Washington, D.C.- President Biden is vowing to do whatever he can to protect voting rights. The president denounced the Republican-led efforts to enact restrictive state election laws as being “un-American” and an assault on democracy.

Pittsburg, Ks- Crawford County Health and Ascension Via Christi Hospital Officials held a press conference at Pitt State. Officials say the county is seeing its fourth major spike in Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began. The vast majority of those new cases, along with every recent death, are people who have not been vaccinated. Health officials reiterated that the vaccines are safe and recommended. Just under 50% of the counties population has received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Carthage, Mo- Area school officials consider how they’ll respond to CDC guidance for students return to school this fall. Last week’s guidance from the CDC falls in line with their previous advice on masking for vaccinated adults. It says that fully vaccinated students do not need to wear masks in classrooms. The Jasper County Health Department says how Covid cases and vaccination rates look closer to the school year, will dictate how schools operate. The Health Department says the best way to reduce spread is by getting vaccinated.

Joplin, Mo- A number of Joplin area businesses say they’re committed to creating a “more diverse, welcoming and inclusive community”. The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and its equity, diversity and inclusion work group formally announced the launch of their Joplin Leadership Pledge. Dozens of companies and groups have already signed the pledge. The EDI group says the goal is ensure that companies and individuals create cultures that welcome and support everyone.

COPYRIGHT 2021 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.