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Headlines for Monday, June 8, 2020

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Kansas Government Report Details Virus Outbreaks in the State

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state document says the Lansing Correctional Facility is largest single source of the state's coronavirus cases, which now total nearly 10,400.  The prison is followed by a Tyson Foods meatpacking plant near Garden City. The Kansas City Star obtained the Kansas public health report on the outbreak from Columbia University's Brown Institute for Media Innovation, which has been gathering government documents related to the coronavirus from around the country.  The confidential report lists details of every outbreak in the state as of May 19. The Lansing prison is linked to at least 846 cases of the virus and six deaths as of May 19. The Tyson plant had 571 virus cases and one death.

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Kansas Cases of COVID-19 Exceed 10,600, Including 236 Deaths 

TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — As of Monday, state health officials reported 10,650 cases of COVID-19, including 236 deaths.  Cases have been reported in 89 of the state's 105 counties.  ( Updated COVID-19 case numbers for Kansas are released Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.) 

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Governor: Kansas Counties Shouldn't Feel Push to Ease Rules

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says counties ``shouldn't feel pressure'' to loosen restrictions if they aren't seeing a decline in new coronavirus cases or new hospitalizations. Kelly made the comment Monday with cases increasing faster in the four most populous counties than the state as a whole. Kelly said she's feeling hopeful because Kansas is making enough progress in containing the novel coronavirus for most of the state's 105 counties to loosen restrictions further. Her office and the state health department are advising local officials that as of Monday they can allow mass gatherings of up to 45 people and open swimming pools. 

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Populous Counties Outpace the Rest of Kansas for Rise in COVID-19 Cases

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Coronavirus cases are increasing faster in Kansas’s four most populous counties than they are in the state as a whole and account for the majority of new cases reported since last week. The state Department of Health and Environment said Monday that Kansas has had 10,650 coronavirus cases since the pandemic arrived in early March. That's up 257 or 2.5% since Friday. The number of COVID-19-related deaths rose by four to 236 total since early March. The number of cases is growing faster in both Johnson and Wyandotte counties in the Kansas City area, as well as in Sedgwick and Shawnee counties. 

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Kansas Governor Holds Taskforce Meeting on Pandemic Recovery  

TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Governor Laura Kelly is holding a meeting today (MON) on pandemic recovery efforts in Kansas.  The Joint Steering and Executive Committee of the Office of Recovery Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce will hold its meeting at the Eisenhower State Office Building from 1 to 3 pm.   The meeting is open to the public, but individuals attending must adhere to social distancing and public health protocol.  The public is invited to follow the meeting as it streams live on the governor's YouTube channel.

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Topeka Ordering Non-Union Workers to Take 5 Unpaid Days Off

TOPEKA, Kan. (The Topeka Capital-Journal) — Topeka is requiring its 285 non-union employees to take five unpaid days off to help cut the city’s costs in the wake of financial struggles tied to the coronavirus pandemic. City spokeswoman Molly Hadfield told The Topeka Capital-Journal that the employees must take the five days between June 13 and Sept. 18. City Manager Brent Trout last month eliminated the jobs held by the deputy city manager, neighborhood relations director and emergency management coordinator. Trout, the mayor and City Council members also cut their own pay 6%. The city also is considering changes in health care coverage for union employees. 

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Lawrence Protester Who Didn't Wear Mask Infected with COVID-19

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Health officials are asking everyone who attended a Lawrence protest over the death of George Floyd to monitor for symptoms of the coronavirus after one of the participants tested positive. The Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health says the infected person didn't wear a mask while attending a protest on Sunday, May 31, which attracted thousands of people to the downtown area. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the person's sample was taken on Thursday, and Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health epidemiology staff was notified of the positive test on Friday. The patient disclosed during the contact tracing and disease-investigation process that he was not wearing a mask.

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Kansas Education Officials Prepare to Reopen Schools this Fall

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas education officials are preparing to reopen the state's schools in the fall but acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic will force widespread changes. Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson says the department is "prepared to do everything within our power to keep staff, students and families safe." Watson assembled a task force in May to develop comprehensive guidance for safely reopening school buildings. One team is working working on guidance about sanitation, social distancing, busing and food served, while another is focused on instruction. The Kansas State Board of Education will consider the guidelines at its July meeting.

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Kansas City, Kansas Leader Forms Task Force on Policing

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Wyandotte County's top elected official has formed a task force to guide discussions between local law enforcement and the community following George Floyd’s death. Mayor and CEO David Alvey of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, announced Monday that he will serve as co-chairman of the new task force. Alvey said he wants to improve the dialogue between law enforcement and the community, particularly black and Hispanic residents. Alvey said the goal is to build trust between the community and law enforcement by identifying issues in policing. Floyd's death May 25 in Minneapolis has inspired protests across the U.S. 

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Watkins Spent $400 Thousand in Taxpayer-Funded Mailing, Messaging

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new federal report shows Kansas Congressman Steve Watkins spent $400,000 in taxpayer-funded communications during a six-month period amid a Republican primary challenge. It's nearly twice the total spent by the state's other three representatives. Watkins is running against State Treasurer Jake LaTurner and Topeka attorney Dennis Taylor in the Aug. 4 primary for the 2nd District seat. Watkins’ congressional office allocated at least $400,000 for printing and mailing of correspondence, as well as for online and broadcast messaging, from Oct. 1 to March 31. Watkins spokesman Dylan Jones has said Watkins prioritized the goal of keeping constituents informed. 

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Kansas City Police: Man Fatally Shot During Robbery

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a man was fatally shot during a robbery in Kansas City Sunday morning.  A police department spokesman, Sgt. Jacob Becchina, said officers were called to an apartment complex when gunshots were heard shortly before 7 am Sunday. In the parking lot behind the Hyde Point Apartments, officers found a man with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a hospital where he later died. The man’s name wasn’t immediately released. Police did not announce any arrests Sunday.

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Kansas Congressman Roger Marshall Can't List Himself as "Doc" on Ballot

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Congressman Roger Marshall will not be able to use the nickname "Doc" on the August Republican primary ballot as he runs in a crowded field for the U.S. Senate. The Kansas State Objections Board on Friday rejected Marshall's request. It says the nickname referred Marshall's medical career and professional accomplishments or titles aren't allowed on ballots. Marshall is a Great Bend obstetrician who is competing against former Secretary of State and illegal immigration hardliner Kris Kobach for the Republican nomination for Senate, along with nine other candidates.

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Kansas Governor Considers Relief for Renters, Home Owners

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says her administration will consider using part of the state's share of federal coronavirus relief funds to help people struggling to pay their rent or mortgage because of economic problems tied to the pandemic. Kelly defended a May 26 decision to rescind an executive order that had banned landlords from pursuing new evictions or lenders from starting to foreclose on home mortgages. She said she had to lift the order because keeping it in place would have stressed lenders and businesses that rent homes and apartments. But she said creating a new relief program would be a top priority.

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Sentencing Set for Junction City Man Who Killed Pregnant Mother in 2018

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Junction City man has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the 2018 Christmas killing of a pregnant mother. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says 34-year-old Dion Jamel Green pleaded guilty in Geary County District Court for the December 2018 deaths of 31-year-old Jenna Schafer, of Junction City, and her unborn child. Green's sentencing has been set for October 28.  Early in the case, prosecutors had said Green was hired to kill Schafer, who was found dead in a Junction City apartment on Christmas Day 2018. But a second man arrested in the case and accused of hiring Green later had charges against him dropped.

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Kansas Congressman Steve Watkins Faces Attacks Labeling Him a GOP Impostor

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas congressman who's toed the conservative line and steadfastly defended President Donald Trump nevertheless is battling accusations that he's an imposter. Congressman Steve Watkins is in a tough Republican primary race that is really about whether his campaign could self-destruct in the fall.  Watkins' voting record and statements decrying Trump's impeachment leave little room for a primary challenger to move to the right of Watkins.  So, his primary opponent, State Treasurer Jake LaTurner, is taking aim at Watkins's fundraising to question his loyalties to the GOP.  LaTurner is trying to revive doubts that arose during Watkins's first race two years ago, when Watkins emerged from a crowded primary and narrowly won the general election.

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Kansas Man Drowns While Swimming in Private Pond

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 20-year-old Kansas man drowned while swimming in a pond. Shawnee County emergency personnel responded to a call Sunday afternoon about a reported drowning in a pond on private property in Shawnee. Police said in a news release that witnesses reported the man was swimming when he went under water and did not resurface. The Shawnee Fire Department and Overland Park Police Department dive team recovered the body of Treyvion Baskin of Kansas City, Kansas, from the pond Sunday evening.

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Wichita State Cancels Ivanka Trump's Speech to Tech School

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas technical school has canceled plans for Ivanka Trump to give a virtual commencement speech to graduates because of criticism of President Donald Trump's response to protests over the the death of George Floyd. Administrators at Wichita State University and WSU Tech announced the decision late Thursday, just hours after they had announced the president's daughter would be speaking to WSU Tech graduates. The two universities are affiliated. Administrators said Saturday's WSU Tech graduation would be "refocused" on students, with a nursing graduate as the only speaker. Ivanka Trump responded in a tweet that said, "Our nation's campuses should be bastions of free speech."

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Former KU Football Star and Longtime Atlanta Falcons DE John Zook Dies at Age 72

ATLANTA (AP) — Former Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Zook has died at age 72. He teamed with Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey to give the Atlanta Falcons a dynamic combination at defensive end in the 1970s. Zook died Saturday in his native Kansas after a long battle with cancer. Initially a fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams, Zook wound up in Atlanta after a pair of trades. He was with the Falcons from 1969-75, lining up on the right while Humphrey held down the left side. Zook made his only Pro Bowl appearance in 1973, joining Humphrey in the all-star game.

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University of Kansas Agrees to $2.55 Million Settlement with Ex-Football Coach David Beatty  

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has announced it reached a settlement with former football coach David Beaty, who had filed a lawsuit against the school alleging athletic department officials were trying to circumvent terms of his contract. The school agreed to pay $2.55 million to end all litigation and disputes.  The KU Athletics Department released the following statement late Friday: “Today, Kansas Athletics entered into a $2.55 million financial settlement with former head football coach David Beaty, ending all litigation and disputes. Despite the settlement, the University maintains that the facts and principles behind its position remain intact. For the betterment of KU, and driven by a willingness to move forward during a time of uncertainty in college athletics, the University has now put this matter behind us."

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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.