Hospitals Raise Morgue Capacity Concerns; Schools Close
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Nursing homes are facing COVID-19 outbreaks, schools are closing and hospitals in the Kansas City area are seeing so many deaths that they are raising alarms about morgue capacity. The problems come as Kansas yet again shattered its record for new confirmed and probable cases. The state reported an average of 7,887 new cases a day for the seven days ending Friday -- nearly triple what had been the biggest peak in November 2020. While the omicron variant is less deadly, hospitalizations are approaching the previous high from December 2020, new state data shows.
(-Earlier reporting-)
More Kansas Districts Close, Warn Parents to Prepare
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP/KC Star) — More Kansas districts are closing and warning of potential closure as the COVID-19 outbreak sickens staff. The Eudora districts pulled the plug on classes Friday because of a lack of substitutes and increased numbers of COVID-19 cases. The Kansas City Star reports that the De Soto school district in Johnson County also canceled classes Friday. In addition, the Bonner Springs/Edwardsville school district called off classes Thursday and Friday. The Kansas City, Kansas, district has warned parents to start preparing for school closures and said buses would be 15 to 20 minutes late Friday because of staff shortages. Earlier this week, the Wichita district, which is the state's largest, warned that school closures might be necessary. The staffing shortages are so severe that the state announced this week that substitute teachers in Kansas will not be required to have college credit hours.
Wichita Schools Warn of Potential Closures Amid COVID Spike
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita school district is warning parents that temporary school closures may be necessary because so many teachers are out sick amid a rise in COVID-19 cases. The Wichita Eagle reports that Superintendent Alicia Thompson told parents in an email that the district hopes to give parents two to three days’ notice before closing schools, but she couldn’t promise decisions won’t be made more quickly. The Bonner Springs and El Dorado districts already have canceled classes. And The Manhattan Mercury reports that the Rock Creek district in Pottawatomie County said an elementary and middle school were closed Thursday and Friday because of staffing issues. The DeSoto, Eudora and Manhattan-Ogden districts were set to be closed Friday, The Kansas City Star reported.
(-Related-)
Missouri Board of Education Keeps 36-Hour Virtual Learning Rule Intact
NORMANDY, Mo. (AP) — Some Missouri schools facing staffing and student absences because of COVID-19 are facing difficult decisions because state law limits virtual instruction to 36 hours per school year. The state loosened the 36-hour rule during the last school year but it is in force again this school year. School districts that close because of high absences and also hit the 36-hour virtual learning limit might have to extend the school year to meet a state requirement to provide 1,044 hours of instruction each year. The State Board of Education heard a presentation Tuesday about the problem but decided to keep the 36-hour limit on virtual learning.
==========
GOP Race for Kansas Attorney General Focuses on Fighting Biden, not Crime
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican primary for Kansas attorney general this year is focused on fighting Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda. The attorney general is often described as the state’s top law enforcement official, but in recent years state attorneys general have built political brands on filing lawsuits against the other party's administration in Washington. Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach is attempting a comeback after losing the general election for governor in 2018 and a U.S. Senate primary in 2020. He faces Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Kellie Warren and retired veteran federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi. All say they're best positioned to fight Biden.
==========
University of Kansas Won't Share Hazing Report with Police
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas suspended two fraternities for hazing earlier this month, but officials don’t plan to share their investigation with police. Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Delta Theta were both suspended from campus for five years because of the incidents university officials found, which included assaults, sleep deprivation, forced workouts, destruction of pledges’ property and retaliation for reporting the behavior to university officials. KU spokeswoman Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said the students who were hazing victims are free to pursue criminal charges, but university officials don't want to trigger a criminal investigation that victims don't want.
==========
Police Say They Are Investigating Man's Death as Homicide
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police say they are investigating as a homicide the death of a Topeka man. The Topeka Police Department said Saturday in a news release that officers found the body Friday while responding to a call regarding “a past assault with medical response." The man was identified as 39-year-old Mack Lee. The department's homicide unit is now reviewing investigative leads and evidence.
==========
4 People Hospitalized After Fire at Kansas House
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Fire officials say four people were hospitalized after their house caught fire in Olathe, Kansas. The Kansas City Star reports firefighters responding to a call at about 8:15 a.m. found “significant fire conditions. Capt. Mike Hall of the Olathe Fire Department says three adults and one teenager who were inside the home were hospitalized in stable condition. The cause of the fire is under investigation. A damage estimate was not immediately available, although Hall says the home has “significant damage.”
==========
Kansas Doctor Has License Suspended over Prescribing Issues
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A state board that oversees doctors has suspended the medical license of a Wichita physician, alleging that he wrote prescriptions for people he hadn’t spoken to or examined. The Wichita Eagle reports that suspension order says that Chad Sharp’s employer had unlicensed employees call people last year and ask if if they were suffering from “chronic ailments.” These calls were recorded and then sent to Sharp, who was paid for each person whose information he reviewed. The order states that he then would prescribe a cream or ointment that was billed to the person’s insurance.
==========
Former NFL Player Siavii Found Dead in Kansas Federal Prison
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle has been found dead in a Kansas federal prison where he was being held on charges of illegal firearms possession, a prison official said. U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Anna Armijo says 43-year-old Saousoalii Siavii Jr. was found unresponsive at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth on Thursday afternoon, The Kansas City Star reported. Siavii was pronounced dead at an area hospital. From American Samoa, the former Oregon lineman was drafted by Kansas City in the second round in 2004 and spent two seasons with the Chiefs. He played for Dallas in 2009 and Seattle in 2010.
==========
Kansas City Chiefs Advance in NFL Playoffs, Defeating Pittsburgh Steelers 42-21
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 404 yards and five touchdowns, Travis Kelce caught a TD pass and threw another one, and the Chiefs sent Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into his expected retirement with a 42-21 win in the wild-card round of the playoffs Sunday night. Byron Pringle caught touchdown passes from both Mahomes and Kelce, and Jerick McKinnon and Tyreek Hill also reeled in scoring catches for the Chiefs. Their pursuit of a third straight AFC title now includes a date with the Bills next week. The 39-year-old Roethlisberger finished with two TD passes in his likely career finale.
==========
No. 9-Ranked KU Uses Big 2nd Half to Stuff West Virginia, 85-59
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — David McCormack had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Jalen Wilson added 23 points and eight boards, and the ninth-ranked University of Kansas men's team overcame a sluggish first half to rout defensive-minded West Virginia 85-59. Ochai Agbaji also had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Jayhawks. They led 33-31 at halftime but blitzed through the second half to remain perfect against the Mountaineers in 10 meetings at Allen Fieldhouse. KU held Taz Sherman, the Big 12's second-leading scorer, to five points on 1-for-9 shooting. Malik Curry led the Mountaineers with 23 points.
==========
Kansas State Men Close Out No. 19 Texas Tech for 62-51 Win
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 14 points, Mark Smith made a key 3-pointer with just over a minute left, and Kansas State ended a four-game losing streak, beating No. 19 Texas Tech by a score of 62-51. Smith finished with 12 points and Mike McGuirl had 10 for the Wildcats, who failed to hold second-half leads in each of their four previous games. They got it done against a Texas Tech team that handed No. 1 Baylor its first loss of the season earlier this week. Bryson Williams scored 20 points to lead the Red Raiders, who were playing their fourth game in eight days.
==========
KU Women Lose to No. 14-Ranked Baylor, 82-79
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Sarah Andrews scored 25 points, Ja’Mee Asberry added 20 and they combined for the final seven points in the last 14 seconds to give No. 14 Baylor an 82-79 win over Kansas. Asberry knocked down a second-chance 3-pointer with 14 seconds to play to pull the Bears within 79-78. Kansas had a turnover on the front-court inbounds pass and Asberry was fouled at 12.2 seconds, her free throws making it 80-79. After a Kansas miss, Andrews was fouled with 1.5 seconds to go and she iced the game. Holly Kersgieter had 25 points for Kansas. Ioanna Chatzileonti and Zakiyah Franklin added 20 points apiece.
==========
Texas Tech Women Defeat No. 25 K-State, 64-45
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Vivian Gray scored 23 points, Bryn Gerlich added a career-high 16 and Texas Tech raced to a 64-45 win over No. 25 Kansas State. Gerlich and Gray combined for 17 points in the first quarter — Gerlich hit three 3-pointers — and the Red Raiders opened a 23-7 lead. TCU was 10 of 19, the Wildcats just 3 of 13. Trailing 40-22 at halftime, K-State managed to close the gap to 53-43 after three quarters but then went ice cold, making just 1 of 17 shots, ending the game on an 0 for 12 drought over the last 5 1/2 minutes. Serena Sundell and Ayoka Lee both scored 12 points for KSU.
==========
These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!