Kansas Confirms First Coronavirus Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials confirmed Saturday that a Johnson County woman who recently traveled to the Northeast is the first case of coronavirus in Kansas. Governor Laura Kelly and health officials said the woman is isolating herself at home after seeing her doctor over the common coronavirus symptoms of a cough, slight fever and shortness of breath. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman said she is “doing well.” The Kansas announcement came as Missouri reported its first COVID-19 case, Florida reported two coronavirus deaths, and the U.S. death toll reached 19. The U.S. has had 400 cases.
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Kansas GOP Leader's Medicaid Expansion Move Roils Statehouse
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate leader is drawing criticism from some fellow Republicans for working with the state's Democratic governor to win support of a Medicaid expansion plan. Just last year, Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning was blocking a different Medicaid expansion plan. His shift shows how efforts to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act can get bipartisan support even in the last red states to consider them. Denning also faces a tough reelection bid in his suburban Kansas City district. It's among many suburban areas where President Donald Trump has lost support, scrambling local political calculations.
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Construction on Lawrence Police HQ Reaches Midpoint
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Officials say construction of a new $19.5 million police headquarters in Lawrence is now halfway complete. The Lawrence Journal-World reporte that officials celebrated the halfway mark Friday as
the final piece of the structure’s steel framing was placed. City staff, police and city signed the steel beam, and topped it with American flag and a small evergreen tree, intended to bring good fortune, during Friday’s ceremony. The new headquarters is expected to house about 90% of sworn police staff and include spaces for investigations, administration and the crime lab.
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Big 12 Tournament Bracket Set
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 men's basketball tournament bracket is set. Kansas and Baylor are the top two seeds, as was already set before the final day of the regular season. Four teams finished tied for third place with 9-9 conference records. Oklahoma got the No. 3 seed, ahead of Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12 tournament starts Wednesday in Kansas City, when Number 10-seed Kansas State will face Number 7-seed TCU. Number 1-seed Kansas will play either Oklahoma State or Iowa State on Thursday.
