Kansas Governor Recommends Public Schools Close; Some Districts Already Have
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) -- Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is recommending that all public schools in the state close for at least one week, starting Monday. Many districts have already closed or are on spring break the week of March 16. The governor clarified this is not an executive order to close all public schools, but rather, it is a strong recommendation made it consultation with the Kansas Department of Education, due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Kelly emphasized that the decision to close remains up to each school district or to state and local health officials. For instance, health officials have already ordered schools, libraries and other entities to close in Douglas, Shawnee, Riley, Sedgwick and other counties for the next two weeks.
In a news release, the Kansas House of Representatives also supported the decision to close schools. “The Kansas Department of Education after consultation with superintendents across the state has taken the step of recommending a pausing of the school year for one week in order to develop a plan to keep our children, teachers and communities safe,” it said in the news release. Many school districts have set up grab and go lunches for students during the extended closure.
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Kansas Bans Gatherings of 50 or More, Bars Utility Shutoffs
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has banned public gatherings of 50 or more people for the next two months and blocked utilities from cutting off services until mid-April. Gov. Laura Kelly warned Monday that the coronavirus pandemic may force additional restrictions to contain its spread. Kelly stopped short of ordering bars, restaurants, gyms or other businesses from closing, as governors in other states have done. Her executive orders also came the same day that President Donald Trump's administration said people should avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 over the next 15 days. Kansas has seen one COVID-19 related death and confirmed 11 coronavirus cases.
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UPDATE #2: Kansas Now Has 11 Cases of COVID-19
Newly identified COVID-19 cases in Kansas bring the statewide total to 11. The latest cases involve people who came into contact with a person in Johnson County who had tested positive for the virus.
UPDATE: Kansas Now Has Nine Cases of COVID-19
Kansas now has nine cases of COVID-19: 6 in Johnson County, 1 in Wyandotte County, 1 in Butler County, 1 in Franklin County. The state has recorded one coronavirus-related death, confirmed postmorten from Wyandotte County. The latest case, identified Sunday night, involves Johnson County.
Earlier reporting...
Kansas Health Officials: 8th Case of COVID-19 Confirmed
OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health officials have confirmed the state's eighth case of COVID-19. The latest case comes from Franklin County in eastern Kansas. No details about the person have been released. The news follows on the heels of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment announcing Saturday morning the state's seventh case — a woman in her 50s associated with Johnson County Community College. The department says it's the county's first known case to have been contracted locally. The release says the woman is hospitalized and “doing well." Her family members have been quarantined, and those who may have been exposed by contact with the woman are being contacted by the health department. Four other COVID-19 cases have been reported in Johnson County. All of those patients became infected while traveling out of state. The woman is hospitalized and “doing well,” the release said. Her family members have been quarantined, and those who may have been exposed by contact with the woman are being contacted by the health department, officials said. Most people who get infected with the virus experience moderate symptoms, and the vast majority of people recover. Others, including older adults and people with existing health issues, can become severely sick.
Kansas Public Radio, KCUR and other partners in the Kansas News Service collaboration are pooling resources to provide updated information on coronavirus and COVID-19 in Kansas. Find it here: Updated Regularly: What Kansans Need to Know About COVID-19 and Coronavirus
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UPDATE: Others at Kansas Home Tied to COVID-19 Death Tested Negative
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A local health officer says staff and other residents at a Kansas City, Kansas nursing home tested negative for coronavirus after a resident became the state's first COVID-19 related death. Wyandotte County health officer Allen Greiner said Monday that 85 patients and staff from the Life Care Center were tested and another 20 coronavirus tests are pending with the state health department. Kansas health officials said people should avoid gatherings of more than a few people. Kansas has eleven confirmed coronavirus cases in four counties, and the fatal case is Wyandotte County's only one.
Earlier reporting...
Owner of Wyandotte County Nursing Home Connected to Man's Death Also Runs Washington Facility Where More Have Died
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Health officials say a nursing home resident who become Kansas' first COVID-19-related death was infected at the Life Care Center of Kansas City, which is owned by the same company that owns the facility in Washington state linked to 22 fatalities. Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman said a focus of the investigation is whether there has been any personnel sharing between the nursing homes in Kirkland, Washington, and the one in Kansas. The state also reported its sixth COVID-19 case on Friday. Norman says no other residents at the Life Center nursing home are showing symptoms. ( Read more about this story.)
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South-Central Kansas Town Loses Its Only Hospital During Coronavirus Outbreak; Sixth Rural Kansas Hospital to Close in Past Decade
WELLINGTON, Kan. (The Wichita Eagle) The Sumner County Hospital in Wellington shut its doors unexpectedly this week just as the country struggles with the growing threat of the coronavirus pandemic. “Now’s not the time for anyone to be losing a hospital,” said Wellington City Manager Shane Shields. The Wichita Eagle reports that Sumner Community Hospital abruptly closed Thursday night after years of financial difficulties. According to Shields, those financial difficulties were at least partially fueled by the state government’s indecision on expanding Medicaid in Kansas. The Kansas House of Representatives has approved a bill to expand Medicaid but that measure has stalled in the Kansas Senate. Republican Senate President Susan Wagle, of Wichita, has vowed to block the bill from coming to a vote until the House reverses itself and passes a proposed constitutional amendment to overturn a state Supreme Court decision limiting the Legislature’s authority to regulate abortion.
Sumner Community Hospital joins a list of five other Kansas rural hospitals that have closed since 2010. The others include: Central Kansas Medical Center of Great Bend, Horton Community Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Fort Scott, Mercy Hospital of Independence and Oswego Community Hospital, according to a list compiled last year by Becker’s Hospital CFO Report. Approximately 75 jobs were lost in the Wellington hospital’s closure. The small town is located about 35 miles south of Wichita.
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Kansas Price-Gouging Law Now in Effect for Virus-Response Supplies
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – A price-gouging law is now in effect across Kansas. Attorney General Derek Schmidt says the law prohibits anyone from profiteering by raising the price on items consumers find necessary because of the coronavirus outbreak. “The Kansas anti-profiteering statute is rarely invoked but is designed to prevent opportunistic greed from overcoming the public need for necessary, virus-response products and services during this time of emergency,” Schmidt said. The law generally prohibits unjustifiably raising prices for goods and services for which consumer demand is likely to increase because of the virus outbreak.
A price increase is presumed unjustified if it exceeds by 25 percent or more the price at which the goods or services were available on March 11 or the price for which the same goods or services are available from other sellers in the trade area. Examples of consumer goods and services governed by the anti-profiteering law include, but are not limited to, food items, sanitary and cleaning supplies such as hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, emergency supplies, medical supplies and services. The law carries a penalty of up to $10,000 per violation.( Read more about this story.)
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Missouri Governor Urges Cancellation of All Events with 50 or More People
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KPR) – Missouri Governor Mike Parson says all community events and public gatherings with 50 people or more should be canceled. Following new recommendations and guidance released Sunday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Parson said, "I strongly urge the cancellation or suspension of public gatherings of 50 individuals or more with the exception of educational institutions, daycare facilities, and business operations. We encourage local governments and health agencies to provide the same guidance. The new recomendations are designed to stop or at least slow the spread of coronavirus, especially among high risk groups like the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
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Kansas City Bans All Large Public Events; Universities Move Classes Online
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City has banned all large public gatherings as cancellations mount around the state - and other states - because of concerns over the new coronavirus. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas made the announcement this week, shortly after organizers canceled a St. Patrick's Day parade. St. Louis and Springfield also canceled their parades. A similar situation is playing out in Kansas. Topeka and Lawrence called off their own parades. Meanwhile, a number of universities have been moving classes online. Hundreds of universities and colleges around the country decided to simply send students home. The University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Emporia State and Wichita State have decided to hold all classes in cyberspace once students return from spring break.
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Kansas Lawmakers Rush to Finish Budget, Transportation Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are rushing to draft a plan for funding state government after June and launch a new state transportation program. They also are trying to wrap up a few other loose ends so they can take a long spring break in response to the coronavirus pandemic.Top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature were looking to pass a basic, annual state budget and a program for improving the state's highway system by mid-week. Their goal is to start their annual spring break early and then reconvene April 27 to finish the year's business. They previously planned to work through April 3.
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Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck by Train in Kansas City, Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A pedestrian died after being struck by a train while trying to cross train tracks in Kansas City, Kansas. Police in Kansas City, Kansas, say the crash happened shortly after midnight Sunday in southwestern Kansas City. The pedestrian was struck by a westbound train while attempting to cross the tracks. The pedestrian died at the scene. The victim's name wasn't immediately released. ====================
Kansas City Police: December Death of 2-Year-Old Girl Ruled Homicide
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police say the December death of a 2-year-old girl has been ruled a homicide. The Kansas City Star reports that Stevie Osborn died Dec. 23 from injuries that police have not detailed. Police spokesman Sgt. Jacob Becchina says the homicide determination was made Feb. 20 following a two-month investigation. Becchina says officers and medics were called to an apartment the morning of December 23 for a medical emergency. First responders found the child unresponsive inside the apartment. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Police say they have identified a person of interest in the case, but no arrests or charges have been made.
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Anonymous Gift Made to Move Topeka's Tent City Homeless Indoors
TOPEKA, Kan (The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal) — An anonymous $100,000 donation might allow all the residents of a tent city for Topeka homeless residents to move to indoor housing if they want it. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the donation was made last week to the non-profit Valeo Behavioral Health Care. Valeo is among several city, state and private organizations that make up Topeka's Homeless Task Force. A representative from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services said the donation is enough to fund 28 vouchers for six months. The voucher program comes as tent city residents must vacate the land by March 23.
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Kansas Public Defender Turnover Slows, but Remains High
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has slowed the public defender turnover rate following a pay raise, although it still remains stubbornly high. The Kansas News Service reports that the state lost 13% of its public defenders last year, an improvement from one year earlier when nearly a fourth of them quit. The head of the State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services credits the small pay raise from the Legislature for the slowdown. But Heather Cessna says the agency will need more money to fill jobs that have stayed open for years.
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Noted Musical Trailblazer Doriot Anthony Dwyer Dies at 98
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Symphony Orchestra says a longtime flutist and musical trailblazer died at 98. Doriot Anthony Dwyer was just the second woman ever to win a principal chair in a major U.S. orchestra. The Boston orchestra and her daughter say she died Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas. A cause of death was not given. Dwyer was a grand-niece of famed suffragist Susan B. Anthony, and she was the Boston Symphony's principal flutist for nearly 40 years. Leonard Bernstein was among the prominent composers who wrote works for her. Funeral arrangements were incomplete Monday.
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KU Medical Center to Pay Settlement for Age Discrimination
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas will pay $144,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused the school's medical center of telling directors in one department to focus on hiring younger employees. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit in 2019 on behalf of a manager who lost his job after reporting his boss at the University of Kansas Medical Center advised managers to recruit and hire younger people over older applicants. The three-year consent decree announced Friday requires the medical center and University of Kansas to pay lost wages and damages to the employee and to take steps to prevent discrimination or retaliation against management employees in the future.
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Kansas Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Up-the-Skirt Filming
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former Wichita State University student has been sentenced to close to five years in prison for taking lewd photos of children and up-the-skirt videos of women. The Sedgwick County prosecutor on Monday announced 30-year-old Wichita resident James Dayvault was sentenced to four years and eight months behind bars. He was found guilty of one count of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of lewd and lascivious behavior, one count of breach of privacy and one count of attempted breach of privacy. An Associated Press call to Dayvault's attorney wasn't immediately returned Monday.
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Johnson County Restoring Natural Prairies in a 10-Year Plan
SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Johnson County is restoring its natural prairies as part of a 10-year natural resources plan. The county's goal is to preserve and restore the nation's last tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Kansas News Service reports that Johnson County Parks and Recreation District wants to restore and manage 8,700 acres with efforts across the state, nonprofits and government agencies. Supporters from local groups believe that because prairies are a part of Kansas' cultural heritage, exposing people to something they'd otherwise have to travel to see can help them understand how important natural prairies can be.
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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.
