TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas on Monday reported new seven-day records for new coronavirus cases and COVID-19-related hospitalizations as Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly prepared to meet with the Republican-controlled Legislature’s leaders following her call for a statewide mask mandate.

The state averaged 815 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases for the seven days ending Monday, the first time the figure exceeded 800 cases since the pandemic reached Kansas in March. The record, based on state Department of Health and Environment data, was 6.2% higher than previous high of 768 cases a day for the seven days ending Friday.

The state also averaged 32 new COVID-19-related hospitalizations for the seven days ending Monday. The previous high was 31 for the seven days ending Friday.

Kelly planned to meet with legislative leaders Tuesday by Zoom. She said last week that she wanted a bipartisan, statewide mask mandate. Kelly issued a statewide mandate July 2, but state law allowed most counties to opt out.

The state health department said Kansas had 2,446 new coronavirus cases since Friday, bringing the total to 78,676. There were 62 additional hospitalizations, bringing the total to 3,646.

The state reported only one new COVID-19-related death, for a pandemic total of 976.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas on Monday reported new seven-day records for new coronavirus cases and COVID-19-related hospitalizations as Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly prepared to meet with the Republican-controlled Legislature’s leaders following her call for a statewide mask mandate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603731923091.png" alt="Monday Oct. 26, 2020, KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Oct. 26, 2020, KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The state averaged 815 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases for the seven days ending Monday, the first time the figure exceeded 800 cases since the pandemic reached Kansas in March. The record, based on state Department of Health and Environment data, was 6.2% higher than previous high of 768 cases a day for the seven days ending Friday.The state also averaged 32 new COVID-19-related hospitalizations for the seven days ending Monday. The previous high was 31 for the seven days ending Friday.Kelly planned to meet with legislative leaders Tuesday by Zoom. She said last week that she wanted a bipartisan, statewide mask mandate. Kelly issued a statewide mandate July 2, but state law allowed most counties to opt out.The state health department said Kansas had 2,446 new coronavirus cases since Friday, bringing the total to 78,676. There were 62 additional hospitalizations, bringing the total to 3,646.The state reported only one new COVID-19-related death, for a pandemic total of 976.___

Governor to meet with leaders on statewide mask mandate

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477418-1/justice-amy-coney-barrett-swearing-ceremony-white-house&amp;live">Click here </a>to watch a replay of the swearing in ceremony.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court&nbsp;</a>late Monday by a deeply divided Senate, with Republicans overpowering Democrats to install President Donald Trump’s nominee days before the election and secure a likely conservative court majority for years to come.

Trump’s choice to fill the vacancy of the late liberal icon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Ruth Bader Ginsburg&nbsp;</a>potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even his own election. Democrats were unable to stop the outcome, Trump’s third justice on the court, as Republicans race to reshape the judiciary.

Barrett, 48, will be able to start work Tuesday, her lifetime appointment as the 115th justice solidifying the court’s rightward tilt.

“This is a momentous day for America,” Trump said at a primetime swearing-in event on the South Lawn at the White House. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to Barrett before a crowd of about 200.

Barrett told those gathered that she believes “it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences.” She vowed, “I will do my job without any fear or favor.”

Monday’s vote was the closest high court confirmation ever to a presidential election, and the first in modern times with no support from the minority party. The spiking COVID-19 crisis has hung over the proceedings. Vice President Mike Pence declined to preside at the Senate unless his tie-breaking vote was needed after Democrats asked him to stay away when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19.</a>&nbsp;The vote was 52-48, and Pence’s vote was not necessary.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477226-1/us-senate-votes-judge-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court&amp;live=">Click here&nbsp;</a>to watch a replay of the vote in the U.S. Senate

“Voting to confirm this nominee should make every single senator proud,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, fending off “outlandish” criticism in a lengthy speech. During a rare weekend session he declared that Barrett’s opponents “won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

Barrett, a federal appeals court judge from Indiana, is expected to take the judicial oath administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in a private ceremony Tuesday at the court to begin participating in proceedings.

Underscoring the political divide during the pandemic, the Republican senators, most wearing masks, sat in their seats as is tradition for landmark votes, and applauded the outcome, with fist-bumps. Democratic senators emptied their side, heeding party leadership’s advice to not linger in the chamber. A Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination last month ended up spreading the virus, including to some GOP senators who have since returned from quarantine.

Pence’s presence would have been expected for a high-profile moment. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team said it would not only violate virus guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”

Democrats argued for weeks that the vote was being improperly rushed and insisted during an all-night Sunday session it should be up to the winner of the Nov. 3 election to name the nominee.

Speaking near midnight Sunday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called the vote “illegitimate” and “the last gasp of a desperate party.”

Several matters are awaiting decision just a week before Election Day, and Barrett could be a decisive vote in Republican appeals of orders extending the deadlines for absentee ballots in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

The justices also are weighing Trump’s emergency plea for the court to prevent the Manhattan District Attorney from acquiring his tax returns. And on Nov. 10, the court is expected to hear the Trump-backed challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">Obama-era Affordable Care Act</a>. Just before the Senate voted, the court sided with Republicans in refusing to extend the deadline for absentee ballots in Wisconsin.

Trump has said he wanted to swiftly install a ninth justice to resolve election disputes and is hopeful the justices will end the health law known as “Obamacare.”

In a statement, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tied Barrett’s nomination to the court to the Republican effort to pull down the Affordable Care Act. He called her confirmation “rushed and unprecedented” and a stark reminder to Americans that “your vote matters.”

During several days of public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Barrett was careful not to disclose how she would rule on any such cases.

She presented herself as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, praised the mother of seven as a role model for conservative women. “This is historic,” Graham said.

Republicans focused on her Catholic faith, criticizing earlier Democratic questions about her beliefs. Graham called Barrett “unabashedly pro-life.”

At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. That was an escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.

Republicans are taking a political plunge days from the Nov. 3 election with the presidency and their Senate majority at stake.

Only one Republican — Sen. Susan Collins, who is in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">tight reelection fight in Maine</a>&nbsp;— voted against the nominee, not over any direct assessment of Barrett. Rather, Collins said, “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”

Trump and his Republican allies had hoped for a campaign boost, in much the way Trump generated excitement among conservatives and evangelical Christians in 2016 over a court vacancy. That year, McConnell refused to allow the Senate to consider then-President Barack Obama’s choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, arguing the new president should decide.

Most other Republicans facing tough races embraced the nominee who clerked for the late Scalia to bolster their standing with conservatives. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said in a speech Monday that Barrett will “go down in history as one of the great justices.”

But it’s not clear the extraordinary effort to install the new justice over such opposition in a heated election year will pay political rewards to the GOP.

Demonstrations for and against the nominee have been more muted at the Capitol under coronavirus restrictions.

Democrats were unified against Barrett. While two Democratic senators voted to confirm Barrett in 2017 after Trump nominated the Notre Dame Law School professor to the appellate court, none voted to confirm her to the high court.

In a display of party priorities, California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, returned to Washington from the campaign trail to join colleagues with a no vote.

No other Supreme Court justice has been confirmed on a recorded vote with no support from the minority party in at least 150 years, according to information provided by the Senate Historical Office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Senate is set to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, giving the country a ninth justice Monday as Republicans overpower Democratic opposition to secure President Donald Trump’s nominee the week before Election Day.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477277-1/us-senate-debates-votes-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court">CLICK here to </a>watch the debate and vote that begins 11a.m. CDT

Democratic leaders asked Vice President Mike Pence to stay away from presiding over her Senate confirmation due to potential health risks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19</a>. But although Pence isn’t needed to break a tie, the vote would present a dramatic opportunity for him to preside over confirmation of Trump’s third Supreme Court justice.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team wrote that not only would Pence’s presence violate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”

But Senate Republicans control the chamber and Barrett’s confirmation isn’t in doubt.

The 48-year-old Barrett would secure a conservative court majority for the foreseeable future, potentially opening a new era of rulings on abortion, gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act. A case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">the Obama-era health law</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be heard Nov. 10.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scoffed at the “apocalyptic” warnings from critics that the judicial branch was becoming mired in partisan politics as he defended its transformation under his watch.

“This is something to be really proud of and feel good about,” the Republican leader said Sunday during a rare weekend session.

McConnell said that unlike legislative actions that can be undone by new presidents or lawmakers, “they won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

Schumer, of New York, said the Trump administration’s drive to install Barrett during the coronavirus crisis shows “the Republican Party is willing to ignore the pandemic in order to rush this nominee forward.”

To underscore the potential health risks, Schumer urged his colleagues Sunday not to linger in the chamber but “cast your votes quickly and from a safe distance.” Some GOP senators tested positive for the coronavirus following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-archive-d28390683347580d33c56fbce16d6358">a Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination</a>, but they have since said they have been cleared by their doctors from quarantine. Pence’s office said the vice president tested negative for the virus on Monday.

The confirmation was expected to be the first of a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. It’s also one of the first high court nominees in recent memory receiving no support from the minority party, a pivot from not long ago when a president’s picks often won wide support.

Barrett presented herself in public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker. She was expected to be seated quickly on the high court.

“She’s a conservative woman who embraces her faith. She’s unabashedly pro-life, but she’s not going to apply ‘the law of Amy’ to all of us,” the Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Fox News Channel.

At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. It was escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.

On Sunday, the Senate voted 51-48 to begin to bring the process to a vote as senators, mostly Democrats, pulled an all-night session for the final 30 hours of often heated debate. Two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted against advancing the nominee, and all Democrats who voted were opposed. California Sen. Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee, missed the vote while campaigning in Michigan.

Monday’s final tally was expected to grow by one after Murkowski announced her support for the nominee, even as she decried filling the seat in the midst of a heated race for the White House. Murkowski said Saturday she would vote against the procedural steps but ultimately join GOP colleagues in confirming Barrett.

“While I oppose the process that has led us to this point, I do not hold it against her,” Murkowski said.

Collins, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">a tight reelection fight in Maine</a>, remains the only Republican expected to vote against Trump’s nominee. “My vote does not reflect any conclusion that I have reached about Judge Barrett’s qualifications to serve,” Collins said. “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”

By pushing for Barrett’s ascension so close to the Nov. 3 election, Trump and his Republican allies are counting on a campaign boost, in much the way they believe McConnell’s refusal to allow the Senate to consider Obama’s nominee in February 2016 created excitement for Trump among conservatives and evangelical Christians eager for a Republican president to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Barrett was a professor at Notre Dame Law School when she was tapped by Trump in 2017 for an appeals court opening. Two Democrats joined at that time to confirm her, but none is expected to vote for her now.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603761587516.png" alt="Justice Amy Coney Barret sworn in immediately after her confirmation vote Monday night during a White House Ceremony-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Justice Amy Coney Barret sworn in immediately after her confirmation vote Monday night during a White House Ceremony-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477418-1/justice-amy-coney-barrett-swearing-ceremony-white-house&amp;live">Click here </a>to watch a replay of the swearing in ceremony.WASHINGTON (AP) — Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court&nbsp;</a>late Monday by a deeply divided Senate, with Republicans overpowering Democrats to install President Donald Trump’s nominee days before the election and secure a likely conservative court majority for years to come.Trump’s choice to fill the vacancy of the late liberal icon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Ruth Bader Ginsburg&nbsp;</a>potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even his own election. Democrats were unable to stop the outcome, Trump’s third justice on the court, as Republicans race to reshape the judiciary.Barrett, 48, will be able to start work Tuesday, her lifetime appointment as the 115th justice solidifying the court’s rightward tilt.“This is a momentous day for America,” Trump said at a primetime swearing-in event on the South Lawn at the White House. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to Barrett before a crowd of about 200.Barrett told those gathered that she believes “it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences.” She vowed, “I will do my job without any fear or favor.”Monday’s vote was the closest high court confirmation ever to a presidential election, and the first in modern times with no support from the minority party. The spiking COVID-19 crisis has hung over the proceedings. Vice President Mike Pence declined to preside at the Senate unless his tie-breaking vote was needed after Democrats asked him to stay away when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19.</a>&nbsp;The vote was 52-48, and Pence’s vote was not necessary.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603757515291.png" alt="Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley read the result of Monday night's vote and then GOP Senators stood and cheered the successful outcome.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley read the result of Monday night's vote and then GOP Senators stood and cheered the successful outcome.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477226-1/us-senate-votes-judge-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court&amp;live=">Click here&nbsp;</a>to watch a replay of the vote in the U.S. Senate“Voting to confirm this nominee should make every single senator proud,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, fending off “outlandish” criticism in a lengthy speech. During a rare weekend session he declared that Barrett’s opponents “won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”Barrett, a federal appeals court judge from Indiana, is expected to take the judicial oath administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in a private ceremony Tuesday at the court to begin participating in proceedings.Underscoring the political divide during the pandemic, the Republican senators, most wearing masks, sat in their seats as is tradition for landmark votes, and applauded the outcome, with fist-bumps. Democratic senators emptied their side, heeding party leadership’s advice to not linger in the chamber. A Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination last month ended up spreading the virus, including to some GOP senators who have since returned from quarantine.Pence’s presence would have been expected for a high-profile moment. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team said it would not only violate virus guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”Democrats argued for weeks that the vote was being improperly rushed and insisted during an all-night Sunday session it should be up to the winner of the Nov. 3 election to name the nominee.Speaking near midnight Sunday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called the vote “illegitimate” and “the last gasp of a desperate party.”Several matters are awaiting decision just a week before Election Day, and Barrett could be a decisive vote in Republican appeals of orders extending the deadlines for absentee ballots in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.The justices also are weighing Trump’s emergency plea for the court to prevent the Manhattan District Attorney from acquiring his tax returns. And on Nov. 10, the court is expected to hear the Trump-backed challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">Obama-era Affordable Care Act</a>. Just before the Senate voted, the court sided with Republicans in refusing to extend the deadline for absentee ballots in Wisconsin.Trump has said he wanted to swiftly install a ninth justice to resolve election disputes and is hopeful the justices will end the health law known as “Obamacare.”In a statement, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tied Barrett’s nomination to the court to the Republican effort to pull down the Affordable Care Act. He called her confirmation “rushed and unprecedented” and a stark reminder to Americans that “your vote matters.”During several days of public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Barrett was careful not to disclose how she would rule on any such cases.She presented herself as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, praised the mother of seven as a role model for conservative women. “This is historic,” Graham said.Republicans focused on her Catholic faith, criticizing earlier Democratic questions about her beliefs. Graham called Barrett “unabashedly pro-life.”At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. That was an escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.Republicans are taking a political plunge days from the Nov. 3 election with the presidency and their Senate majority at stake.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603757163341.png" alt="Senators approved the nomination by a vote of 52-48-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senators approved the nomination by a vote of 52-48-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Only one Republican — Sen. Susan Collins, who is in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">tight reelection fight in Maine</a>&nbsp;— voted against the nominee, not over any direct assessment of Barrett. Rather, Collins said, “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”Trump and his Republican allies had hoped for a campaign boost, in much the way Trump generated excitement among conservatives and evangelical Christians in 2016 over a court vacancy. That year, McConnell refused to allow the Senate to consider then-President Barack Obama’s choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, arguing the new president should decide.Most other Republicans facing tough races embraced the nominee who clerked for the late Scalia to bolster their standing with conservatives. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said in a speech Monday that Barrett will “go down in history as one of the great justices.”But it’s not clear the extraordinary effort to install the new justice over such opposition in a heated election year will pay political rewards to the GOP.Demonstrations for and against the nominee have been more muted at the Capitol under coronavirus restrictions.Democrats were unified against Barrett. While two Democratic senators voted to confirm Barrett in 2017 after Trump nominated the Notre Dame Law School professor to the appellate court, none voted to confirm her to the high court.In a display of party priorities, California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, returned to Washington from the campaign trail to join colleagues with a no vote.No other Supreme Court justice has been confirmed on a recorded vote with no support from the minority party in at least 150 years, according to information provided by the Senate Historical Office.___---------WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Senate is set to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, giving the country a ninth justice Monday as Republicans overpower Democratic opposition to secure President Donald Trump’s nominee the week before Election Day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602594243403.png" alt="Judge Barrett during day two of her U.S. Senate Confirmation hearing-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Judge Barrett during day two of her U.S. Senate Confirmation hearing-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477277-1/us-senate-debates-votes-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court">CLICK here to </a>watch the debate and vote that begins 11a.m. CDTDemocratic leaders asked Vice President Mike Pence to stay away from presiding over her Senate confirmation due to potential health risks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19</a>. But although Pence isn’t needed to break a tie, the vote would present a dramatic opportunity for him to preside over confirmation of Trump’s third Supreme Court justice.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team wrote that not only would Pence’s presence violate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”But Senate Republicans control the chamber and Barrett’s confirmation isn’t in doubt.The 48-year-old Barrett would secure a conservative court majority for the foreseeable future, potentially opening a new era of rulings on abortion, gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act. A case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">the Obama-era health law</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be heard Nov. 10.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scoffed at the “apocalyptic” warnings from critics that the judicial branch was becoming mired in partisan politics as he defended its transformation under his watch.“This is something to be really proud of and feel good about,” the Republican leader said Sunday during a rare weekend session.McConnell said that unlike legislative actions that can be undone by new presidents or lawmakers, “they won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”Schumer, of New York, said the Trump administration’s drive to install Barrett during the coronavirus crisis shows “the Republican Party is willing to ignore the pandemic in order to rush this nominee forward.”To underscore the potential health risks, Schumer urged his colleagues Sunday not to linger in the chamber but “cast your votes quickly and from a safe distance.” Some GOP senators tested positive for the coronavirus following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-archive-d28390683347580d33c56fbce16d6358">a Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination</a>, but they have since said they have been cleared by their doctors from quarantine. Pence’s office said the vice president tested negative for the virus on Monday.The confirmation was expected to be the first of a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. It’s also one of the first high court nominees in recent memory receiving no support from the minority party, a pivot from not long ago when a president’s picks often won wide support.Barrett presented herself in public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker. She was expected to be seated quickly on the high court.“She’s a conservative woman who embraces her faith. She’s unabashedly pro-life, but she’s not going to apply ‘the law of Amy’ to all of us,” the Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Fox News Channel.At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. It was escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.On Sunday, the Senate voted 51-48 to begin to bring the process to a vote as senators, mostly Democrats, pulled an all-night session for the final 30 hours of often heated debate. Two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted against advancing the nominee, and all Democrats who voted were opposed. California Sen. Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee, missed the vote while campaigning in Michigan.Monday’s final tally was expected to grow by one after Murkowski announced her support for the nominee, even as she decried filling the seat in the midst of a heated race for the White House. Murkowski said Saturday she would vote against the procedural steps but ultimately join GOP colleagues in confirming Barrett.“While I oppose the process that has led us to this point, I do not hold it against her,” Murkowski said.Collins, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">a tight reelection fight in Maine</a>, remains the only Republican expected to vote against Trump’s nominee. “My vote does not reflect any conclusion that I have reached about Judge Barrett’s qualifications to serve,” Collins said. “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”By pushing for Barrett’s ascension so close to the Nov. 3 election, Trump and his Republican allies are counting on a campaign boost, in much the way they believe McConnell’s refusal to allow the Senate to consider Obama’s nominee in February 2016 created excitement for Trump among conservatives and evangelical Christians eager for a Republican president to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.Barrett was a professor at Notre Dame Law School when she was tapped by Trump in 2017 for an appeals court opening. Two Democrats joined at that time to confirm her, but none is expected to vote for her now.___

🎥  Barrett confirmed, takes oath, begins work at Supreme Court

HARVEY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Monday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford F250 driven by Brandon Michael&nbsp;Albert, 33, Goddard, was eastbound on on U.S. 50 just west of Emma Creek Road.&nbsp;

The pickup rear-ended a 2009 Kia Spectra driven by Wanda S. Ivy, 47, Newton, who was traveling at a slow rate of speed due to weather conditions. The pickup rolled multiple times ejecting Albert.&nbsp;

Albert was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensic Center.&nbsp; EMS transported Ivy to a Wichita Hospital. Albert was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

HARVEY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Monday in Harvey County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford F250 driven by Brandon Michael&nbsp;Albert, 33, Goddard, was eastbound on on U.S. 50 just west of Emma Creek Road.&nbsp;The pickup rear-ended a 2009 Kia Spectra driven by Wanda S. Ivy, 47, Newton, who was traveling at a slow rate of speed due to weather conditions. The pickup rolled multiple times ejecting Albert.&nbsp;Albert was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Sedgwick County Forensic Center.&nbsp; EMS transported Ivy to a Wichita Hospital. Albert was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kan. man dies after being ejected in rear-end crash

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A woman who was charged with filing a false rape report while at the University of Kansas is suing the city of Lawrence, several police officers and the university. 

The woman reported to Lawrence police in September 2018 that she was assaulted by a Kansas student but decided she did not want to press charges. 

She was charged in 2019 with filing a false rape report but those charges were later dismissed. The woman contends in her federal lawsuit that Lawrence police were poorly trained and did not conduct an unbiased investigation of her complaints. She also alleges the university didn't investigate her complaints about the alleged perpetrator before the assault.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603747976563.png" alt="Douglas County Court House -google image" />
 <figcaption>Douglas County Court House -google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A woman who was charged with filing a false rape report while at the University of Kansas is suing the city of Lawrence, several police officers and the university. The woman reported to Lawrence police in September 2018 that she was assaulted by a Kansas student but decided she did not want to press charges. She was charged in 2019 with filing a false rape report but those charges were later dismissed. The woman contends in her federal lawsuit that Lawrence police were poorly trained and did not conduct an unbiased investigation of her complaints. She also alleges the university didn't investigate her complaints about the alleged perpetrator before the assault.

Woman charged with making false rape report at KU files lawsuit

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly today encouraged Kansans to participate in the sixth KANSASWORKS Statewide Virtual Job Fair, which begins tomorrow, October 27 and will continue through Thursday, October 29. The virtual fair will allow job seekers to easily live chat with employers from across the state through computers and mobile devices. KANSASWORKS has organized four virtual job fairs in 2020, with three additional virtual fairs planned later this year. <a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.WEdh7JVGGLnyjCI-YmzECEP0_FMGy8JYXS4Cr3dKCjw/s/1303160919/br/87436030573-l" target="_blank">Click here to register for the Virtual Job Fair.</a>

“COVID-19 continues to be an obstacle for the normal job fair system, but KANSASWORKS is creative and continues to do important work for Kansas,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “I encourage all job-seekers in our state to visit this and future Virtual Job Fairs to find opportunities in their area.” The Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Local Workforce Development Boards, moved its statewide job fairs online this year to eliminate public health risks associated with mass gatherings, and as a way to continue to provide job opportunities and maintain a ready workforce for Kansas businesses. “These virtual fairs are producing real results for job seekers and employers in every region,”&nbsp;Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“We remain committed to economic growth and recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that means helping Kansans find meaningful, rewarding employment opportunities in our state.” Registration is now required for each virtual event. If job seekers have previously attended a Virtual Job Fair, they are required to re-register for this event with the link provided above. The fifth virtual fair in September attracted participation from 180 employers and 1,003 jobseekers from across the state. As concerns for Kansans' health and safety remain high due to COVID-19, the Department of Commerce will maintain the Virtual Job Fair system for the remainder of 2020. The final fair of the year will be December 8-9. Beginning with this virtual fair, job seekers can now upload their most recent resume to their Virtual Job Fair account. If you require assistance, please contact your local workforce center at (877) 509-6757 to schedule an appointment.

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly today encouraged Kansans to participate in the sixth KANSASWORKS Statewide Virtual Job Fair, which begins tomorrow, October 27 and will continue through Thursday, October 29. The virtual fair will allow job seekers to easily live chat with employers from across the state through computers and mobile devices. KANSASWORKS has organized four virtual job fairs in 2020, with three additional virtual fairs planned later this year. <a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.WEdh7JVGGLnyjCI-YmzECEP0_FMGy8JYXS4Cr3dKCjw/s/1303160919/br/87436030573-l" target="_blank">Click here to register for the Virtual Job Fair.</a>“COVID-19 continues to be an obstacle for the normal job fair system, but KANSASWORKS is creative and continues to do important work for Kansas,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “I encourage all job-seekers in our state to visit this and future Virtual Job Fairs to find opportunities in their area.” The Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Local Workforce Development Boards, moved its statewide job fairs online this year to eliminate public health risks associated with mass gatherings, and as a way to continue to provide job opportunities and maintain a ready workforce for Kansas businesses. “These virtual fairs are producing real results for job seekers and employers in every region,”&nbsp;Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“We remain committed to economic growth and recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that means helping Kansans find meaningful, rewarding employment opportunities in our state.” Registration is now required for each virtual event. If job seekers have previously attended a Virtual Job Fair, they are required to re-register for this event with the link provided above. The fifth virtual fair in September attracted participation from 180 employers and 1,003 jobseekers from across the state. As concerns for Kansans' health and safety remain high due to COVID-19, the Department of Commerce will maintain the Virtual Job Fair system for the remainder of 2020. The final fair of the year will be December 8-9. Beginning with this virtual fair, job seekers can now upload their most recent resume to their Virtual Job Fair account. If you require assistance, please contact your local workforce center at (877) 509-6757 to schedule an appointment.

Statewide virtual job fair begins Tuesday

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty to a charge of distributing heroin, which could send him to federal prison for 12 years, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

&nbsp;Titus Sanders, 23, Kansas City pleaded guilty to one count of distributing heroin.

&nbsp;According to court records, the investigation began when Westwood, Kan., police were called to a Walmart where they found a man suffering from a drug overdose. He was found with a syringe containing heroin. The man was hospitalized and later died.

Investigators found evidence on the victim’s cellphone that he had purchased heroin from Sanders.&nbsp; Sentencing is set for Jan. 13.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603136845368.png" alt="Sanders photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Sanders photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty to a charge of distributing heroin, which could send him to federal prison for 12 years, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.&nbsp;Titus Sanders, 23, Kansas City pleaded guilty to one count of distributing heroin.&nbsp;According to court records, the investigation began when Westwood, Kan., police were called to a Walmart where they found a man suffering from a drug overdose. He was found with a syringe containing heroin. The man was hospitalized and later died.Investigators found evidence on the victim’s cellphone that he had purchased heroin from Sanders.&nbsp; Sentencing is set for Jan. 13.

Suspect sold heroin in Kan. to man who died from overdose

HUTCHINSON— The appeal hearing for a Hutchinson teen sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing his mother and sister in a fire is scheduled before the Kansas Supreme Court this week. The hearing is set for Tuesday at 11 a.m., according to a the Kansas <a href="https://www.kscourts.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/News/2020-News-Releases/October-2020/Thirteen-district-judges-to-sit-with-Kansas-Suprem">Judicial Branch web site.</a>

Samuel Vonachen, now 21-year-old, was tried as an adult and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. He was convicted&nbsp; of setting fire to the family home in September of 2013. While his father got out of the home, his mother and sister were trapped upstairs.&nbsp;

Police found Vonachen walking toward the house, smelling of gasoline. After interrogation, he admitted to burning down the house. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of aggravated arson. The district court granted the state's motion to certify Vonachen as an adult. The jury rejected numerous claims of mental disease or defect and convicted him on all counts. He is not eligible for parole until 2039.

The defense motion before the Supreme Court states that Vonachen's rights were violated due to the state's abolishment of the insanity defense. The motion also states that Vonachen's admission to police should have been suppressed and that admission of the defendant's private writings in the trial should not have been allowed.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603309186370.jpeg" alt="Vonachen-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Vonachen-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON— The appeal hearing for a Hutchinson teen sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing his mother and sister in a fire is scheduled before the Kansas Supreme Court this week. The hearing is set for Tuesday at 11 a.m., according to a the Kansas <a href="https://www.kscourts.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/News/2020-News-Releases/October-2020/Thirteen-district-judges-to-sit-with-Kansas-Suprem">Judicial Branch web site.</a>Samuel Vonachen, now 21-year-old, was tried as an adult and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. He was convicted&nbsp; of setting fire to the family home in September of 2013. While his father got out of the home, his mother and sister were trapped upstairs.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603572045433.png" alt="The Vonahen home at 4 E. 19th Avenue in Hutchinson following the deadly fire" />
 <figcaption>The Vonahen home at 4 E. 19th Avenue in Hutchinson following the deadly fire</figcaption>
 </figure>Police found Vonachen walking toward the house, smelling of gasoline. After interrogation, he admitted to burning down the house. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of aggravated arson. The district court granted the state's motion to certify Vonachen as an adult. The jury rejected numerous claims of mental disease or defect and convicted him on all counts. He is not eligible for parole until 2039.The defense motion before the Supreme Court states that Vonachen's rights were violated due to the state's abolishment of the insanity defense. The motion also states that Vonachen's admission to police should have been suppressed and that admission of the defendant's private writings in the trial should not have been allowed.&nbsp;

Kan. court to review conviction for setting deadly fire

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A man accused of abducting his two daughters from a Kansas home where their two brothers were killed has been going through a divorce with the children’s mother, authorities said Monday.

Maj. James Sherley, of the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department, said 40-year-old Donny Jackson and his wife are estranged and that he had “on-again, off-again access to the children.”

The investigation began at around 1:30 p.m. Saturday after one of the siblings didn’t show up for a soccer game, leading the children’s mother and paternal grandmother to go to Jackson’s home in Leavenworth, which is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City, Kansas. The bodies of 14-year-old Logan Jackson and 12-year-old Austin Jackson were then found — one by the family and the other by law enforcement. Sherley declined to release the cause of death or comment on motive.

An Amber Alert was issued for their younger sisters, 3-year-old Aven Jackson and 7-year-old Nora Jackson. A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper spotted the girls with Jackson after pulling over his car near Kansas’ border with Oklahoma for a traffic infraction shortly before the discovery of the boys’ bodies. That helped law enforcement expand the Amber Alert, which Sherley said worked “flawlessly” and led to a flood of tips.

Jackson was arrested later that night near Erick, Oklahoma. The girls were taken from him unharmed and were returned to their mother over the weekend. Sherley said he didn’t know where Jackson was headed.

Jackson is jailed in Oklahoma while awaiting extradition to Kansas. Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said he is waiting for the investigation to be complete before making a charging decision. He said he didn’t know whether Jackson had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Marisa Clausen, who <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-tara-and-the-jackson-girls">created a GoFundMe </a>account to support the children’s mother, whom she identified as Tara Jackson, declined an interview request and asked that the family be given privacy, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article246706991.html" target="_blank">reports</a>. She didn’t immediately reply to a message from The Associated Press.

The next status hearing in the couple’s divorce had been scheduled for Nov. 12, court records show.

The Jackson girls have been recovered and the suspect detained, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol located the suspect vehicle near Erick, Oklahoma.&nbsp; Troopers detained Donny Jackson and the kids were recovered.&nbsp;

Authorities released no additional details.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—Authorities issued an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon for two girls in Kansas.

The KBI is looking for 7-year-old Nora Jackson and 3-year-old Aven Jackson. They were last seen in the 14900 block of Hillside Road in Leavenworth.

The 911 call that began this incident was made by an adult that discovered the homicide scene, so the actual time of the abduction and homicide is unknown, according to the KBI.

At 4:30pm, we learned that the Kansas Highway Patrol made an unrelated car stop on the suspect’s vehicle on Highway 169 near the OK border today at approximately 12:35 p.m.  The abducted children were in the vehicle.  It is now believed Jackson may be traveling in Oklahoma, Texas or Arkansas.

At 5:05p.m., the Arkansas State Police agreed to launch an Arkansas AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the abducted children, due to the proximal sighting at the OK / KS border.

Nora has blonde-brown shoulder-length hair, a slender build and blue or hazel eyes. It's unknown what she was last seen wearing. Aven also has blonde hair, blue eyes and a slender build.

Just after 1p.m. Saturday, the Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office responded to a call in the 14900 block of Hillside and deputies located a two deceased boys in a home and the girls were mising, according to a media release.

The girls' father, Donny Jackson, is suspected in the abduction. Donny Jackson, 40, is 5-foot-11 and weighs 190 pounds. He has long brown hair with a slight red color and blue eyes. He also has a full beard.&nbsp;

There is no known direction of travel, but&nbsp; Jackson drives a black 2008 Honda Accord with Kansas license 266MXB.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603742787603.png" alt="GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A man accused of abducting his two daughters from a Kansas home where their two brothers were killed has been going through a divorce with the children’s mother, authorities said Monday.Maj. James Sherley, of the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department, said 40-year-old Donny Jackson and his wife are estranged and that he had “on-again, off-again access to the children.”The investigation began at around 1:30 p.m. Saturday after one of the siblings didn’t show up for a soccer game, leading the children’s mother and paternal grandmother to go to Jackson’s home in Leavenworth, which is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City, Kansas. The bodies of 14-year-old Logan Jackson and 12-year-old Austin Jackson were then found — one by the family and the other by law enforcement. Sherley declined to release the cause of death or comment on motive.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603573521812.png" alt="Aven and Nora Jackson" />
 <figcaption>Aven and Nora Jackson</figcaption>
 </figure>An Amber Alert was issued for their younger sisters, 3-year-old Aven Jackson and 7-year-old Nora Jackson. A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper spotted the girls with Jackson after pulling over his car near Kansas’ border with Oklahoma for a traffic infraction shortly before the discovery of the boys’ bodies. That helped law enforcement expand the Amber Alert, which Sherley said worked “flawlessly” and led to a flood of tips.Jackson was arrested later that night near Erick, Oklahoma. The girls were taken from him unharmed and were returned to their mother over the weekend. Sherley said he didn’t know where Jackson was headed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603712471699.png" alt="Donny Jackson photo Beckham County, OK., Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Donny Jackson photo Beckham County, OK., Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Jackson is jailed in Oklahoma while awaiting extradition to Kansas. Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said he is waiting for the investigation to be complete before making a charging decision. He said he didn’t know whether Jackson had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.Marisa Clausen, who <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-tara-and-the-jackson-girls">created a GoFundMe </a>account to support the children’s mother, whom she identified as Tara Jackson, declined an interview request and asked that the family be given privacy, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article246706991.html" target="_blank">reports</a>. She didn’t immediately reply to a message from The Associated Press.The next status hearing in the couple’s divorce had been scheduled for Nov. 12, court records show.---------The Jackson girls have been recovered and the suspect detained, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.The Oklahoma Highway Patrol located the suspect vehicle near Erick, Oklahoma.&nbsp; Troopers detained Donny Jackson and the kids were recovered.&nbsp;Authorities released no additional details.--------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603573521812.png" alt="Aven and Nora Jackson" />
 <figcaption>Aven and Nora Jackson</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—Authorities issued an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon for two girls in Kansas.The KBI is looking for 7-year-old Nora Jackson and 3-year-old Aven Jackson. They were last seen in the 14900 block of Hillside Road in Leavenworth.The 911 call that began this incident was made by an adult that discovered the homicide scene, so the actual time of the abduction and homicide is unknown, according to the KBI.At 4:30pm, we learned that the Kansas Highway Patrol made an unrelated car stop on the suspect’s vehicle on Highway 169 near the OK border today at approximately 12:35 p.m. The abducted children were in the vehicle. It is now believed Jackson may be traveling in Oklahoma, Texas or Arkansas.At 5:05p.m., the Arkansas State Police agreed to launch an Arkansas AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the abducted children, due to the proximal sighting at the OK / KS border.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603572994719.png" alt="Aven Jackson" />
 <figcaption>Aven Jackson</figcaption>
 </figure>Nora has blonde-brown shoulder-length hair, a slender build and blue or hazel eyes. It's unknown what she was last seen wearing. Aven also has blonde hair, blue eyes and a slender build.Just after 1p.m. Saturday, the Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office responded to a call in the 14900 block of Hillside and deputies located a two deceased boys in a home and the girls were mising, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603573485901.png" alt="Donny Jackson" />
 <figcaption>Donny Jackson</figcaption>
 </figure>The girls' father, Donny Jackson, is suspected in the abduction. Donny Jackson, 40, is 5-foot-11 and weighs 190 pounds. He has long brown hair with a slight red color and blue eyes. He also has a full beard.&nbsp;There is no known direction of travel, but&nbsp; Jackson drives a black 2008 Honda Accord with Kansas license 266MXB.

Father in Kansas Amber Alert remains in Oklahoma jail

WICHITA– Frederick “Freddy” L. Simon, co-founder and namesake of Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® died on Sunday, according to a statement from the company.

Along with his sons Bill &amp; Randy, and Bill’s business partner Scott Redler, he opened the first Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® restaurant in 2002 in Wichita.&nbsp;

 The quick service concept not only bears his name, but also includes his family values and patriotic service to his country as the foundation of the brand.

The youngest of nine children, <a href="https://freddysusa.com/about/">Freddy grew</a> up on a farm near Colwich, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army infantry in 1943 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. While serving in the Pacific during World War II, Freddy earned the Purple Heart for injuries sustained, as well as a Bronze Star for valor and was awarded other ribbons and medals for his service to his country. After being honorably discharged from duty, he returned home and attended Wichita University under the GI Bill. In 1947, Freddy married Norma Jean Kerschen while earning a degree in Accounting. Together they started a family and raised six children (five sons and one daughter). He spent 55 years with the same company in the hospitality industry before starting Freddy’s. He was a friend and trusted business partner to restaurant owners and operators across the state. In his retirement, Freddy generously gave his time and resources to many military and charitable organizations.

Freddy was an avid hunter and sportsman, but his greatest joy was his family. Every family gathering and all other interactions in Freddy’s life provided him the opportunity to offer an encouraging word, share relatable stories of days gone by and give hugs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603744401086.png" alt="Freddy Simon -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Freddy Simon -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA– Frederick “Freddy” L. Simon, co-founder and namesake of Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® died on Sunday, according to a statement from the company.Along with his sons Bill &amp; Randy, and Bill’s business partner Scott Redler, he opened the first Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® restaurant in 2002 in Wichita.&nbsp; The quick service concept not only bears his name, but also includes his family values and patriotic service to his country as the foundation of the brand.The youngest of nine children, <a href="https://freddysusa.com/about/">Freddy grew</a> up on a farm near Colwich, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army infantry in 1943 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. While serving in the Pacific during World War II, Freddy earned the Purple Heart for injuries sustained, as well as a Bronze Star for valor and was awarded other ribbons and medals for his service to his country. After being honorably discharged from duty, he returned home and attended Wichita University under the GI Bill. In 1947, Freddy married Norma Jean Kerschen while earning a degree in Accounting. Together they started a family and raised six children (five sons and one daughter). He spent 55 years with the same company in the hospitality industry before starting Freddy’s. He was a friend and trusted business partner to restaurant owners and operators across the state. In his retirement, Freddy generously gave his time and resources to many military and charitable organizations.Freddy was an avid hunter and sportsman, but his greatest joy was his family. Every family gathering and all other interactions in Freddy’s life provided him the opportunity to offer an encouraging word, share relatable stories of days gone by and give hugs.

Freddy’s namesake, Freddy Simon, dies at 95

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democrat Barbara Bollier has raised $4.3 million this month for her campaign for Kansas’ open U.S. Senate seat, extending her fundraising advantage over Republican Roger Marshall and boosting her state record for fundraising to nearly $25 million.

Bollier, a Kansas City-area state senator, has raised more than five times as much money so far in October as Marshall, a two-term congressman for central and western Kansas, according to reports filed by their campaigns. Marshall’s total for October so far was about $791,000, to bring his fundraising to about $6.3 million, including contributions to his GOP primary race.

Democratic candidates across the U.S. have seen a flood of contributions as their party seeks to overturn the GOP’s 53-47 Senate majority.

The Marshall-Bollier race has become Kansas’ most expensive political contest. The campaigns and outside groups are expected to spend more than $55 million on advertising by the Nov. 3 election, according to the media tracking firm Kantar/CMAG.

Bollier’s campaign is far outspending Marshall’s campaign on advertising, but Marshall is getting a far bigger boost from outside groups. Republican groups are set to spend more than $30 million, while the figure for Democratic groups is just short of $10 million.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603449511714.png" alt="Bollier and Marshall debate Oct. 19 photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Bollier and Marshall debate Oct. 19 photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democrat Barbara Bollier has raised $4.3 million this month for her campaign for Kansas’ open U.S. Senate seat, extending her fundraising advantage over Republican Roger Marshall and boosting her state record for fundraising to nearly $25 million.Bollier, a Kansas City-area state senator, has raised more than five times as much money so far in October as Marshall, a two-term congressman for central and western Kansas, according to reports filed by their campaigns. Marshall’s total for October so far was about $791,000, to bring his fundraising to about $6.3 million, including contributions to his GOP primary race.Democratic candidates across the U.S. have seen a flood of contributions as their party seeks to overturn the GOP’s 53-47 Senate majority.The Marshall-Bollier race has become Kansas’ most expensive political contest. The campaigns and outside groups are expected to spend more than $55 million on advertising by the Nov. 3 election, according to the media tracking firm Kantar/CMAG.Bollier’s campaign is far outspending Marshall’s campaign on advertising, but Marshall is getting a far bigger boost from outside groups. Republican groups are set to spend more than $30 million, while the figure for Democratic groups is just short of $10 million.___

Democrat raises $4.3M more in Kansas Senate bid, $25M total

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man arrested in connection with a July murder made his first court appearance in the case Friday.

Lawrence Bailey, 33, Wichita, was charged with&nbsp;1st degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.  

In a separate case, Bailey is charged with aggravated burglary, aggravated kidnapping, 2 counts of kidnapping, and 2 counts of aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On July 2, a citizen reported a possible criminal homicide occurring at a home in the 800 block of South San Pablo in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

Police began investigating and on Monday, July 6, they located the body of 47-year-old Roy Hayden of Wichita inside a vehicle in the 1500 block of North Broadway.

Through further investigation, it was determined that Hayden’s death was related to the information received of the criminal homicide on San Pablo, and three other suspects Ariana Cook 21, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20025626">Matthew Small, </a>35, and&nbsp;19-year-old <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20067589">Carlos Delgado </a>all of Wichita were involved, according to Officer Davidson.&nbsp; Police arrested the other three suspects in September.

Police booked Bailey early Thursday. He is now being held on a <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=72896">$250,000 bond,</a> according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Small and Delgado also remain in custody in Sedgwick County while Cook was transferred to another facility, according to online jail records.

Bailey has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, theft, aggravated assault and criminal threat, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections. His&nbsp;next scheduled court appearance is November 5.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603464191587.png" alt="Bailey photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Bailey photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man arrested in connection with a July murder made his first court appearance in the case Friday.Lawrence Bailey, 33, Wichita, was charged with&nbsp;1st degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. In a separate case, Bailey is charged with aggravated burglary, aggravated kidnapping, 2 counts of kidnapping, and 2 counts of aggravated robbery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On July 2, a citizen reported a possible criminal homicide occurring at a home in the 800 block of South San Pablo in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.Police began investigating and on Monday, July 6, they located the body of 47-year-old Roy Hayden of Wichita inside a vehicle in the 1500 block of North Broadway.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599148239408.png" alt="Ariana Cook-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Ariana Cook-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Through further investigation, it was determined that Hayden’s death was related to the information received of the criminal homicide on San Pablo, and three other suspects Ariana Cook 21, <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20025626">Matthew Small, </a>35, and&nbsp;19-year-old <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20067589">Carlos Delgado </a>all of Wichita were involved, according to Officer Davidson.&nbsp; Police arrested the other three suspects in September.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599064385103.png" alt="Small-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Small-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Police booked Bailey early Thursday. He is now being held on a <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=72896">$250,000 bond,</a> according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603465679950.png" alt="Delgado-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Delgado-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Small and Delgado also remain in custody in Sedgwick County while Cook was transferred to another facility, according to online jail records.Bailey has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, theft, aggravated assault and criminal threat, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections. His&nbsp;next scheduled court appearance is November 5.

Kansas felon charged for July kidnapping, murder 

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 2,446 to a total of 78,676 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 976, an increase of 1.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 2,446 to a total of 78,676 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 976, an increase of 1.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603731923091.png" alt="Monday Oct. 26, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Oct. 26, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

DILLER, Neb. (AP) — A man has died from injuries he received in a crash north of Diller in southeastern Nebraska, according to the Jefferson County sheriff’s department.

Howard Behrends, 78, of Diller was a passenger in a car that collided with another car around 3 p.m. Friday.

Behrends was a passenger in a car driven by his wife, 71-year-old Linda Behrends. Investigators said the Behrends’ car ran a stop sign on a rural road and collided with a car driven by a 33-year-old&nbsp;Desiree Kunzman, 33, of Hadom, Kansas.

The Behrends were taken to a Fairbury hospital, and Howard Behrends was later taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died. EMS transported Kunzman to a Beatrice hospital for treatment of her injuries.

DILLER, Neb. (AP) — A man has died from injuries he received in a crash north of Diller in southeastern Nebraska, according to the Jefferson County sheriff’s department.Howard Behrends, 78, of Diller was a passenger in a car that collided with another car around 3 p.m. Friday.Behrends was a passenger in a car driven by his wife, 71-year-old Linda Behrends. Investigators said the Behrends’ car ran a stop sign on a rural road and collided with a car driven by a 33-year-old&nbsp;Desiree Kunzman, 33, of Hadom, Kansas.The Behrends were taken to a Fairbury hospital, and Howard Behrends was later taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died. EMS transported Kunzman to a Beatrice hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Man dies from injuries in head-on crash with Kan. woman

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/26/secret-recording-exposes-three-wichita-politicians-to-demands-for-their-resignation/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Three members of the Sedgwick County Commission on Sunday denounced Republican colleague Michael O’Donnell after the <a href="https://www.kansas.com/article246669242.html">Wichita Eagle published a secret recording</a>
 of O’Donnell, a Wichita city councilman and a Kansas House member 
plotting to deceive the public about their role in a false campaign 
video accusing a Democratic candidate for mayor of sexual harassment.

Commissioners Lacey Cruse,
 David Dennis and Jim Howell made clear O’Donnell’s statements on the 
45-minute recording, including political advice to attack first and 
“avoid the truth at all expense,” made it impossible for him to continue
 serving the county.

In the at-times chaotic 
recording, made shortly before the November 2019 mayoral election and 
released to the public due to a pending lawsuit, O’Donnell said it might
 be possible to blame their sleazy campaign attack on a former Kansas 
Republican Party chairman. He also declared such coverups to be 
“standard political operations.” He expressed admiration for the good 
sense of Democrats to betray each other quietly. And, he said, there 
wasn’t a pro-life person unhappy with the assassination a decade ago of 
Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller.

“Michael O’Donnell has 
proven to be a risk and major liability to Sedgwick County,” said Cruse,
 a Democrat. “I’m not shocked by what we all heard on this tape because I
 have witnessed this type of unethical behavior for almost two years. 
I’m not willing to get in line and be quiet. This behavior is not okay 
and those who choose to be silent, those who are not willing to speak 
out about this publicly, are part of the problem.”

Howell, the GOP chairman 
of the county commission, went further and urged O’Donnell, Wichita City
 Councilman James Clendenin and Kansas House Rep. Michael Capps to 
immediately resign from public office.

“The people of Sedgwick 
county deserve representation that is ethical, above reproach and 
honest,” Howell said. “The actions of these men in the<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2020/08/28/man-behind-protect-wichita-girls-video-breaks-silence/"> ‘Protect Wichita Girls’ scandal</a> is reprehensible and embarrassing to our community.”

So far, the three Wichita 
politicians have chosen to cling to their jobs. O’Donnell is seeking 
re-election to the county commission on Nov. 3. In August, Wichita 
voters decided to end Capps’ career in the Kansas House effective in 
January. Capps was hammered in the GOP primary, receiving just 25% of 
the vote. Clendenin, a member of the city council since 2011, isn’t on 
the 2020 ballot.

In the recording, the 
three politicians and the producer of the video agreed to blame Sedgwick
 County Republican Party chairman Dalton Glasscock for orchestrating the
 commercial. They considered and rejected the idea of also fingering 
Kelly Arnold, who has served as Sedgwick County’s clerk since 2008 and 
was the Kansas GOP chairman from 2013 to 2019.

The malicious video, 
posted to Facebook and YouTube, featured unidentified women silhouetted 
against a menacing background who alleged without evidence sexual 
harassment by state legislators. The target was then-Democratic mayoral 
candidate Brandon Whipple, who by implication was accused of engaging in
 misconduct as a member of the Kansas House. In closing moments of the 
video, the women say, “Stop Brandon Whipple.”

The video was apparently 
viewed more than 400,000 times. It was traced to a New Mexico shadow 
company, Protect Wichita’s Girls LLC, that was linked to Capps.

Whipple, who said the 
video was part of a political misinformation campaign, easily won the 
November 2019 election. He defeated incumbent Republican Mayor Jeff 
Longwell by more than 10 percentage points. Longwell’s re-election was 
hampered by reports he intervened to award the new water plant contract 
for the state’s largest city to his political supporters and friends.

Shortly after the video 
began appearing online in October 2019, Whipple filed a lawsuit against 
video producer Matthew Colborn and two John Does. Colborn, who recorded 
the four-person conversation in which the coverup and misdirection was 
mapped out, was dropped from the suit in exchange for turning over the 
audio recording and other evidence to Whipple’s lawyers. The lawsuit has
 been amended to target O’Donnell, Clendenin and Capps.

Michael
 Shultz, the Wichita attorney for Colborn, said his client regretted 
participating in the underhanded assault and learned painful lessons 
about politics, relationships and business. Colborn is being scapegoated
 in the public eye by the scandal, Schultz said.

“Matthew
 was at the meeting where Michael O’Donnell, James Clendenin and Michael
 Capps planned to push the blame for this ad onto Dalton Glasscock and 
others,” Schultz said. “To protect himself, he recorded that 
conversation. We are releasing that recording now to demonstrate the 
accuracy of what Matthew has now said and to try and stop those who 
continue to attack him.”

The meeting that produced 
the secret recording was called to help Capps prepare for a 2019 radio 
interview on the video controversy with Wichita talk show host John 
Whitmer, a former Republican state legislator. Capps and O’Donnell 
sounded confident Whitmer would be sympathetic to their claims, 
asserting Whitmer was opposed to election of a Democrat as mayor and had
 a strong dislike for Glasscock.

“John, though, wants Dalton’s head. He doesn’t know how to hunt. He just wants to collect,” Capps said on the recording.

Capps, who was angry 
Glasscock had previously called for his resignation, could be heard on 
the recording practicing his talking points in advance of the radio 
interview, including: “Let me be clear to your listeners and to you 
John. I had nothing to do with the production of this video.”

O’Donnell advised Capps to
 claim firsthand knowledge that both Glasscock and Arnold spoke of plans
 designed to conceal information about who was responsible for the 
video. O’Donnell said linking the pair would deflect damage to the 
Sedgwick County Republican Party, because it would appear “more of a 
conspiracy by the party to cover itself.”

Later in the conversation,
 the group decided Arnold was too influential among Sedgwick County 
Republicans to accuse of misconduct. Backlash from Arnold could get out 
of hand, so they agreed Glasscock would be framed alone. They also 
agreed it would be useful to place responsibility at Glasscock’s feet if
 the Republican mayor lost the campaign to Whipple.

“Nobody questions Kelly 
(Arnold) being an ultra-party guy, a conservative,” O’Donnell said. “I 
just think naming him in this deal will bring added scrutiny that we, 
particularly James (Clendenin) and I don’t need.”

Clendenin, the Wichita 
city council member, said labeling Arnold as a responsible party could 
open an unsavory two-front political conflict. He also predicted 
maneuvering their way out of the Whipple video scandal by boxing in 
Glasscock wouldn’t “go as smoothly as we’re talking about it right now.”

“This is not an ideal 
narrative,” Capps said. “I’m going to accept the fact that it is not. 
But I’m also looking at this purely from a business/political 
perspective. That it’s either our necks or his.”

“I’m always learned in 
politics,” O’Donnell said, “it’s always avoid the truth at all expense. 
Right? And, just go on the attack.”

O’Donnell at several 
points in the recording recommended they each be vague when pointing 
fingers at other people, because specifics could come back to haunt them
 if a lawsuit went to the discovery stage or a trial.

In 2018, O’Donnell was 
indicted on federal charges that included 23 counts of wire fraud and 
three counts of money laundering. The allegations of campaign finance 
misconduct related to his campaign for the Kansas Senate and O’Donnell’s
 decision to write a series of checks from a campaign account to 
friends. He was acquitted last year of 21 counts and the jury couldn’t 
reach a verdict on five counts. He described the trial as the worst 
experience of his life.

“I don’t think we’re all 
culpable like for a lawsuit or something,” O’Donnell said on the audio 
recording, “but what I think — I just don’t ever want it to get into 
discovery mode.”

The
 Kansas Democratic Party jumped into the fray with a photograph of 
O’Donnell standing next to U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, a Republican in a 
tight race for U.S. Senate against Democratic Kansas Sen. Barbara 
Bollier.

“What
 games are Roger Marshall and Michael O’Donnell playing?” the Democrats 
claimed Kansans deserved to know. “Does Roger Marshall stand by his 
‘friend’ Michael O’Donnell’s actions?”

As if there wasn’t enough drama in Whipple’s life, a Wichita musician and retired firefighter was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/17/us/wichita-kansas-mayor-mask-arrest-trnd/index.html">arrested Oct. 16 on suspicion of threatening to kidnap and kill the mayor</a> due to frustration with the city’s COVID-19 mask ordinance.

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603722521631.png" alt="From left: Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, Kansas House Rep. Michael Capps and Wichita City Councilman James Clendenin. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>From left: Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, Kansas House Rep. Michael Capps and Wichita City Councilman James Clendenin. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/26/secret-recording-exposes-three-wichita-politicians-to-demands-for-their-resignation/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Three members of the Sedgwick County Commission on Sunday denounced Republican colleague Michael O’Donnell after the <a href="https://www.kansas.com/article246669242.html">Wichita Eagle published a secret recording</a>
 of O’Donnell, a Wichita city councilman and a Kansas House member 
plotting to deceive the public about their role in a false campaign 
video accusing a Democratic candidate for mayor of sexual harassment.Commissioners Lacey Cruse,
 David Dennis and Jim Howell made clear O’Donnell’s statements on the 
45-minute recording, including political advice to attack first and 
“avoid the truth at all expense,” made it impossible for him to continue
 serving the county.In the at-times chaotic 
recording, made shortly before the November 2019 mayoral election and 
released to the public due to a pending lawsuit, O’Donnell said it might
 be possible to blame their sleazy campaign attack on a former Kansas 
Republican Party chairman. He also declared such coverups to be 
“standard political operations.” He expressed admiration for the good 
sense of Democrats to betray each other quietly. And, he said, there 
wasn’t a pro-life person unhappy with the assassination a decade ago of 
Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller.“Michael O’Donnell has 
proven to be a risk and major liability to Sedgwick County,” said Cruse,
 a Democrat. “I’m not shocked by what we all heard on this tape because I
 have witnessed this type of unethical behavior for almost two years. 
I’m not willing to get in line and be quiet. This behavior is not okay 
and those who choose to be silent, those who are not willing to speak 
out about this publicly, are part of the problem.”Howell, the GOP chairman 
of the county commission, went further and urged O’Donnell, Wichita City
 Councilman James Clendenin and Kansas House Rep. Michael Capps to 
immediately resign from public office.“The people of Sedgwick 
county deserve representation that is ethical, above reproach and 
honest,” Howell said. “The actions of these men in the<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2020/08/28/man-behind-protect-wichita-girls-video-breaks-silence/"> ‘Protect Wichita Girls’ scandal</a> is reprehensible and embarrassing to our community.”So far, the three Wichita 
politicians have chosen to cling to their jobs. O’Donnell is seeking 
re-election to the county commission on Nov. 3. In August, Wichita 
voters decided to end Capps’ career in the Kansas House effective in 
January. Capps was hammered in the GOP primary, receiving just 25% of 
the vote. Clendenin, a member of the city council since 2011, isn’t on 
the 2020 ballot.<h2>The blame game</h2>In the recording, the 
three politicians and the producer of the video agreed to blame Sedgwick
 County Republican Party chairman Dalton Glasscock for orchestrating the
 commercial. They considered and rejected the idea of also fingering 
Kelly Arnold, who has served as Sedgwick County’s clerk since 2008 and 
was the Kansas GOP chairman from 2013 to 2019.The malicious video, 
posted to Facebook and YouTube, featured unidentified women silhouetted 
against a menacing background who alleged without evidence sexual 
harassment by state legislators. The target was then-Democratic mayoral 
candidate Brandon Whipple, who by implication was accused of engaging in
 misconduct as a member of the Kansas House. In closing moments of the 
video, the women say, “Stop Brandon Whipple.”The video was apparently 
viewed more than 400,000 times. It was traced to a New Mexico shadow 
company, Protect Wichita’s Girls LLC, that was linked to Capps.Whipple, who said the 
video was part of a political misinformation campaign, easily won the 
November 2019 election. He defeated incumbent Republican Mayor Jeff 
Longwell by more than 10 percentage points. Longwell’s re-election was 
hampered by reports he intervened to award the new water plant contract 
for the state’s largest city to his political supporters and friends.Shortly after the video 
began appearing online in October 2019, Whipple filed a lawsuit against 
video producer Matthew Colborn and two John Does. Colborn, who recorded 
the four-person conversation in which the coverup and misdirection was 
mapped out, was dropped from the suit in exchange for turning over the 
audio recording and other evidence to Whipple’s lawyers. The lawsuit has
 been amended to target O’Donnell, Clendenin and Capps.Michael
 Shultz, the Wichita attorney for Colborn, said his client regretted 
participating in the underhanded assault and learned painful lessons 
about politics, relationships and business. Colborn is being scapegoated
 in the public eye by the scandal, Schultz said. 
“Matthew
 was at the meeting where Michael O’Donnell, James Clendenin and Michael
 Capps planned to push the blame for this ad onto Dalton Glasscock and 
others,” Schultz said. “To protect himself, he recorded that 
conversation. We are releasing that recording now to demonstrate the 
accuracy of what Matthew has now said and to try and stop those who 
continue to attack him.”<h2>‘Dalton’s head’</h2>The meeting that produced 
the secret recording was called to help Capps prepare for a 2019 radio 
interview on the video controversy with Wichita talk show host John 
Whitmer, a former Republican state legislator. Capps and O’Donnell 
sounded confident Whitmer would be sympathetic to their claims, 
asserting Whitmer was opposed to election of a Democrat as mayor and had
 a strong dislike for Glasscock.“John, though, wants Dalton’s head. He doesn’t know how to hunt. He just wants to collect,” Capps said on the recording.Capps, who was angry 
Glasscock had previously called for his resignation, could be heard on 
the recording practicing his talking points in advance of the radio 
interview, including: “Let me be clear to your listeners and to you 
John. I had nothing to do with the production of this video.”O’Donnell advised Capps to
 claim firsthand knowledge that both Glasscock and Arnold spoke of plans
 designed to conceal information about who was responsible for the 
video. O’Donnell said linking the pair would deflect damage to the 
Sedgwick County Republican Party, because it would appear “more of a 
conspiracy by the party to cover itself.”Later in the conversation,
 the group decided Arnold was too influential among Sedgwick County 
Republicans to accuse of misconduct. Backlash from Arnold could get out 
of hand, so they agreed Glasscock would be framed alone. They also 
agreed it would be useful to place responsibility at Glasscock’s feet if
 the Republican mayor lost the campaign to Whipple.“Nobody questions Kelly 
(Arnold) being an ultra-party guy, a conservative,” O’Donnell said. “I 
just think naming him in this deal will bring added scrutiny that we, 
particularly James (Clendenin) and I don’t need.”<h2>Narrative not ideal</h2>Clendenin, the Wichita 
city council member, said labeling Arnold as a responsible party could 
open an unsavory two-front political conflict. He also predicted 
maneuvering their way out of the Whipple video scandal by boxing in 
Glasscock wouldn’t “go as smoothly as we’re talking about it right now.”“This is not an ideal 
narrative,” Capps said. “I’m going to accept the fact that it is not. 
But I’m also looking at this purely from a business/political 
perspective. That it’s either our necks or his.”“I’m always learned in 
politics,” O’Donnell said, “it’s always avoid the truth at all expense. 
Right? And, just go on the attack.”O’Donnell at several 
points in the recording recommended they each be vague when pointing 
fingers at other people, because specifics could come back to haunt them
 if a lawsuit went to the discovery stage or a trial.In 2018, O’Donnell was 
indicted on federal charges that included 23 counts of wire fraud and 
three counts of money laundering. The allegations of campaign finance 
misconduct related to his campaign for the Kansas Senate and O’Donnell’s
 decision to write a series of checks from a campaign account to 
friends. He was acquitted last year of 21 counts and the jury couldn’t 
reach a verdict on five counts. He described the trial as the worst 
experience of his life.“I don’t think we’re all 
culpable like for a lawsuit or something,” O’Donnell said on the audio 
recording, “but what I think — I just don’t ever want it to get into 
discovery mode.”The
 Kansas Democratic Party jumped into the fray with a photograph of 
O’Donnell standing next to U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, a Republican in a 
tight race for U.S. Senate against Democratic Kansas Sen. Barbara 
Bollier.“What
 games are Roger Marshall and Michael O’Donnell playing?” the Democrats 
claimed Kansans deserved to know. “Does Roger Marshall stand by his 
‘friend’ Michael O’Donnell’s actions?”As if there wasn’t enough drama in Whipple’s life, a Wichita musician and retired firefighter was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/17/us/wichita-kansas-mayor-mask-arrest-trnd/index.html">arrested Oct. 16 on suspicion of threatening to kidnap and kill the mayor</a> due to frustration with the city’s COVID-19 mask ordinance.Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

Resignation demands after recording exposes three Wichita politicians

KANSAS CITY(AP) — Demonstrators who set up tents outside City Hall in Kansas City three weeks ago to demand police reform after an officer placed his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-city-kansas-archive-05e0c8aadf22e1f2739d8f45c6baf148">knee&nbsp;</a>on the back of a pregnant Black women have announced a temporary end to their encampment.

&nbsp;Black Rainbow, one of the groups that organized the occupation, announced on on social media they’d declared a “ceasefire" after beginning talks with public officials about divesting funds from law enforcement.

Ryan Sorrel, a leader with Black Rainbow, said the demonstrators will return if they don't see the changes they want.

The demonstration had demanded that city leaders fire the officer seen in a video kneeling on the pregnant woman, terminate Chief of Police Rick Smith and vow to divest 50% of the police force's budget.

Sorrel said demonstrators began talking with city council members a few days ago about specific spaces where public safety funds and responsibilities, such as health crises and parking tickets, could be moved away from the police department.

“We saw this as a very strategic move in order to not absolve all of our resources,” Sorrel said.

Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement Saturday that he’s been meeting with such groups since May and planned to continue to do so in an effort to build trust.

“While we will have our disagreements, all of us in Kansas City must work together to see better days ahead,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602016407297.png" alt="Tents outside City Hall in Kansas City- photo courtesy KSHB" />
 <figcaption>Tents outside City Hall in Kansas City- photo courtesy KSHB</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY(AP) — Demonstrators who set up tents outside City Hall in Kansas City three weeks ago to demand police reform after an officer placed his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-city-kansas-archive-05e0c8aadf22e1f2739d8f45c6baf148">knee&nbsp;</a>on the back of a pregnant Black women have announced a temporary end to their encampment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603718404900.png" alt="Image courtesy Black Rainbow" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Black Rainbow</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Black Rainbow, one of the groups that organized the occupation, announced on on social media they’d declared a “ceasefire" after beginning talks with public officials about divesting funds from law enforcement.Ryan Sorrel, a leader with Black Rainbow, said the demonstrators will return if they don't see the changes they want.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601602944860.png" alt="Image from the video of the arrest - courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Image from the video of the arrest - courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>The demonstration had demanded that city leaders fire the officer seen in a video kneeling on the pregnant woman, terminate Chief of Police Rick Smith and vow to divest 50% of the police force's budget.Sorrel said demonstrators began talking with city council members a few days ago about specific spaces where public safety funds and responsibilities, such as health crises and parking tickets, could be moved away from the police department.“We saw this as a very strategic move in order to not absolve all of our resources,” Sorrel said.Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement Saturday that he’s been meeting with such groups since May and planned to continue to do so in an effort to build trust.“While we will have our disagreements, all of us in Kansas City must work together to see better days ahead,” he said.

Protesters temporarily end encampment in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Preslie Paur breaks down in tears when she thinks of her state’s refusal to mandate face masks.

The South Salt Lake City, Utah, woman can’t work at her special education job due to an autoimmune disease. Her husband, also a special ed teacher, recently quit because his school district would not allow him to work remotely to protect her and their 5-year-old son, who has asthma.

“I feel forgotten,” Paur said. “We’re living in a world we no longer fit in. We did everything right. We went to college, we got jobs, we tried to give back to our community, and now our community is not giving back to us. And I’m very scared.”

As President Donald Trump barnstorms the swing states, often downplaying the coronavirus pandemic before largely unmasked crowds, the nation continues to lurch toward what his opponent Joe Biden, citing health experts, warned will be a “dark winter” of disease and death.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told CNN on Sunday that “we’re not going to control the pandemic.” Asked why, he said it’s “because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.”

Vice President Mike Pence will continue campaigning despite his chief of staff testing positive for COVID-19. His office said Pence and his wife both tested negative for the virus Sunday.

About half of U.S. states have seen their highest daily infection numbers so far at some point in October, and the country as a whole came very close to back-to-back record daily infection rates on Friday and Saturday.

Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that 83,718 new cases were reported Saturday, just shy of the 83,757 infections reported Friday. Before that, the most cases reported in the United States on a single day had been 77,362, on July 16.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which federal health officials have used as a source for their pandemic projections, currently forecasts that the U.S. COVID-19 death toll could exceed 318,000 by Jan. 1.

As of Sunday, there were more than 8.6 million confirmed infections in the U.S., with deaths climbing to over 225,000, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603360957118.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said Wednesday that she will speak with House and Senate leaders to develop a bipartisan mask requirement&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said Wednesday that she will speak with House and Senate leaders to develop a bipartisan mask requirement&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Preslie Paur breaks down in tears when she thinks of her state’s refusal to mandate face masks.The South Salt Lake City, Utah, woman can’t work at her special education job due to an autoimmune disease. Her husband, also a special ed teacher, recently quit because his school district would not allow him to work remotely to protect her and their 5-year-old son, who has asthma.“I feel forgotten,” Paur said. “We’re living in a world we no longer fit in. We did everything right. We went to college, we got jobs, we tried to give back to our community, and now our community is not giving back to us. And I’m very scared.”As President Donald Trump barnstorms the swing states, often downplaying the coronavirus pandemic before largely unmasked crowds, the nation continues to lurch toward what his opponent Joe Biden, citing health experts, warned will be a “dark winter” of disease and death.White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told CNN on Sunday that “we’re not going to control the pandemic.” Asked why, he said it’s “because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.”Vice President Mike Pence will continue campaigning despite his chief of staff testing positive for COVID-19. His office said Pence and his wife both tested negative for the virus Sunday.About half of U.S. states have seen their highest daily infection numbers so far at some point in October, and the country as a whole came very close to back-to-back record daily infection rates on Friday and Saturday.Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that 83,718 new cases were reported Saturday, just shy of the 83,757 infections reported Friday. Before that, the most cases reported in the United States on a single day had been 77,362, on July 16.The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which federal health officials have used as a source for their pandemic projections, currently forecasts that the U.S. COVID-19 death toll could exceed 318,000 by Jan. 1.As of Sunday, there were more than 8.6 million confirmed infections in the U.S., with deaths climbing to over 225,000, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.At least seven states — Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Oklahoma — saw record high infection levels Saturday. And some Northeastern states hit hard in the spring are seeing numbers bounce back; New Jersey’s toll of 1,909 new infections Saturday was the most it had seen in a day since early May.The virus also is surging in the Mountain West, especially Idaho and Utah.In Twin Falls, Idaho, new data suggest that 1 in 24 residents has contracted the coronavirus, said Dr. Joshua Kern, vice president of medical affairs at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. Amid a crush of new cases, the hospital brought in nurses from Boise, scaled back elective surgery and, as of Friday, stopped admitting pediatric patients.“It’s gotten kind of out of hand,” Kern told The Associated Press. “We’ve had something like a third of our total COVID cases in our community in the last two to three weeks. There are a lot of parts of the state suffering under the same burden.”Kern said Twin Falls had been lulled into complacency after months of relatively low numbers, adding “going back to school was the signal to our communities that we can get back to normal.”“It’s like the community said, ‘Oh, good. It’s over. We can party again,’ and we saw the virus increase,” he said. “This week, we went to the coffee shop to get pastries for our group, and it was closed because of COVID. And we knew that the week before, they had been in there unmasked.”Mark Chidichimo, a retired FBI agent, said his sister, brother-in-law, brother, nephew and 92-year-old father in Idaho have all been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last three weeks.Chidichimo, who lives in New Jersey, had nothing but praise for St. Luke’s in Twin Falls, but said his brother was told that if he needed hospitalization, he’d be sent to Seattle, more than 600 miles away.“Hey, Idaho. This is coming from someone who has been there, done that: You really want to avoid this if you can,” he said. “It’s going to be really bad, and I pray to God that none of my family members have to be hospitalized. Because if they do, I don’t know if they’ll survive.”After months of improvement, parts of Europe are going back into lockdown or ramping up restrictions again amid a spike in infections. Italy imposed at least a month of new restrictions across the country on Sunday, insisting that people outdoors wear masks, shutting down gyms, pools and movie theaters, and putting an early curfew on cafes and restaurants.German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who tested positive Wednesday, pleaded with citizens to wear masks as the virus spikes across the country and hospital ICUs are filling up again.“Please continue to help and don’t listen to those who play down (coronavirus),” he said. “It is serious.”In New Mexico, which reported record numbers of additional COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent days, more than 350 doctors, nurses and other health care professionals signed a letter imploring residents to stay home as much as possible, wear masks and limit large gatherings to help prevent another wave of “lonely deaths.”“Please help health care professionals help you,” said the letter, posted on the state Department of Health’s website. “Help us protect you. Help us ensure that we have the resources to treat the sick and care for the dying.”On Saturday, New Mexico officials reported 875 new cases and five additional deaths, increasing the state’s totals to 41,040 cases and 965 deaths. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations increased to 264, up from a record 229 on Friday, which topped the previous high of 223 from mid-May.Paur, whose brother and his girlfriend both recently tested positive for the virus, is worried about them, and herself.“People need to know that our lives are on the line,” the Utah woman said. "We’re running out of money really fast.”—-