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Headlines for Monday, August 17, 2020

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Kansas Man Arrested After Officer Fires at Him

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who was arrested after being shot at by a Topeka police officer remained jailed Sunday in connection with several charges. Topeka police say 22-year-old Colten Andrew Hawley was arrested Saturday morning after a confrontation with police. Lt. Manny Munoz said an officer encountered Hawley, who was armed with a gun, in a Motel 6 parking lot and fired at him but didn't hit Hawley. The officer chased Hawley a short distance before arresting him. Hawley was already wanted in connection with a kidnapping and a parole violation before Saturday. He is now also facing charges of assaulting an officer and interfering with police.

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UPDATE: Kansas Candidate Admitting to Revenge Porn Faces Write-In Challenge

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A veteran Kansas House member says he’ll run a write-in campaign this fall after a narrow primary loss to a 19-year-old candidate who has been disowned by some Democrats over his incendiary and abusive social media posts. Rep. Stan Frownfelter lost to Aaron Coleman by 14 votes in their Kansas City, Kansas, district after officials in their home of Wyandotte County counted additional ballots that had been set aside because of voter eligibility questions. Coleman initially led by only five votes but picked up 16 votes Monday, against seven for Frownfelter, to make the tally 823-809.

(–Earlier Reporting–) 

Teenager Leading Kansas Legislative Race Admits Blackmail, Revenge Porn

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democrats are scrambling to deal with the strong possibility that a 19-year-old candidate for a Kansas House seat in Kansas City will unseat a veteran lawmaker, despite making incendiary comments on social media and acknowledging abusive behavior online toward girls in middle school. Dishwasher and student Aaron Coleman holds a five-vote lead over 69-year-old state Representative Stan Frownfelter. Officials in their home of Wyandotte County are set to finish vote counting Monday. Coleman garnered headlines for social media posts on abortion and the coronavirus and for acknowledging online bullying, blackmail and revenge porn. He apologized for the comments and said his past actions were those of "a sick and troubled" 14-year-old.

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Wichita Police: Man Shot Wife, Himself During Dispute

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say two people are dead after a man shot his wife and himself in southwest Wichita. Police were called to the couple's home around 11 pm Saturday after the shooting. Officers found a woman with a gunshot wound who was already dead and a man with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The man died later at a hospital. Wichita Police Officer Paul Cruz said Sunday the shooting happened during an argument between the man and woman. The woman was 42 and the man was 44. Their names were not immediately released.  

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2 People Die when Plane Crashes Near Lake of the Ozarks

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (AP) — Two people died when a plane crashed in central Missouri Sunday, authorities said. Osage Beach Police said the plane crashed near Grand Glaize Airport on Sunday afternoon, killing both people on board. Osage Beach is about 160 miles southeast of Kansas City, Missouri, near the Lake of the Ozarks. The names of the victims were not immediately released Sunday. Federal officials will investigate the crash.

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Trump's Top Coronavirus Adviser in KCK: Wear Masks, Social Distance

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Trump's top coronavirus adviser used a visit to Kansas to urge people to wear masks regardless of where they live. Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force said Saturday, that the epidemic is both urban and rural. She was in Kansas City, Kansas, for a meeting with Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, as well as community and state health officials at KU Medical Center, The Kansas City Star reports.  She also stressed that people should socially distance and not have gatherings. Birx said when communities start seeing a rise in positive cases, leaders need to close the bars, restrict indoor dining, and ensure there's a mask mandate.

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Kansas Governor Imposes New Ban on Evictions, Foreclosures

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly has imposed a new ban on evictions and foreclosures on home mortgages in Kansas. Kelly said Monday that she acted because one federal program to aid unemployed workers has expired and she isn’t sure that the state will participate in an alternative offered by President Donald Trump. Kelly’s order prevents landlords and lenders from initiating efforts to remove people from their apartments or homes if they can’t pay their rent or make their mortgage payments because of financial problems resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Kelly’s executive order took effect Monday and remains in effect until Sept. 15.

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Kansas Records Over 35,000 Coronavirus Cases, More Than 400 Deaths

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State health officials reported Monday that more than 35,000 coronavirus cases and over 400 COVID-19-related deaths have been identified in Kansas since the pandemic began.  Officially, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recorded 35,167 coronavirus cases, along with 405 deaths caused by the virus.  COVID-19 cases have been reported in all but two of the state's 105 counties. An updated list of cases will be released online Wednesday.

(–Related–) 

Kansas Sees Biggest 7-Day Jump in Reported Coronavirus Cases 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas has reported its biggest seven-day increase in novel coronavirus cases since the pandemic began and the total number exceeds 35,000. The state Department of Health and Environment said Monday that Kansas had another 1,282 confirmed and probable cases since Friday, an increase of 3.8%, for a total of 35,167. The state reported 3,437 new cases since Aug. 10 for a seven-day average of 491 new cases a day. The previous high for the pandemic was 479 cases a day for the seven days ending July 17. The state health department reported an additional three deaths Monday to bring the pandemic total to 405.

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KBI, Doniphan County Sheriff's Office Investigate Death of Horton Man

DONIPHAN COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is assisting in the death investigation of a man in rural Doniphan County.  According to a news release from the KBI, the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office received a call August 13 from a citizen who reported finding a body in the creek on his land.  When deputies responded to the location south of Troy, they found the body of a deceased male in a tributary of Rock Creek.  The deceased man was later identified as 55-year-old Darren A. Blandin, of Horton. It is unknown how long he had been in the Creek.  An autopsy was conducted August 14.  At this time, foul play is not suspected, but a full death investigation is being conducted as investigators wish to retrace Blandin’s final weeks.  Anyone who has information about this case, or who had contact with Darren Blandin in the months of July or August is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME.  

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Kansas Forest Service Assists on Wildfires in Colorado, Other Western States

MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR)  – Each summer, firefighters and other specialists with the Kansas Forest Service answer the call for help from western states to manage wildfires.  KFS is the primary state agency with the authority to provide such help to national fire incidents.  As of August 11, 32 staff members and fire protection specialists with KFS assisted on 26 fires.  KFS is a state agency housed in K-State Research and Extension under the Kansas State University College of Agriculture. The KFS wildland fire management program offers training, firefighting equipment and incident support to firefighters across Kansas.  Now in the 18th season of accepting national fire assignments, KFS personnel face a new kind of safety hazard for personnel as they accept assignments during an international pandemic.  While on assignment, crews and units operate as a “module of one,” or family units, to reduce exposure to other resources within the incident and the public. Currently, KFS personnel are assigned to the Pine Gulch and Grizzly Creek Fires in Colorado and the Red Salmon Complex in California. The Pine Gulch Fire alone has consumed more than 30,000 acres to date, causing the evacuation of several communities in the area.

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Man Arrested After Car Chase Ends with Trooper's Car Hit

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says a man is facing several charges after a car chase ended when a patrol trooper's car was hit twice by the fleeing driver. The trooper was treated at a hospital for minor injuries after the crash Monday west of Topeka. The driver, 35-year-old Deandre Martin, of Kansas City, Kansas, was also treated at a hospital for minor injuries. The patrol says the chase began when authorities received a report of a person driving recklessly on Interstate 70 between Topeka and Lawrence. The chase reached speeds up to 100 mph before the driver hit a patrol car twice on the interstate. Martin is being held on several possible charges.

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Police: Wichita 4-Year-Old Boy Shoots Self with Dad's Gun

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a 4-year-old boy is in critical condition after accidentally shooting himself with his father's gun. Police Captain Jason Stephens says the boy was injured Saturday night at his family's south Wichita home and is still being treated at a hospital. Stephens says the boy climbed on top of some items to reach a gun on a shelf and accidentally fired one shot, which hit him in the head. He says the gun was not in a safe and did not have a safety on to prevent it from firing. Police are still investigating. The Sedgwick County District Attorney will determine if any criminal charges will be filed.

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6-Year-Old Boy, Shot in the Head, Now Moved from Intensive Care

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 6-year-old boy who was shot in the head earlier this month at a Lawrence home has been moved out of intensive care. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Tyeisha Bell said Friday that her son, Tayshawn Mack Harris, has been doing miraculously, although he still has a long way to go. He was flown August 5 to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City after the shooting. His mother said Tayshawn had gone to stay the night at a friend's house. Lawrence police have released no information about the circumstances of the shooting except that officers did not suspect foul play.

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After 5-Month Break, Classes Resume in Some Kansas Schools

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A handful of Kansas students have returned to the classroom this week with masks and temperature checks, while several dozen more mostly rural districts geared up for classes to begin next week. Columbus school district Superintendent Brian Smith has spent the week hauling furniture out of classrooms to make more space for students to socially distance. He said, "It is almost like you are preparing for war." Governor Laura Kelly sought to delay the reopening of the state's K-12 schools for nearly a month until after Labor Day because of a resurgence in reported coronavirus cases. But the Republican-controlled State Board of Education blocked the plan last month.

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Kansas Teachers Who Quit over Virus Concerns Face Penalties

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas teachers who quit because they don't feel safe returning to teaching in-person classes during the coronavirus pandemic might have to pay their school districts up to $10,000 for backing out of their contracts. Penalties for quitting or resigning are meant to help districts find replacements, but educators say it's unfair to charge teachers for escaping their contracts if they no longer feel safe returning to the classroom. According to the Kansas News Service, educators say heading back to school seemed a lot safer before the resignation deadlines a few months ago when the coronavirus outbreak appeared nearly under control.

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300 Pizza Huts, Mostly Dine-In Locations, Set to Close

(AP) - Up to 300 Pizza Hut restaurants will be closed, most of them dine-in locations not well suited for carryout and delivery at a time when millions of people are sheltering and eating at home.  Pizza sales have exploded during the pandemic. Domino's last month reported a 30% spike in quarterly profits.  The company said it was hiring more than 20,000 people to handle surging orders.  Franchisee NPC International said in documents filed in bankruptcy court that it had come to an agreement with Pizza Hut to close hundreds of locations. The Leawood-based company filed for bankruptcy protection last month.  NPC owns 1,225 Pizza Huts and 385 Wendy's restaurants in 27 states. There are 6,700 Pizza Hut restaurants in the U.S.  In its filing, NPC said that closing stores not designed for pick-up or delivery will allow it to invest in smaller stores that can better handle online orders.  In May, Pizza Hut's U.S. carryout and delivery sales reached an eight-year high, according to Yum Brands Inc., the Louisville, Kentucky, company that also owns KFC and Taco Bell.  But Pizza Hut's U.S. sales grew just 1% in the April-June period.  Rival Domino's Pizza, which has smaller, carryout-focused stores, posted a 20% jump in U.S. sales.  Yum Brands said the stores being closed had under-performed others owned by NPC, and that shedding them would strengthen NPC’s remaining portfolio.

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Historic Kansas Attraction Recovering from Last Year’s Landslide

SALINE COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) - As a historic Kansas landmark neared its centennial last year, heavy summer rains loosened several layers of earth and triggered a rare three-foot slump in the landscape.  Damage at Coronado Heights Park, which sits on a 300-foot sandstone bluff northwest of Lindsborg, made access unstable.   The Kansas Reflector reports the landslide forced cancellation of a 100th anniversary party planned for June of 2019, as well as ongoing repairs and attention to drainage issues.  Heavier than average rainfall on the weekend of the planned celebration, as well as weeks prior, led to a break in the sites underlying rock and clay.  “It was the most displacement I’ve seen in Kansas all at once,” said Neil Croxton, a geologist for the Kansas Department of Transportation. “A three-foot drop, cutting a road, is unusual in Kansas because few roads climb as steep a feature such as this one."  According to legend, Coronado Heights is where the explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado abandoned his search for seven cities of gold and decided to return to Mexico. The park was built in the 1930s as part of a scenic overlook project by the WPA, federal Works Progress Administration.

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KBI Received 205 Reports of Abuse by Priests; Opened 120 Cases

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says it received 205 reports of abuse by Catholic priests and opened 120 cases. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt asked the KBI nearly two years ago to investigate Catholic clergy sex abuse. A task force of six agents is investigating abuse reports received from the public and reviewing church documents. The investigation involves the state's four Catholic dioceses and the Society of St. Pius X, a breakaway Catholic group with a large branch in St. Marys. KBI spokeswoman Melissa Underwood said the agency is continuing its investigation and it's unclear when it will be completed.

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Lawsuit Filing: Prosecution of University of Kansas Professor Criminalizes Job Disputes

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Attorneys for a Kansas researcher ensnared in a U.S. government crackdown on Chinese economic espionage and trade secret theft have filed a motion seeking to throw out the charges. The defense calls the indictment a "breathtaking example of prosecutorial overreach" and says it opens the door to criminalizing disputes better resolved by the workplace. Feng "Franklin" Tao of Lawrence, Kansas, was indicted last year for not disclosing on conflict-of-interest forms work he was allegedly doing for China while employed at the University of Kansas. The defense motion filed Friday takes aim at the broader China Initiative announced by the Justice Department in 2018.
           
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KPR's daily headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. KPR's weekend summary is usually published by 1 pm Saturdays and Sundays.