic video</a>&nbsp;posted on social media showed the car swerving around several parked cars and slamming into the two protesters, sending them flying into the air.

In an incident in St. Louis in May, a 29-year-old man was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/261c0a07eb120c6ee7fe8890b069b3f0">dragged to his death</a>&nbsp;beneath a tractor-trailer that drove into a sign-carrying group on a road.

Whether drivers face criminal charges in such incidents depends on the circumstances of each case, prosecutors say. The tractor-trailer driver in St. Louis has not been criminally charged, while the driver of the car in Seattle has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/127e17d72b0bd1cbb137ed28a9604e2f">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving.

District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler declined to file charges against the driver in Tulsa, saying several people in the crowd had attacked the vehicle with the driver’s children inside. But Kunzweiler stopped short of endorsing proposals for harsher penalties for protestors or blanket immunity for drivers.

“There are any number of laws already in place that are readily available to be enforced,” he said.

A bill granting drivers immunity for hitting protestors easily cleared an Oklahoma Senate committee recently on a 8-1 vote. Two others are pending in the state House.

But critics say the proposals are only designed to intimidate people, not to solve a problem.

“The biggest concern is that they chill speech and they chill folks gathering to protest,” said Nicole McAfee, policy director for the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

About 50 people were arrested during several days of protests in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, and rioting, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. At least two men accused of burning a sheriff's van were charged under the state's anti-terrorism law, a felony that carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Those cases are pending.

Proposals in Oklahoma would increase the criminal penalties for blocking a roadway, including one making it a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, and making it more difficult for those arrested to be released from jail. Another bill would add participating in unlawful assemblies to the state's racketeering act aimed at organized crime.

State Rep. Emily Virgin, the Democratic leader in the Oklahoma House, said she wishes her Republican colleagues would focus on the underlying issues of police brutality and systemic racism instead of seeking ways to punish protesters.

“It seems that some of my colleagues took the wrong lesson from the demonstrations we saw this summer,” Virgin said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590799948580.png" alt="June protests in Kansas City photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>June protests in Kansas City photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — When massive demonstrations against racial injustice erupted across the nation last summer, protesters used an increasingly common tactic to draw attention to their cause: swarming out onto major roads to temporarily paralyze traffic.This method sometimes resulted in searing images of drivers plowing through crowds, causing serious injuries and in some cases, deaths.Now, Republican politicians across the country are moving to stop the road-blocking maneuver, proposing increased penalties for demonstrators who run onto highways and legal immunity for drivers who hit them. The bills are among dozens introduced in Legislatures aimed at cracking down on demonstrations.“It’s not going to be a peaceful protest if you’re impeding the freedom of others,” said Rep. Kevin McDugle, the author of an Oklahoma bill granting criminal and civil immunity to people who drive into crowds on roads. “The driver of that truck had his family in there, and they were scared to death."He referred to an incident in July in which a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer drove through Black Lives Matter protesters on Interstate 244 in Tulsa. Three people were seriously injured, including a 33-year-old man who fell from an overpass and was left paralyzed from the waist down.Tumultuous demonstrations by left-leaning and right-leaning groups have stirred new debate about what tactics are acceptable free speech and which go too far. In addition to blocking roads, Black Lives Matter demonstrators have taken over parks and painted slogans on streets and structures, while right-wing groups have brandished firearms and stormed capitol buildings. Local authorities' responses have wavered as they try to avoid escalating conflicts.Now legislators in Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah and about a dozen other states have introduced new counterprotest measures.The traffic-blocking tactic has attracted the most concern because of the obvious hazard.In one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMhbUTQjfR8">particularly chilling incident</a>&nbsp;in Minneapolis, a large tanker truck drove at high speed through thousands of protesters gathered on a closed highway. Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt, though a criminal complaint says at least one protester suffered abrasions.Mark Faulk, a longtime Oklahoma activist who was arrested last year for blocking a roadway, said dramatic tactics are necessary to get people's attention.“The idea of escalating it to the point where you disrupt the convenience of the citizens and of the status quo, you have to do that sometimes to make a point," Faulk said.But Carmyn Taylor, 20, recalled the sight of a pickup truck bearing down on protesters spread across the six-lane I-244 in Tulsa.“The most vivid thing I remember is when I got pulled to the ground. I remember seeing both sets of wheels run over my legs, which was a little traumatizing," said Taylor, who suffered a broken leg and a sprained ankle. “For the first two weeks after the accident, I couldn't walk."In Seattle, Summer Taylor, 24, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ff3c4fb3a627d694b5d888dcd48c89b0">killed and another person was seriously injured</a>&nbsp;in July when a man drove his car into protestors on a closed Seattle freeway. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2dfCHZ1FQg">graphic video</a>&nbsp;posted on social media showed the car swerving around several parked cars and slamming into the two protesters, sending them flying into the air.In an incident in St. Louis in May, a 29-year-old man was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/261c0a07eb120c6ee7fe8890b069b3f0">dragged to his death</a>&nbsp;beneath a tractor-trailer that drove into a sign-carrying group on a road.Whether drivers face criminal charges in such incidents depends on the circumstances of each case, prosecutors say. The tractor-trailer driver in St. Louis has not been criminally charged, while the driver of the car in Seattle has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/127e17d72b0bd1cbb137ed28a9604e2f">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving.District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler declined to file charges against the driver in Tulsa, saying several people in the crowd had attacked the vehicle with the driver’s children inside. But Kunzweiler stopped short of endorsing proposals for harsher penalties for protestors or blanket immunity for drivers.“There are any number of laws already in place that are readily available to be enforced,” he said.A bill granting drivers immunity for hitting protestors easily cleared an Oklahoma Senate committee recently on a 8-1 vote. Two others are pending in the state House.But critics say the proposals are only designed to intimidate people, not to solve a problem.“The biggest concern is that they chill speech and they chill folks gathering to protest,” said Nicole McAfee, policy director for the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.About 50 people were arrested during several days of protests in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, and rioting, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. At least two men accused of burning a sheriff's van were charged under the state's anti-terrorism law, a felony that carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Those cases are pending.Proposals in Oklahoma would increase the criminal penalties for blocking a roadway, including one making it a felony punishable by up to two years in prison, and making it more difficult for those arrested to be released from jail. Another bill would add participating in unlawful assemblies to the state's racketeering act aimed at organized crime.State Rep. Emily Virgin, the Democratic leader in the Oklahoma House, said she wishes her Republican colleagues would focus on the underlying issues of police brutality and systemic racism instead of seeking ways to punish protesters.“It seems that some of my colleagues took the wrong lesson from the demonstrations we saw this summer,” Virgin said.

New legislation would protect drivers who hit protestors

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Scientists have cloned the first U.S. endangered species, a black-footed ferret duplicated from the genes of an animal that died over 30 years ago. 

The slinky predator named Elizabeth Ann was born in a Colorado facility Dec. 10 and announced Thursday. 

Elizabeth Ann is a genetic copy of a ferret named Willa who died in 1988 and whose remains were frozen in the early days of DNA technology. 

The technique holds promise for boosting endangered species including a cloned Mongolian wild horse born at a Texas facility last summer.

 Viagen, a company that clones horses and pet dogs and cats, cloned both animals.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Scientists have cloned the first U.S. endangered species, a black-footed ferret duplicated from the genes of an animal that died over 30 years ago. The slinky predator named Elizabeth Ann was born in a Colorado facility Dec. 10 and announced Thursday. Elizabeth Ann is a genetic copy of a ferret named Willa who died in 1988 and whose remains were frozen in the early days of DNA technology. The technique holds promise for boosting endangered species including a cloned Mongolian wild horse born at a Texas facility last summer. Viagen, a company that clones horses and pet dogs and cats, cloned both animals.

1st clone of US endangered species, a ferret, announced

WAGNER, S.D. (AP) - Authorities have released the names of four people who were killed earlier this week in a two-vehicle crash in southern South Dakota.

The Highway Patrol identified the victims has 64-year-old Lynette Ashes, of Wagner; 31-year-old Agnes Drapeaux, of Mitchell; 28-year-old Michaela Rainbow, of Lake Andes; and 33-year-old Milton LaRose, of Omaha, Nebraska.

The patrol said the crash happened about 6 p.m. Tuesday near Wagner when a 2003 Chrysler Sebring driven by Drapeaux failed to stop at an intersection and collided with a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Ashes. The car subsequently plunged into a ditch where it caught fire, authorities said.

Ashes was the lone occupant of the SUV. There were four passengers in the car, including one man, 27-year-old Lawrence Thunder Horse, of Lake Andes, who suffered serious non-life threatening injuries.

The patrol said none of people involved in the crash appeared to have been wearing seat belts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1559617385052.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WAGNER, S.D. (AP) - Authorities have released the names of four people who were killed earlier this week in a two-vehicle crash in southern South Dakota.The Highway Patrol identified the victims has 64-year-old Lynette Ashes, of Wagner; 31-year-old Agnes Drapeaux, of Mitchell; 28-year-old Michaela Rainbow, of Lake Andes; and 33-year-old Milton LaRose, of Omaha, Nebraska.The patrol said the crash happened about 6 p.m. Tuesday near Wagner when a 2003 Chrysler Sebring driven by Drapeaux failed to stop at an intersection and collided with a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Ashes. The car subsequently plunged into a ditch where it caught fire, authorities said.Ashes was the lone occupant of the SUV. There were four passengers in the car, including one man, 27-year-old Lawrence Thunder Horse, of Lake Andes, who suffered serious non-life threatening injuries.The patrol said none of people involved in the crash appeared to have been wearing seat belts.

Patrol names victims of South Dakota crash that killed 4

BELLE FOURCHE, S.D. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in a 2012 Butte County case that was solved using forensic genealogy. 

Thirty-four-year-old Shane Boice pleaded guilty to second-degree rape as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. 

Two burglary counts were dropped as part of the agreement.

 Police tested DNA obtained from the crime scene at the time but found no match within DNA databases. 

The police department and South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation continued to investigate the case and in 2018 decided to send a DNA sample to a genetic genealogy company and that eventually led them to Boice.

BELLE FOURCHE, S.D. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in a 2012 Butte County case that was solved using forensic genealogy. Thirty-four-year-old Shane Boice pleaded guilty to second-degree rape as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. Two burglary counts were dropped as part of the agreement. Police tested DNA obtained from the crime scene at the time but found no match within DNA databases. The police department and South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation continued to investigate the case and in 2018 decided to send a DNA sample to a genetic genealogy company and that eventually led them to Boice.

45 years in prison for assault case solved with genealogy

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-18/kansas-meatpacking-workers-faced-outbreak-after-outbreak-but-still-cant-get-a-covid-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>

Thousands of meatpacking workers in southwest Kansas continue to wait for any news about when they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine.

That
 wait drags on even as some counties vaccinate college faculty, first 
responders and postal workers, and as Kansas launches a new program to 
get a first dose into the arm of every school worker by early April.

Meatpacking
 plants have been the state’s third-biggest source of coronavirus 
outbreaks, eclipsed only by long-term care facilities (such as nursing 
homes) and jails and prisons.

“Meatpacking workers have taken one 
of the hardest hits of this pandemic,” said Monica Vargas-Huertas, a 
political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers 
International Union Local 2 representing 7,000 meatpacking workers in 
two southwest Kansas counties. “They have been in the front lines from 
Day One.”

The factory-scale slaughterhouses stayed open when many other businesses closed under <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-03-28/kansas-governor-issues-a-statewide-stay-at-home-order-which-starts-monday" target="_blank">statewide stay-at-home</a> orders last spring.

“They kept working, securing the food (supply),” Vargas-Huertas said, “and securing the economy of the state.”

But
 state officials say meatpacking facilities took steps that greatly 
reduced transmission within their walls. In the past two weeks, they 
say, the plants have seen no fresh coronavirus outbreaks involving five 
or more cases.

And Kansas simply doesn’t receive enough vaccines 
per week from the federal government to quickly vaccinate all essential 
workers.

Ashley Goss, deputy secretary for public health, says 
Gov. Laura Kelly wants to get children back to school as soon as 
possible because missing so much in-person contact with peers and 
educators can have long-term effects on learning and mental health.

“She’s
 had to make some really tough decisions,” Goss said. “And she feels 
very strongly for our school staff to be the next push.”

Kansas 
was receiving fewer than 100,000 doses a week from the federal 
government, though shipments should soon increase to about 115,000 a 
week.

To speed shots to school workers, Kansas is redirecting some
 doses from counties that have made more progress than others on 
vaccinating their residents.

For now, it will not do the same for meatpacking workers.

Kansas
 has some of the country’s most productive beef-packing plants. The 
industry drives the economies of Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal.

The meatpacking workers are largely immigrants and people of color. <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/early-state-vaccination-data-raise-warning-flags-racial-equity/" target="_blank">Mounting evidence</a> from other states suggests people of color across the country aren’t receiving equitable access to the coronavirus vaccine.

Kansas will soon publish vaccination statistics that shed light on whether that holds true here, too.

The state’s figures on known COVID cases already show Hispanic people <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">significantly more likely</a> to catch the virus than non-Hispanic people.

Nearly 4,000 known cases of COVID-19 and two dozen deaths link directly to the slaughterhouses in Kansas.

Infections
 related to the plants continue to have serious ripple effects. Five 
ongoing outbreaks linked to the plants have led to nearly 1,800 known 
cases in their communities and 14 deaths.

<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-u-s-is-underestimating-covid-reinfection/" target="_blank">Scientists remain uncertain</a> how long a survivor enjoys immunity before catching the illness again, meaning workers fear re-infection.

“We want to prevent a new wave,” Vargas-Huertas said. “We cannot wait four or five months.”

Meatpacking
 workers fall into Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. (Phase 1
 focused on health care workers and nursing homes.)

But Phase 2 is
 a bucket so massive that it includes about 1 million people, or a third
 of the state’s population. It covers everyone over the age of 65 and a 
wide variety of other groups, such as teachers, police and grocery 
clerks.

The state largely lets each county make its own decisions on how to prioritize within that bucket.

“We’ve
 tried to stick with public health being decentralized in our state,” 
Goss said. “Local health authorities have the ability to decide.”

This week the governor’s office announced one exception: It will start earmarking doses each week for school workers.

But meatpackers in Seward, Ford and Finney counties remain unclear when their turn will come.

UFCW
 International Local 2 represents workers at plants in Seward and Ford 
counties and communicates regularly with other workers in Finney County.

It says workers haven’t been able to get shots unless they qualify based on reasons other than their jobs.

“Only
 those workers over 65 years old have received a vaccine or an 
appointment,” Vargas-Huertas said. “The rest of the workers, they 
haven’t even received an appointment.”

The sites are eagerly 
preparing, she said. Health care workers employed by the plants have 
already gathered information from employees to prioritize which ones 
face the greatest health risks and should get the shots first when they 
become available.

State health officials say plants have applied 
to give the vaccine on site, so eventually Kansas will send doses to 
them directly.

Only, Kansas can’t get its hands on enough doses 
yet to make that happen, Goss said, despite pleading with every federal 
agency it can think of.

“Oh my gosh,” Goss said. “I’ve told anyone
 who will listen. … Anyone who has an ear in the federal government or 
is part of it. We tell them if there’s anyone’s vaccine (who) can’t use 
it, doesn’t want it, that you just want to give us — we’ll take it. 
We’re more than happy to beg and borrow.”

Early
 in the pandemic, some meatpacking workers said their plants should 
close for deep cleaning when coronavirus began spreading on the 
slaughterhouse floors. At <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">least one county medical officer agreed</a>.

The
 companies opposed closure, and National Beef urged the Kelly 
administration to make clear to meatpacking workers — many of whom were 
fearful of continuing to show up for work in buildings where the disease
 was spreading — that they have a “special responsibility” to do their 
jobs.

State officials said they could close the plants if 
necessary, but wanted to avoid that and require changes within the 
buildings to promote safety instead.

The Kelly and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/emails-show-the-meatpacking-industry-drafted-an-executive-order-to-keep-plants-open" target="_blank">Trump</a> administrations threw their weight behind ramping up COVID-19 testing for meatpacking plants to keep the facilities open. <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">The state said</a> workers with known COVID-19 exposure could keep going to work unless they showed symptoms.

But inside the plants, true <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">social distancing is impossible</a>, the union says, and plexiglass and face masks can only do so much.

Public
 announcements on the Facebook pages and websites of Seward, Finney and 
Ford counties and a southwest Kansas clinic that has helped with 
outreach and giving shots don’t say when meatpacking workers will get 
their doses.

Nor have workers been able to find that out from the state health department.

By late January, Finney County was vaccinating people over the age of 65, police officers, firefighters and clergy.

Day care workers, UPS, FedEx and postal workers, city employees and taxi drivers were among those who became eligible next.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613744554329.png" alt="The Cargill beefpacking plant in Dodge City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The Cargill beefpacking plant in Dodge City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-18/kansas-meatpacking-workers-faced-outbreak-after-outbreak-but-still-cant-get-a-covid-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>Thousands of meatpacking workers in southwest Kansas continue to wait for any news about when they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine.That
 wait drags on even as some counties vaccinate college faculty, first 
responders and postal workers, and as Kansas launches a new program to 
get a first dose into the arm of every school worker by early April.Meatpacking
 plants have been the state’s third-biggest source of coronavirus 
outbreaks, eclipsed only by long-term care facilities (such as nursing 
homes) and jails and prisons.“Meatpacking workers have taken one 
of the hardest hits of this pandemic,” said Monica Vargas-Huertas, a 
political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers 
International Union Local 2 representing 7,000 meatpacking workers in 
two southwest Kansas counties. “They have been in the front lines from 
Day One.”The factory-scale slaughterhouses stayed open when many other businesses closed under <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-03-28/kansas-governor-issues-a-statewide-stay-at-home-order-which-starts-monday" target="_blank">statewide stay-at-home</a> orders last spring.“They kept working, securing the food (supply),” Vargas-Huertas said, “and securing the economy of the state.”But
 state officials say meatpacking facilities took steps that greatly 
reduced transmission within their walls. In the past two weeks, they 
say, the plants have seen no fresh coronavirus outbreaks involving five 
or more cases.And Kansas simply doesn’t receive enough vaccines 
per week from the federal government to quickly vaccinate all essential 
workers.Ashley Goss, deputy secretary for public health, says 
Gov. Laura Kelly wants to get children back to school as soon as 
possible because missing so much in-person contact with peers and 
educators can have long-term effects on learning and mental health.“She’s
 had to make some really tough decisions,” Goss said. “And she feels 
very strongly for our school staff to be the next push.”Kansas 
was receiving fewer than 100,000 doses a week from the federal 
government, though shipments should soon increase to about 115,000 a 
week.To speed shots to school workers, Kansas is redirecting some
 doses from counties that have made more progress than others on 
vaccinating their residents.For now, it will not do the same for meatpacking workers.<h2>Hot spots</h2>Kansas
 has some of the country’s most productive beef-packing plants. The 
industry drives the economies of Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal.The meatpacking workers are largely immigrants and people of color. <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/early-state-vaccination-data-raise-warning-flags-racial-equity/" target="_blank">Mounting evidence</a> from other states suggests people of color across the country aren’t receiving equitable access to the coronavirus vaccine.Kansas will soon publish vaccination statistics that shed light on whether that holds true here, too.The state’s figures on known COVID cases already show Hispanic people <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">significantly more likely</a> to catch the virus than non-Hispanic people.Nearly 4,000 known cases of COVID-19 and two dozen deaths link directly to the slaughterhouses in Kansas.Infections
 related to the plants continue to have serious ripple effects. Five 
ongoing outbreaks linked to the plants have led to nearly 1,800 known 
cases in their communities and 14 deaths.<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-u-s-is-underestimating-covid-reinfection/" target="_blank">Scientists remain uncertain</a> how long a survivor enjoys immunity before catching the illness again, meaning workers fear re-infection.“We want to prevent a new wave,” Vargas-Huertas said. “We cannot wait four or five months.”<h2>Phase 2 vaccines</h2>Meatpacking
 workers fall into Phase 2 of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. (Phase 1
 focused on health care workers and nursing homes.)But Phase 2 is
 a bucket so massive that it includes about 1 million people, or a third
 of the state’s population. It covers everyone over the age of 65 and a 
wide variety of other groups, such as teachers, police and grocery 
clerks.The state largely lets each county make its own decisions on how to prioritize within that bucket.“We’ve
 tried to stick with public health being decentralized in our state,” 
Goss said. “Local health authorities have the ability to decide.”This week the governor’s office announced one exception: It will start earmarking doses each week for school workers.But meatpackers in Seward, Ford and Finney counties remain unclear when their turn will come.UFCW
 International Local 2 represents workers at plants in Seward and Ford 
counties and communicates regularly with other workers in Finney County.It says workers haven’t been able to get shots unless they qualify based on reasons other than their jobs.“Only
 those workers over 65 years old have received a vaccine or an 
appointment,” Vargas-Huertas said. “The rest of the workers, they 
haven’t even received an appointment.”The sites are eagerly 
preparing, she said. Health care workers employed by the plants have 
already gathered information from employees to prioritize which ones 
face the greatest health risks and should get the shots first when they 
become available.State health officials say plants have applied 
to give the vaccine on site, so eventually Kansas will send doses to 
them directly.Only, Kansas can’t get its hands on enough doses 
yet to make that happen, Goss said, despite pleading with every federal 
agency it can think of.“Oh my gosh,” Goss said. “I’ve told anyone
 who will listen. … Anyone who has an ear in the federal government or 
is part of it. We tell them if there’s anyone’s vaccine (who) can’t use 
it, doesn’t want it, that you just want to give us — we’ll take it. 
We’re more than happy to beg and borrow.”<h2>No plant shutdowns</h2>Early
 in the pandemic, some meatpacking workers said their plants should 
close for deep cleaning when coronavirus began spreading on the 
slaughterhouse floors. At <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">least one county medical officer agreed</a>.The
 companies opposed closure, and National Beef urged the Kelly 
administration to make clear to meatpacking workers — many of whom were 
fearful of continuing to show up for work in buildings where the disease
 was spreading — that they have a “special responsibility” to do their 
jobs.State officials said they could close the plants if 
necessary, but wanted to avoid that and require changes within the 
buildings to promote safety instead.The Kelly and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/emails-show-the-meatpacking-industry-drafted-an-executive-order-to-keep-plants-open" target="_blank">Trump</a> administrations threw their weight behind ramping up COVID-19 testing for meatpacking plants to keep the facilities open. <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">The state said</a> workers with known COVID-19 exposure could keep going to work unless they showed symptoms.<h2>Finding a shot</h2>But inside the plants, true <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">social distancing is impossible</a>, the union says, and plexiglass and face masks can only do so much.Public
 announcements on the Facebook pages and websites of Seward, Finney and 
Ford counties and a southwest Kansas clinic that has helped with 
outreach and giving shots don’t say when meatpacking workers will get 
their doses.Nor have workers been able to find that out from the state health department.By late January, Finney County was vaccinating people over the age of 65, police officers, firefighters and clergy.Day care workers, UPS, FedEx and postal workers, city employees and taxi drivers were among those who became eligible next.This week, community college faculty and school employees also get their turn.The
 most recent update on the Seward County Facebook page, meanwhile, says 
the county is scheduling people over the age of 90 or in critical 
functions, but doesn’t elaborate on the latter category.The 
Kansas News Service has reached out to Finney, Seward and Ford counties 
seeking more information. A regional health clinic that has helped 
administer doses in southwest Kansas deferred to local health 
authorities.Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and
 education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter 
@celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.