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Headlines for Monday, February 8, 2021

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COVID-19 Caseload Increase in Kansas Slows, but Continues Upward Climb

TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported Monday that there have been 282,960 cases of COVID-19, including 4,197 deaths, since the pandemic began.  That's an increase of 1,398 cases and 297 deaths between since Friday.  KDHE will provide another update on Wednesday. 

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GOP Leaders: Kansas Virus Emergency Might End March 31

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two top Republican lawmakers say Kansas might not need to keep its state of emergency for COVID-19 in place past the end of March. The comments Monday from Senate President Ty Masterson and Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop signaled some resistance from the GOP-controlled Legislature to keeping pandemic restrictions in place through the spring. Their comments are significant because a law enacted last month keeps the current state of emergency in place only through March 31. Lawmakers haven’t yet discussed how far they want to let Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly extend the current state of emergency.

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Kansas Pharmacies to Start Administering COVID Vaccines Soon

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas has an online map showing locations offering the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, the map shows county health departments and hospitals but some major pharmacy chains will soon join the list.  A limited number of drug stores will receive vaccine supplies starting this week (February 8) through a federal program that sends doses directly to retailers. The CDC lists seven local pharmacy chains as part of the initial rollout, including Wal-Mart, Dillons Food Stores, and Good Neighbor Pharmacies. Vaccine supplies remain a problem. About one million Kansans qualify to get shots now but the state has been getting only 45 thousand doses a week. Kansans can visit each pharmacy’s website for details on whether doses will come to a store near you, and how to schedule a shot.

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Kansas to Proceed with COVID-19 Vaccination Timetable for Inmates Despite GOP Protest

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s administration plans to begin giving COVID-19 vaccinations to state prison inmates this week. The move would ignore a call from the Republican-controlled Legislature to postpone the inoculations so that others can get them first. Spokesperson Carol Pitts said in an email that the state Department of Corrections has not yet vaccinated any inmates but would start giving them throughout its nine facilities this week. The Kansas Senate passed a resolution condemning the decision by Kelly to make inmates eligible for shots during the second phase of the state’s vaccine rollout. The resolution passed on a 28-8 vote.

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NFL Offering All Stadiums as Vaccine Sites

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The NFL is telling the federal government it will make the league’s 30 stadiums available as COVID-19 vaccination sites. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says there are already seven NFL stadiums serving as vaccine sites. They are in Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Houston, Miami and New England. Goodell says stadiums should be able to get prepared quickly because many have already been used recently as virus testing centers and election sites.

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KU Begins Spring Semester with Fewer COVID-19 Cases

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) —University of Kansas students started the spring semester last week with much of the same COVID-19 precautions that were in place during the fall. K.U. officials say they had only seventy positive cases to begin the semester... a significant drop from where those numbers were last fall. University Chancellor Dr. Douglas Girod says now that cases are on the decline, the university is slowly returning to normal activities. Girod says the school is planning to have an in-person commencement ceremony at the end of the semester but plans on still having safety guidelines in place.

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Kansas Senator Marshall Receives Seat on Agriculture Committee; Moran Sticks with Veterans' Affairs 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Senator Roger Marshall has received the Senate Agriculture Committee seat that he told Kansas voters he would get if they elected him. The freshman senator also received seats on the Senate’s energy, small business and health and education committees. The Agriculture Committee has long been a key assignment for Kansas senators. Marshall was a two-term western Kansas congressman when he ran for the Senate last year, and he played up his service on the House Agriculture Committee as a reason voters could expect him to be named to its Senate counterpart. Senior Kansas Senator Jerry Moran will be the ranking Republican on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

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Lawmakers Discuss Changes to Local Property Tax Rules 

TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) —Kansas lawmakers are poised to change the rules that local officials must follow when they raise taxes.  The Legislature put a tax lid in place four years ago with the hope of limiting property tax increases, but some of them say it’s not working. The new plan would get rid of a controversial property tax lid that local officials can’t exceed without a vote by the general public. The new plan would eliminate the tax lid, and replace it with a system where local governments have to provide more information to residents before raising property taxes. Republican Senator Caryn Tyson of Linn County says the change would require local governments to hold a public hearing so people can weigh in. “This is just local control with transparency" Tyson said. "They would tell the taxpayers why they’re going to increase, how much they’re going to increase.”  The bill already passed the Senate with bipartisan support.   

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Kansas Governor, Spouse Among Thousands of Victims of Bogus Unemployment Claims

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says both she and her husband had fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits filed in their names with the state. Governor Kelly says that she and first gentleman, Ted Daughety, received Department of Labor notices “months ago” about obtaining unemployment benefits. The governor’s office said the notices came in early fall and that Kelly quickly went to the department’s website and reported the fraud. The Legislature has been scrutinizing bogus unemployment claims and ongoing criticism of the state Department of Labor’s operations. The department reports that it had blocked more than 538,000 attempts from internet bots or human scammers to log into its unemployment system during one day last week. 

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Kansas Lawmaker Facing Warning Rejoins Democratic Party

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas House member who’s due to get a public warning from colleagues about his behavior before he took office has rejoined the Democratic Party. Rep. Aaron Coleman of Kansas City, Kansas, confirmed Monday that he returned to the party last week, about three weeks after registering unaffiliated. Coleman had switched to unaffiliated after the House’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, refused to give him any committee assignments. The 20-year-old Coleman was accused of abusive behavior toward girls and young women before he took office last month and threatening Sawyer last year. A House committee reviewed a complaint against Coleman and plans to issue a letter of warning.

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University of Kansas Faculty Group Decries Dismissal Policy

UNDATED (AP) — A group of University of Kansas faculty met via Zoom to decry a new Board of Regents policy that makes it easier for university CEOs to fire, dismiss or suspend employees, including tenured faculty. The meeting was organized by a group called OneKU and attracted about 200 participants. Speakers at the meeting said the policy would hurt the university's stature and employee morale by damaging or ending tenure and shared governance. The University of Kansas is the only one of six public universities that plans to consider using the policy, although Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer said last week she hopes that it is never used.

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Wichita School Board Considers Changing Redskins Mascot Name

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita school board plans to discuss changing Wichita North High School's Redskins mascot name. The discussion scheduled for the board's meeting today (MON) comes as teams on all levels across the country are changing or reconsidering mascots considered to be culturally insensitive. The Wichita Eagle reports the district's policy suggests initiating change if an existing theme becomes offensive or divisive. The board planned to discuss the issue last summer but delayed it because of the coronavirus pandemic. The agenda item said board members have received several letters asking them to consider changing the high school's mascot, while others want the board to retain the Redskins name.

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Police: 13-Year-Old Girl Dragged by Stolen Vehicle Dies

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a 13-year-old girl in Kansas has died after being dragged for miles by her family's SUV that had been stolen. Wichita police say in a news release that the girl was sitting in the back seat of the running vehicle Saturday while her family went inside a restaurant to get food. Police say 34-year-old Kevin Palmer got into the driver's seat and took off. The girl tried to get out of the vehicle while it was moving but was caught in the seat belt and dragged. Palmer stopped the vehicle several miles away. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Palmer is charged with felony murder.

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Firefighters: Three Injured in Shawnee House Fire 

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) _ Fire officials in Shawnee say three men were injured in a house fire Sunday. One of the men suffered critical injuries. The Shawnee Mission Fire Department tells television station KSHB that the blaze was reported just after 3 p.m. Sunday. A fire department spokesman said the man who was critically injured had lit a cigarette in his room, where the fire started. Officials say the man's son and grandson suffered smoke inhalation while trying to put the fire out. All three men were taken to the University of Kansas Hospital. The son and grandson were later listed in stable condition, but the older man remained in critical condition. 

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Kansas City Police: Man Found Shot to Death Inside Home

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Police in Kansas City, Missouri say a man has been shot to death inside a home in the Ivanhoe Southeast neighborhood, and investigators are searching for leads on a suspect. Police say that officers were called to the home around 4 a.m. Sunday.  Arriving officers found 48-year-old Charles Harris dead from gunshot wounds. Police said detectives were interviewing witnesses and crime scene technicians were processing evidence. But police said they had no suspect description, and no arrests had been made. Police are asking anyone with information on the killing to contact detectives or the Crime Stoppers hotline. An award of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest. 

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Three Men Pay Fines for Hunting Violations at Fort Riley

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Three men avoided prison for hunting deer on federal property at the Fort Riley Army base. Officials say the men were hunting in an area where explosives are discharged during training exercises. They will each pay several thousand dollars in penalties and will also be banned from hunting for three years while they are on probation. The federal case involving several illegal hunts in 2018 and 2019 ended after the third man pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal trespassing charges as part of a deal with prosecutors. As part of their guilty pleas, the men admitted crawling under a high-wire fence that was clearly marked "off-limits" to gain access to an area of the military base used for live-fire training. 

 

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17-Year-Old Arrested in Killing of 14-Year-Old in Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A 17-year-old has been arrested and police are looking for two other suspects in the shooting death of a 14-year-old in Wichita during a drug deal gone bad. The Wichita Eagle reports that police were called after 14-year-old Jesus Fernandez and a 15-year-old boy arrived around 1 p.m. Friday at a Wichita hospital with gunshot wounds. Fernandez died and the 15-year-old was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said the investigation revealed that the 17-year-old set up the drug deal at Schell Park and asked the 15-year-old for a ride. Ramsay said Fernandez was riding along with the 15-year-old and was wounded when gunfire erupted during the drug deal. 

 

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Bicycle Rider Charged in Attack on Topeka Police Officer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man who authorities accuse of attacking a police officer is now facing five charges. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Monday that he charged 22-year-old Justin Reed of Topeka with aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, two counts of interference with law enforcement and two drug charges. Authorities say an officer who was responding to an unrelated call on Thursday was attacked by a man who rode by on a bicycle. Investigators say the attacker tried unsuccessfully to grab the officer's gun. A bystander helped pull the man off the officer, who was not seriously injured.

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Wichita Police Make Arrest in Double Killing

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Authorities say a man who was on probation has been arrested in the shooting deaths of a teenage couple in Wichita. Twenty-two-year-old Dontenize Kelly was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail early Saturday on suspicion of capital murder in the deaths of 18-year-old Kaylah Blackmon and 17-year-old Michael Beasley. Beasley was found dead last week near an abandoned church. Police suspected Blackmon was in danger and asked for the public's help to find her. She was found dead in her sport utility vehicle three days later at an apartment complex. Information on the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office for consideration of formal charges. 

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Dodge City Bishop Steps Away During Abuse Investigation

DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City has stepped aside while authorities investigate an allegation that he abused a minor. The diocese said in a statement Monday that Bishop John Brungardt denies the allegation and will cooperate with the investigation. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation notified the diocese about the accusation and is investigating. The diocese said no further information will be released. Brungardt was installed as bishop in the western Kansas diocese in February 2011. Before that, he served in the Wichita diocese for 12 years in several roles. Bishop Gerald Vinckle of the Salina Diocese will be administrator in Dodge City during the investigation.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defeat Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55

TAMPA, Fl.  (KPR) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers denied the Kansas City Chiefs a chance to win back-to-back championships after a 31-9 win in Super Bowl 55. It was the first double-digit loss in any game that Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes has started. Behind an offensive line riddled by injuries, Mahomes was scrambling most of the night.  He was sacked three times and threw two interceptions. Meanwhile, 43-year old Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady was named the Super Bowl MVP for the fifth time in his career, but his first with the Bucs after four with the New England Patriots.  

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The Biggest Win: In 2020, NFL Found Ways to Play Every Game

TAMPA, Fl. (AP) -  More than the youth of Patrick Mahomes or the agelessness of Tom Brady, the most compelling story surrounding this year's Super Bowl was that it happened at all. It took nearly one million COVID-19 tests, thousands of Zoom meetings and an untold amount of flexibility for the NFL to not miss a single of the 269 regular-season and postseason games amid a worldwide pandemic. Game number 269, the 2021 Super Bowl, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was played in a one-third-full stadium and with millions watching around the country.

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Officials Hoping Super Bowl Doesn't Become "Super-Spreader" Event

TAMPA, Fl. (AP) - The nation's top health officials are sounding the alarm about the Super Bowl being a potential super-spreader event. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs played Sunday in a partially filled stadium. Health officials fear the game could seed new cases at exactly the wrong time as coronavirus cases continue to spread across the country. Health officials say were alarmed by television footage of crowds partying in the streets of Tampa, many without face coverings. Officials are hoping the game won't turn out to be a super-spreader event as many of those fans return home to Kansas City and numerous other locations.

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KU's Record Top 25 Run Over

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has dropped out of The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time in 12 years. The Jayhawks’ record streak of 231 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 25 is over. Gonzaga and Baylor held down the top two spots, just as they have all season, with the Bulldogs getting 55 of 63 first-place votes and the Bears getting the other eight. Michigan took advantage of Villanova’s loss at St. John’s to jump into the top three, rival Ohio State climbed three spots to No. 4 and the Wildcats rounded out the top 5.

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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.