OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An unexpected amount of snow in eastern Nebraska has canceled in-person classes and slicked streets. 

Weather forecasts around the Omaha area had predicted a dusting or up to an inch of snow late Sunday. But many residents awoke Monday to more than 3 inches of snow on the ground. 

Bennington just north of Omaha reported 3.5 inches of snow by Monday morning, with other communities in and around Omaha reporting just under 2 inches to 3 inches. 

That snow came a day after heavy snowfall in western and central Nebraska that saw up to 8 inches in rural areas north of North Platte.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641474767525.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An unexpected amount of snow in eastern Nebraska has canceled in-person classes and slicked streets. Weather forecasts around the Omaha area had predicted a dusting or up to an inch of snow late Sunday. But many residents awoke Monday to more than 3 inches of snow on the ground. Bennington just north of Omaha reported 3.5 inches of snow by Monday morning, with other communities in and around Omaha reporting just under 2 inches to 3 inches. That snow came a day after heavy snowfall in western and central Nebraska that saw up to 8 inches in rural areas north of North Platte.

Surprise snow in Nebraska cancels classes, slicks roads

Double R Boxing Presents the 90th Annual Central District Golden Gloves Tournament at the Heartland Events Center at Fonner Park and will host 15-20 amateur Boxing matches. These young boxers will try to advance to the National Golden Gloves Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Come and watch boxers from Lincoln all the way to the panhandle of Nebraska to South Dakota and everywhere in between square off for the right to be called the 90th Central District Golden Gloves Champion.

Tickets go on sale March, 1, 2022 at 10:00 am. Fight night as stated above is Saturday, April 2nd, doors open at 5 pm and fights start at 6 pm. Ticket costs are: General Admission $20, Preferred Seating $40, Table Seats $50 per seat (10 seats per table). All tickets can be purchased at the Heartland Events Center box office or online at etix.com.

For sponsor tables please contact Justin Collins at justincollins1978@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646667050710.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Fonner ParkDouble R Boxing Presents the 90th Annual Central District Golden Gloves Tournament at the Heartland Events Center at Fonner Park and will host 15-20 amateur Boxing matches. These young boxers will try to advance to the National Golden Gloves Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Come and watch boxers from Lincoln all the way to the panhandle of Nebraska to South Dakota and everywhere in between square off for the right to be called the 90th Central District Golden Gloves Champion.Tickets go on sale March, 1, 2022 at 10:00 am. Fight night as stated above is Saturday, April 2nd, doors open at 5 pm and fights start at 6 pm. Ticket costs are: General Admission $20, Preferred Seating $40, Table Seats $50 per seat (10 seats per table). All tickets can be purchased at the Heartland Events Center box office or online at etix.com.For sponsor tables please contact Justin Collins at justincollins1978@gmail.com.

Fonner Park to host Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament

‘It was like Omaha … and then it changed overnight’

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/06/ukrainians-in-nebraska-worry-for-loved-ones-dread-what-the-future-may-bring/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The message on Halyna Carbullido’s Facebook page says a lot:&nbsp;

“My morning doesn’t start with coffee any more. It starts with making sure my friends and relatives in Ukraine are still alive.”

This
 is the world inhabited by Ukranians in America right now. They’re glued
 to the internet, to their cell phone, to news reports to follow what’s 
happening in their home country.

They’re
 collecting first-aid kits and bandages to ship back home. They’re 
speaking at rallies seeking American support. They’re spending sleepless
 nights, worrying about loved ones.&nbsp;

“Every
 waking moment I’m online,” said Carbullido, who emigrated from Ukraine 
to Omaha in 1991 and has been married to her husband, Ken Carbullido, 
for 10 years. Everyone knows her by her nickname, “Hala.”

The
 56-year-old, who does IT work for an Omaha bank, was helping load up a 
truck Sunday with medical supplies for shipment to Chicago and on to her
 home country. These days, she said, sleep comes only “with help.”

In
 Lincoln on Sunday, 20-year old Yulia Iziumova, a junior at Nebraska 
Wesleyan University, spoke to a “Rally to Support Peace in Ukraine” on 
the steps of the State Capitol.

The
 former exchange student at Lincoln High School said the fighting hasn’t
 yet reached her hometown of Chornomorsk, near the port city of Odessa. 
But the war is close by, in eastern Ukraine, and is closing in.

“I have classmates who are now at the front,” Iziumova said of friends in Ukraine.&nbsp;

Her
 mother fled across the border to Moldova, but her father, Igor, a 
42-year-old crane operator at the port of Odessa, has stayed behind, 
with her grandparents, an aunt and uncle and some cousins.

“He thought it was the right thing to stay and help defend the country in any way he can,” Iziumova said of her father.

Right
 now, the port is closed, but soldiers are there, sandbagging, preparing
 for a possible invasion of Odessa. She said she can feel the tension, 
the horrible anticipation. She said she’s become a “slave” to the news 
feed.

“I’m just hoping not to hear the word ‘Odessa,’” Iziumova said.

“Nobody knows what tomorrow looks like,” she added. “That’s a very hard thing.”

In Omaha, Carbullido feels the same anxiety, the same awful feeling about what could happen next.

She grew up in Lviv, in western Ukraine, a cultural hub near Poland that has escaped the shellings so far.

But
 she knows people in the east where bombs are falling and people are 
dying. And her 61-year-old brother, Rostyslav, a retired oil company 
logistics manager, and his wife are still in Lviv, waiting.

The
 brother, she said, drove his former daughter-in-law (their son died 
three years ago), her three kids and her new husband to the Polish 
border just after the war broke out. They waited in line for 18 hours 
before being allowed to leave Ukraine and are now at a refugee dormitory
 in Germany, waiting for COVID-19 tests to clear them to find temporary 
housing.

Carbullido said her brother doesn’t want her to ask what he will do when the war comes to Lviv.

&nbsp;“He refuses to talk about it,” she said. “He doesn’t want me to bug him about, ‘You must have your luggage packed.’”

“’At least do that,’ I told him,” Carbullido said.&nbsp;

For
 now, the brother is “staying out of the way.” She said he is part of a 
network of Lviv residents who are giving rides to those evacuating the 
city of 717,000.

Lviv,
 Carbullido said, is known as “The Paris of Ukraine” because of its 
beautiful architecture, culture and monuments. But now residents are 
boarding up windows and covering the monuments to protect them when the 
shooting starts.&nbsp;

“It
 was like Omaha,” Carbullido said of Lviv. “You wake up in the morning, 
you go to work, you drop your kids at school, you meet your friends for 
drinks at night …

“And then it changed overnight,” she said. “Now Ukraine is in ruins.”

Carbullido,
 who landed in Omaha because a local Ukranian church was willing to 
sponsor her and her son, said that Ukraine did not ask for war but that 
she expected that Russian president Vladmir Putin would someday invent a
 reason to invade.

“They
 think Ukraine belongs to them. They think Ukraine should work hard to 
support Russia and doesn’t deserve to be a separate country,” she said.

Carbuillido
 said that her home country, which she last visited nine years ago, has 
political divisions like any nation, but is united in the fight against 
Russia.

“They know what kind of life their relatives have across the border (in Russia) and they don’t want it,” she said.

Both
 Carbullido and Iziumova said the war in Ukraine is more than a fight 
between that country and Russia, but a fight against the whole world.

No one, they said, expects the U.S. to send troops there, but Ukraine needs more help.

Send
 drones, Carbullido posted on her Facebook page — along with pictures of
 newborns housed in a bomb shelter, a woman confronting a Russian 
soldier, and elderly women cooking food for Ukrainian troops.&nbsp;

“Oh, my God. I don’t know,” Carbullido said. “I’ve been reading different analyses. I don’t know.”

“I’m scared to think of the worst-case scenario: Occupation,” she said. “It’s just heartbreaking.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646661986560.png" alt="Dozens of people rallied on Saturday in Lincoln in support of Ukraine. Another rally by Nebraskans for Peace was held Sunday on the steps of the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Dozens of people rallied on Saturday in Lincoln in support of Ukraine. Another rally by Nebraskans for Peace was held Sunday on the steps of the State Capitol. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘It was like Omaha … and then it changed overnight’</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/06/ukrainians-in-nebraska-worry-for-loved-ones-dread-what-the-future-may-bring/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The message on Halyna Carbullido’s Facebook page says a lot:&nbsp;“My morning doesn’t start with coffee any more. It starts with making sure my friends and relatives in Ukraine are still alive.”This
 is the world inhabited by Ukranians in America right now. They’re glued
 to the internet, to their cell phone, to news reports to follow what’s 
happening in their home country.<h2>‘Every waking moment I’m online’</h2>They’re
 collecting first-aid kits and bandages to ship back home. They’re 
speaking at rallies seeking American support. They’re spending sleepless
 nights, worrying about loved ones.&nbsp;“Every
 waking moment I’m online,” said Carbullido, who emigrated from Ukraine 
to Omaha in 1991 and has been married to her husband, Ken Carbullido, 
for 10 years. Everyone knows her by her nickname, “Hala.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646662064069.jpeg" alt="On Sunday, Ukraine supporters in Omaha collected first-aid kits and other supplies for shipment to the war-torn country. Pictured is the organizer, Natalia Lys. (Courtesy of Hala Carbullido)" />
 <figcaption>On Sunday, Ukraine supporters in Omaha collected first-aid kits and other supplies for shipment to the war-torn country. Pictured is the organizer, Natalia Lys. (Courtesy of Hala Carbullido)</figcaption>
 </figure>The
 56-year-old, who does IT work for an Omaha bank, was helping load up a 
truck Sunday with medical supplies for shipment to Chicago and on to her
 home country. These days, she said, sleep comes only “with help.”In
 Lincoln on Sunday, 20-year old Yulia Iziumova, a junior at Nebraska 
Wesleyan University, spoke to a “Rally to Support Peace in Ukraine” on 
the steps of the State Capitol.<h2>Classmates at the front</h2>The
 former exchange student at Lincoln High School said the fighting hasn’t
 yet reached her hometown of Chornomorsk, near the port city of Odessa. 
But the war is close by, in eastern Ukraine, and is closing in.“I have classmates who are now at the front,” Iziumova said of friends in Ukraine.&nbsp;Her
 mother fled across the border to Moldova, but her father, Igor, a 
42-year-old crane operator at the port of Odessa, has stayed behind, 
with her grandparents, an aunt and uncle and some cousins.“He thought it was the right thing to stay and help defend the country in any way he can,” Iziumova said of her father.Right
 now, the port is closed, but soldiers are there, sandbagging, preparing
 for a possible invasion of Odessa. She said she can feel the tension, 
the horrible anticipation. She said she’s become a “slave” to the news 
feed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646662090050.jpeg" alt="Yulia Iziumova, a Ukranian student at Nebraska Wesleyan University (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Yulia Iziumova, a Ukranian student at Nebraska Wesleyan University (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Hoping not to hear ‘Odessa’</h2>“I’m just hoping not to hear the word ‘Odessa,’” Iziumova said.“Nobody knows what tomorrow looks like,” she added. “That’s a very hard thing.”In Omaha, Carbullido feels the same anxiety, the same awful feeling about what could happen next.She grew up in Lviv, in western Ukraine, a cultural hub near Poland that has escaped the shellings so far.But
 she knows people in the east where bombs are falling and people are 
dying. And her 61-year-old brother, Rostyslav, a retired oil company 
logistics manager, and his wife are still in Lviv, waiting.<h2>Fled to Germany</h2>The
 brother, she said, drove his former daughter-in-law (their son died 
three years ago), her three kids and her new husband to the Polish 
border just after the war broke out. They waited in line for 18 hours 
before being allowed to leave Ukraine and are now at a refugee dormitory
 in Germany, waiting for COVID-19 tests to clear them to find temporary 
housing.Carbullido said her brother doesn’t want her to ask what he will do when the war comes to Lviv.&nbsp;“He refuses to talk about it,” she said. “He doesn’t want me to bug him about, ‘You must have your luggage packed.’”“’At least do that,’ I told him,” Carbullido said.&nbsp;For
 now, the brother is “staying out of the way.” She said he is part of a 
network of Lviv residents who are giving rides to those evacuating the 
city of 717,000.<h2>‘It was like Omaha …”</h2>Lviv,
 Carbullido said, is known as “The Paris of Ukraine” because of its 
beautiful architecture, culture and monuments. But now residents are 
boarding up windows and covering the monuments to protect them when the 
shooting starts.&nbsp;“It
 was like Omaha,” Carbullido said of Lviv. “You wake up in the morning, 
you go to work, you drop your kids at school, you meet your friends for 
drinks at night …“And then it changed overnight,” she said. “Now Ukraine is in ruins.”Carbullido,
 who landed in Omaha because a local Ukranian church was willing to 
sponsor her and her son, said that Ukraine did not ask for war but that 
she expected that Russian president Vladmir Putin would someday invent a
 reason to invade.“They
 think Ukraine belongs to them. They think Ukraine should work hard to 
support Russia and doesn’t deserve to be a separate country,” she said.Carbuillido
 said that her home country, which she last visited nine years ago, has 
political divisions like any nation, but is united in the fight against 
Russia.“They know what kind of life their relatives have across the border (in Russia) and they don’t want it,” she said.Both
 Carbullido and Iziumova said the war in Ukraine is more than a fight 
between that country and Russia, but a fight against the whole world.<h2>Send drones</h2>No one, they said, expects the U.S. to send troops there, but Ukraine needs more help.Send
 drones, Carbullido posted on her Facebook page — along with pictures of
 newborns housed in a bomb shelter, a woman confronting a Russian 
soldier, and elderly women cooking food for Ukrainian troops.&nbsp;What’s to come for her home country?“Oh, my God. I don’t know,” Carbullido said. “I’ve been reading different analyses. I don’t know.”“I’m scared to think of the worst-case scenario: Occupation,” she said. “It’s just heartbreaking.”

Ukrainians in Nebraska worry for loved ones, worry for future

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced it has 
begun using voice and chat bots on two of its specialized toll-free 
telephone assistance lines and IRS.gov, enabling taxpayers with simple 
payment or collection notice questions to get what they need quickly and
 avoid waiting. Taxpayers can still speak with an IRS telephone 
representative if needed.

"Our phone lines continue to see unprecedented demand, and the IRS 
continues to look for ways to help people and avoid long wait times," 
said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Our telephone representatives 
remain an important part of the service we provide, but these bots can 
help some people avoid lengthy phone delays for something that could be 
resolved on the spot. This is part of a larger effort to help people get
 the assistance they need this tax season."

The IRS in recent weeks has deployed voice and chat bots in English 
and Spanish for phone lines that assist taxpayers with tax payments 
issues or understanding an IRS notice they may have received. People 
with general tax season questions generally will not encounter these 
features at this time. The bots are now available to help taxpayers 
with:

Voice bots are software powered by artificial intelligence (AI) 
that allow a caller to navigate an interactive voice response (IVR) 
system with their voice, generally using natural language. Chat bots 
simulate human conversation through web-based text interaction, also 
using AI-powered software to respond to natural language prompts. 
Taxpayers who request to speak with a customer service representative 
will be placed in queue for English or Spanish ACS telephone assistance.
 The IRS voice and chat bots currently provide unauthenticated services,
 which means they cannot provide assistance with a taxpayer's protected 
account information.

"Voice and chat bots interact with taxpayers in easy-to-follow ways, 
which means taxpayers don't have to wait on hold to handle simple 
tasks," said Darren Guillot, Commissioner of Small Business/Self 
Employed Collection at the IRS.

Later in 2022, IRS voice bots will also enable taxpayers to 
authenticate their identity to establish payment plans, request a 
transcript and obtain information about their accounts, such as payoff 
details. The IRS plans to roll out more voice and chat bots later in 
2022 to assist taxpayers with more complex issues.

IRS toll-free telephone lines receive millions of calls a year. A 
customer service representative spends on average nearly 20 minutes with
 each taxpayer they help on a collection issue. Freeing up IRS phone 
assistors for taxpayers with complex collection issues who need to speak
 with someone is another major benefit of voice and chat bots.

In addition to the payment lines, voice bots helped people calling 
the Economic Impact Payment (EIP) toll-free line, providing general 
procedural responses to frequently asked questions. The IRS also added 
voice bots for the Advance Child Tax Credit toll-free line in February 
to provide similar assistance to callers who need help reconciling the 
credits on their 2021 tax return.

The IRS also reminds taxpayers about numerous other <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/get-ready-for-taxes-bookmark-irsgov-resources-and-online-tools-to-use-before-during-and-after-filing">self-service options</a> that are available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced it has 
begun using voice and chat bots on two of its specialized toll-free 
telephone assistance lines and IRS.gov, enabling taxpayers with simple 
payment or collection notice questions to get what they need quickly and
 avoid waiting. Taxpayers can still speak with an IRS telephone 
representative if needed."Our phone lines continue to see unprecedented demand, and the IRS 
continues to look for ways to help people and avoid long wait times," 
said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Our telephone representatives 
remain an important part of the service we provide, but these bots can 
help some people avoid lengthy phone delays for something that could be 
resolved on the spot. This is part of a larger effort to help people get
 the assistance they need this tax season."The IRS in recent weeks has deployed voice and chat bots in English 
and Spanish for phone lines that assist taxpayers with tax payments 
issues or understanding an IRS notice they may have received. People 
with general tax season questions generally will not encounter these 
features at this time. The bots are now available to help taxpayers 
with:<ul>
 <li>How to make one-time payments</li><li>Answers to frequently asked questions</li><li>Collection notice clarification</li>
 </ul>Voice bots are software powered by artificial intelligence (AI) 
that allow a caller to navigate an interactive voice response (IVR) 
system with their voice, generally using natural language. Chat bots 
simulate human conversation through web-based text interaction, also 
using AI-powered software to respond to natural language prompts. 
Taxpayers who request to speak with a customer service representative 
will be placed in queue for English or Spanish ACS telephone assistance.
 The IRS voice and chat bots currently provide unauthenticated services,
 which means they cannot provide assistance with a taxpayer's protected 
account information."Voice and chat bots interact with taxpayers in easy-to-follow ways, 
which means taxpayers don't have to wait on hold to handle simple 
tasks," said Darren Guillot, Commissioner of Small Business/Self 
Employed Collection at the IRS.Later in 2022, IRS voice bots will also enable taxpayers to 
authenticate their identity to establish payment plans, request a 
transcript and obtain information about their accounts, such as payoff 
details. The IRS plans to roll out more voice and chat bots later in 
2022 to assist taxpayers with more complex issues.IRS toll-free telephone lines receive millions of calls a year. A 
customer service representative spends on average nearly 20 minutes with
 each taxpayer they help on a collection issue. Freeing up IRS phone 
assistors for taxpayers with complex collection issues who need to speak
 with someone is another major benefit of voice and chat bots.In addition to the payment lines, voice bots helped people calling 
the Economic Impact Payment (EIP) toll-free line, providing general 
procedural responses to frequently asked questions. The IRS also added 
voice bots for the Advance Child Tax Credit toll-free line in February 
to provide similar assistance to callers who need help reconciling the 
credits on their 2021 tax return.The IRS also reminds taxpayers about numerous other <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/get-ready-for-taxes-bookmark-irsgov-resources-and-online-tools-to-use-before-during-and-after-filing">self-service options</a> that are available.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

IRS: Voice, text bots will now answer your tax questions

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police are investigating a homicide reported near one of the department's stations.

Kansas City police spokeswoman Officer Donna Drake said the homicide was reported around 2 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of East 27th Street and Brooklyn Avenue. The Kansas City Star&nbsp;reports&nbsp;that is about one block away from the police department’s East Patrol Division Station.

When officers arrived, they found two people with gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Both victims were taken to a hospital where one later died. The second victim was in stable condition Sunday.

This is the city's 28th homicide of the year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646651806748.png" alt="Sunday afternoon crime scene photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Sunday afternoon crime scene photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police are investigating a homicide reported near one of the department's stations.Kansas City police spokeswoman Officer Donna Drake said the homicide was reported around 2 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of East 27th Street and Brooklyn Avenue. The Kansas City Star&nbsp;reports&nbsp;that is about one block away from the police department’s East Patrol Division Station.When officers arrived, they found two people with gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Both victims were taken to a hospital where one later died. The second victim was in stable condition Sunday.This is the city's 28th homicide of the year.

Homicide investigation near Kansas City police station

NEW YORK (AP) — The average price of regular gasoline across the U.S. has risen above $4 per gallon for the first time since 2008. 

The AAA motor club said the price of regular gas went up by almost 41 cents during the past week. That comes in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and represents the second-largest jump in average national prices in a week. 

The head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy said the Russian invasion and seasonal price changes mean Americans should prepare to pay more for gas than ever before. 

The all-time high for average gasoline prices was set in July 17, 2008 at $4.10 per gallon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646653109818.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSNEW YORK (AP) — The average price of regular gasoline across the U.S. has risen above $4 per gallon for the first time since 2008. The AAA motor club said the price of regular gas went up by almost 41 cents during the past week. That comes in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and represents the second-largest jump in average national prices in a week. The head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy said the Russian invasion and seasonal price changes mean Americans should prepare to pay more for gas than ever before. The all-time high for average gasoline prices was set in July 17, 2008 at $4.10 per gallon.

Gas tops $4 per gallon average, 1st time since 2008

(AP)-Netflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government cracks down on what people and media outlets can say about Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

Pulling the plug on online entertainment — and information — is likely to further isolate the country and its people after a growing number of multinational businesses have cut off Russia from vital financial services, technology and a variety of consumer products in response to Western economic sanctions and global outrage over the invasion of Ukraine. 

Other companies that said they were cutting ties to Russia Sunday included two of the Big Four accounting firms and American Express.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646653035162.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS(AP)-Netflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government cracks down on what people and media outlets can say about Russia’s war in Ukraine. Pulling the plug on online entertainment — and information — is likely to further isolate the country and its people after a growing number of multinational businesses have cut off Russia from vital financial services, technology and a variety of consumer products in response to Western economic sanctions and global outrage over the invasion of Ukraine. Other companies that said they were cutting ties to Russia Sunday included two of the Big Four accounting firms and American Express.

Netflix, TikTok block services in Russia to avoid crackdown

BANGKOK (AP) — The official global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 6 million on Monday — underscoring that the pandemic, now entering its third year, is far from over.

The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is the latest tragic reminder of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">unrelenting nature of the pandemic</a>&nbsp;even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-religion-new-zealand-fiji-27b40edd3d6e94c5b10185e49bbf182f">Remote Pacific islands,</a>&nbsp;whose isolation had protected them for more than two years, are just now grappling with their first outbreaks and deaths, fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Hong Kong, which is seeing deaths soar, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-china-hong-kong-400065ee2ffd08eee45411d6dc099cca">testing its entire population of 7.5 million&nbsp;</a>three times this month as it clings to mainland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-china-hong-kong-2f6cf36849799aa67cd8ee8d4f5bfd64">China’s “zero-COVID” strategy</a>.

As death rates remain high in Poland, Hungary, Romania and other Eastern European countries, the region has seen more than 1.5 million refugees arrive from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war-torn Ukraine</a>, a country with poor vaccination coverage and high rates of cases and deaths.

And despite its wealth and vaccine availability, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-hits-covid-deaths-milestone-coronavirus-omicron-76dc452fb7263612529e09eb23bc0f24">United States is nearing 1 million</a>&nbsp;reported deaths on its own.

Death rates worldwide are still highest among people unvaccinated against the virus, said Tikki Pang, a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore’s medical school and co-chair of the Asia Pacific Immunization Coalition.

“This is a disease of the unvaccinated — look what is happening in Hong Kong right now, the health system is being overwhelmed,” said Pang, the former director of research policy and cooperation with the World Health Organization. “The large majority of the deaths and the severe cases are in the unvaccinated, vulnerable segment of the population.”

It took the world seven months to record its first million deaths from the virus after the pandemic began in early 2020. Four months later another million people had died, and 1 million have died every three months since, until the death toll hit 5 million at the end of October. Now it has reached 6 million — more than the populations of Berlin and Brussels combined, or the entire state of Maryland.

But despite the enormity of the figure, the world undoubtedly hit its 6 millionth death some time ago. Poor record-keeping and testing in many parts of the world has led to an undercount in coronavirus deaths, in addition to excess deaths related to the pandemic but not from actual COVID-19 infections, like people who died from preventable causes but could not receive treatment because hospitals were full.

Edouard Mathieu, head of data for the&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus" target="_blank">Our World in Data</a>&nbsp;portal, said that — when countries’ excess mortality figures are studied — as many as nearly four times the reported death toll have likely died because of the pandemic.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates" target="_blank">analysis of excess deaths by a team at The Economist</a>&nbsp;estimates that the number of COVID-19 deaths is between 14.1 million and 23.8 million.

“Confirmed deaths represent a fraction of the true number of deaths due to COVID, mostly because of limited testing, and challenges in the attribution of the cause of death,” Mathieu told The Associated Press. “In some, mostly rich, countries that fraction is high and the official tally can be considered to be fairly accurate, but in others it is highly underestimated.”

The United States has the biggest official death toll in the world, but the numbers have been trending downward over the last month.

Lonnie Bailey lost his 17-year-old nephew, Carlos Nunez Jr., who contracted COVID-19 last April — the same month Kentucky opened his age group to vaccinations. The Louisville resident said the family is still suffering, including Carlos’ younger sibling, who had to be hospitalized himself and still has lingering symptoms. The aggressive reopening of the country has been jarring for them to witness.

“For us it is hard to let our guard down; it’s going to take a while for us to adjust,” Bailey said.

The world has seen more than 445 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, and new weekly cases have been declining recently in all regions except for the Western Pacific, which includes China, Japan and South Korea, among others, the World Health Organization reported this week.

Although the overall figures in the Pacific islands seeing their first outbreaks are small compared to larger countries, they are significant among their tiny populations and threaten to overwhelm fragile health care systems.

“Given what we know about COVID ... it’s likely to hit them for the next year or so at least,” said Katie Greenwood, head of the Red Cross Pacific delegation.

Tonga reported its first outbreak after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tonga-volcano-covid-outbreak-lockdown-73b2d73b2b41092898b3d92be3dabcc4">virus arrived with international aid vessels</a>&nbsp;following the Jan. 15 eruption of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tonga-volcano-eruption-impact-whats-next-01288e5ecc43aa9a9bf3bc2803efd7e2">massive volcano</a>, followed by a tsunami. It now has several hundred cases, but — with 66% of its population fully vaccinated — it has so far reported people suffering mostly mild symptoms and no deaths.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-solomon-islands-honiara-30d3df8cb0f809c9e3e5a0cc5c6f886f">Solomon Islands</a>&nbsp;saw the first outbreak in January and now has thousands of cases and more than 100 deaths. The actual death toll is likely much higher, with the capital’s hospital overwhelmed and many dying at home, Greenwood said.

Only 12% of Solomon Islanders are fully vaccinated, though the outbreak has provided new impetus to the country’s vaccination campaign and 29% now have at least one shot.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-inequality-dac9c07b324e29d3597037b8dc1d908a">Global vaccine disparity continues</a>, with only 6.95% of people in low-income countries fully vaccinated, compared to more than 73% in high-income nations, according to Our World in Data.

In a good sign, at the end of last month Africa surpassed Europe in the number of doses administered daily, but only about 12.5% of its population has received two shots.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still pressing for more vaccines, though it has been a challenge. Some shipments arrive with little warning for countries’ health systems and others near the expiration date — forcing doses to be destroyed.

Eastern Europe has been particularly hard hit by the omicron variant, and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a new risk has emerged as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-refugees-diversity-230b0cc790820b9bf8883f918fc8e313">hundreds of thousands of people flee</a>&nbsp;to places like Poland on crowded trains. Health officials there have been offering free vaccinations to all refugees, but have not been making them test upon arrival or quarantine.

“This is really tragic because great stress has a very negative effect on natural immunity and increases the risk of infections,” said Anna Boron-Kaczmarska, a Polish infectious disease specialist. “They are in very high stress, being afraid for their lives, the lives of their children, they family members.”

Mexico has reported 300,000 deaths, but with little testing, a government analysis of death certificates puts the real number closer to 500,000. Still, four weeks of falling infection rates have left health officials optimistic.

In India, where the world was shocked by images of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-india-coronavirus-8788a4dadc2103ec30f40111dec92f15">open-air pyres of bodies</a>&nbsp;burned as crematoria were overwhelmed, the scars are fading as the number of new cases and deaths has slowed.

India has recorded more than 500,000 deaths, but experts believe its true toll is in the millions, primarily from the delta variant. Migrants from India’s vast hinterland are now returning to its megacities in search of jobs, and the streets are packed with traffic. Shopping malls have customers, albeit still masked, while schools and universities are welcoming students after a months-long gap.

In Britain, infections have fallen since an omicron-driven surge in December, but remain high. England has now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-6a4a2509fd5443d7b36f5331b01f7431">lifted all restrictions</a>, including mask mandates and the requirement that all who test positive isolate at home.

With about 250,000 reported deaths, the African continent’s smaller death toll is thought to stem from underreporting, as well as a generally younger and less mobile population.

“Africa is a big question mark for me, because it has been relatively spared from the worst so far, but it could just be a time bomb,” Pang said, noting its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-middle-east-africa-lifestyle-1f2c92d6a306819c363c87661dc7818d">low vaccination rates</a>.

In South Africa, Soweto resident Thoko Dube said she received news of the deaths of two family members on the same day in January 2021 — a month before the country received its first vaccines.

It has been difficult, but “the family is coping,” she said. “We have accepted it because it has been happening to other families.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593379644162.png" alt="And despite&nbsp; wealth and vaccine availability, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-hits-covid-deaths-milestone-coronavirus-omicron-76dc452fb7263612529e09eb23bc0f24">United States is nearing 1 million</a>&nbsp;reported deaths on its own.-map courtesy John Hopkins University" />
 <figcaption>And despite&nbsp; wealth and vaccine availability, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-hits-covid-deaths-milestone-coronavirus-omicron-76dc452fb7263612529e09eb23bc0f24">United States is nearing 1 million</a>&nbsp;reported deaths on its own.-map courtesy John Hopkins University</figcaption>
 </figure>BANGKOK (AP) — The official global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 6 million on Monday — underscoring that the pandemic, now entering its third year, is far from over.The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is the latest tragic reminder of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">unrelenting nature of the pandemic</a>&nbsp;even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-religion-new-zealand-fiji-27b40edd3d6e94c5b10185e49bbf182f">Remote Pacific islands,</a>&nbsp;whose isolation had protected them for more than two years, are just now grappling with their first outbreaks and deaths, fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant.Hong Kong, which is seeing deaths soar, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-china-hong-kong-400065ee2ffd08eee45411d6dc099cca">testing its entire population of 7.5 million&nbsp;</a>three times this month as it clings to mainland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-china-hong-kong-2f6cf36849799aa67cd8ee8d4f5bfd64">China’s “zero-COVID” strategy</a>.As death rates remain high in Poland, Hungary, Romania and other Eastern European countries, the region has seen more than 1.5 million refugees arrive from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war-torn Ukraine</a>, a country with poor vaccination coverage and high rates of cases and deaths.And despite its wealth and vaccine availability, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-hits-covid-deaths-milestone-coronavirus-omicron-76dc452fb7263612529e09eb23bc0f24">United States is nearing 1 million</a>&nbsp;reported deaths on its own.Death rates worldwide are still highest among people unvaccinated against the virus, said Tikki Pang, a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore’s medical school and co-chair of the Asia Pacific Immunization Coalition.“This is a disease of the unvaccinated — look what is happening in Hong Kong right now, the health system is being overwhelmed,” said Pang, the former director of research policy and cooperation with the World Health Organization. “The large majority of the deaths and the severe cases are in the unvaccinated, vulnerable segment of the population.”It took the world seven months to record its first million deaths from the virus after the pandemic began in early 2020. Four months later another million people had died, and 1 million have died every three months since, until the death toll hit 5 million at the end of October. Now it has reached 6 million — more than the populations of Berlin and Brussels combined, or the entire state of Maryland.But despite the enormity of the figure, the world undoubtedly hit its 6 millionth death some time ago. Poor record-keeping and testing in many parts of the world has led to an undercount in coronavirus deaths, in addition to excess deaths related to the pandemic but not from actual COVID-19 infections, like people who died from preventable causes but could not receive treatment because hospitals were full.Edouard Mathieu, head of data for the&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus" target="_blank">Our World in Data</a>&nbsp;portal, said that — when countries’ excess mortality figures are studied — as many as nearly four times the reported death toll have likely died because of the pandemic.An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates" target="_blank">analysis of excess deaths by a team at The Economist</a>&nbsp;estimates that the number of COVID-19 deaths is between 14.1 million and 23.8 million.“Confirmed deaths represent a fraction of the true number of deaths due to COVID, mostly because of limited testing, and challenges in the attribution of the cause of death,” Mathieu told The Associated Press. “In some, mostly rich, countries that fraction is high and the official tally can be considered to be fairly accurate, but in others it is highly underestimated.”The United States has the biggest official death toll in the world, but the numbers have been trending downward over the last month.Lonnie Bailey lost his 17-year-old nephew, Carlos Nunez Jr., who contracted COVID-19 last April — the same month Kentucky opened his age group to vaccinations. The Louisville resident said the family is still suffering, including Carlos’ younger sibling, who had to be hospitalized himself and still has lingering symptoms. The aggressive reopening of the country has been jarring for them to witness.“For us it is hard to let our guard down; it’s going to take a while for us to adjust,” Bailey said.The world has seen more than 445 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, and new weekly cases have been declining recently in all regions except for the Western Pacific, which includes China, Japan and South Korea, among others, the World Health Organization reported this week.Although the overall figures in the Pacific islands seeing their first outbreaks are small compared to larger countries, they are significant among their tiny populations and threaten to overwhelm fragile health care systems.“Given what we know about COVID ... it’s likely to hit them for the next year or so at least,” said Katie Greenwood, head of the Red Cross Pacific delegation.Tonga reported its first outbreak after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tonga-volcano-covid-outbreak-lockdown-73b2d73b2b41092898b3d92be3dabcc4">virus arrived with international aid vessels</a>&nbsp;following the Jan. 15 eruption of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tonga-volcano-eruption-impact-whats-next-01288e5ecc43aa9a9bf3bc2803efd7e2">massive volcano</a>, followed by a tsunami. It now has several hundred cases, but — with 66% of its population fully vaccinated — it has so far reported people suffering mostly mild symptoms and no deaths.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-solomon-islands-honiara-30d3df8cb0f809c9e3e5a0cc5c6f886f">Solomon Islands</a>&nbsp;saw the first outbreak in January and now has thousands of cases and more than 100 deaths. The actual death toll is likely much higher, with the capital’s hospital overwhelmed and many dying at home, Greenwood said.Only 12% of Solomon Islanders are fully vaccinated, though the outbreak has provided new impetus to the country’s vaccination campaign and 29% now have at least one shot.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-inequality-dac9c07b324e29d3597037b8dc1d908a">Global vaccine disparity continues</a>, with only 6.95% of people in low-income countries fully vaccinated, compared to more than 73% in high-income nations, according to Our World in Data.In a good sign, at the end of last month Africa surpassed Europe in the number of doses administered daily, but only about 12.5% of its population has received two shots.The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still pressing for more vaccines, though it has been a challenge. Some shipments arrive with little warning for countries’ health systems and others near the expiration date — forcing doses to be destroyed.Eastern Europe has been particularly hard hit by the omicron variant, and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a new risk has emerged as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-refugees-diversity-230b0cc790820b9bf8883f918fc8e313">hundreds of thousands of people flee</a>&nbsp;to places like Poland on crowded trains. Health officials there have been offering free vaccinations to all refugees, but have not been making them test upon arrival or quarantine.“This is really tragic because great stress has a very negative effect on natural immunity and increases the risk of infections,” said Anna Boron-Kaczmarska, a Polish infectious disease specialist. “They are in very high stress, being afraid for their lives, the lives of their children, they family members.”Mexico has reported 300,000 deaths, but with little testing, a government analysis of death certificates puts the real number closer to 500,000. Still, four weeks of falling infection rates have left health officials optimistic.In India, where the world was shocked by images of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-india-coronavirus-8788a4dadc2103ec30f40111dec92f15">open-air pyres of bodies</a>&nbsp;burned as crematoria were overwhelmed, the scars are fading as the number of new cases and deaths has slowed.India has recorded more than 500,000 deaths, but experts believe its true toll is in the millions, primarily from the delta variant. Migrants from India’s vast hinterland are now returning to its megacities in search of jobs, and the streets are packed with traffic. Shopping malls have customers, albeit still masked, while schools and universities are welcoming students after a months-long gap.In Britain, infections have fallen since an omicron-driven surge in December, but remain high. England has now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-6a4a2509fd5443d7b36f5331b01f7431">lifted all restrictions</a>, including mask mandates and the requirement that all who test positive isolate at home.With about 250,000 reported deaths, the African continent’s smaller death toll is thought to stem from underreporting, as well as a generally younger and less mobile population.“Africa is a big question mark for me, because it has been relatively spared from the worst so far, but it could just be a time bomb,” Pang said, noting its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-middle-east-africa-lifestyle-1f2c92d6a306819c363c87661dc7818d">low vaccination rates</a>.In South Africa, Soweto resident Thoko Dube said she received news of the deaths of two family members on the same day in January 2021 — a month before the country received its first vaccines.It has been difficult, but “the family is coping,” she said. “We have accepted it because it has been happening to other families.”

Death toll surpasses 6 million for pandemic now in 3rd year

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today updated its frequently asked questions (FAQs) (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/fs-2022-17.pdf">FS-2022-17</a>&nbsp;PDF)
 on the 2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments. 
These updates are to help eligible families properly claim the credit 
when they prepare and file their 2021 tax return.

These changes reflect that Publication 972, Child Tax Credit, has become obsolete. Taxpayers should refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-8812-form-1040">Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)</a>.
 Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) is now used to calculate child tax credits 
and to report advance child tax credit payments received in 2021, and to
 figure any additional tax owed if excess advance child tax credit 
payments were received during 2021.

These FAQs revisions and additions are as follows:

These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today updated its frequently asked questions (FAQs) (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/fs-2022-17.pdf">FS-2022-17</a>&nbsp;PDF)
 on the 2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments. 
These updates are to help eligible families properly claim the credit 
when they prepare and file their 2021 tax return.These changes reflect that Publication 972, Child Tax Credit, has become obsolete. Taxpayers should refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-schedule-8812-form-1040">Schedule 8812 (Form 1040)</a>.
 Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) is now used to calculate child tax credits 
and to report advance child tax credit payments received in 2021, and to
 figure any additional tax owed if excess advance child tax credit 
payments were received during 2021.These FAQs revisions and additions are as follows:<ul>
 <li>2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments — 
Topic B: Eligibility for Advance Child Tax Credit Payments and the 2021 
Child Tax Credit: Q3</li><li>2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments — Topic C: Calculation of the 2021 Child Tax Credit: Q1</li><li>2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments — Topic D: Calculation of Advance Child Tax Credit Payments: Q1</li>
 </ul>These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.

IRS: New details on 2021 Child Tax Credit, Advance Child Tax Credit payments

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chanute, Kansas, man serving with the Army National Guard pleaded guilty in federal court this week to sexually exploiting an 11-year-old southwest Missouri victim to produce child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.

Christian Sinclair, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child.

By pleading guilty, Sinclair admitted that he used a minor to produce child pornography from Aug. 1, 2020, through June 15, 2021.

According to the plea agreement, a captain in the Kansas National Guard contacted the Sierra Vista, Arizona, police department on June 15, 2021, while his unit was deployed to Arizona. The captain reported that Sinclair, one of the soldiers in his command, was sexting an 11-year-old child in Missouri. Sinclair’s fiancée had reported to the captain earlier the same day that she had screenshots between herself and Sinclair in which Sinclair admitted to “cheating” on her with an 11-year-old child.

The child victim told investigators that she had sent Sinclair multiple pornographic videos and images of herself via Snapchat at Sinclair’s request. Sinclair admitted that he also sent pornographic images of himself to the child victim via Snapchat.

Under federal statutes, Sinclair is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Lamar, Mo., Police Department, the Sierra Vista, Arizona, Police Department, and the Chanute, Kan., Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646494837245.png" alt="Sinclair-photo Greene Co." />
 <figcaption>Sinclair-photo Greene Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chanute, Kansas, man serving with the Army National Guard pleaded guilty in federal court this week to sexually exploiting an 11-year-old southwest Missouri victim to produce child pornography, according to the United State's Attorney.Christian Sinclair, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child.By pleading guilty, Sinclair admitted that he used a minor to produce child pornography from Aug. 1, 2020, through June 15, 2021.According to the plea agreement, a captain in the Kansas National Guard contacted the Sierra Vista, Arizona, police department on June 15, 2021, while his unit was deployed to Arizona. The captain reported that Sinclair, one of the soldiers in his command, was sexting an 11-year-old child in Missouri. Sinclair’s fiancée had reported to the captain earlier the same day that she had screenshots between herself and Sinclair in which Sinclair admitted to “cheating” on her with an 11-year-old child.The child victim told investigators that she had sent Sinclair multiple pornographic videos and images of herself via Snapchat at Sinclair’s request. Sinclair admitted that he also sent pornographic images of himself to the child victim via Snapchat.Under federal statutes, Sinclair is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Lamar, Mo., Police Department, the Sierra Vista, Arizona, Police Department, and the Chanute, Kan., Police Department.

Kan. National Guard soldier admits sexting with 11-year-old girl

A group of theologically conservative United Methodists plans to launch a new worldwide denomination on May 1, impatient to get started after yet another pandemic-related delay to a formalized divorce agreement with their denomination.

The creation of the Global Methodist Church, announced Thursday, was long in the making, organized by conservatives who were fed up with liberal churches’ continued defiance of the United Methodist Church’s bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly gay clergy.

Global Methodist Church organizers had originally expected to launch the denomination only after the next General Conference of the UMC. That legislative body is the only one that could approve a tentative agreement — unveiled in 2020 after negotiations between conservatives, liberals and centrists — to allow churches and regional groups to leave the denomination and keep their property.

But the General Conference, originally scheduled for 2020, was already delayed for two straight years by the pandemic. On Thursday, the United Methodist Church announced it was pushing off the next gathering yet again — to 2024 — due to long delays in the U.S. processing of visa applications. A little more than half of the denomination’s members are overseas, notably in Africa and the Philippines.

UMC officials said the visa process has been delayed as long as 800 days in some cases.

“The visa issue is a reality that is simply outside our control as we seek to achieve a reasonable threshold of delegate presence and participation,” said a statement by Kim Simpson, who chairs the denomination’s Commission on the General Conference.

But the delay is hastening the breakup of one of the largest religious bodies in the United States.

Already some conservative churches have left the denomination, and more are eager to do so, said a statement from the Global Methodist Church organizers.

“Many United Methodists have grown impatient with a denomination clearly struggling to function effectively at the general church level,” said the Rev. Keith Boyette, chairman of the Transitional Leadership Council, which is organizing the Global Methodist Church.

“Theologically conservative local churches and annual conferences want to be free of divisive and destructive debates, and to have the freedom to move forward together,” he said. “We are confident many existing congregations will join the new Global Methodist Church in waves over the next few years, and new church plants will sprout up.”

Boyette, a Virginia-based Methodist elder, said he didn’t know how many churches would initially join the new denomination and “does not want to make any speculations.”

Under United Methodist law, church properties are held in trust for the larger denomination. “However there have always been avenues for churches to separate from the denomination,” said a statement from Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey of Louisiana, president of the UMC’s Council of Bishops. Churches can negotiate separation agreements with their bishops.

The organizers of the Global Methodist Church predicted some of its prospective members will reach amicable agreements to separate from their local conferences and that others would face more opposition.

The United Methodist Church claims 6.3 million members in the U.S. and 6.5 million overseas.

Differences over same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy have simmered for years in the UMC, and came to a head in 2019 at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 to strengthen bans on LGBTQ-inclusive practices. Most U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBTQ-friendly options; they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines.

In the aftermath of that meeting, many moderate and liberal clergy made clear they would not abide by the bans, and various groups worked on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-methodist-church-breakaway-lgbt-f599979835addfd354856ff5b2024989">proposals to let the UMC split</a>&nbsp;along theological lines.

The most prominent plan, the Protocol of Reconciliation &amp; Grace Through Separation, was endorsed by a wide spectrum of bishops and activists after it was reached through famed mediation lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, whose law firm has overseen the distribution of other massive legal settlements such as the 9/11 victims fund.

Under the protocol, conservative congregations and regional bodies would be allowed to separate from the UMC and form a new denomination. They would receive $25 million in UMC funds and be able to keep their properties.

Assuming a large exodus of conservatives, the remaining United Methodist Church would be poised to reverse its longstanding bans on gay ordination and marriage.

Reconciling Ministries — a pro-LGBTQ advocacy caucus within the United Methodist Church — said that while the pandemic-related delay was necessary, “we also lament this lengthening test of our patience.”

But it pledged to “continue to work for the fullness of life for God’s LGBTQ+ children no matter when the next General Conference is held.”

By PETER SMITH, Associated PressA group of theologically conservative United Methodists plans to launch a new worldwide denomination on May 1, impatient to get started after yet another pandemic-related delay to a formalized divorce agreement with their denomination.The creation of the Global Methodist Church, announced Thursday, was long in the making, organized by conservatives who were fed up with liberal churches’ continued defiance of the United Methodist Church’s bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly gay clergy.Global Methodist Church organizers had originally expected to launch the denomination only after the next General Conference of the UMC. That legislative body is the only one that could approve a tentative agreement — unveiled in 2020 after negotiations between conservatives, liberals and centrists — to allow churches and regional groups to leave the denomination and keep their property.But the General Conference, originally scheduled for 2020, was already delayed for two straight years by the pandemic. On Thursday, the United Methodist Church announced it was pushing off the next gathering yet again — to 2024 — due to long delays in the U.S. processing of visa applications. A little more than half of the denomination’s members are overseas, notably in Africa and the Philippines.UMC officials said the visa process has been delayed as long as 800 days in some cases.“The visa issue is a reality that is simply outside our control as we seek to achieve a reasonable threshold of delegate presence and participation,” said a statement by Kim Simpson, who chairs the denomination’s Commission on the General Conference.But the delay is hastening the breakup of one of the largest religious bodies in the United States.Already some conservative churches have left the denomination, and more are eager to do so, said a statement from the Global Methodist Church organizers.“Many United Methodists have grown impatient with a denomination clearly struggling to function effectively at the general church level,” said the Rev. Keith Boyette, chairman of the Transitional Leadership Council, which is organizing the Global Methodist Church.“Theologically conservative local churches and annual conferences want to be free of divisive and destructive debates, and to have the freedom to move forward together,” he said. “We are confident many existing congregations will join the new Global Methodist Church in waves over the next few years, and new church plants will sprout up.”Boyette, a Virginia-based Methodist elder, said he didn’t know how many churches would initially join the new denomination and “does not want to make any speculations.”Under United Methodist law, church properties are held in trust for the larger denomination. “However there have always been avenues for churches to separate from the denomination,” said a statement from Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey of Louisiana, president of the UMC’s Council of Bishops. Churches can negotiate separation agreements with their bishops.The organizers of the Global Methodist Church predicted some of its prospective members will reach amicable agreements to separate from their local conferences and that others would face more opposition.The United Methodist Church claims 6.3 million members in the U.S. and 6.5 million overseas.Differences over same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy have simmered for years in the UMC, and came to a head in 2019 at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 to strengthen bans on LGBTQ-inclusive practices. Most U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBTQ-friendly options; they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines.In the aftermath of that meeting, many moderate and liberal clergy made clear they would not abide by the bans, and various groups worked on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-methodist-church-breakaway-lgbt-f599979835addfd354856ff5b2024989">proposals to let the UMC split</a>&nbsp;along theological lines.The most prominent plan, the Protocol of Reconciliation &amp; Grace Through Separation, was endorsed by a wide spectrum of bishops and activists after it was reached through famed mediation lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, whose law firm has overseen the distribution of other massive legal settlements such as the 9/11 victims fund.Under the protocol, conservative congregations and regional bodies would be allowed to separate from the UMC and form a new denomination. They would receive $25 million in UMC funds and be able to keep their properties.Assuming a large exodus of conservatives, the remaining United Methodist Church would be poised to reverse its longstanding bans on gay ordination and marriage.Reconciling Ministries — a pro-LGBTQ advocacy caucus within the United Methodist Church — said that while the pandemic-related delay was necessary, “we also lament this lengthening test of our patience.”But it pledged to “continue to work for the fullness of life for God’s LGBTQ+ children no matter when the next General Conference is held.”___

Methodist conservatives set to launch breakaway group 

DENVER (AP) — Police in Denver are investigating after a box of human heads was stolen from a freight company’s truck this week.

 The Denver Police Department said in an email on Saturday that the human remains were being transported for medical research purposes. 

Investigators believe someone broke into the parked truck that had the box inside it between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. 

Denver Police asked anyone who finds the blue-and-white box marked with a label saying "Exempt Human Specimen” to call police. 

No arrests had been made as of Saturday afternoon.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDENVER (AP) — Police in Denver are investigating after a box of human heads was stolen from a freight company’s truck this week. The Denver Police Department said in an email on Saturday that the human remains were being transported for medical research purposes. Investigators believe someone broke into the parked truck that had the box inside it between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Denver Police asked anyone who finds the blue-and-white box marked with a label saying "Exempt Human Specimen” to call police. No arrests had been made as of Saturday afternoon.

Stolen box of human heads investigated by Denver police

NEW YORK (AP) — Mastercard and Visa are suspending their operations in Russia. It's the latest blow to Russia's financial system after its invasion of Ukraine. 

Mastercard said Saturday its cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by its network and any Mastercard issued outside the country will not work at Russian stores or ATMs. 

Visa said it’s working with clients and partners in Russia to cease all Visa transactions over the coming days. 

Many other companies around the world have also made moves to up the financial pressure on Russia and its people because of its attack on Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646571061266.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSNEW YORK (AP) — Mastercard and Visa are suspending their operations in Russia. It's the latest blow to Russia's financial system after its invasion of Ukraine. Mastercard said Saturday its cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by its network and any Mastercard issued outside the country will not work at Russian stores or ATMs. Visa said it’s working with clients and partners in Russia to cease all Visa transactions over the coming days. Many other companies around the world have also made moves to up the financial pressure on Russia and its people because of its attack on Ukraine.

Mastercard, Visa suspend operations in Russia after invasion

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say six people are dead after a tornado swept through central Iowa, damaging homes, knocking down trees and toppling power lines. 

Emergency management officials four were injured in addition to those killed when the tornado touched down Saturday in an area southwest of Des Moines. Among those killed were children and adults. 

Madison County Emergency Management Director Diogenes Ayala said 25 to 30 homes were badly damaged by the tornado. 

Thunderstorms that spawned tornadoes moved through much of Iowa for hours with storms also causing damage in the Des Moines suburb of Norwalk, areas just east of Des Moines, and in other parts of eastern Iowa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646570920268.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say six people are dead after a tornado swept through central Iowa, damaging homes, knocking down trees and toppling power lines. Emergency management officials four were injured in addition to those killed when the tornado touched down Saturday in an area southwest of Des Moines. Among those killed were children and adults. Madison County Emergency Management Director Diogenes Ayala said 25 to 30 homes were badly damaged by the tornado. Thunderstorms that spawned tornadoes moved through much of Iowa for hours with storms also causing damage in the Des Moines suburb of Norwalk, areas just east of Des Moines, and in other parts of eastern Iowa.

Official: 6 dead as large tornado roars through central Iowa

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old student has been charged in a shooting that wounded an administrator and a school resource officer at a suburban Kansas City high school. 

The Johnson County prosecutor’s office announced Saturday that Jaylon Desean Elmore is charged with attempted capital murder in the shooting Friday at Olathe East High School. 

His bond is set at $1 million and no first appearance has been set. The prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether he has an attorney and none is listed for him in online court records. Online records show he has a previous conviction for aggravated robbery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646530374745.png" alt="Elmore photo courtesy Olathe East Varsity Football&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Elmore photo courtesy Olathe East Varsity Football&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old student has been charged in a shooting that wounded an administrator and a school resource officer at a suburban Kansas City high school. The Johnson County prosecutor’s office announced Saturday that Jaylon Desean Elmore is charged with attempted capital murder in the shooting Friday at Olathe East High School. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646417385414.png" alt="Outside Olathe East during Friday's school shooting investigation-photo courtesy KMBC TV" />
 <figcaption>Outside Olathe East during Friday's school shooting investigation-photo courtesy KMBC TV</figcaption>
 </figure>His bond is set at $1 million and no first appearance has been set. The prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether he has an attorney and none is listed for him in online court records. Online records show he has a previous conviction for aggravated robbery.

Student charged with attempted murder for Kan. school shooting 

News Release United States Attorney-Omaha

United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Riley Griffy, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for unlawfully possessing a machine gun.&nbsp; Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Griffy to 57 months of imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After completing his term of imprisonment, Griffy will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.&nbsp;

On April 15, 2021, Griffy sold a 3D printed conversion device that converted a semiautomatic Glock pistol into an automatic weapon.&nbsp; Griffy used a 3D printer to build the device, which is a machine gun as defined by federal law.&nbsp; Griffy continued illegally manufacturing machine guns which converted firearms into automatic weapons until he was arrested on June 2, 2021.&nbsp; In total, Griffy manufactured and sold nine machine guns and one silencer.

This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and were part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

News Release United States Attorney-OmahaUnited States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Riley Griffy, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for unlawfully possessing a machine gun.&nbsp; Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Griffy to 57 months of imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After completing his term of imprisonment, Griffy will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.&nbsp;On April 15, 2021, Griffy sold a 3D printed conversion device that converted a semiautomatic Glock pistol into an automatic weapon.&nbsp; Griffy used a 3D printer to build the device, which is a machine gun as defined by federal law.&nbsp; Griffy continued illegally manufacturing machine guns which converted firearms into automatic weapons until he was arrested on June 2, 2021.&nbsp; In total, Griffy manufactured and sold nine machine guns and one silencer.This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and were part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Omaha man gets prison for turning glocks into machine guns with 3D printer

News Release Unites States Attorney-Omaha

United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Larry W. Carter, 48, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal&nbsp;court in Lincoln, to a total of 190 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Carter to 130 months in prison on the drug conviction and a consecutive 60 months in prison on the gun conviction.&nbsp; After serving his prison sentence, Carter will serve a 5-year term of supervised release.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp;

On September 30, 2020, law enforcement contacted Carter as he was leaving a store.&nbsp; Carter ran from law enforcement and was apprehended shortly thereafter.&nbsp; During his apprehension, a handgun was retrieved from his person.&nbsp; Carter was arrested and an inventory search of his vehicle was conducted.&nbsp; During the search, law enforcement found a bag in the backseat that contained three self-sealing baggies of suspected methamphetamine, other suspected controlled substances, several empty baggies, a glass pipe with burnt white residue, and a black digital scale.&nbsp; Those items were seized by law enforcement and the suspected methamphetamine was sent to the lab for testing.&nbsp; A lab determined that there was 110.86 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 100 grams was actual methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646482993357.png" alt="Carter" />
 <figcaption>Carter</figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Unites States Attorney-OmahaUnited States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Larry W. Carter, 48, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal&nbsp;court in Lincoln, to a total of 190 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Carter to 130 months in prison on the drug conviction and a consecutive 60 months in prison on the gun conviction.&nbsp; After serving his prison sentence, Carter will serve a 5-year term of supervised release.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp;On September 30, 2020, law enforcement contacted Carter as he was leaving a store.&nbsp; Carter ran from law enforcement and was apprehended shortly thereafter.&nbsp; During his apprehension, a handgun was retrieved from his person.&nbsp; Carter was arrested and an inventory search of his vehicle was conducted.&nbsp; During the search, law enforcement found a bag in the backseat that contained three self-sealing baggies of suspected methamphetamine, other suspected controlled substances, several empty baggies, a glass pipe with burnt white residue, and a black digital scale.&nbsp; Those items were seized by law enforcement and the suspected methamphetamine was sent to the lab for testing.&nbsp; A lab determined that there was 110.86 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 100 grams was actual methamphetamine.This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.

Lincoln man sentenced to more than 15 years on meth, gun charges

News Release Nebraska State Patrol

OMAHA, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance from Omaha Police Department, have arrested one person following a pursuit in Douglas County.

Friday at approximately 1:40 a.m., a trooper attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle for driving in excess of 100 MPH on Interstate 80 in Omaha, near the L Street interchange. The vehicle failed to yield and fled the traffic stop. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The suspect vehicle continued eastbound on I-80 for several miles. When the vehicle exited and began traveling in a residential area, the trooper discontinued the pursuit out of concern for public safety. The Omaha Police Department’s ABLE-1 located the vehicle and then directed patrol units on the ground to its location near 42nd&nbsp;and D streets.

The driver, Nicholas Salcedo, 26, of Omaha, NE, was taken into custody without further incident. He was lodged at Douglas County Corrections for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, driving under suspension, driving under the influence of alcohol - .15+, and other traffic violations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607969259324.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska State PatrolOMAHA, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance from Omaha Police Department, have arrested one person following a pursuit in Douglas County.Friday at approximately 1:40 a.m., a trooper attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle for driving in excess of 100 MPH on Interstate 80 in Omaha, near the L Street interchange. The vehicle failed to yield and fled the traffic stop. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The suspect vehicle continued eastbound on I-80 for several miles. When the vehicle exited and began traveling in a residential area, the trooper discontinued the pursuit out of concern for public safety. The Omaha Police Department’s ABLE-1 located the vehicle and then directed patrol units on the ground to its location near 42nd&nbsp;and D streets.The driver, Nicholas Salcedo, 26, of Omaha, NE, was taken into custody without further incident. He was lodged at Douglas County Corrections for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, driving under suspension, driving under the influence of alcohol - .15+, and other traffic violations.

Troopers arrest 1 following pursuit in Douglas County

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and school officials are crediting School Resource Officer Erik Clark for his actions during Friday's shooting at Olathe East High School.&nbsp; On social media, the Johnson County Sheriff's office said, "the entire Sheriff’s Office is keeping SRO Erik Clark, his family and his Olathe Police family in our prayers."

&nbsp;A male student shot and wounded&nbsp;Resource Officer Clark and Assistant Principal Kaleb Stoppel.&nbsp; The student was also shot when the officer returned fire.

Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult. He was taken into custody and remained hospitalized late Friday.&nbsp;Clark and and Stoppel were released from Overland Park Regional Medical Center.&nbsp;

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. 

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement and school officials are crediting School Resource Officer Erik Clark for his actions during Friday's shooting at Olathe East High School.&nbsp; On social media, the Johnson County Sheriff's office said, "the entire Sheriff’s Office is keeping SRO Erik Clark, his family and his Olathe Police family in our prayers."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The entire Sheriff’s Office is keeping SRO Clark, his family and his <a href="https://twitter.com/OlathePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlathePolice</a> family in our prayers tonight 💙 <a href="https://t.co/16c59jHcVv">pic.twitter.com/16c59jHcVv</a>&mdash; Johnson Co KS Sheriff (@JOCOSHERIFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/JOCOSHERIFF/status/1499915127595937801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;A male student shot and wounded&nbsp;Resource Officer Clark and Assistant Principal Kaleb Stoppel.&nbsp; The student was also shot when the officer returned fire.Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult. He was taken into custody and remained hospitalized late Friday.&nbsp;Clark and and Stoppel were released from Overland Park Regional Medical Center.&nbsp;--------OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred&nbsp; the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646417385414.png" alt="Police on the scene of Olathe East High School Friday afternoon-photo courtesy KBMC -TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of Olathe East High School Friday afternoon-photo courtesy KBMC -TV</figcaption>
 </figure>No other students were injured. A statement from Overland Park Regional Medical Center says one of the three people wounded is in critical condition. The other two have been discharged.-----OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. No other students were injured. A statement from Overland Park Regional Medical Center says one of the three people wounded is in critical condition. The other two have been discharged.-------OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at Olathe East High School in suburban Kansas City.The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. No other students were injured. The county prosecutor’s office declined to comment Friday on potential charges.----------OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a suspect shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. All three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School. No other students were injured. Yeldell did not immediately have any information on the sequence of the shootings. Police didn’t immediately release any information on the identity of the suspect or a motive. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene.----------JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting at Olathe East High School,&nbsp;14545 W 127th Street in Olathe, according to a statement from Olathe Police.The School Resource Officer and school administrator were shot and injured. The shooting occurred in the office area Friday morning.&nbsp;Police have a suspect in custody.&nbsp; There are no reports of injured students at this time, according to police.&nbsp; Parents are asked to go to the Family Video 12708 S Black Bob to be reunited with their students.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Olathe Families: Olathe East is currently under lock down due to an active shooting situation on campus. Please know that law enforcement is on site and the building is secured. Olathe East and surrounding school buildings have been secured. We are working on reunification plans.&mdash; Olathe Public Schools (@olatheschools) <a href="https://twitter.com/olatheschools/status/1499792584159469569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The district said in a tweet that Olathe East High School is currently under lockdown because of the situation.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am praying for those injured and want to thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded quickly today. I’m thankful all students have been reported safe at this time. For the latest updates, please follow <a href="https://twitter.com/OlathePolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlathePolice</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/olatheschools?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@olatheschools</a>. <a href="https://t.co/JAFcSLbF5b">https://t.co/JAFcSLbF5b</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1499800926906953728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.