By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

Congressman-elect Jake LaTurner says he’s ready to go to Washington to represent the Second Congressional District of Kansas.

LaTurner had to win two elections to get there, first deciding to run against incumbent Republican Steve Watkins in the primary. LaTurner, the Kansas State Treasurer, acknowledges top Kansas Republicans urged him to abandon any thoughts of running for U.S. Senate and concentrate on the Congressional seat.

“What really mattered to me was hearing from voters across the Second Congressional District,” LaTurner tells St. Joseph Post. “People in the Second Congressional District very much wanted a new representative in Congress and they called me and they told me about that. I was very humbled by the support.”

The Second Congressional District hugs the eastern border of Kansas, except for the cutout of the greater Kansas City area, a huge district which stretches from Nebraska to Oklahoma. It includes much of northeast Kansas.

LaTurner won the Republican primary over Watkins, receiving 49% of the vote compared to Watkins’ 34%. He won big in the General Election, though many thought Democrat Michelle De La Isla, the Topeka mayor, would provide tough competition. LaTurner received 55% of the vote to 41% for De La Isla.

“We’re really humbled by it, honestly,” LaTurner says. “We had a clear message. We communicated it to the voters. We’re really proud of the results and understand the responsibility that comes along with that.”

Nationally, Democrats targeted the seat and spent a lot of money during the campaign. LaTurner says some of the statements made by national Democratic leaders during the summer of unrest, especially the rallying cry of defund the police, turned off residents of the Second Congressional District.

Instead, LaTurner ran on what his campaign called the “Contract with Kansas.”

“Again, (it’s) an attractive message when you say that you believe in individual responsibility, freedom, lower taxes, less government intervention in your life; that you support the Second Amendment, that you support our law enforcement officers,” according to LaTurner. “That is a message that Americans believe in.”

LaTurner says he understands the real work lies ahead.

“And now the real key to all of this is to not just talk about it during a campaign year, but to go to Washington, D.C. and get to work and actually get something done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605800632244.jpeg" alt="Jake LaTurner during the campaign/Photo courtesy of Kansans for LaTurne" />
 <figcaption>Jake LaTurner during the campaign/Photo courtesy of Kansans for LaTurne</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostCongressman-elect Jake LaTurner says he’s ready to go to Washington to represent the Second Congressional District of Kansas.LaTurner had to win two elections to get there, first deciding to run against incumbent Republican Steve Watkins in the primary. LaTurner, the Kansas State Treasurer, acknowledges top Kansas Republicans urged him to abandon any thoughts of running for U.S. Senate and concentrate on the Congressional seat.“What really mattered to me was hearing from voters across the Second Congressional District,” LaTurner tells St. Joseph Post. “People in the Second Congressional District very much wanted a new representative in Congress and they called me and they told me about that. I was very humbled by the support.”The Second Congressional District hugs the eastern border of Kansas, except for the cutout of the greater Kansas City area, a huge district which stretches from Nebraska to Oklahoma. It includes much of northeast Kansas.LaTurner won the Republican primary over Watkins, receiving 49% of the vote compared to Watkins’ 34%. He won big in the General Election, though many thought Democrat Michelle De La Isla, the Topeka mayor, would provide tough competition. LaTurner received 55% of the vote to 41% for De La Isla.LaTurner credits a lot of hard work.“We’re really humbled by it, honestly,” LaTurner says. “We had a clear message. We communicated it to the voters. We’re really proud of the results and understand the responsibility that comes along with that.”Nationally, Democrats targeted the seat and spent a lot of money during the campaign. LaTurner says some of the statements made by national Democratic leaders during the summer of unrest, especially the rallying cry of defund the police, turned off residents of the Second Congressional District.Instead, LaTurner ran on what his campaign called the “Contract with Kansas.”“Again, (it’s) an attractive message when you say that you believe in individual responsibility, freedom, lower taxes, less government intervention in your life; that you support the Second Amendment, that you support our law enforcement officers,” according to LaTurner. “That is a message that Americans believe in.”LaTurner says he understands the real work lies ahead.“And now the real key to all of this is to not just talk about it during a campaign year, but to go to Washington, D.C. and get to work and actually get something done.”

Kan. 2nd District representative-elect says real work ahead

SALINE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 9:30a.m. Thursday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Honda Passport&nbsp; driven by Justin Maurice&nbsp;Anthony, 22, Salina, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Niles Road.

&nbsp;The SUV left the roadway to the right, entered the north ditch, rolled multiple times and ejected the driver. A passenger Caitlynn Nicole Drowns, 22, Salina, was entrapped.

Anthony was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home.&nbsp; EMS transported Drowns to Salina Regional Medical Center.

Anthony was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605817304531.jpeg" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal I-70 rollover crash&nbsp; photos by Devin Hanney&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal I-70 rollover crash&nbsp; photos by Devin Hanney&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 9:30a.m. Thursday in Saline County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Honda Passport&nbsp; driven by Justin Maurice&nbsp;Anthony, 22, Salina, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Niles Road.&nbsp;The SUV left the roadway to the right, entered the north ditch, rolled multiple times and ejected the driver. A passenger Caitlynn Nicole Drowns, 22, Salina, was entrapped.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605817958498.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Anthony was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home.&nbsp; EMS transported Drowns to Salina Regional Medical Center.Anthony was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kan. man dies after being ejected when SUV rolls

WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp; – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced the official launch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) AskUSDA Contact Center program.

 The AskUSDA Contact Center will serve as the “one front door” for phone, chat, and web inquires, transforming how the public interacts with USDA and providing an enhanced experience for the public.

“Part of our work here at USDA to be the most efficient, effective, and customer-focused agency in the federal government is to ensure our customers and Americans across the country can easily get support from our department and answers to their questions,” said Perdue. “The AskUSDA Contact Center will act as one, centralized front door, ensuring good customer service is given to everyone who interacts with USDA.”

The public can contact AskUSDA by phone at (833) ONE-USDA with representatives available 9:00am-5:30pm EST weekdays. 

The website (<a href="https://ask.usda.gov/s/">https://ask.usda.gov/</a>) is available 24/7 and includes live chat agents available 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST on weekdays. Inquiries can also be sent via email at any time to askusda@usda.gov.

Prior to the creation and implementation of AskUSDA, members of the public had to navigate dozens of phone numbers and had no chat function or online platform for self-service, creating frustrations and inefficiencies. 

AskUSDA was created to make USDA more responsive to the public by providing a single destination for phone, chat, and web inquiries. Whether it’s talking to a USDA representative via phone, chatting with a live agent on our website, or communicating with USDA via e-mail, the public will have streamlined access.

The launch of AskUSDA delivers a centralized contact center that offers customer service and consistent information for the public. With over 29 agencies and offices, USDA’s mission impacts every single person in the U.S. and hundreds of millions around the globe. AskUSDA assures that farmers, researchers, travelers, parents, and more have efficient access to the information and resources they need.

AskUSDA is set up to handle common questions across programs that service a variety of audiences. For example, customers who may have basic questions about USDA’s nutrition services can be assisted across phone, e-mail, and web chat by trained AskUSDA representatives, and customers who may have complicated questions about loan programs can be quickly connected to agency experts. AskUSDA also hosts over five thousand articles for a self-service option to help with more common questions such as food safety inquiries or pet-travel guidance.

Over the course of its pilot program, AskUSDA successfully assisted with over 93,000 citizen inquiries, and the AskUSDA website resulted in over 1.4 million knowledge article page views.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562944742118.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>USDA&nbsp;WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp; – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced the official launch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) AskUSDA Contact Center program. The AskUSDA Contact Center will serve as the “one front door” for phone, chat, and web inquires, transforming how the public interacts with USDA and providing an enhanced experience for the public.“Part of our work here at USDA to be the most efficient, effective, and customer-focused agency in the federal government is to ensure our customers and Americans across the country can easily get support from our department and answers to their questions,” said Perdue. “The AskUSDA Contact Center will act as one, centralized front door, ensuring good customer service is given to everyone who interacts with USDA.”The public can contact AskUSDA by phone at (833) ONE-USDA with representatives available 9:00am-5:30pm EST weekdays. The website (<a href="https://ask.usda.gov/s/">https://ask.usda.gov/</a>) is available 24/7 and includes live chat agents available 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST on weekdays. Inquiries can also be sent via email at any time to askusda@usda.gov.Prior to the creation and implementation of AskUSDA, members of the public had to navigate dozens of phone numbers and had no chat function or online platform for self-service, creating frustrations and inefficiencies. AskUSDA was created to make USDA more responsive to the public by providing a single destination for phone, chat, and web inquiries. Whether it’s talking to a USDA representative via phone, chatting with a live agent on our website, or communicating with USDA via e-mail, the public will have streamlined access.The launch of AskUSDA delivers a centralized contact center that offers customer service and consistent information for the public. With over 29 agencies and offices, USDA’s mission impacts every single person in the U.S. and hundreds of millions around the globe. AskUSDA assures that farmers, researchers, travelers, parents, and more have efficient access to the information and resources they need.AskUSDA is set up to handle common questions across programs that service a variety of audiences. For example, customers who may have basic questions about USDA’s nutrition services can be assisted across phone, e-mail, and web chat by trained AskUSDA representatives, and customers who may have complicated questions about loan programs can be quickly connected to agency experts. AskUSDA also hosts over five thousand articles for a self-service option to help with more common questions such as food safety inquiries or pet-travel guidance.Over the course of its pilot program, AskUSDA successfully assisted with over 93,000 citizen inquiries, and the AskUSDA website resulted in over 1.4 million knowledge article page views.&nbsp;

AskUSDA launches to improve and streamline public's experience

KANSAS CITY (AP)—Overwhelmed hospitals are converting chapels, cafeterias, waiting rooms, hallways, even a parking garage into patient treatment areas. Staff members are desperately calling around to other medical centers in search of open beds. Fatigue and frustration are setting in among front-line workers.

Conditions inside the nation’s hospitals are deteriorating by the day as the coronavirus rages across the U.S. at an unrelenting pace and the confirmed death toll surpasses 250,000.

“We are depressed, disheartened and tired to the bone,” said Alison Johnson, director of critical care at Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee, adding that she drives to and from work some days in tears.

The number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 in the U.S. has doubled in the past month and set new records every day this week. As of Tuesday, nearly 77,000 were hospitalized with the virus.

Newly confirmed infections per day in the U.S. have exploded more than 80% over the past two weeks to the highest levels on record, with the daily count running at close to 160,000 on average. Cases are on the rise in all 50 states. Deaths are averaging more than 1,155 per day, the highest in months.

The out-of-control surge is leading governors and mayors across the U.S. to grudgingly issue mask mandates, limit the size of private and public gatherings ahead of Thanksgiving, ban indoor restaurant dining, close gyms or restrict the hours and capacity of bars, stores and other businesses.

New York City’s school system — the nation’s largest, with more than 1 million students — suspended in-person classes Wednesday amid a mounting infection rate, a painful setback in a corner of the country that suffered mightily in the spring but had seemingly beaten back the virus months ago.

In Kansas, hospitals are converting spaces such as chapels and cafeterias for use by COVID-19 patients, said Cindy Samuelson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Hospital Association.

Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, Kansas, devoted an entire hospital floor to COVID-19 patients as their numbers swelled, hitting 90 on Wednesday. The hospital also converted two surgery waiting rooms for use by non-infected patients, spokesman Matt Lara said.

Kansas health chief Dr. Lee Norman said a system that he likened to air traffic control for coronavirus patients is being put in place so nurses from rural hospitals can make a single call to find a larger hospital that can take their sickest patients.

In some cases, nurses and doctors in Kansas have been spending up to eight hours looking for a large hospital with an opening in cities as far away as Denver, Omaha or Kansas City.

“The problem with this is, by the time you transfer these patients out they already are very ill at that point,” said Kansas nurse practitioner Perry Desbien.

At the same time, patience is wearing thin over the lack of mask wearing that is contributing to the problem in rural areas.

“It kind of feels like we’re just, you know, yelling into the abyss,” said Cheyanne Seematter, a registered nurse at Stormont Vail. “We keep telling everybody to stay home, wear a mask, that it is actually bad here.”

Texas is rushing thousands of additional medical staff to overworked hospitals as the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide accelerates toward 8,000 for the first time since a deadly summer outbreak.

In the worsening rural Panhandle, roughly half of the admitted patients in Lubbock’s two main hospitals had COVID-19, and a dozen people with the virus were waiting in the emergency room for beds to open up Tuesday night, said Dr. Ron Cook, the Lubbock County health authority.

In the Texas border city of El Paso, overwhelmed morgues have begun paying jail inmates $2 an hour to help transport the bodies of virus victims. The crush of patients is forcing the city to send its non-COVID-19 cases to hospitals elsewhere in the state.

More than 5,400 extra medical personnel have been deployed around Texas by the state alone, said Lara Anton, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. And that doesn’t include the help surging into Texas from the military and volunteer organizations.

“There are only so many medical personnel to go around,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, a former head of the Food and Drug Administration.

Ballad Health system, which is located in the Appalachian mountains and includes the Tennessee hospital where Alison Johnson works, has warned that it and its workers are stretched so thin that without a change in course, its hospitals might have to turn patients away. Ballad reported having just 16 available ICU beds Wednesday and about 250 team members in isolation or quarantine. It is trying to recruit hundreds more nurses.

In Idaho, doctors warned that hospitals have almost reached the point where they need to ration care, unable to treat everyone because there aren’t enough beds or staffers to go around.

“Never in my career did I think we would even contemplate the idea of rationing care in the United States of America,” said Dr. Jim Souza, chief medical officer for St. Luke’s Health System.

In Reno, Nevada, Renown Regional Medical Center began moving some coronavirus patients into its parking garage.

Video of the converted garage before it opened to patients showed rows and rows of beds separated by moveable white screens set up on one level of the stark, cavernous garage, each section designated by letters and each bed space marked by a number on the ground. The garage unit currently houses 27 patients but at peak capacity will have enough beds to accommodate more than 1,400, said Dr. Paul Sierzenski, Renown’s chief medical officer for acute care.

Maryland health officials also set up a centralized clearinghouse with information on available ICU beds so that hospitals need only make a single phone call. State authorities also issued an emergency order prohibiting most hospital visitors until further notice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600290260780.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL J. WEBER and SARAH RANKINKANSAS CITY (AP)—Overwhelmed hospitals are converting chapels, cafeterias, waiting rooms, hallways, even a parking garage into patient treatment areas. Staff members are desperately calling around to other medical centers in search of open beds. Fatigue and frustration are setting in among front-line workers.Conditions inside the nation’s hospitals are deteriorating by the day as the coronavirus rages across the U.S. at an unrelenting pace and the confirmed death toll surpasses 250,000.“We are depressed, disheartened and tired to the bone,” said Alison Johnson, director of critical care at Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee, adding that she drives to and from work some days in tears.The number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 in the U.S. has doubled in the past month and set new records every day this week. As of Tuesday, nearly 77,000 were hospitalized with the virus.Newly confirmed infections per day in the U.S. have exploded more than 80% over the past two weeks to the highest levels on record, with the daily count running at close to 160,000 on average. Cases are on the rise in all 50 states. Deaths are averaging more than 1,155 per day, the highest in months.The out-of-control surge is leading governors and mayors across the U.S. to grudgingly issue mask mandates, limit the size of private and public gatherings ahead of Thanksgiving, ban indoor restaurant dining, close gyms or restrict the hours and capacity of bars, stores and other businesses.New York City’s school system — the nation’s largest, with more than 1 million students — suspended in-person classes Wednesday amid a mounting infection rate, a painful setback in a corner of the country that suffered mightily in the spring but had seemingly beaten back the virus months ago.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605725430339.png" alt="Wednesday Nov. 18, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Nov. 18, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>In Kansas, hospitals are converting spaces such as chapels and cafeterias for use by COVID-19 patients, said Cindy Samuelson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Hospital Association.Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, Kansas, devoted an entire hospital floor to COVID-19 patients as their numbers swelled, hitting 90 on Wednesday. The hospital also converted two surgery waiting rooms for use by non-infected patients, spokesman Matt Lara said.Kansas health chief Dr. Lee Norman said a system that he likened to air traffic control for coronavirus patients is being put in place so nurses from rural hospitals can make a single call to find a larger hospital that can take their sickest patients.In some cases, nurses and doctors in Kansas have been spending up to eight hours looking for a large hospital with an opening in cities as far away as Denver, Omaha or Kansas City.“The problem with this is, by the time you transfer these patients out they already are very ill at that point,” said Kansas nurse practitioner Perry Desbien.At the same time, patience is wearing thin over the lack of mask wearing that is contributing to the problem in rural areas.“It kind of feels like we’re just, you know, yelling into the abyss,” said Cheyanne Seematter, a registered nurse at Stormont Vail. “We keep telling everybody to stay home, wear a mask, that it is actually bad here.”Texas is rushing thousands of additional medical staff to overworked hospitals as the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide accelerates toward 8,000 for the first time since a deadly summer outbreak.In the worsening rural Panhandle, roughly half of the admitted patients in Lubbock’s two main hospitals had COVID-19, and a dozen people with the virus were waiting in the emergency room for beds to open up Tuesday night, said Dr. Ron Cook, the Lubbock County health authority.“We’re in trouble,” Cook said.In the Texas border city of El Paso, overwhelmed morgues have begun paying jail inmates $2 an hour to help transport the bodies of virus victims. The crush of patients is forcing the city to send its non-COVID-19 cases to hospitals elsewhere in the state.More than 5,400 extra medical personnel have been deployed around Texas by the state alone, said Lara Anton, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. And that doesn’t include the help surging into Texas from the military and volunteer organizations.“There are only so many medical personnel to go around,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, a former head of the Food and Drug Administration.Ballad Health system, which is located in the Appalachian mountains and includes the Tennessee hospital where Alison Johnson works, has warned that it and its workers are stretched so thin that without a change in course, its hospitals might have to turn patients away. Ballad reported having just 16 available ICU beds Wednesday and about 250 team members in isolation or quarantine. It is trying to recruit hundreds more nurses.In Idaho, doctors warned that hospitals have almost reached the point where they need to ration care, unable to treat everyone because there aren’t enough beds or staffers to go around.“Never in my career did I think we would even contemplate the idea of rationing care in the United States of America,” said Dr. Jim Souza, chief medical officer for St. Luke’s Health System.In Reno, Nevada, Renown Regional Medical Center began moving some coronavirus patients into its parking garage.Video of the converted garage before it opened to patients showed rows and rows of beds separated by moveable white screens set up on one level of the stark, cavernous garage, each section designated by letters and each bed space marked by a number on the ground. The garage unit currently houses 27 patients but at peak capacity will have enough beds to accommodate more than 1,400, said Dr. Paul Sierzenski, Renown’s chief medical officer for acute care.Maryland health officials also set up a centralized clearinghouse with information on available ICU beds so that hospitals need only make a single phone call. State authorities also issued an emergency order prohibiting most hospital visitors until further notice.___

Pandemic stress: Hospitals overwhelmed with virus cases

KANSAS CITY, KAN.&nbsp;–&nbsp;A Kansas man who ran an autopsies-for-hire business was indicted Wednesday on federal fraud charges, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

In addition to criminal penalties, the indictment seeks to recover more than $1 million in fees paid by the defendant’s clients. Victims are encouraged to email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:NASVictims@fbi.gov" target="_blank">NASVictims@fbi.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 316-660-6439.

Shawn Lynn Parcells,&nbsp;41, Leawood, Kan., is charged with 10 counts of wire fraud.

The indictment alleges Parcells falsely led clients to believe they would receive an autopsy report prepared by a pathologist. In fact, in most of the cases, no pathologist was involved in the work on the autopsies. Parcells was not a physician and not a pathologist. He worked from 1996 to 2003 as a pathologist’s assistant with the Jackson County, Mo., Medical Examiner’s Office.

Parcells offered private autopsy services through his business, National Autopsy Services, based in Topeka. Clients generally paid a basic fee of $3,000 plus expenses up front for a full pathological study and diagnosis as the cause of a death of a family member.

The indictment alleges that from May 11, 2016, to May 5, 2019, Parcells obtained fees from at least 375 clients for a total amount of more than $1.1 million, but failed to provide a completed report in the majority of cases.

&nbsp;If convicted, Parcells could face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574875994992.png" alt="Shawn Parcells photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shawn Parcells photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN.&nbsp;–&nbsp;A Kansas man who ran an autopsies-for-hire business was indicted Wednesday on federal fraud charges, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.In addition to criminal penalties, the indictment seeks to recover more than $1 million in fees paid by the defendant’s clients. Victims are encouraged to email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:NASVictims@fbi.gov" target="_blank">NASVictims@fbi.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 316-660-6439.Shawn Lynn Parcells,&nbsp;41, Leawood, Kan., is charged with 10 counts of wire fraud.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605802099921.png" alt="From the Parcells indictment -courtesy U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>From the Parcells indictment -courtesy U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>The indictment alleges Parcells falsely led clients to believe they would receive an autopsy report prepared by a pathologist. In fact, in most of the cases, no pathologist was involved in the work on the autopsies. Parcells was not a physician and not a pathologist. He worked from 1996 to 2003 as a pathologist’s assistant with the Jackson County, Mo., Medical Examiner’s Office.Parcells offered private autopsy services through his business, National Autopsy Services, based in Topeka. Clients generally paid a basic fee of $3,000 plus expenses up front for a full pathological study and diagnosis as the cause of a death of a family member.The indictment alleges that from May 11, 2016, to May 5, 2019, Parcells obtained fees from at least 375 clients for a total amount of more than $1.1 million, but failed to provide a completed report in the majority of cases.&nbsp;If convicted, Parcells could face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.&nbsp;

FBI looking for victims of Kan. autopsy fraud scheme

SALINE COUNTY—A&nbsp;fire Wednesday afternoon destroyed a historic Saline County residence, leaving a family of five without a house.

Just after 1p.m., a passerby noticed flames coming from the home at 8853 East Cloud, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.&nbsp; By the time firefighters arrived, the house was fully engulfed in flames.

The homeowners owned Amanda and Eric Puvogel were away from the residence. Their cat a cat was home but has not been found. The house, built in the 1890s, had been completely restored, according to Soldan.

Buffeted by gusting winds, the fire quickly spread to a chicken coop, a Chevrolet Silverado, and a Morton Building on the property, he said.

At the time of the fire, winds were gusting at 48-51 mph, according to a report from the Salina Regional Airport weather station.

Total loss was estimated at $750,000, Soldan said.

Because of the quickly spreading fire, firefighters from Rural Fire District 1, Rural Fire District 5, and the Solomon Fire Department responded to the blaze, Soldan said.

An official cause of the fire had not yet been determined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605802858837.jpeg" alt="A passerby noticed flames coming from the house and reported the fire.&nbsp;PhotoSaline County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>A passerby noticed flames coming from the house and reported the fire.&nbsp;PhotoSaline County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—A&nbsp;fire Wednesday afternoon destroyed a historic Saline County residence, leaving a family of five without a house.Just after 1p.m., a passerby noticed flames coming from the home at 8853 East Cloud, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.&nbsp; By the time firefighters arrived, the house was fully engulfed in flames.The homeowners owned Amanda and Eric Puvogel were away from the residence. Their cat a cat was home but has not been found. The house, built in the 1890s, had been completely restored, according to Soldan.Buffeted by gusting winds, the fire quickly spread to a chicken coop, a Chevrolet Silverado, and a Morton Building on the property, he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605802996346.jpeg" alt="photo Saline Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>photo Saline Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>At the time of the fire, winds were gusting at 48-51 mph, according to a report from the Salina Regional Airport weather station.Total loss was estimated at $750,000, Soldan said.Because of the quickly spreading fire, firefighters from Rural Fire District 1, Rural Fire District 5, and the Solomon Fire Department responded to the blaze, Soldan said.An official cause of the fire had not yet been determined.

Sheriff: Fire destroys historic Saline County home

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas felon caught after a traffic stop in Great Bend.

Just before 2p.m. Thursday, sheriff's detectives had received information about a wanted person being at a residence in Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Detectives conducted a surveillance operation and observed the wanted individual leaving the residence. A traffic stop was conducted at 11th and Baker in Great Bend and took the suspect&nbsp; identified as&nbsp; Jesse Julian, 37, Raymond,&nbsp; into custody.

Further investigation revealed Julian was in possession of more than 100g of methamphetamine, according to Bellendir.

In addition to a District Court Warrant and a probation violation, Julian&nbsp; is being held on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The probation violation warrant carries a $10,000 bond and the distribution charges a $300,000 bond. 

Deputies also seized $3000 cash as well as a 2015 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, according to Bellendir.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605799456455.png" alt="Julian has previous convictions that include forgery, aggravated battery, theft and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He absconded Oct. 22, 2020- photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Julian has previous convictions that include forgery, aggravated battery, theft and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He absconded Oct. 22, 2020- photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas felon caught after a traffic stop in Great Bend.Just before 2p.m. Thursday, sheriff's detectives had received information about a wanted person being at a residence in Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.Detectives conducted a surveillance operation and observed the wanted individual leaving the residence. A traffic stop was conducted at 11th and Baker in Great Bend and took the suspect&nbsp; identified as&nbsp; Jesse Julian, 37, Raymond,&nbsp; into custody.Further investigation revealed Julian was in possession of more than 100g of methamphetamine, according to Bellendir.In addition to a District Court Warrant and a probation violation, Julian&nbsp; is being held on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The probation violation warrant carries a $10,000 bond and the distribution charges a $300,000 bond. Deputies also seized $3000 cash as well as a 2015 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, according to Bellendir.

Kan. deputies seize cash, drugs and motorcycle

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Dodge Ram driven by Danny Baylis Huston, 74, Kansas City, Mo., was southbound on Interstate 635 just north of Interstate 70.

The pickup left the roadway to the left, traveled across the median into a ditch ad caught fire.

EMS transported Huston to KU Medical Center where he died. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Thursday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Dodge Ram driven by Danny Baylis Huston, 74, Kansas City, Mo., was southbound on Interstate 635 just north of Interstate 70.The pickup left the roadway to the left, traveled across the median into a ditch ad caught fire.EMS transported Huston to KU Medical Center where he died. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Man dies after Kansas pickup crash, fire

By AMY RICKER <a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/244604ea-da02-435b-b5d1-9936420a3815">Great Bend Post</a>

GREAT BEND, Kan. — If you’ve received a text from the IRS saying that you need to accept a stimulus payment, do not click that link.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The
 IRS is warning of the latest stimulus payment scam making the rounds 
that is stealing your bank information, and a lot of people have already
 fallen for it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The text on your cell phone looks 
like&nbsp;its&nbsp;coming from the IRS that says you have received a direct 
deposit of $1200 from the COVID-19 Treasury Fund. Continue here to 
accept this payment followed by a link to click.&nbsp;&nbsp;

IRS 
Spokesperson&nbsp;Alejandra Castro&nbsp;says when you click on the link, it 
connects you to a fraudulent website that looks a lot like the real 
I-R-S dot gov and asks you to fill out the form with your name, social 
security number, bank routing number, and bank account number. Castro 
says if you receive this text, the IRS is asking you to take these next 
steps.&nbsp;

“What you should do if you receive this text scam, you should take a screenshot of the message you received, and send it to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>&nbsp;with
 the following information: the date, time, the time they received the 
text message, and the number that appears on the caller I.D.,” explained
 Castro.&nbsp;

Castro says there has been a dramatic increase in scams 
and cybercrimes this year due to the pandemic that revolve around the 
IRS.&nbsp;

“We do not send unsolicited texts or emails. The IRS does 
not call people with the threat of jail, lawsuits, or that are 
back-taxes owed on gift cards. We do not call taxpayers at home and 
demand payments immediately or they will be arrested. Please be on the 
lookout because it’s easy to fall for these scams because they appear to
 be so legitimate. But I think if taxpayers have the information then 
they are a step ahead and won’t fall victims to these scams.”&nbsp;

For more information on this and other phishing, identity theft, and scams, visit IRS.gov.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By AMY RICKER <a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/244604ea-da02-435b-b5d1-9936420a3815">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND, Kan. — If you’ve received a text from the IRS saying that you need to accept a stimulus payment, do not click that link.&nbsp;&nbsp;The
 IRS is warning of the latest stimulus payment scam making the rounds 
that is stealing your bank information, and a lot of people have already
 fallen for it.&nbsp;&nbsp;The text on your cell phone looks 
like&nbsp;its&nbsp;coming from the IRS that says you have received a direct 
deposit of $1200 from the COVID-19 Treasury Fund. Continue here to 
accept this payment followed by a link to click.&nbsp;&nbsp;IRS 
Spokesperson&nbsp;Alejandra Castro&nbsp;says when you click on the link, it 
connects you to a fraudulent website that looks a lot like the real 
I-R-S dot gov and asks you to fill out the form with your name, social 
security number, bank routing number, and bank account number. Castro 
says if you receive this text, the IRS is asking you to take these next 
steps.&nbsp;“What you should do if you receive this text scam, you should take a screenshot of the message you received, and send it to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov" target="_blank">phishing@irs.gov</a>&nbsp;with
 the following information: the date, time, the time they received the 
text message, and the number that appears on the caller I.D.,” explained
 Castro.&nbsp;Castro says there has been a dramatic increase in scams 
and cybercrimes this year due to the pandemic that revolve around the 
IRS.&nbsp;“We do not send unsolicited texts or emails. The IRS does 
not call people with the threat of jail, lawsuits, or that are 
back-taxes owed on gift cards. We do not call taxpayers at home and 
demand payments immediately or they will be arrested. Please be on the 
lookout because it’s easy to fall for these scams because they appear to
 be so legitimate. But I think if taxpayers have the information then 
they are a step ahead and won’t fall victims to these scams.”&nbsp;For more information on this and other phishing, identity theft, and scams, visit IRS.gov.&nbsp;&nbsp;

IRS warns of new scam regarding stimulus payment 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of Thursday morning grass fire that prompted evacuations in Topeka.

Just after 3a.m. Thursday, crews responded to the area of SW 17th and SW Arrowhead Road for a report of a grass fire, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.

Police units that were in the area advised that this was a large fire, and it was spreading to the north due to high winds. The Fire Department had Police unit’s evacuate Homewood Suites Hotel along with homes on SW Cheyenne Hills Road from SW Drury Lane to SW Village Drive. The fire was extinguished and declared under control shortly after 5:00a.m., according to Harrison.

No structures were damaged, and all those evacuated were allowed to return to the hotel and to their homes.

The preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire as undetermined, according to Harison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605794633656.png" alt="Fire crews on the scene of Thursday morning fire photo courtesy WIBW-TV" />
 <figcaption>Fire crews on the scene of Thursday morning fire photo courtesy WIBW-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of Thursday morning grass fire that prompted evacuations in Topeka.Just after 3a.m. Thursday, crews responded to the area of SW 17th and SW Arrowhead Road for a report of a grass fire, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison.Police units that were in the area advised that this was a large fire, and it was spreading to the north due to high winds. The Fire Department had Police unit’s evacuate Homewood Suites Hotel along with homes on SW Cheyenne Hills Road from SW Drury Lane to SW Village Drive. The fire was extinguished and declared under control shortly after 5:00a.m., according to Harrison.No structures were damaged, and all those evacuated were allowed to return to the hotel and to their homes.The preliminary investigation indicates the cause of the fire as undetermined, according to Harison.

Hotel, homes evacuated due to Kansas grass fire

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new mask mandate Wednesday in hopes of lessening the spread of the coronavirus in Kansas after the state again reported another record seven-day increase in new cases.

(Due to technical issue in Topeka, the first moments of the broadcast had no audio)

State law still allows Kansas’ 105 counties to opt out of such an order from the Democratic governor, and most did when Kelly issued a similar order in July. But the state’s rolling seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is now more than nine times higher than it was than when her first order took effect.

Kelly’s order takes effect Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, and only in counties that don’t yet have their own mask mandates, though that’s still a majority of them. Kelly said she was giving counties without mandates a week to draft their own alternatives. Her order requires people to wear a “face covering” in indoor public spaces and in public spaces outdoors where social distancing is not possible.

The governor’s Statehouse news conference Wednesday afternoon came only hours after state health department data showed that Kansas averaged 2,767 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases a day for the seven days ending Wednesday. That’s slightly above the previous record of 2,741 for the seven days ending Monday. When Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7457a306628413b9f3d6409a32e73283">first mask order</a>&nbsp;took effect July 2, it was 289.

“We have reached a new stage in our fight with this virus, and how we choose to respond can turn the tide for our businesses, our hospitals and our schools,” Kelly said.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment added 5,853 cases to the state’s pandemic tally since Monday, increasing 4.8% it to 128,594. The state reported 60 new COVID-19-related deaths over two days, making the total 1,326.

The state averaged a record 44 new COVID-19-related hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Wednesday, up from the previous high of 41. The state health department reported 130 additional hospitalizations since Monday, bringing the pandemic total to 4,561.

The surge in cases is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-e04e85728482b5e8bc60dfd54f7fded5">straining hospitals.</a>

In northeast Kansas, Lawrence Memorial Hospital transformed an ultrasound area last week into a five bed critical care unit, with non-infected patients moving in this week to free up room for coronavirus patients elsewhere in the hospital. A conference room and auditorium later could be transformed into patient care areas, said spokeswoman Rebecca Smith.

Dave Garnas, the administrator of the Cloud County Health Center in north-central Kansas, said patients who need care elsewhere are being sent as far away as the Kansas City area, about 170 miles (274 kilometers) away, or Omaha, Nebraska, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) away.

“And the process of finding a bed can sometimes take hours,” he said.

Perry Desbien, a nurse practitioner who works full-time in Smith Center in north-central Kansas, and part-time with a company that provides emergency staffing, said smaller hospitals need to transfer coronavirus patients as they get sicker and he has had to call six or seven other hospitals.

“The problem with this is by the time you transfer these patients out they already are very ill at that point and now time is an urgent issue,” he said.

In northwest Kansas, Ben Kimball, a physician assistant, filled in recently at Decatur County’s small hospital and spent two hours trying to find a larger hospital that could care for a sick non-coronavirus patient who finally was flown to Denver, about 250 miles (402 kilometers) to the west.

“If we find ourselves in a position where a lot of our regional hospitals are full, we could definitely be having a lot of trouble treating some of these patients that end up sicker,” he said.

Top Republican legislators have long clashed with Kelly over how to address the pandemic, arguing that local officials should determine whether there are mask mandates or restrictions on businesses and public gatherings. While Kelly kept a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">statewide stay-at-home order&nbsp;</a>in place for five weeks, ending in early May, the Legislature later forced her to accept local control of pandemic-related rules.

“Community leaders will still have the final say and will make their own decisions on what’s best for their constituents,” Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, said after the governor’s news conference.

Republican leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-virus-outbreak-topeka-archive-9436c3901c2eaaf3ae46d1763804bed9">also have extracted public promises</a>&nbsp;from Kelly not to shut down businesses statewide again, as she did for five weeks in the spring.

“Mandates and lockdowns will not eliminate the virus no matter how extreme they are,” House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, another Wichita Republican, said in a statement after the governor’s announcement.

But Kelly’s mask order could be more than symbolic. It will remain in effect in places where county commissions don’t take specific action to opt out or write their own rules. At least a dozen counties have tightened up their pandemic-related rules during the past two weeks, including some heavily Republican ones where voters went for President Donald Trump by wide margins in the presidential election.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new mask mandate Wednesday in hopes of lessening the spread of the coronavirus in Kansas after the state again reported another record seven-day increase in new cases.(Due to technical issue in Topeka, the first moments of the broadcast had no audio)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F854182115434980%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>State law still allows Kansas’ 105 counties to opt out of such an order from the Democratic governor, and most did when Kelly issued a similar order in July. But the state’s rolling seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is now more than nine times higher than it was than when her first order took effect.Kelly’s order takes effect Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, and only in counties that don’t yet have their own mask mandates, though that’s still a majority of them. Kelly said she was giving counties without mandates a week to draft their own alternatives. Her order requires people to wear a “face covering” in indoor public spaces and in public spaces outdoors where social distancing is not possible.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605725430339.png" alt="Wednesday Nov. 18, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Nov. 18, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The governor’s Statehouse news conference Wednesday afternoon came only hours after state health department data showed that Kansas averaged 2,767 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases a day for the seven days ending Wednesday. That’s slightly above the previous record of 2,741 for the seven days ending Monday. When Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7457a306628413b9f3d6409a32e73283">first mask order</a>&nbsp;took effect July 2, it was 289.“We have reached a new stage in our fight with this virus, and how we choose to respond can turn the tide for our businesses, our hospitals and our schools,” Kelly said.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment added 5,853 cases to the state’s pandemic tally since Monday, increasing 4.8% it to 128,594. The state reported 60 new COVID-19-related deaths over two days, making the total 1,326.The state averaged a record 44 new COVID-19-related hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Wednesday, up from the previous high of 41. The state health department reported 130 additional hospitalizations since Monday, bringing the pandemic total to 4,561.The surge in cases is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-e04e85728482b5e8bc60dfd54f7fded5">straining hospitals.</a>In northeast Kansas, Lawrence Memorial Hospital transformed an ultrasound area last week into a five bed critical care unit, with non-infected patients moving in this week to free up room for coronavirus patients elsewhere in the hospital. A conference room and auditorium later could be transformed into patient care areas, said spokeswoman Rebecca Smith.Dave Garnas, the administrator of the Cloud County Health Center in north-central Kansas, said patients who need care elsewhere are being sent as far away as the Kansas City area, about 170 miles (274 kilometers) away, or Omaha, Nebraska, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) away.“And the process of finding a bed can sometimes take hours,” he said.Perry Desbien, a nurse practitioner who works full-time in Smith Center in north-central Kansas, and part-time with a company that provides emergency staffing, said smaller hospitals need to transfer coronavirus patients as they get sicker and he has had to call six or seven other hospitals.“The problem with this is by the time you transfer these patients out they already are very ill at that point and now time is an urgent issue,” he said.In northwest Kansas, Ben Kimball, a physician assistant, filled in recently at Decatur County’s small hospital and spent two hours trying to find a larger hospital that could care for a sick non-coronavirus patient who finally was flown to Denver, about 250 miles (402 kilometers) to the west.“If we find ourselves in a position where a lot of our regional hospitals are full, we could definitely be having a lot of trouble treating some of these patients that end up sicker,” he said.Top Republican legislators have long clashed with Kelly over how to address the pandemic, arguing that local officials should determine whether there are mask mandates or restrictions on businesses and public gatherings. While Kelly kept a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">statewide stay-at-home order&nbsp;</a>in place for five weeks, ending in early May, the Legislature later forced her to accept local control of pandemic-related rules.“Community leaders will still have the final say and will make their own decisions on what’s best for their constituents,” Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, said after the governor’s news conference.Republican leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-kansas-virus-outbreak-topeka-archive-9436c3901c2eaaf3ae46d1763804bed9">also have extracted public promises</a>&nbsp;from Kelly not to shut down businesses statewide again, as she did for five weeks in the spring.“Mandates and lockdowns will not eliminate the virus no matter how extreme they are,” House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, another Wichita Republican, said in a statement after the governor’s announcement.But Kelly’s mask order could be more than symbolic. It will remain in effect in places where county commissions don’t take specific action to opt out or write their own rules. At least a dozen counties have tightened up their pandemic-related rules during the past two weeks, including some heavily Republican ones where voters went for President Donald Trump by wide margins in the presidential election.___

🎥  Kan. counties have until Nov. 25 to act on new mask mandate

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man was shot to death inside an apartment at the southern end of Kansas City, according to police.

Officers were called around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday to Timber Lakes Apartment Homes for reports of a shooting, police said in a news release. Arriving officers found a man with gunshot wounds inside one of the units, police said. The man was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he later died, officials said.

The victim’s name had not been released by Thursday morning. Police said detectives questioned people at the scene at the time of the shooting and were not looking for additional suspects.

Police did not immediately report whether any arrests had been made or what may have led to the shooting.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man was shot to death inside an apartment at the southern end of Kansas City, according to police.Officers were called around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday to Timber Lakes Apartment Homes for reports of a shooting, police said in a news release. Arriving officers found a man with gunshot wounds inside one of the units, police said. The man was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he later died, officials said.The victim’s name had not been released by Thursday morning. Police said detectives questioned people at the scene at the time of the shooting and were not looking for additional suspects.Police did not immediately report whether any arrests had been made or what may have led to the shooting.

Police: Man shot to death inside Kansas City apartment

Catholics split almost evenly in supporting Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the presidential election. Now they’re sharply divided over a declaration by the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the president-elect’s support for abortion rights presents the church with a “difficult and complex situation.”

The USCCB’s president, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, made that statement Tuesday near the close of the conference’s national meeting and announced the formation of a working group of bishops to assess the dilemma. Some experts said it’s possible the group will discuss whether Biden — a practicing Roman Catholic — should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion.

Catholic anti-abortion activists hope the bishops follow through with tough words and action, making clear that Catholic politicians who support abortion are in breach of church teaching.

Biden’s policy agenda “is incompatible with the Catholic position on abortion and the protection of innocent human life,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a leading anti-abortion group.

But others criticized the USCCB as setting the stage for potential conflict with the president-elect just days after he received a congratulatory call from Pope Francis. Biden said he hopes to work with the pontiff on issues such as climate change, poverty and immigration.

“The USCCB leadership simply can’t embrace the idea of engagement and goodwill that Pope Francis has asked of them,” said David Gibson, director of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture. “That the pope called to congratulate Biden and discussed working together while the American bishops capped their meeting with plans to do battle with the incoming president says it all.”

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, also was dismayed by the USCCB.

“It seems they’d like to start an antagonistic relationship with only the second Catholic to be elected the president of this country,” she said via email. “This is appalling.”

“The bishops have chosen to continue the culture war that uses abortion to drive wedges in our church and our society, because they see that as a winning issue for them,” she wrote.

Gomez has welcomed many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, citing the church’s opposition to abortion, have been outspoken in their criticism after Gomez congratulated Biden on his victory.

On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its meeting, Gomez read a statement that arose from discussions with some of the agitated bishops.

“The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies” but also some that “undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion,” the archbishop said.

“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez added. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”

Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB’s vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.

Two Catholic academics, responding to queries from The Associated Press, did not rule out the possibility that the working group could discuss whether Biden should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion because of his abortion stance.

That question “does not turn on what political office he holds, but on his public conduct as a Catholic,” said Edward Peters, professor of canon law at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

“His prominence in public life makes his case more visible, certainly,” Peters added. “But, in the end, it is his own behavior that determines whether he should be refused Holy Communion.”

Thomas Groome, a theology professor at Boston College, said conservative bishops on the working group would likely push for Biden to be denied Communion. But he noted that Biden’s support for abortion rights is, according to many surveys, shared by most U.S. Catholics.

Groome called Gomez’s statement “dreadfully unfortunate” and said “the bishops should be helping bring us together rather than driving us apart.”

Chieko Noguchi, a USCCB spokeswoman, said the working group has not yet met and declined to comment on whether it would discuss a potential Communion ban for Biden. There has been no response by Biden’s transition team to AP requests for comment.

Divisions within the USCCB’s ranks over the president-elect have been stark, with some, such as Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, balking at recognizing his victory.

“I appreciate Archbishop Gomez’ acknowledgment that Vice President Biden’s proposed policies are divergent from Catholic teaching in significant ways,” Strickland tweeted Tuesday. “It remains troubling that the USCCB treats the election as certified when it is not &amp; it continues to be a source of division.”

Journalists for Catholic news outlets pointed out that the USCCB did not wait for election results to be certified in 2016, when it swiftly congratulated Trump after Election Day.

Kristan Hawkins, a Catholic who is president of Students for Life of America, said leaders of the U.S. church need to be blunter in condeming Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.

“This pretense that ending preborn life is negotiable with the church does create chaos and confusion,” Hawkins said. “This failure of leadership gives women who know that abortion is wrong the permission they’re looking for to get an abortion.”

However, Jamie Manson, president of Catholics for Choice, said Gomez’s claim that Biden’s position creates confusion among church members is “condescending.”

“They are, in fact, well-informed and have used their consciences in their choice both to elect President-elect Biden and to support reproductive health care,” she said.

In the election, 50% of Catholic voters backed Trump and 49% favored Biden, according to VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told colleagues Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden’s policy positions, including support for abortion rights, pose a “difficult and complex situation” for the church.

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, completing his first year as the USCCB’s president, welcomes many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, noting the church’s strong opposition to abortion, were upset last week when Gomez congratulated Biden — a fellow Catholic — on his victory.

On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its two-day national meeting, Gomez departed from the official agenda to broach the issue.

“We are facing a unique moment in our history,” he said. “The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies" but also some that "undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion.”

“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez said. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”

Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB's vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.

There was no immediate response by Biden’s transition team to an AP request for comment.

Gomez’s unexpected remarks followed a two-hour session in which bishops from across the U.S., meeting online due to the coronavirus outbreak, shared their dioceses’ efforts to cope with the pandemic and to combat systemic racism.

Some who spoke during the racial injustice discussion represent communities that have seen protests and occasional violence after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore was among several who described church-organized listening sessions for community members to share their experiences with racism and their thoughts on how to curtail it.

“These conversations can be difficult, painful,” Lori said. “A lot of people don’t think they need those conversations because they don’t have a racist bone in their body. The reality is much different.”

As one of several race-related initiatives, Lori said his archdiocese is building a new K-8 Catholic school in one of Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods.

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis said his archdiocese is seeking to promote racial equity in its hiring practices and has hired a diversity officer for a group of Catholic schools.

Rozanski recently toured predominantly Black neighborhoods including a stop in nearby Ferguson, where he prayed at the site where Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a white police officern in 2014.

Mark Seitz, the bishop of El Paso, Texas, recalled the 2019 mass killing of 23 people at a Walmart by a gunman who said he was targeting Mexicans.

“It brought home the fact that white supremacy is not a harmless fringe ideology. It’s a death-dealing ideology,” Seitz said. “It reminded us that words matter — words that denigrate immigrants and other people of color really matter and feed into these ways of thinking.”

Seitz said the diocese is looking at forming a truth commission exploring the history and current status of racism in the region, and how it has impacted Native Americans, Hispanics, immigrants and others.

Tuesday's discussion was led by Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Louisiana diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, who heads the USCCB’s Committee Against Racism.

“The work is hard, the work is slow, but the work is being done,” he said. “In my diocese, hearts are being changed.”

Amid the protests following Floyd’s killing, some Black Catholics were outspoken in urging the church to take substantive steps conveying that their presence is valued. There have been calls for some form of reparations, and for the teaching of Black Catholic history in Catholic schools.

Black Catholics’ somewhat marginal place in the U.S. church is illustrated by statistics compiled by the USCCB: There are about 3 million African American members of the faith, roughly 4% of the nation’s 69 million Catholics, but as of January there were just 250 Black priests, or less than 1% of the total of 36,500.

Also Tuesday, a dozen bishops shared their experiences coping with the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced many dioceses to halt or sharply reduce in-person worship.

Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, described outreach efforts aimed at sick and older adult parishioners and recounted the painful decision to lay off 15% of the diocese staff due to reduced income from offerings.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, where several priests and an auxiliary bishop have died of COVID-19, said a specially trained team of priests that was equipped with state-of-the-art protective equipment won permission to administer end-of-life sacraments to Catholic patients in hospitals.

John Wester, the archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said many parishioners were angry when restrictions forced the cancellation of in-person Masses at which they could receive Holy Communion.

“We’re grateful for that devotion,” Wester said. “On the other hand, we’re trying to keep people safe."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605698274321.png" alt="His Excellence Mgr José Horacio GOMEZ, Metropolitan Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the USCCB during this week's virtual annual meeting-photo Catholic News Service" />
 <figcaption>His Excellence Mgr José Horacio GOMEZ, Metropolitan Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the USCCB during this week's virtual annual meeting-photo Catholic News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CRARY, Associated PressCatholics split almost evenly in supporting Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the presidential election. Now they’re sharply divided over a declaration by the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the president-elect’s support for abortion rights presents the church with a “difficult and complex situation.”The USCCB’s president, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, made that statement Tuesday near the close of the conference’s national meeting and announced the formation of a working group of bishops to assess the dilemma. Some experts said it’s possible the group will discuss whether Biden — a practicing Roman Catholic — should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion.Catholic anti-abortion activists hope the bishops follow through with tough words and action, making clear that Catholic politicians who support abortion are in breach of church teaching.Biden’s policy agenda “is incompatible with the Catholic position on abortion and the protection of innocent human life,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a leading anti-abortion group.But others criticized the USCCB as setting the stage for potential conflict with the president-elect just days after he received a congratulatory call from Pope Francis. Biden said he hopes to work with the pontiff on issues such as climate change, poverty and immigration.“The USCCB leadership simply can’t embrace the idea of engagement and goodwill that Pope Francis has asked of them,” said David Gibson, director of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture. “That the pope called to congratulate Biden and discussed working together while the American bishops capped their meeting with plans to do battle with the incoming president says it all.”Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, also was dismayed by the USCCB.“It seems they’d like to start an antagonistic relationship with only the second Catholic to be elected the president of this country,” she said via email. “This is appalling.”“The bishops have chosen to continue the culture war that uses abortion to drive wedges in our church and our society, because they see that as a winning issue for them,” she wrote.Gomez has welcomed many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, citing the church’s opposition to abortion, have been outspoken in their criticism after Gomez congratulated Biden on his victory.On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its meeting, Gomez read a statement that arose from discussions with some of the agitated bishops.“The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies” but also some that “undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion,” the archbishop said.“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez added. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB’s vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.Two Catholic academics, responding to queries from The Associated Press, did not rule out the possibility that the working group could discuss whether Biden should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion because of his abortion stance.That question “does not turn on what political office he holds, but on his public conduct as a Catholic,” said Edward Peters, professor of canon law at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.“His prominence in public life makes his case more visible, certainly,” Peters added. “But, in the end, it is his own behavior that determines whether he should be refused Holy Communion.”Thomas Groome, a theology professor at Boston College, said conservative bishops on the working group would likely push for Biden to be denied Communion. But he noted that Biden’s support for abortion rights is, according to many surveys, shared by most U.S. Catholics.Groome called Gomez’s statement “dreadfully unfortunate” and said “the bishops should be helping bring us together rather than driving us apart.”Chieko Noguchi, a USCCB spokeswoman, said the working group has not yet met and declined to comment on whether it would discuss a potential Communion ban for Biden. There has been no response by Biden’s transition team to AP requests for comment.Divisions within the USCCB’s ranks over the president-elect have been stark, with some, such as Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, balking at recognizing his victory.“I appreciate Archbishop Gomez’ acknowledgment that Vice President Biden’s proposed policies are divergent from Catholic teaching in significant ways,” Strickland tweeted Tuesday. “It remains troubling that the USCCB treats the election as certified when it is not &amp; it continues to be a source of division.”Journalists for Catholic news outlets pointed out that the USCCB did not wait for election results to be certified in 2016, when it swiftly congratulated Trump after Election Day.Kristan Hawkins, a Catholic who is president of Students for Life of America, said leaders of the U.S. church need to be blunter in condeming Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.“This pretense that ending preborn life is negotiable with the church does create chaos and confusion,” Hawkins said. “This failure of leadership gives women who know that abortion is wrong the permission they’re looking for to get an abortion.”However, Jamie Manson, president of Catholics for Choice, said Gomez’s claim that Biden’s position creates confusion among church members is “condescending.”“They are, in fact, well-informed and have used their consciences in their choice both to elect President-elect Biden and to support reproductive health care,” she said.In the election, 50% of Catholic voters backed Trump and 49% favored Biden, according to VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.---------By DAVID CRARY, Associated PressThe head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told colleagues Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden’s policy positions, including support for abortion rights, pose a “difficult and complex situation” for the church.Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, completing his first year as the USCCB’s president, welcomes many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, noting the church’s strong opposition to abortion, were upset last week when Gomez congratulated Biden — a fellow Catholic — on his victory.On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its two-day national meeting, Gomez departed from the official agenda to broach the issue.“We are facing a unique moment in our history,” he said. “The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies" but also some that "undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion.”“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez said. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB's vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.There was no immediate response by Biden’s transition team to an AP request for comment.Gomez’s unexpected remarks followed a two-hour session in which bishops from across the U.S., meeting online due to the coronavirus outbreak, shared their dioceses’ efforts to cope with the pandemic and to combat systemic racism.Some who spoke during the racial injustice discussion represent communities that have seen protests and occasional violence after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore was among several who described church-organized listening sessions for community members to share their experiences with racism and their thoughts on how to curtail it.“These conversations can be difficult, painful,” Lori said. “A lot of people don’t think they need those conversations because they don’t have a racist bone in their body. The reality is much different.”As one of several race-related initiatives, Lori said his archdiocese is building a new K-8 Catholic school in one of Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods.Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis said his archdiocese is seeking to promote racial equity in its hiring practices and has hired a diversity officer for a group of Catholic schools.Rozanski recently toured predominantly Black neighborhoods including a stop in nearby Ferguson, where he prayed at the site where Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a white police officern in 2014.Mark Seitz, the bishop of El Paso, Texas, recalled the 2019 mass killing of 23 people at a Walmart by a gunman who said he was targeting Mexicans.“It brought home the fact that white supremacy is not a harmless fringe ideology. It’s a death-dealing ideology,” Seitz said. “It reminded us that words matter — words that denigrate immigrants and other people of color really matter and feed into these ways of thinking.”Seitz said the diocese is looking at forming a truth commission exploring the history and current status of racism in the region, and how it has impacted Native Americans, Hispanics, immigrants and others.Tuesday's discussion was led by Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Louisiana diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, who heads the USCCB’s Committee Against Racism.“The work is hard, the work is slow, but the work is being done,” he said. “In my diocese, hearts are being changed.”Amid the protests following Floyd’s killing, some Black Catholics were outspoken in urging the church to take substantive steps conveying that their presence is valued. There have been calls for some form of reparations, and for the teaching of Black Catholic history in Catholic schools.Black Catholics’ somewhat marginal place in the U.S. church is illustrated by statistics compiled by the USCCB: There are about 3 million African American members of the faith, roughly 4% of the nation’s 69 million Catholics, but as of January there were just 250 Black priests, or less than 1% of the total of 36,500.Also Tuesday, a dozen bishops shared their experiences coping with the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced many dioceses to halt or sharply reduce in-person worship.Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, described outreach efforts aimed at sick and older adult parishioners and recounted the painful decision to lay off 15% of the diocese staff due to reduced income from offerings.Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, where several priests and an auxiliary bishop have died of COVID-19, said a specially trained team of priests that was equipped with state-of-the-art protective equipment won permission to administer end-of-life sacraments to Catholic patients in hospitals.John Wester, the archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said many parishioners were angry when restrictions forced the cancellation of in-person Masses at which they could receive Holy Communion.“We’re grateful for that devotion,” Wester said. “On the other hand, we’re trying to keep people safe."

Catholics divided as bishops examine Biden's abortion stance

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man charged with killing a Missouri police officer in August waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Thomas Kinworthy, of Owensville, appeared in court via video conference Wednesday, where his attorney entered the not guilty plea for him.

Kinworthy was indicted by a grand jury on 10 charges including first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Officer Tamarris Bohannon.

Bohannon and other officers responded to a call on Aug. 29 after an armed man ordered a family out of their south St. Louis home and barricaded himself inside. Bohannon was shot in the head and a second officer was struck in the leg, police said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6b06c5bda8cb88d5bac0d934e2d52571">Kinworthy</a>&nbsp;is also charged with four counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree assault, one count of burglary, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1598987436467.png" alt="Thomas Kinworthy -photo St. Louis PD" />
 <figcaption>Thomas Kinworthy -photo St. Louis PD</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man charged with killing a Missouri police officer in August waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.Thomas Kinworthy, of Owensville, appeared in court via video conference Wednesday, where his attorney entered the not guilty plea for him.Kinworthy was indicted by a grand jury on 10 charges including first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Officer Tamarris Bohannon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598868684937.png" alt="Tamarris Bohannon- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Tamarris Bohannon- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Bohannon and other officers responded to a call on Aug. 29 after an armed man ordered a family out of their south St. Louis home and barricaded himself inside. Bohannon was shot in the head and a second officer was struck in the leg, police said.Bohannon died the next day.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6b06c5bda8cb88d5bac0d934e2d52571">Kinworthy</a>&nbsp;is also charged with four counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree assault, one count of burglary, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon.His trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 10.