Kansas Reports Thousands More Cases of COVID-19 Over Weekend
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KPR) - The number of COVID-19 cases in Kansas now exceeds 204,000. Health officials reported Monday that Kansas had identified 204,600 cases of coronavirus and 2,448 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began. That's an increase of 4,174 cases and 107 deaths since Friday. Another update of Kansas COVID-19 cases is expected Wednesday.
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- Kansas COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
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Vaccine Distribution Continues in Kansas as New Vaccine Expected
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) —Kansas should receive doses of a second brand of coronavirus vaccine this week The state has already received more than 20 thousand doses of Pfizer’s vaccine. All but a handful of counties have started giving shots to health care workers at risk of catching the coronavirus from patients. Governor Laura Kelly says the state is expecting nearly 50 thousand doses of another version of the coronavirus vaccine, this one from Moderna. Moderna’s vaccine can be stored in regular freezers, making distribution easier. Pfizer’s requires extra cold temperatures. Kansas residents 75 years old or older will be next in line for the vaccine but officials at the University of Kansas Health System say the state will need far more doses of vaccines than it’s set to receive in the coming days to start giving shots to all of those older residents.
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CVS Health and Walgreens to Help Vaccinate People in Kansas Long-Term Care Facilities.
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Teams from the nation's two largest pharmacy chains will begin visiting nursing homes, assisted living centers and other long-term care facilities over the next few months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has contracted with CVS and Walgreens as part of a federal program to help get the vaccinations to some of the people most at risk from COVID-19. Kansas has seen more than 500 coronavirus outbreaks in long-term care. Nearly 1,000 people have died in those outbreaks. Residents of such facilities will be among the first to get vaccinated.
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Twelfth Kansas Prison Inmate With COVID-19 Has Died
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - Kansas prison officials say a twelfth inmate with COVID-19 has died. The state Corrections Department said Saturday that a 62-year-old man who had been held at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility died Friday. He had been hospitalized with the virus since November 23. Corrections department officials said the man also had other health concerns that contributed to his condition. The inmate, who was not identified, had been serving a 13-year sentence for aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He had been incarcerated since March 2013. This was the third COVID-19 related death at the Hutchinson prison.
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Sheriff of Pandemic Ravaged Western Kansas County Dies of COVID
QUINTER, Kan. (AP) - A sheriff in a northwestern Kansas county that has been hard-hit by the pandemic has died of the virus. The Gove County Sheriff's Office announced the death of Sheriff Allan Weber and described him as an "extraordinary public servant" in a Facebook post. He was transported to the Swedish Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, on October 18 for COVID-19 respiratory complications. The county of 2,636 has recorded 18 deaths, for a rate of about 6.82 deaths per 1,000 residents, which is the highest in the state. The county's emergency management director, the hospital CEO and more than 50 medical staff also tested positive.
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Deputy Named to Lead COVID-19-Stressed Kansas Labor Agency
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly has named the Kansas Department of Labor’s deputy secretary as its top administrator. Her announcement Tuesday showed she still is working to find another, permanent leader for an agency that struggled for months to process claims from workers left unemployed by the coronavirus pandemic. Acting Secretary Brett Flachsbarth is the third person to lead the Department of Labor in less than seven months. Kelly's first labor secretary was Delia Garcia, and she resigned in June amid problems with the system for distributing unemployment benefits. Her replacement was Acting Secretary Ryan Wright, and he was allowed by law to serve only six months.
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New Lawmakers, House Minority Leader Demand Resignation of Legislator-to-Be
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Seven new female Democratic Kansas House members and the party’s leader in the chamber are demanding publicly that a male representative-elect resign before taking office because of issues that include a temporary anti-stalking court order against him. The lawmakers-to-be and House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer issued statements Monday calling on Democratic Representative Aaron Coleman of Kansas City, Kansas, to step down before the Legislature opens its annual 90-day session January 11. Coleman did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A political opponent's former campaign manager has accused Coleman of harassing her, and he's been under the restraining order since December 4.
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Douglas County Dissolves Drug Enforcement Unit
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is ending the operation of a special drug-focused unit, calling its structure outdated as the department moves away from focusing on “low-level users.” Sheriff’s office spokesman Jenn Hethcoat told the Lawrence Journal-World that the decision to dissolve the unit that works with Lawrence police was finalized in November. Hethcoat says the office will continue to operate a special investigative unit but with a focus on crimes related to drug activity, “not low-level users who would benefit more directly from behavioral health support than incarceration.” The county’s new sheriff, Jay Armbrister, takes office Jan. 11. Hethcoat says Armbrister initiated the operational change.
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No Immediate Ruling After Hearing on Fate of DACA Program
HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge didn't immediately issue a ruling following a court hearing on the fate of a U.S. program shielding immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. During a nearly 3 1/2 hour hearing on Tuesday, Texas and eight other states including Kansas asked U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which provides limited protections to about 650,000 people. The program was enacted by former President Barack Obama in 2012. Defending the program is a group of DACA recipients represented by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Suing alongside Texas are Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, and West Virginia — states that all have Republican governors or state attorneys general.
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Wichita Councilman Linked to Cover-Up Plot Resigns
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita city councilman who has been under fire for his role in a plot to frame the local GOP chairman for a false ad against a mayoral candidate has resigned. James Clendenin said Tuesday in a written statement that had “become a distraction” and that his resignation was taking effect Dec. 31. Last month, the Sedgwick County district attorney’s office filed a civil petition seeking the ouster of Clendenin. District Attorney Marc Bennett accused Clendenin of misconduct while in office, making false allegations against the chairman of the county’s Republican party and soliciting financial donations to a charity to be used in a political campaign.
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Kansas Woman Dies in Crash with Semi
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 45-year-old woman from Ulysses is dead after a crash involving a semi near Garden City. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports that Monica D. Walker died in the accident Monday night on U.S. 50 about nine miles east of Garden City. The patrol report says an eastbound semi crossed the center line and struck Walker’s Lincoln MKZ. The driver of the semi was not injured. An investigation continues.
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Wichita Bank Robbery Suspect Dies After Police Chase
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A bank robbery suspect died after being chased by police in Wichita but authorities didn't say whether he was shot by officers or died as a result of a crash. The robbery happened just before 4 p.m. Monday at Golden Plains Credit Union in Wichita. The suspect took an undisclosed amount of cash and drove away in a stolen pickup truck. Police chased him and the suspect crashed into two police vehicles and two other vehicles. At least one officer fired shots, but authorities have not said whether the suspect was struck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name or said whether he was armed.
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Spirit AeroSystems to Furlough Workers on Boeing 787 Program
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) _ Officials at Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita say the 21-day furlough will begin January 4th and will impact workers on the production line for the 787 commercial jet. Spirit manufactures the fuselage and engine pylons at its facility in Wichita. Boeing has cut production rates on the 787 Dreamliner several times this year, from 10 per month to six. Reuters reports that figure will drop to 5 per month by mid-2021. Spirit did not indicate how many employees will be affected by the latest furlough. Since last January, the company has furloughed or laid off thousands of workers on 737 Max production after the jet was grounded globally last year. The Max is slowly returning to service, and Boeing says production will reach about 50% of its 2019 levels by 2022.
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Congressional Move Will Allow Conservation of Plum Island Following NBAF Move
UNDATED (AP) — Congress has repealed a mandate that would have required the government sell a mysterious piece of land in Long Island Sound that for years has housed a government animal disease research facility. The move is a victory for conservationists, who have fought to prevent development on Plum Island, an 822-acre island which is part of New York state and also is home to rare birds, sea turtles and other animals. The measure, included in Monday night’s omnibus spending bill, reverses a 2008 decision to auction the island to help fund the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas.
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K-State, 3 Other Midwestern Universities Form Alliance to Lure Space Command
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Four Midwestern universities have formed a space-oriented academic and research alliance aimed at luring the U.S. Space Command headquarters to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The Omaha World-Herald reports that University of Nebraska President Ted Carter says the partnership with Kansas State University, the University of North Dakota, and Purdue would develop new degree programs and research initiatives. Offutt is among the six finalists to become the headquarters. Other finalists are Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama and the former Kelly Air Force Base in Texas.
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Kansas Officials Hope to Create New Courts to Help Veterans
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Officials in Kansas' judicial system want to establish more special courts aimed at keeping veterans with behavioral, mental health or substance abuse issues out of prison. But The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that they are pursing the idea amid the coronavirus pandemic and the state's own budget problems. Johnson County established the state's first veterans court in 2016, and it remains the only one in Kansas. Officials in the state's court system say there are obstacles. One ensuring access to treatment for substance abuse or mental health problems. Another is finding volunteers to help or money for staff. The state is facing its own budget shortfall.
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Kansas Justice Panel Recommends Ending Use of "No-Knock" Raids
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A commission established by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly in response to the mass civil unrest over racial injustice earlier this year is urging state lawmakers to ban officers from entering a home without announcing their presence. The recommendation by the Governor’s Commission on Racial Justice and Equity is modeled after federal legislation proposed this year by Democrats in Congress amid a growing call to ban “no-knock” search warrants after Breonna Taylor was killed in her Louisville home by officers in March. Activists seeking to ban no-knock warrants argue that they can prompt police to use excessive or deadly force, often against minorities.
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Changes in University of Kansas Diversity Office Draw Fire
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Faculty and staff at the University of Kansas are protesting a reorganization of its diversity office that cost two employees their jobs. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the upset faculty and staff say the changes were made without consulting the marginalized communities affected. The changes for what had been the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion were announced earlier this (DEC) month by Chancellor Douglas Girod and Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer. The vice provost for diversity and equity has been assigned to another job. Six programs reporting to her will be reassigned to other departments, and the jobs of two employees who developed and led social justice training were eliminated.
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Kansas City Star Apologizes for Racially Biased Coverage
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Star’s top editor has apologized for past decades of racially biased coverage. The newspaper also has posted a series of stories examining how it ignored the concerns and achievements of Black residents and helped keep Kansas City segregated. The newspaper said a detailed examination of its past coverage and that of its longtime sister newspaper, the Kansas City Times, documented how they often wrote about Black residents only either as criminals or people living in crime-plagued neighborhoods and ignored segregation in Kansas City, Missouri, and its public schools. The Star posted its apology and its lengthy series of stories on its website Sunday.
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Kansas Man Arrested in Shooting, Wounding of Police Officer
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 33-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting and wounding of a police officer earlier this month in Kansas City, Kansas. The Olathe Police Department said in a news release that the Kansas City, Kansas man was taken into custody Sunday in rural Miami County with the assistance of the Miami County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The suspect’s identity was not immediately released. The arrest stems from an exchange of gunfire that occurred December 15 between the suspect and the Kansas City, Kansas police officer in Overland Park, Kansas. The officer was struck by gunfire in the arm and ballistic vest.
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Lawsuit Over False Ad in Wichita Mayor's Race Moving Forward
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A lawsuit filed by Wichita's mayor against three GOP officials who were behind a smear campaign against the mayor will be allowed to move forward after a judge rejected a motion to dismiss it. The lawsuit is related to an ad published on YouTube during the mayoral election last year that falsely suggested that Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple was accused of sexual harassment when he served in the Kansas Legislature. In a recording from last year that was released this fall, Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, Wichita City Council member James Clendenin and state Representative Michael Capp can be heard plotting to frame Sedgwick County Republican Party Chairman Dalton Glasscock for the smear video.
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Two Firefighters Injured Battling Blaze in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Four people, including two Wichita firefighters, are being treated for burns after fire broke out at a home. KSNW-TV reports that the fire happened Sunday night. Deputy Fire Chief Josh Pavelski says two firefighters were taken to the hospital with burns, one in serious condition. A third firefighter was injured restraining someone from entering the burning home. Two other people also suffered injuries. Authorities didn't immediately say if those people were residents of the home.
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KC-Area Artist Who Raised Millions for Charity Dies at 27
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) _ A legally blind artist from the Kansas City area whose work generated millions of dollars in charity has died. The Kansas City Star reports that Jeff Hanson of Overland Park, Kansas, was 27 when he died Sunday. He had been diagnosed with a brain tumor associated with neurofibromatosis in October. Hanson found art after he lost most of his vision in 2005 because of another tumor on his optic nerve. He began painting at age 12 while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. Hanson sold paintings to Elton John, Billy Joel, Warren Buffett and others, generating proceeds for the Children's Tumor Foundation. More than 200 nonprofit organizations benefited from his auctioned works.
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Pack Scores Season-High 16 as Kansas State Men Beat Jacksonville
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Nijel Pack scored a season-high 16 points, with four 3-pointers, and Kansas State rolled to a 70-46 win over Jacksonville. DaJuan Gordon had his second career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats and Mike McGuirl added 12 points and seven assists. Pack also had six rebounds and five assists as K-State had 23 helpers on 27 baskets. Bryce Workman topped the Dolphins with 10 points. Jacksonville shot 34% from the field and was out-rebounded 45-22.
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