SEDGWICK COUNTY A 45-year-old Kansas man who stabbed his roommate to death while police were outside his house has been sentenced to life in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

Prosecutors said Jason Leigh McCaleb stabbed 28-year-old Devin Andrea Cook up to 50 times in November 2019. The stabbing occurred right after police suggested McCaleb evict Cook if he wanted her out of the home.

Police went to the home after McCaleb called 911 to say he had let her “keep her stuff at his house,” but that she was refusing to leave. At a news briefing after the slaying, police had said officers told McCaleb he had to use legal channels to evict her if he wanted her gone.

Officer were leaving the scene when they heard Cook calling for help but were not able to get back into the home. 

On July 22, McCaleb pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder. He will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574616803861.png" alt="MCCALEB photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>MCCALEB photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY A 45-year-old Kansas man who stabbed his roommate to death while police were outside his house has been sentenced to life in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.Prosecutors said Jason Leigh McCaleb stabbed 28-year-old Devin Andrea Cook up to 50 times in November 2019. The stabbing occurred right after police suggested McCaleb evict Cook if he wanted her out of the home.Police went to the home after McCaleb called 911 to say he had let her “keep her stuff at his house,” but that she was refusing to leave. At a news briefing after the slaying, police had said officers told McCaleb he had to use legal channels to evict her if he wanted her gone.Officer were leaving the scene when they heard Cook calling for help but were not able to get back into the home. On July 22, McCaleb pleaded guilty to first-degree premeditated murder. He will be eligible for parole in 25 years.---------

Kan. man admits stabbing roommate with cops outside

Kansas City (AP) — The scenes have become commonplace in 2020: People gathered at state Capitols with semiautomatic long guns strapped across their chests. 

A couple near St. Louis emerging from their mansion brandishing firearms as Black Lives Matter demonstrators marched by the house. Men roaming the streets with rifles during protests over racial inequality, punctuated by two people being killed in Wisconsin and another in Portland over the weekend.

The coronavirus pandemic, protests against racism and police killings, a rancorous election year and a perception that cities are being overrun by violent mobs have brought about a markedly more aggressive stance by some gun owners and widened the divide over firearms in America.

Americans are turning out more often and more visibly with guns, a sign of the tension engulfing the country.

Last week's arrest of a 17-year-old accused of killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with a semiautomatic rifle is just the latest flashpoint. Then over the weekend, a caravan of President Donald Trump supporters streamed into Portland, resulting in a clash with protesters in which a supporter of a right-wing group was fatally shot.

The teenager and other gun-toting protesters have been denounced as radical vigilantes who benefit from a double-standard — that if they were Black gun owners brandishing their firearms, the police would use deadly force against them.

To others, they are patriots seeking to bring law and order to cities that have been overtaken by extremists.

“I would have done the same thing, to be honest with you,” Todd Scott, of Covington, Georgia, said of the teenager in Kenosha. He's viewed video of the teen, Kyle Rittenhouse, being chased by protesters and believes he was acting in self-defense.

Scott himself once used his gun to break up violence, becoming a bit of a local hero in 2015 after a gunman killed a clerk and a customer at the liquor store where he was picking up beer. Scott fired on the suspect before he fled.

Kat Ellsworth, who heads the Liberal Gun Owners club in Illinois and who lives in Chicago, is appalled by those who have converged on protests and are openly carrying firearms. She believes those gun owners have been emboldened by Trump, who has made law and order a central part of his re-election bid.

The scenes of primarily white men walking around city streets openly carrying firearms, or of those who have flocked to state Capitols to protest pandemic business restrictions, are a demonstration, she believes, of white privilege. She’s convinced that a group of Black gun owners with AR-15s in public would be dealt with much differently.

“I view them as instigators and I view them as people looking for an excuse to shoot people of color,” said Ellsworth, who is white.

The killings in Kenosha almost immediately opened up a new front in the culture wars over guns. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson called the episode a result of authorities refusing to bring law and order to the city.

“How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would?”

Around the same time last week, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who were seen outside their St. Louis home brandishing a rifle and a handgun, were given a coveted prime-time slot at the Republican National Convention, where they defended their right to bear arms.

In the first half of this year, the turmoil has fueled an unprecedented buying spree of firearms.

Every month so far has smashed last year’s numbers of background checks. In a few instances, the number of background checks have soared past previous records set by a background check system that began in 1998.

So far this year, nearly 23 million background checks have been conducted, though not all checks were for firearm purchases. Still, the gun industry estimates that 40% of firearm purchases have been made by first-time buyers, or about 5 million people.

Ed Turner, a former police officer from metro Atlanta who now owns gun shops in Georgia, said he cringes seeing people openly carrying firearms. If someone is truly worried about their own safety, he said, concealing the weapon is “a much better approach than walking around like John Wayne.”

Among the people flocking to his gun shops, he has seen mostly women, African Americans and Latinos concerned about their personal safety and buying a firearm for the first time. He considers their concerns justified amid calls to “defund the police" and riots that have some cases led to police stations being attacked.

“I am stunned that that behavior is allowed to go on,” he said.

Gun-control activists have viewed the situation in Kenosha, as well as the other protests that have drawn people openly carrying firearms, as a direct result of Trump's firebrand rhetoric.

“It is because of an extreme world view that has been only encouraged at the highest levels of government, and by the gun lobby that has condoned their presence there,” said Nick Suplina, the managing director of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “The presence of armed militia at these protests are not there merely to protect property but are there to intimidate protesters, to chill speech and sometimes worse."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590977417965.png" alt="Protest near the Plaza in Kansas City in May -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Protest near the Plaza in Kansas City in May -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City (AP) — The scenes have become commonplace in 2020: People gathered at state Capitols with semiautomatic long guns strapped across their chests. A couple near St. Louis emerging from their mansion brandishing firearms as Black Lives Matter demonstrators marched by the house. Men roaming the streets with rifles during protests over racial inequality, punctuated by two people being killed in Wisconsin and another in Portland over the weekend.The coronavirus pandemic, protests against racism and police killings, a rancorous election year and a perception that cities are being overrun by violent mobs have brought about a markedly more aggressive stance by some gun owners and widened the divide over firearms in America.Americans are turning out more often and more visibly with guns, a sign of the tension engulfing the country.Last week's arrest of a 17-year-old accused of killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with a semiautomatic rifle is just the latest flashpoint. Then over the weekend, a caravan of President Donald Trump supporters streamed into Portland, resulting in a clash with protesters in which a supporter of a right-wing group was fatally shot.The teenager and other gun-toting protesters have been denounced as radical vigilantes who benefit from a double-standard — that if they were Black gun owners brandishing their firearms, the police would use deadly force against them.To others, they are patriots seeking to bring law and order to cities that have been overtaken by extremists.“I would have done the same thing, to be honest with you,” Todd Scott, of Covington, Georgia, said of the teenager in Kenosha. He's viewed video of the teen, Kyle Rittenhouse, being chased by protesters and believes he was acting in self-defense.Scott himself once used his gun to break up violence, becoming a bit of a local hero in 2015 after a gunman killed a clerk and a customer at the liquor store where he was picking up beer. Scott fired on the suspect before he fled.Kat Ellsworth, who heads the Liberal Gun Owners club in Illinois and who lives in Chicago, is appalled by those who have converged on protests and are openly carrying firearms. She believes those gun owners have been emboldened by Trump, who has made law and order a central part of his re-election bid.The scenes of primarily white men walking around city streets openly carrying firearms, or of those who have flocked to state Capitols to protest pandemic business restrictions, are a demonstration, she believes, of white privilege. She’s convinced that a group of Black gun owners with AR-15s in public would be dealt with much differently.“I view them as instigators and I view them as people looking for an excuse to shoot people of color,” said Ellsworth, who is white.The killings in Kenosha almost immediately opened up a new front in the culture wars over guns. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson called the episode a result of authorities refusing to bring law and order to the city.“How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would?”Around the same time last week, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who were seen outside their St. Louis home brandishing a rifle and a handgun, were given a coveted prime-time slot at the Republican National Convention, where they defended their right to bear arms.In the first half of this year, the turmoil has fueled an unprecedented buying spree of firearms.Every month so far has smashed last year’s numbers of background checks. In a few instances, the number of background checks have soared past previous records set by a background check system that began in 1998.So far this year, nearly 23 million background checks have been conducted, though not all checks were for firearm purchases. Still, the gun industry estimates that 40% of firearm purchases have been made by first-time buyers, or about 5 million people.Ed Turner, a former police officer from metro Atlanta who now owns gun shops in Georgia, said he cringes seeing people openly carrying firearms. If someone is truly worried about their own safety, he said, concealing the weapon is “a much better approach than walking around like John Wayne.”Among the people flocking to his gun shops, he has seen mostly women, African Americans and Latinos concerned about their personal safety and buying a firearm for the first time. He considers their concerns justified amid calls to “defund the police" and riots that have some cases led to police stations being attacked.“I am stunned that that behavior is allowed to go on,” he said.Gun-control activists have viewed the situation in Kenosha, as well as the other protests that have drawn people openly carrying firearms, as a direct result of Trump's firebrand rhetoric.“It is because of an extreme world view that has been only encouraged at the highest levels of government, and by the gun lobby that has condoned their presence there,” said Nick Suplina, the managing director of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “The presence of armed militia at these protests are not there merely to protect property but are there to intimidate protesters, to chill speech and sometimes worse."

Americans divided over armed civilians who flock to protests

A handful of the dozens of experimental COVID-19 vaccines in human testing have reached the last and biggest hurdle — looking for the needed proof that they really work as a U.S. advisory panel suggested Tuesday a way to ration the first limited doses once a vaccine wins approval.

AstraZeneca announced Monday its vaccine candidate has entered the final testing stage in the U.S. The Cambridge, England-based company said the study will involve up to 30,000 adults from various racial, ethnic and geographic groups.

Two other vaccine candidates began final testing this summer in tens of thousands of people in the U.S. One was created by the National Institutes of Health and manufactured by Moderna Inc., and the other developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech.

“To have just one vaccine enter the final stage of trials eight months after discovering a virus would be a remarkable achievement; to have three at that point with more on the way is extraordinary,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.

NIH Director Francis Collins tweeted that his agency "is supporting several vaccine trials since more than one may be needed. We have all hands on deck."

AstraZeneca said development of the vaccine, known as AZD1222, is moving ahead globally with late-stage trials in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa. Further trials are planned in Japan and Russia. The potential vaccine was invented by the University of Oxford and an associated company, Vaccitech.

Meanwhile, a U.S. advisory panel released a draft plan Tuesday for how to ration the first doses of vaccine. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine proposed giving the first vaccine doses — initial supplies are expected to be limited to up to 15 million people — to high-risk health care workers and first responders.

Next, older residents of nursing homes and other crowded facilities and people of all ages with health conditions that put them at significant danger would be given priority. In following waves of vaccination, teachers, other school staff, workers in essential industries, and people living in homeless shelters, group homes, prisons and other facilities would get the shots.

Healthy children, young adults and everyone else would not get the first vaccinations, but would be able to get them once supplies increase.

The panel of experts described “a moral imperative” to lessen the heavy disease burden of COVID-19 on Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Alaska Natives, and suggested state and local authorities could target vulnerable neighborhoods using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The National Academies will solicit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nap.edu/vaccine/">public comments</a>&nbsp;on the plan through Friday.

There’s a good reason so many COVID-19 vaccines are in development.

“The first vaccines that come out are probably not going to be the best vaccines,” Dr. Nicole Lurie, who helped lead pandemic planning under the Obama administration, said at a University of Minnesota vaccine symposium.

There’s no guarantee that any of the leading candidates will pan out — and the bar is higher than for COVID-19 treatments, because these vaccines will be given to healthy people. Final testing, experts stress, must be in large numbers of people to know if they’re safe enough for mass vaccinations.

They’re made in a wide variety of ways, each with pros and cons. One problem: Most of the leading candidates are being tested with two doses, which lengthens the time required to get an answer — and, if one works, to fully vaccinate people.

Another: They’re all shots. Vaccine experts are closely watching development of some nasal-spray alternatives that just might begin the first step of human testing later this year — late to the race, but possibly advantageous against a virus that sneaks into the airways.

For now, here’s a scorecard of vaccines that already have begun or are getting close to final-stage tests:

The Moderna and Pfizer candidates began Phase 3 testing in late July.

Neither uses the actual coronavirus. Instead, they’re made with the genetic code for the aptly named “spike” protein that coats the surface of the coronavirus. Inject the vaccine containing that code, called mRNA, and the body’s cells will make some harmless spike protein — just enough for the immune system to respond, priming it to react if it later encounters the real virus.

These mRNA vaccines are easier and faster to make than traditional vaccines, but it’s a new and unproven technology.

Britain’s Oxford University and AstraZeneca are making what scientists call a “viral vector” vaccine but a good analogy is the Trojan horse. The shots are made with a harmless virus — a cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees — that carries the spike protein’s genetic material into the body. Once again, the body produces some spike protein and primes the immune system, but it, too, is a fairly new technology.

Two possible competitors are made with different human cold viruses.

Shots made by Johnson &amp; Johnson began initial human studies in late July. The company plans to begin Phase 3 testing in September in as many as 60,000 people in the U.S. and elsewhere.

China’s government authorized emergency use of CanSino Biologics’ adenovirus shots in the military ahead of any final testing.

Making vaccines by growing a disease-causing virus and then killing it is a tried-and-true approach — it’s the way Jonas Salk’s famed polio shots were made. China has three so-called “inactivated” vaccine candidates against COVID-19 made this way.

Sinovac has final studies of its candidate underway in Brazil and Indonesia. Competitor SinoPharm has announced plans for final testing in some other countries.

Safely brewing and then killing the virus takes longer than newer technologies. But inactivated vaccines give the body a sneak peek at the germ itself rather than just that single spike protein.

Novavax makes “protein subunit” vaccines, growing harmless copies of the coronavirus spike protein in the laboratory and packaging them into virus-sized nanoparticles.

There are protein-based vaccines against other diseases, so it’s not as novel a technology as some of its competitors. But it only recently finished its first-step study; the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed aims for advanced testing later in the fall.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and CARLA K. JOHNSONAP Medical WritersA handful of the dozens of experimental COVID-19 vaccines in human testing have reached the last and biggest hurdle — looking for the needed proof that they really work as a U.S. advisory panel suggested Tuesday a way to ration the first limited doses once a vaccine wins approval.AstraZeneca announced Monday its vaccine candidate has entered the final testing stage in the U.S. The Cambridge, England-based company said the study will involve up to 30,000 adults from various racial, ethnic and geographic groups.Two other vaccine candidates began final testing this summer in tens of thousands of people in the U.S. One was created by the National Institutes of Health and manufactured by Moderna Inc., and the other developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech.“To have just one vaccine enter the final stage of trials eight months after discovering a virus would be a remarkable achievement; to have three at that point with more on the way is extraordinary,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.NIH Director Francis Collins tweeted that his agency "is supporting several vaccine trials since more than one may be needed. We have all hands on deck."AstraZeneca said development of the vaccine, known as AZD1222, is moving ahead globally with late-stage trials in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa. Further trials are planned in Japan and Russia. The potential vaccine was invented by the University of Oxford and an associated company, Vaccitech.Meanwhile, a U.S. advisory panel released a draft plan Tuesday for how to ration the first doses of vaccine. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine proposed giving the first vaccine doses — initial supplies are expected to be limited to up to 15 million people — to high-risk health care workers and first responders.Next, older residents of nursing homes and other crowded facilities and people of all ages with health conditions that put them at significant danger would be given priority. In following waves of vaccination, teachers, other school staff, workers in essential industries, and people living in homeless shelters, group homes, prisons and other facilities would get the shots.Healthy children, young adults and everyone else would not get the first vaccinations, but would be able to get them once supplies increase.The panel of experts described “a moral imperative” to lessen the heavy disease burden of COVID-19 on Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Alaska Natives, and suggested state and local authorities could target vulnerable neighborhoods using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The National Academies will solicit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nap.edu/vaccine/">public comments</a>&nbsp;on the plan through Friday.There’s a good reason so many COVID-19 vaccines are in development.“The first vaccines that come out are probably not going to be the best vaccines,” Dr. Nicole Lurie, who helped lead pandemic planning under the Obama administration, said at a University of Minnesota vaccine symposium.There’s no guarantee that any of the leading candidates will pan out — and the bar is higher than for COVID-19 treatments, because these vaccines will be given to healthy people. Final testing, experts stress, must be in large numbers of people to know if they’re safe enough for mass vaccinations.They’re made in a wide variety of ways, each with pros and cons. One problem: Most of the leading candidates are being tested with two doses, which lengthens the time required to get an answer — and, if one works, to fully vaccinate people.Another: They’re all shots. Vaccine experts are closely watching development of some nasal-spray alternatives that just might begin the first step of human testing later this year — late to the race, but possibly advantageous against a virus that sneaks into the airways.For now, here’s a scorecard of vaccines that already have begun or are getting close to final-stage tests:GENETIC CODE VACCINESThe Moderna and Pfizer candidates began Phase 3 testing in late July.Neither uses the actual coronavirus. Instead, they’re made with the genetic code for the aptly named “spike” protein that coats the surface of the coronavirus. Inject the vaccine containing that code, called mRNA, and the body’s cells will make some harmless spike protein — just enough for the immune system to respond, priming it to react if it later encounters the real virus.These mRNA vaccines are easier and faster to make than traditional vaccines, but it’s a new and unproven technology.TROJAN HORSE VACCINESBritain’s Oxford University and AstraZeneca are making what scientists call a “viral vector” vaccine but a good analogy is the Trojan horse. The shots are made with a harmless virus — a cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees — that carries the spike protein’s genetic material into the body. Once again, the body produces some spike protein and primes the immune system, but it, too, is a fairly new technology.Two possible competitors are made with different human cold viruses.Shots made by Johnson &amp; Johnson began initial human studies in late July. The company plans to begin Phase 3 testing in September in as many as 60,000 people in the U.S. and elsewhere.China’s government authorized emergency use of CanSino Biologics’ adenovirus shots in the military ahead of any final testing.‘KILLED’ VACCINESMaking vaccines by growing a disease-causing virus and then killing it is a tried-and-true approach — it’s the way Jonas Salk’s famed polio shots were made. China has three so-called “inactivated” vaccine candidates against COVID-19 made this way.Sinovac has final studies of its candidate underway in Brazil and Indonesia. Competitor SinoPharm has announced plans for final testing in some other countries.Safely brewing and then killing the virus takes longer than newer technologies. But inactivated vaccines give the body a sneak peek at the germ itself rather than just that single spike protein.PROTEIN VACCINESNovavax makes “protein subunit” vaccines, growing harmless copies of the coronavirus spike protein in the laboratory and packaging them into virus-sized nanoparticles.There are protein-based vaccines against other diseases, so it’s not as novel a technology as some of its competitors. But it only recently finished its first-step study; the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed aims for advanced testing later in the fall.___

Third virus vaccine reaches major hurdle: final US testing

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that in its second month of Fiscal Year 2021, the State of Kansas continued to see total tax collections performing above estimates.

Total tax collections for August were $543.5 million.&nbsp;<a>That is</a>&nbsp;$40.2 million, or 8.0%, more than the estimate. That is 9.3%, or $46.3 million, ahead of last August, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

“While this news shows that the steps we have taken to protect our economy are working, we have to remain fiscally cautious,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “The state of Kansas is still recovering from COVID-19 and we have to stay vigilant. That means all Kansans should wear a mask, practice social distancing and avoid mass gatherings so we can keep our schools and our businesses open.”

August's individual income tax collections were 12.9%, or $31.0 million, more than the estimate with $271.0 million collected. Compared to the same month last fiscal year, that is a 17.2%, or $39.7 million in growth. Corporate income tax collections were 10.5% more than August of last fiscal year with $7.3 million collected. That is $2.3 million, or 46.9%, more than the estimate.

Retail sales tax collections were 2.5%, or $5.1 million, more than the estimate with $207.1 million collected. That is a $1.8 million growth compared to the same month of last fiscal year. Compensating use tax collections were $12.7 million, or 38.9%, more than last August with $45.3 million collected. That is $9.3 million more than estimated.

So far, the state has collected $95.7 million in compensating use taxes for the fiscal year; a $24.0 million, or 33.6%, increase compared to the same two months of last fiscal year.

"The year-over-year increase in compensating use tax collections demonstrates the importance of increasing the number of registrations by remote sellers,"&nbsp;Secretary Mark Burghart said.&nbsp;"By increasing the number of out-of-state retailer registrations, we create fairness between out-of-state online retailers and main street Kansas."

The state is $35.6 million, or 2.4%, ahead of projections for the year with $1.5 billion in total tax collections for the fiscal year. When comparing total tax collections over the same timeframe to the previous fiscal year, the State of Kansas is $531.0 million, or 53.5%, ahead of Fiscal Year 2020.

Click here to<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F09%2F02_August_Revenue_FY2021_09-01-2020_Final.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C763d5f3043fe4b96b1dc08d84eb5ffd6%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637345890872644213&amp;sdata=pCfg3yBXRgaqee3IfrSFoLwXxlScKM9TwNgUzuJBZ3I%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">&nbsp;find the revenue numbers&nbsp;</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that in its second month of Fiscal Year 2021, the State of Kansas continued to see total tax collections performing above estimates. Total tax collections for August were $543.5 million.&nbsp;<a>That is</a>&nbsp;$40.2 million, or 8.0%, more than the estimate. That is 9.3%, or $46.3 million, ahead of last August, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Revenue.“While this news shows that the steps we have taken to protect our economy are working, we have to remain fiscally cautious,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “The state of Kansas is still recovering from COVID-19 and we have to stay vigilant. That means all Kansans should wear a mask, practice social distancing and avoid mass gatherings so we can keep our schools and our businesses open.”August's individual income tax collections were 12.9%, or $31.0 million, more than the estimate with $271.0 million collected. Compared to the same month last fiscal year, that is a 17.2%, or $39.7 million in growth. Corporate income tax collections were 10.5% more than August of last fiscal year with $7.3 million collected. That is $2.3 million, or 46.9%, more than the estimate.Retail sales tax collections were 2.5%, or $5.1 million, more than the estimate with $207.1 million collected. That is a $1.8 million growth compared to the same month of last fiscal year. Compensating use tax collections were $12.7 million, or 38.9%, more than last August with $45.3 million collected. That is $9.3 million more than estimated.So far, the state has collected $95.7 million in compensating use taxes for the fiscal year; a $24.0 million, or 33.6%, increase compared to the same two months of last fiscal year."The year-over-year increase in compensating use tax collections demonstrates the importance of increasing the number of registrations by remote sellers,"&nbsp;Secretary Mark Burghart said.&nbsp;"By increasing the number of out-of-state retailer registrations, we create fairness between out-of-state online retailers and main street Kansas."The state is $35.6 million, or 2.4%, ahead of projections for the year with $1.5 billion in total tax collections for the fiscal year. When comparing total tax collections over the same timeframe to the previous fiscal year, the State of Kansas is $531.0 million, or 53.5%, ahead of Fiscal Year 2020.Click here to<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F09%2F02_August_Revenue_FY2021_09-01-2020_Final.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C763d5f3043fe4b96b1dc08d84eb5ffd6%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637345890872644213&amp;sdata=pCfg3yBXRgaqee3IfrSFoLwXxlScKM9TwNgUzuJBZ3I%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">&nbsp;find the revenue numbers&nbsp;</a>

Kansas tax collections $40.2 million above estimates

By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-01/kansas-foster-families-are-still-adjusting-to-the-pandemics-technological-demands">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — When school buildings across Kansas shut 
down in March, parents and students had to adjust to shorter class 
times, Zoom sessions and take-home packets.

Meanwhile, families in the foster care system faced <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-07/coronavirus-is-the-latest-strain-on-kansas-foster-families" target="_blank">extra challenges</a>: keeping up with training sessions, therapy appointments and social worker visits.

School
 is already hard enough for many foster kids. They’re more likely to 
have mental health concerns that need treatment, and learning disorders 
or disabilities that require special education plans.

Many of 
those families found themselves struggling to take care of those needs 
online, Kansas foster care agencies report. Some families relied on 
their phones for internet access, while others used hotspots provided by
 schools. And kinship families — they take in foster children who are 
relatives — are even more likely to struggle with finding the technology
 they need.

At first, many families struggled with having fast 
enough internet to access virtual classes and appointments, said Denise 
Cross, president and CEO of Cornerstones of Care, an organization that 
contracts with the state to provide foster care services. On top of 
that, many parents taking care of foster kids didn’t have computers and 
had to rely on their cellphones for internet access and potential costs 
for using more data.

Kinship families are especially likely to 
lack laptops or other devices for school because they tend to be 
lower-income. While the state has strict income requirements for foster 
families who aren’t related to the children they take care of, those 
requirements aren’t as strict kinship families.

“There’s a set of... relative homes that really do not have that consistent access,” Cross said.

The
 end result could be that children with high needs fall even further 
behind than their peers during a time of disrupted routines and limited 
social interaction.

“Our foster youth … tend to have widening 
learning gaps just because of the disruption and the trauma that they’ve
 experienced,” Cross said. “The platforms that everyone is pivoting and 
turning to, it just creates additional challenges.”

Adequate <a href="https://sunflowerstateradio.com/2019/08/05/new-kansas-broadband-map-shows-internet-accessibility-and-the-areas-sans-service-may-surprise-you/" target="_blank">access to broadband</a>
 is a prominent issue in the rural parts of Kansas, where some residents
 don’t have internet service fast enough to support video conferencing. 
Service can also be patchy in some of the state’s largest urban 
counties. A <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-19-44A1.pdf" target="_blank">2019 report</a>
 from the Federal Communications Commission shows that 28% of rural 
Kansas households surveyed didn’t have internet speeds faster than 25 
megabits per second, compared to only 2% of urban Kansas households.

But
 through the spring and summer, many school districts gave Wi-Fi 
hotspots, computers or tablets to families who needed them, foster care 
agencies said. Districts also gave assignments on paper to students who 
didn’t have internet access. Plus, many schools in rural areas are 
holding at least some in-person classes because the number of cases in 
those places is relatively low.

While access to devices has 
improved, children with special needs and mental health conditions — 
including many foster children — still might have trouble getting the 
help they need, said Jessica Lane, an assistant professor of special 
education, counseling and student affairs at Kansas State University.

“Schools have naturally become the de facto mental health provider,” she said.

Students’ mental health may have been hurt by the pandemic, Lane said, even if it may be too early to tell exactly how.

“Teachers are seeing that there’s a growing level of trauma,” she said.

Some
 schools have been providing mental health services over video, Lane 
said. And some have been providing counseling and special ed lessons in 
person in a socially distanced way, said Linda Arthington of St. Francis
 Ministries, one of the state’s largest foster care providers. Students 
with learning disorders or trauma in their pasts, who may already have 
trouble focusing, might be struggling even more with learning from home.

“Sometimes they just need that one-on-one,” Arthington said. “A lot of them need structure.”

For
 now, she said, so much has changed since the spring that it’s hard to 
tell how foster students will fare in school, whether they attend in 
person, online or in a combination of the two Families with multiple 
kids and adults working from home will soon find out whether their 
internet speeds can handle the new school year.

“Over the next month,” Arthington said, “we’ll start learning a lot more.”

Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1598974145804.png" alt="Many school districts have provided families with Wi-fi hotspots and other devices to help with online learning. But foster children are more likely to have learning disorders or mental health conditions that make virtual learning hard. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Many school districts have provided families with Wi-fi hotspots and other devices to help with online learning. But foster children are more likely to have learning disorders or mental health conditions that make virtual learning hard. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-01/kansas-foster-families-are-still-adjusting-to-the-pandemics-technological-demands">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — When school buildings across Kansas shut 
down in March, parents and students had to adjust to shorter class 
times, Zoom sessions and take-home packets.Meanwhile, families in the foster care system faced <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-07/coronavirus-is-the-latest-strain-on-kansas-foster-families" target="_blank">extra challenges</a>: keeping up with training sessions, therapy appointments and social worker visits.School
 is already hard enough for many foster kids. They’re more likely to 
have mental health concerns that need treatment, and learning disorders 
or disabilities that require special education plans.Many of 
those families found themselves struggling to take care of those needs 
online, Kansas foster care agencies report. Some families relied on 
their phones for internet access, while others used hotspots provided by
 schools. And kinship families — they take in foster children who are 
relatives — are even more likely to struggle with finding the technology
 they need.At first, many families struggled with having fast 
enough internet to access virtual classes and appointments, said Denise 
Cross, president and CEO of Cornerstones of Care, an organization that 
contracts with the state to provide foster care services. On top of 
that, many parents taking care of foster kids didn’t have computers and 
had to rely on their cellphones for internet access and potential costs 
for using more data.Kinship families are especially likely to 
lack laptops or other devices for school because they tend to be 
lower-income. While the state has strict income requirements for foster 
families who aren’t related to the children they take care of, those 
requirements aren’t as strict kinship families.“There’s a set of... relative homes that really do not have that consistent access,” Cross said.The
 end result could be that children with high needs fall even further 
behind than their peers during a time of disrupted routines and limited 
social interaction.“Our foster youth … tend to have widening 
learning gaps just because of the disruption and the trauma that they’ve
 experienced,” Cross said. “The platforms that everyone is pivoting and 
turning to, it just creates additional challenges.”<h2>Mental health and special ed</h2>Adequate <a href="https://sunflowerstateradio.com/2019/08/05/new-kansas-broadband-map-shows-internet-accessibility-and-the-areas-sans-service-may-surprise-you/" target="_blank">access to broadband</a>
 is a prominent issue in the rural parts of Kansas, where some residents
 don’t have internet service fast enough to support video conferencing. 
Service can also be patchy in some of the state’s largest urban 
counties. A <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-19-44A1.pdf" target="_blank">2019 report</a>
 from the Federal Communications Commission shows that 28% of rural 
Kansas households surveyed didn’t have internet speeds faster than 25 
megabits per second, compared to only 2% of urban Kansas households.But
 through the spring and summer, many school districts gave Wi-Fi 
hotspots, computers or tablets to families who needed them, foster care 
agencies said. Districts also gave assignments on paper to students who 
didn’t have internet access. Plus, many schools in rural areas are 
holding at least some in-person classes because the number of cases in 
those places is relatively low.While access to devices has 
improved, children with special needs and mental health conditions — 
including many foster children — still might have trouble getting the 
help they need, said Jessica Lane, an assistant professor of special 
education, counseling and student affairs at Kansas State University.“Schools have naturally become the de facto mental health provider,” she said.Students’ mental health may have been hurt by the pandemic, Lane said, even if it may be too early to tell exactly how.“Teachers are seeing that there’s a growing level of trauma,” she said.Some
 schools have been providing mental health services over video, Lane 
said. And some have been providing counseling and special ed lessons in 
person in a socially distanced way, said Linda Arthington of St. Francis
 Ministries, one of the state’s largest foster care providers. Students 
with learning disorders or trauma in their pasts, who may already have 
trouble focusing, might be struggling even more with learning from home.“Sometimes they just need that one-on-one,” Arthington said. “A lot of them need structure.”For
 now, she said, so much has changed since the spring that it’s hard to 
tell how foster students will fare in school, whether they attend in 
person, online or in a combination of the two Families with multiple 
kids and adults working from home will soon find out whether their 
internet speeds can handle the new school year.“Over the next month,” Arthington said, “we’ll start learning a lot more.”Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.

Kan. foster families still adjusting to pandemic’s tech demands

WASHINGTON —U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will extend summer meal program operators to continue serving free meals to all children into the fall months, according to a media release from USDA.

This unprecedented move will help ensure – no matter what the situation is on-the-ground – children have access to nutritious food as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA has been and continues to be committed to using the Congressionally appropriated funding that has been made available.

“As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,”&nbsp;said Secretary Perdue. “We appreciate the incredible efforts by our school foodservice professionals year in and year out, but this year we have an unprecedented situation. This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children – whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually –&nbsp; so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments.”

“School Nutrition Association greatly appreciates USDA addressing the critical challenges shared by our members serving students on the frontlines these first weeks of school. These waivers will allow school nutrition professionals to focus on nourishing hungry children for success, rather than scrambling to process paperwork and verify eligibility in the midst of a pandemic."&nbsp;said School Nutrition Association (SNA) President Reggie Ross, SNS. "We look forward to continuing our dialogue with USDA to ensure school meal programs are equipped to meet the future needs of America’s students.”&nbsp;

“The announcement brings a huge relief to our school meal program and the community we serve,”&nbsp;said Lindsay Aguilar, RD, SNS, Director of Food Services for Tucson Unified School District, AZ. “Many of our families who might not qualify for free meals are still going through a tough time and are worried about how to keep food on the table. Now their children will have one less thing to worry about as they adjust to evolving in-school and remote learning scenarios. These waivers also eliminate a massive administrative burden for our school nutrition staff, allowing them to focus on feeding children.”&nbsp;

“These waivers will ensure every hungry child in the city of Cleveland has access to healthy school meals, while eliminating the burdensome, time consuming process of verifying and documenting enrollment,”&nbsp;said Chris Burkhardt, SNS, Executive Director of School Nutrition for Cleveland Metropolitan School District, OH. “Our school nutrition team had to develop and implement a bar code verification system this fall that has greatly complicated and slowed service. With these waivers, we’ll be able to speed up meal distribution for the safety of staff and families and ensure no student is denied access to healthy meals.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1598979151835.png" alt="On Monday, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue at Bonaire Elementary School in Georgia&nbsp; announced USDA will extend free school meals for kids through December 31st, 2020.&nbsp; Photo courtesy USDA" />
 <figcaption>On Monday, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue at Bonaire Elementary School in Georgia&nbsp; announced USDA will extend free school meals for kids through December 31st, 2020.&nbsp; Photo courtesy USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will extend summer meal program operators to continue serving free meals to all children into the fall months, according to a media release from USDA.This unprecedented move will help ensure – no matter what the situation is on-the-ground – children have access to nutritious food as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA has been and continues to be committed to using the Congressionally appropriated funding that has been made available.“As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,”&nbsp;said Secretary Perdue. “We appreciate the incredible efforts by our school foodservice professionals year in and year out, but this year we have an unprecedented situation. This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children – whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually –&nbsp; so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1598979100594.png" alt="&nbsp;photo&nbsp; courtesy USDA" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;photo&nbsp; courtesy USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>“School Nutrition Association greatly appreciates USDA addressing the critical challenges shared by our members serving students on the frontlines these first weeks of school. These waivers will allow school nutrition professionals to focus on nourishing hungry children for success, rather than scrambling to process paperwork and verify eligibility in the midst of a pandemic."&nbsp;said School Nutrition Association (SNA) President Reggie Ross, SNS. "We look forward to continuing our dialogue with USDA to ensure school meal programs are equipped to meet the future needs of America’s students.”&nbsp;“The announcement brings a huge relief to our school meal program and the community we serve,”&nbsp;said Lindsay Aguilar, RD, SNS, Director of Food Services for Tucson Unified School District, AZ. “Many of our families who might not qualify for free meals are still going through a tough time and are worried about how to keep food on the table. Now their children will have one less thing to worry about as they adjust to evolving in-school and remote learning scenarios. These waivers also eliminate a massive administrative burden for our school nutrition staff, allowing them to focus on feeding children.”&nbsp;“These waivers will ensure every hungry child in the city of Cleveland has access to healthy school meals, while eliminating the burdensome, time consuming process of verifying and documenting enrollment,”&nbsp;said Chris Burkhardt, SNS, Executive Director of School Nutrition for Cleveland Metropolitan School District, OH. “Our school nutrition team had to develop and implement a bar code verification system this fall that has greatly complicated and slowed service. With these waivers, we’ll be able to speed up meal distribution for the safety of staff and families and ensure no student is denied access to healthy meals.”&nbsp;

USDA: Free meals for kids extended through Dec. 31

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City have identified a man who was shot to death in his garage early this week.

Andrew Dickie, 35, died in the shooting that happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday along The Paseo, police said in a news release. Officers sent to the house found a man, later identified as Dickie, with gunshot wounds inside the home’s garage. Dickie was declared dead at the scene.

Witnesses told police that two suspects pulled up to the home in a vehicle and talked with Dickie before they shot him. Detectives canvassed the area looking for other witnesses and were working to get a description of the suspects, police said. No arrests had been reported by Tuesday morning.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City investigators were searching for two suspects in the killing of a man who was shot to death in his garage, police said.

The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday along The Paseo, police said in a news release. Officers sent to the house found a man with gunshot wounds inside the home’s garage. The victim was declared dead at the scene. His name had not been released by Monday morning.

Witnesses told police that two suspects pulled up to the home in a vehicle and talked with the victim before they shot him. Detectives canvassed the area looking for other witnesses and are working to get a description of the suspects, police said. No arrests had been reported by Monday morning.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City have identified a man who was shot to death in his garage early this week.Andrew Dickie, 35, died in the shooting that happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday along The Paseo, police said in a news release. Officers sent to the house found a man, later identified as Dickie, with gunshot wounds inside the home’s garage. Dickie was declared dead at the scene.Witnesses told police that two suspects pulled up to the home in a vehicle and talked with Dickie before they shot him. Detectives canvassed the area looking for other witnesses and were working to get a description of the suspects, police said. No arrests had been reported by Tuesday morning.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City investigators were searching for two suspects in the killing of a man who was shot to death in his garage, police said.The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday along The Paseo, police said in a news release. Officers sent to the house found a man with gunshot wounds inside the home’s garage. The victim was declared dead at the scene. His name had not been released by Monday morning.Witnesses told police that two suspects pulled up to the home in a vehicle and talked with the victim before they shot him. Detectives canvassed the area looking for other witnesses and are working to get a description of the suspects, police said. No arrests had been reported by Monday morning.

KC police ID man shot to death in his garage

COWLEY COUNTY — A suspect accused in a December shooting death in Winfield is now in jail in Kansas. Deuntae Markese Markham, 21, Wichita, arrived in Cowley County Sunday and is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to Undersheriff Christina McDonald.

On August 3, San Francisco police arrested Markham in connection with the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Gabriel Luna in the early morning hours of December 18, 2019 at  the Honor Apartments at Southwestern College in the 1700 Block of Fowler in Winfield.&nbsp;He died from his injuries two days later in a Wichita hospital. &nbsp;

On July 2,&nbsp;Markham was charged with suspected second-degree murder for the unintentional but reckless killing of Luna.

Markham waived extradition during a court appearance in California and&nbsp; a private firm transported him from San Francisco to Kansas on Sunday. A first court appearance in Kansas has not been scheduled as of late Monday, according to McDonald.

COWLEY COUNTY— A Kansas man accused in a fatal December shooting in Winfield will be returning to Kansas from a jail in northern California.

Deuntae Markese Markham, 21, Wichita,&nbsp;waived extradition, according to Cowley County Sheriff Dave Faletti. Authorities are making arrangements to have him transported to Kansas.

Markham is being held without bond in San Francisco in connection with the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Gabriel Luna in the early morning hours of December 18, 2019 at&nbsp; the Honor Apartments at Southwestern College in the 1700 Block of Fowler in Winfield.

EMS transported Luna to the emergency room at William Newton Memorial Hospital and he was then transported by air ambulance to a Wichita area hospital and died December 20.

Markham, who is being held on requested charges of 2nd degree murder.

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal December shooting have a suspect in custody.

Authorities in Northern California arrested Deuntae Markese Markham, 21, Wichita, on a Cowley County District Court warrant, according Cowley County Sheriff Dave Faletti.

Markham, who is being held on requested charges of 2nd degree murder is scheduled for a hearing this week, according to online jail records.

Depending on whether Markham fights extradition, Faletti expects to have him transported to Kansas "in a timely manner."&nbsp;

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and are asking the public for help with information.

Just after 1 a.m. December 18, Winfield Fire/EMS and Winfield Police Department responded to the Honor Apartments at Southwestern College in the 1700 Block of Fowler for a report of a gunshot victim, according to Chris Hood with the city of Winfield.

Upon investigation, it was determined that the resident of the apartment later identified as 32-year-old Gabriel Luna was the victim of the gunshot wound. He was transported to the emergency room at William Newton Memorial Hospital and then transported by air ambulance to a Wichita Kansas area hospital.&nbsp; On Friday Luna died of his injuries, according to Hood.

The shooting is now being investigating as a homicide.

Anyone who has knowledge about the shooting or who may have witnessed the shooting to contact the Winfield Police Department at (620)221-5555 or Cowley County Crime Stoppers at either 221-7777 or through their website which may be accessed through the Cowley County website.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598903832758.png" alt="Markham photo Cowley County" />
 <figcaption>Markham photo Cowley County</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY — A suspect accused in a December shooting death in Winfield is now in jail in Kansas. Deuntae Markese Markham, 21, Wichita, arrived in Cowley County Sunday and is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to Undersheriff Christina McDonald.On August 3, San Francisco police arrested Markham in connection with the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Gabriel Luna in the early morning hours of December 18, 2019 at the Honor Apartments at Southwestern College in the 1700 Block of Fowler in Winfield.&nbsp;He died from his injuries two days later in a Wichita hospital. &nbsp;On July 2,&nbsp;Markham was charged with suspected second-degree murder for the unintentional but reckless killing of Luna.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597081657197.png" alt="Honor apartments photo courtesy Southwestern College" />
 <figcaption>Honor apartments photo courtesy Southwestern College</figcaption>
 </figure>Markham waived extradition during a court appearance in California and&nbsp; a private firm transported him from San Francisco to Kansas on Sunday. A first court appearance in Kansas has not been scheduled as of late Monday, according to McDonald.---------COWLEY COUNTY— A Kansas man accused in a fatal December shooting in Winfield will be returning to Kansas from a jail in northern California.Deuntae Markese Markham, 21, Wichita,&nbsp;waived extradition, according to Cowley County Sheriff Dave Faletti. Authorities are making arrangements to have him transported to Kansas.Markham is being held without bond in San Francisco in connection with the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Gabriel Luna in the early morning hours of December 18, 2019 at&nbsp; the Honor Apartments at Southwestern College in the 1700 Block of Fowler in Winfield.EMS transported Luna to the emergency room at William Newton Memorial Hospital and he was then transported by air ambulance to a Wichita area hospital and died December 20.Markham, who is being held on requested charges of 2nd degree murder.-----------COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal December shooting have a suspect in custody.Authorities in Northern California arrested Deuntae Markese Markham, 21, Wichita, on a Cowley County District Court warrant, according Cowley County Sheriff Dave Faletti.Markham is being held without bond in San Francisco in connection with the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Gabriel Luna in the early morning hours of December 18, 2019 at&nbsp; the Honor Apartments at Southwestern College in the 1700 Block of Fowler in Winfield.EMS transported Luna to the emergency room at William Newton Memorial Hospital and he was then transported by air ambulance to a Wichita area hospital and died December 20.Markham, who is being held on requested charges of 2nd degree murder is scheduled for a hearing this week, according to online jail records.Depending on whether Markham fights extradition, Faletti expects to have him transported to Kansas "in a timely manner."&nbsp;-------COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and are asking the public for help with information.Just after 1 a.m. December 18, Winfield Fire/EMS and Winfield Police Department responded to the Honor Apartments at Southwestern College in the 1700 Block of Fowler for a report of a gunshot victim, according to Chris Hood with the city of Winfield.Upon investigation, it was determined that the resident of the apartment later identified as 32-year-old Gabriel Luna was the victim of the gunshot wound. He was transported to the emergency room at William Newton Memorial Hospital and then transported by air ambulance to a Wichita Kansas area hospital.&nbsp; On Friday Luna died of his injuries, according to Hood.The shooting is now being investigating as a homicide.Anyone who has knowledge about the shooting or who may have witnessed the shooting to contact the Winfield Police Department at (620)221-5555 or Cowley County Crime Stoppers at either 221-7777 or through their website which may be accessed through the Cowley County website.&nbsp;------------

Murder suspect moved from Calif. to Kansas jail

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit and run accident that sent a woman to a hospital with critical injuries.

Just after 8:30 p.m. Monday, police responded to a hit and run involving a pedestrian at 21st&nbsp;and Wellington in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a 54-year-old woman in the roadway in critical condition.&nbsp; EMS transported her to an area hospital for medical treatment and and she remains hospitalized, according to Davidson.

The investigation revealed a white 1993 Chevy Van was traveling east on 21st&nbsp;Street North and struck the woman who was crossing 21st&nbsp;on Wellington from the north to the south.&nbsp; The driver then fled the scene.

Officers later located the van unoccupied at 13th&nbsp;and Waco in the parking lot of business.

If anyone has any information on this case, they can contact WPD accident investigators at 316-350-3685, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1598970879857.png" alt="Police on the scene of Monday evening's investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of Monday evening's investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit and run accident that sent a woman to a hospital with critical injuries.Just after 8:30 p.m. Monday, police responded to a hit and run involving a pedestrian at 21st&nbsp;and Wellington in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 54-year-old woman in the roadway in critical condition.&nbsp; EMS transported her to an area hospital for medical treatment and and she remains hospitalized, according to Davidson.The investigation revealed a white 1993 Chevy Van was traveling east on 21st&nbsp;Street North and struck the woman who was crossing 21st&nbsp;on Wellington from the north to the south.&nbsp; The driver then fled the scene.Officers later located the van unoccupied at 13th&nbsp;and Waco in the parking lot of business.If anyone has any information on this case, they can contact WPD accident investigators at 316-350-3685, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Police: Kan. woman hit by van that fled the scene

TOPEKA — Kansas legislators are questioning the termination of two high ranking leaders of the Kansas Highway Patrol.

On July 23, Governor Laura Kelly announced Majors Scott Harrington and Josh Kellerman were no longer employed with the agency after an independent investigation into complaints of sexual harassment against Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Herman Jones found the complaints to be unsubstantiated.

According to a social media post from Republican Representative <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/members/rep_owens_stephen_1/">Steve Owens of Hesston</a>, "We have requested legislative post audit to do a brief look into this situation. Legislators will vote on Wednesday whether or not to approve the audit. I am confident it will get approved.&nbsp;Ultimately, if the LPA finds "smoke" we will send in the "fire brigade" for a deep dive to extinguish the flames!!"

TOPEKA&nbsp;-&nbsp; Majors&nbsp;Scott Harrington&nbsp;and&nbsp;Josh Kellerman&nbsp;are no longer employed with the Kansas Highway Patrol, according to a media release from the governor's office.

 The staff changes are part of Superintendent Colonel Herman Jones’ efforts to make the Kansas Highway Patrol as effective as possible in achieving the agency’s mission.

“Since my appointment last year, I have prioritized building a culture and a structure within our agency that will help our troopers best serve the people of Kansas,” Colonel Jones said. “I’m confident that the Kansas Highway Patrol will continue to grow stronger as an organization and improve our ability to carry out our mission.”&nbsp;

As a result of Governor Kelly’s and Colonel Jones’s commitment to a successful and transparent Kansas Highway Patrol, the Governor also released summaries of an internal and an independent investigation into complaints against Colonel Jones. The first investigation was conducted by the Department of Administration. The firm of Fisher, Patterson, Sayler &amp; Smith, LLP was then retained to conduct a thorough and independent investigation, to ensure a review of the complaints that was separate from the Kelly Administration.

The investigation conducted by the Department of Administration provided an assessment, rather than a judgement of the accusations. The independent investigation, which was concluded this week, found the complaints of sexual harassment against Colonel Jones were unsubstantiated.

“My administration has a responsibility to make sure the agency and leadership are living up to the values that Kansans expect,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Kansas Highway Patrol is our state’s premiere law enforcement agency, and they have a responsibility to meet the standard that comes with this position. While my confidence in the men and women who make up our force of troopers has never wavered, there is no question that there were cultural issues and a lack of accountability that go back years. I believed when I appointed him, that Colonel Jones was the right man for the job and my belief has been reaffirmed.&nbsp; He has my full support.”

Three primary complaints regarding Colonel Jones were raised and investigated. In order to protect the identities and privacy of the complainants in the investigation, who are valued employees still serving at the Kansas Highway Patrol, the investigations have been summarized below.&nbsp;

TOPEKA — Kansas legislators are questioning the termination of two high ranking leaders of the Kansas Highway Patrol.On July 23, Governor Laura Kelly announced Majors Scott Harrington and Josh Kellerman were no longer employed with the agency after an independent investigation into complaints of sexual harassment against Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Herman Jones found the complaints to be unsubstantiated.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Frep.owens%2Fposts%2F945240249289741&width=500" width="500" height="1005" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>According to a social media post from Republican Representative <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/members/rep_owens_stephen_1/">Steve Owens of Hesston</a>, "We have requested legislative post audit to do a brief look into this situation. Legislators will vote on Wednesday whether or not to approve the audit. I am confident it will get approved.&nbsp;Ultimately, if the LPA finds "smoke" we will send in the "fire brigade" for a deep dive to extinguish the flames!!"------------TOPEKA&nbsp;-&nbsp; Majors&nbsp;Scott Harrington&nbsp;and&nbsp;Josh Kellerman&nbsp;are no longer employed with the Kansas Highway Patrol, according to a media release from the governor's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595516989688.png" alt="Colonel Herman Jones-photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Colonel Herman Jones-photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure> The staff changes are part of Superintendent Colonel Herman Jones’ efforts to make the Kansas Highway Patrol as effective as possible in achieving the agency’s mission.“Since my appointment last year, I have prioritized building a culture and a structure within our agency that will help our troopers best serve the people of Kansas,” Colonel Jones said. “I’m confident that the Kansas Highway Patrol will continue to grow stronger as an organization and improve our ability to carry out our mission.”&nbsp;As a result of Governor Kelly’s and Colonel Jones’s commitment to a successful and transparent Kansas Highway Patrol, the Governor also released summaries of an internal and an independent investigation into complaints against Colonel Jones. The first investigation was conducted by the Department of Administration. The firm of Fisher, Patterson, Sayler &amp; Smith, LLP was then retained to conduct a thorough and independent investigation, to ensure a review of the complaints that was separate from the Kelly Administration.The investigation conducted by the Department of Administration provided an assessment, rather than a judgement of the accusations. The independent investigation, which was concluded this week, found the complaints of sexual harassment against Colonel Jones were unsubstantiated.“My administration has a responsibility to make sure the agency and leadership are living up to the values that Kansans expect,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Kansas Highway Patrol is our state’s premiere law enforcement agency, and they have a responsibility to meet the standard that comes with this position. While my confidence in the men and women who make up our force of troopers has never wavered, there is no question that there were cultural issues and a lack of accountability that go back years. I believed when I appointed him, that Colonel Jones was the right man for the job and my belief has been reaffirmed.&nbsp; He has my full support.”Three primary complaints regarding Colonel Jones were raised and investigated. In order to protect the identities and privacy of the complainants in the investigation, who are valued employees still serving at the Kansas Highway Patrol, the investigations have been summarized below.&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Complaints of sexual harassment in the form of unwanted/unwelcome physical contact and verbal comments.</li><li>These complaints were raised by three KHP employees and generally alleged that Colonel Jones greeted the employees by slapping their backs, shaking their hands, patting their shoulders, hugging, standing close to the employee, and sometimes making awkward comments that were not of a sexual nature.</li><li>Investigators interviewed the complainants, other witnesses, and Colonel Jones. The employees did not allege that the physical contact or comments were of a sexual nature. Colonel Jones was interviewed and indicated that he did not know the physical nature of the greetings made the employees uncomfortable and would avoid such contact in the future.</li><li>The investigation exonerates Col. Jones with respect to the complaints of sexual harassment/discrimination.</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Complaints of misuse of a state aircraft.</li><li>Another complaint alleged that Colonel Jones misused a state aircraft for his family to travel on vacation.</li><li>Investigators interviewed witnesses, obtained flight logs, and interviewed Colonel Jones.</li><li>The investigation determined that Colonel Jones has used a state aircraft only twice. In Spring 2019 he flew to Pratt for a funeral of a law enforcement officer in Greensburg and flew back to Wichita for a graduation ceremony. This was state business and an appropriate use of the aircraft. Colonel Jones also used a state aircraft in July 2019 to return early from a vacation in Eagle, Colorado, so that he could attend a Governor’s Cabinet meeting. The vacation had been scheduled and paid for long before Colonel Jones was appointed KHP Superintendent, and the Governor’s Cabinet meeting was mandatory for all Cabinet members. Colonel Jones left his vacation several days early to return to work and none of his family accompanied him on the flight. This was also an appropriate use of the aircraft for state business.</li>
 </ol><ol>
 <li>Complaint of gender discrimination.</li><li>Another complaint involved a KHP employee arising from a number of unrelated administrative actions. The employee did not initially feel any of the actions were motivated by gender discrimination. The employee raised the issue to Human Resources after another employee suggested an action may have been the result of gender bias.</li><li>The investigators interviewed the employee, Colonel Jones, and other witnesses.</li><li>The investigation determined Colonel Jones’ administrative actions and decisions were not motivated by gender discrimination but were instead consistent with various KHP policy and accountability priorities.</li>
 </ol>

Lawmakers question termination of 2 KHP troopers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to charges related to illegally selling 77 firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons, according to United State's Attorney Timothy Garrison.

“Our gun laws exist to make it hard for violent criminals to obtain the tools of their trade,” Garrison said. &nbsp;“Felons, illegal aliens, domestic abusers, drug users, and other prohibited persons cannot purchase or possess firearms — unless someone breaks the law to put guns in their hands. &nbsp;These criminals may not pull the trigger, but they profit by making violent crime possible in our neighborhoods.”

James Samuels, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels, who has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018, remains in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

By pleading guilty today, Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.

Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.

Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.

Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.

The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in today’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Samuels acknowledges that he has the ability to pay a fine and agrees that $11,282 seized by law enforcement officers during the execution of the search warrant at his residence will be applied to any fine imposed by the court.

Under federal statutes, Samuels is subject to a sentence of up to 60 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582215629955.png" alt="Former Kansas City Fire Captain James Samuels (L) admitted&nbsp; illegally buying and selling guns. One was used in a 2016 murder. Photo shows Samuels during a recognition event courtesy Greater Kansas City Firefighter's Assn.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Former Kansas City Fire Captain James Samuels (L) admitted&nbsp; illegally buying and selling guns. One was used in a 2016 murder. Photo shows Samuels during a recognition event courtesy Greater Kansas City Firefighter's Assn.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to charges related to illegally selling 77 firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons, according to United State's Attorney Timothy Garrison.“Our gun laws exist to make it hard for violent criminals to obtain the tools of their trade,” Garrison said. &nbsp;“Felons, illegal aliens, domestic abusers, drug users, and other prohibited persons cannot purchase or possess firearms — unless someone breaks the law to put guns in their hands. &nbsp;These criminals may not pull the trigger, but they profit by making violent crime possible in our neighborhoods.”James Samuels, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels, who has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018, remains in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.By pleading guilty today, Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in today’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Samuels acknowledges that he has the ability to pay a fine and agrees that $11,282 seized by law enforcement officers during the execution of the search warrant at his residence will be applied to any fine imposed by the court.Under federal statutes, Samuels is subject to a sentence of up to 60 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Former KC fire captain admits illegally buying, selling guns

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not “backpedal” on the number of deaths caused by COVID-19, reducing the figure from nearly 154,000 to just over 9,000, as social media posts claimed.

The term “Only 6%” trended widely on Twitter over the weekend as supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory promoted tweets that falsely suggested <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR3-wrg3tTKK5-9tOHPGAHWFVO3DfslkJ0KsDEPQpWmPbKtp6EsoVV2Qs1Q">the CDC had updated</a> its records to show that only 6% of U.S. deaths tied to COVID-19 were legitimate. President Donald Trump was among those who tweeted the information, which was later taken down by Twitter for violating platform rules.

The posts, which received hundreds of thousands of shares online, were based on a regularly updated CDC data table showing underlying conditions for those who died of COVID-19. The conditions included high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, as well as problems that are caused by COVID-19 itself, such as respiratory failure and pneumonia.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Comorbidities" target="_blank">CDC data table&nbsp;</a>is based on an analysis of death certificates that mention COVID-19 as a cause. For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned, the CDC notes.

The other 94% list COVID-19 and other conditions together. Among those deaths, there were, on average, 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death, the public health agency said.

As of Aug. 26, the CDC said, there were 161,332 deaths where COVID-19 was listed on the death certificate. Social media users over the weekend posted an older screenshot of the data that showed 153,504 deaths. The posts used the 6% figure to claim the U.S. death toll was much lower — 9,210.

“CDC just backpedaled (quietly) and adjusted the U.S. COVID deaths from 153,504 to 9,210. Admitting that their numbers are so (expletive) that they are off by a whopping 94%,” said a post being shared on Facebook Monday.

But such claims misrepresent the data. A death isn’t excluded from the COVID-19 tally just because the person was obese or had diabetes or dementia. Someone with heart problems can still be killed by COVID-19, and the death certificate could mention both as contributing.

Experts say it’s not surprising that so few people who died from COVID-19 had no underlying conditions listed on their death certificates. It is rare for people not to have multiple medical issues at death.

“The underlying cause of death is the condition that began the chain of events that ultimately led to the person’s death,” Dr. Robert Anderson, who oversees the CDC’s death statistics work, said in a statement. “In 92% of all deaths that mention COVID-19, COVID-19 is listed as the underlying cause of death.”

Also, while death certificates are supposed to list any causes or conditions that contributed, past research has shown that the documents aren’t perfect. Doctors might not know – or specify – all the reasons behind a particular death.

More important, the CDC figures show what medical professionals have been saying since the outset of the pandemic — that the virus tends to have a more severe impact on people with underlying conditions.

For example, people died with diabetes not because of it, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.

“If it hadn’t been for the COVID virus infection, these people would be living today,” he said. “So yes, although they have contributing underlying chronic health factors, it’s still the COVID virus that killed them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598927207022.png" alt="Robert R. Redfield, MD, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a weekend Zoom conference" />
 <figcaption>Robert R. Redfield, MD, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a weekend Zoom conference</figcaption>
 </figure>By BEATRICE DUPUY, Associated PressThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not “backpedal” on the number of deaths caused by COVID-19, reducing the figure from nearly 154,000 to just over 9,000, as social media posts claimed.The term “Only 6%” trended widely on Twitter over the weekend as supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory promoted tweets that falsely suggested <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR3-wrg3tTKK5-9tOHPGAHWFVO3DfslkJ0KsDEPQpWmPbKtp6EsoVV2Qs1Q">the CDC had updated</a> its records to show that only 6% of U.S. deaths tied to COVID-19 were legitimate. President Donald Trump was among those who tweeted the information, which was later taken down by Twitter for violating platform rules.The posts, which received hundreds of thousands of shares online, were based on a regularly updated CDC data table showing underlying conditions for those who died of COVID-19. The conditions included high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, as well as problems that are caused by COVID-19 itself, such as respiratory failure and pneumonia.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Comorbidities" target="_blank">CDC data table&nbsp;</a>is based on an analysis of death certificates that mention COVID-19 as a cause. For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned, the CDC notes.The other 94% list COVID-19 and other conditions together. Among those deaths, there were, on average, 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death, the public health agency said.As of Aug. 26, the CDC said, there were 161,332 deaths where COVID-19 was listed on the death certificate. Social media users over the weekend posted an older screenshot of the data that showed 153,504 deaths. The posts used the 6% figure to claim the U.S. death toll was much lower — 9,210.“CDC just backpedaled (quietly) and adjusted the U.S. COVID deaths from 153,504 to 9,210. Admitting that their numbers are so (expletive) that they are off by a whopping 94%,” said a post being shared on Facebook Monday.But such claims misrepresent the data. A death isn’t excluded from the COVID-19 tally just because the person was obese or had diabetes or dementia. Someone with heart problems can still be killed by COVID-19, and the death certificate could mention both as contributing.Experts say it’s not surprising that so few people who died from COVID-19 had no underlying conditions listed on their death certificates. It is rare for people not to have multiple medical issues at death.“The underlying cause of death is the condition that began the chain of events that ultimately led to the person’s death,” Dr. Robert Anderson, who oversees the CDC’s death statistics work, said in a statement. “In 92% of all deaths that mention COVID-19, COVID-19 is listed as the underlying cause of death.”Also, while death certificates are supposed to list any causes or conditions that contributed, past research has shown that the documents aren’t perfect. Doctors might not know – or specify – all the reasons behind a particular death.More important, the CDC figures show what medical professionals have been saying since the outset of the pandemic — that the virus tends to have a more severe impact on people with underlying conditions.For example, people died with diabetes not because of it, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.“If it hadn’t been for the COVID virus infection, these people would be living today,” he said. “So yes, although they have contributing underlying chronic health factors, it’s still the COVID virus that killed them.”

CDC has not reduced the death count for COVID-19

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday urged local officials to consider using part of federal coronavirus assistance to pay for more drop-off boxes for mail-in ballots.

Kelly said during a Monday press conference that adding drop-off boxes would help keep Kansans safe from COVID-19 and relieve pressure on the postal service ahead of the November election.

The Kansas secretary of state’s office has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/af2fd14acc2be2c94dfa5463d47593cb">offered</a>&nbsp;each county up to two drop-off boxes where people can deposit their absentee ballots.

Kelly said she instructed her staff last week to send a letter to local government officials telling them that they can use a portion of federal coronavirus relief funds to add drop boxes.

The Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 1,564 new confirmed COVID-19 cases since Friday, an increase of 3.81%, to bring the total to 42,612. The department reported an additional three COVID-19-related deaths, to put the pandemic total at 446.

The three-day jump in reported coronavirus cases again gave Kansas its biggest seven-day spike in new cases since the pandemic reached the state in early March.

The average number of new cases for the seven days ending Monday was 602, or 0.5% higher than the previous peak of 599 for the seven days ending Friday.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday urged local officials to consider using part of federal coronavirus assistance to pay for more drop-off boxes for mail-in ballots.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F356732891998559%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Kelly said during a Monday press conference that adding drop-off boxes would help keep Kansans safe from COVID-19 and relieve pressure on the postal service ahead of the November election.The Kansas secretary of state’s office has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/af2fd14acc2be2c94dfa5463d47593cb">offered</a>&nbsp;each county up to two drop-off boxes where people can deposit their absentee ballots.Kelly said she instructed her staff last week to send a letter to local government officials telling them that they can use a portion of federal coronavirus relief funds to add drop boxes.The Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 1,564 new confirmed COVID-19 cases since Friday, an increase of 3.81%, to bring the total to 42,612. The department reported an additional three COVID-19-related deaths, to put the pandemic total at 446.The three-day jump in reported coronavirus cases again gave Kansas its biggest seven-day spike in new cases since the pandemic reached the state in early March.The average number of new cases for the seven days ending Monday was 602, or 0.5% higher than the previous peak of 599 for the seven days ending Friday.___

🎥 Kansas gov. urges local officials to add ballot drop-off boxes

VINITA, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with the deaths of two people and the disappearance of two teenage girls more than 20 years ago.

Ronnie Busick, 69, Wichita, was sentenced Monday i<a href="https://craigcountyso.com/inmate-search.php?FullName=busick&amp;Search=Search">n Craig County </a>on one count of accessory to murder, said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Brook Arbeitman.

Busick, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2d867480c8bdaafe2d0f6a9db9a005fb">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;in July, could have earned a reduction in his sentence by showing authorities where the bodies of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman were located, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2b48eaf595d69d063f23809078e3d4ff">several searches</a>&nbsp;have not recovered the teens’ remains, Arbeitman said.

Bible and Freeman, who were both 16, haven’t been seen since Dec. 30. 1999, after Freeman’s parents, Danny and Kathy Freeman, were found slain in their burned mobile home in Welch about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of Tulsa.

Busick, of Wichita, Kansas, was arrested and charged in 2018, and investigators say two other suspects are now dead.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1598956739361.png" alt="Busick, who has been jailed in Craig County, Oklahoma since April 2018, was given credit for time served." />
 <figcaption>Busick, who has been jailed in Craig County, Oklahoma since April 2018, was given credit for time served.</figcaption>
 </figure>VINITA, Okla. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with the deaths of two people and the disappearance of two teenage girls more than 20 years ago.Ronnie Busick, 69, Wichita, was sentenced Monday i<a href="https://craigcountyso.com/inmate-search.php?FullName=busick&amp;Search=Search">n Craig County </a>on one count of accessory to murder, said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Brook Arbeitman. Busick, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2d867480c8bdaafe2d0f6a9db9a005fb">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;in July, could have earned a reduction in his sentence by showing authorities where the bodies of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman were located, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2b48eaf595d69d063f23809078e3d4ff">several searches</a>&nbsp;have not recovered the teens’ remains, Arbeitman said.Bible and Freeman, who were both 16, haven’t been seen since Dec. 30. 1999, after Freeman’s parents, Danny and Kathy Freeman, were found slain in their burned mobile home in Welch about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of Tulsa.Busick, of Wichita, Kansas, was arrested and charged in 2018, and investigators say two other suspects are now dead.

Kan. man sentenced for Oklahoma cold case murders

KANSAS CITY, KAN. -&nbsp;An Overland Park woman who owned massage parlors in Olathe and Leawood pleaded guilty today to a federal interstate prostitution charge.

Chunqui Wu, 62, Overland Park, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of transportation with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. 

An indictment alleges Wu operated three massage parlors: Alpha Massage at 116 S. Clairborne, #A, in Olathe, Kan.; A Plus Massage at 527 N. Mur-Len Road, in Olathe, Kan.; and King Spa at 13104 State Line Road in Leawood, Kan.

Wu’s plea agreement says investigators worked with an undercover confidential source who contacted Wu and asked for a job working in Wu’s massage parlors. Wu made statements indicating she allowed her employees to perform sexual services for tips. Other investigators working undercover confirmed that employees in Wu’s massage parlors were offering sexual services to customers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598900345466.png" alt="Wu-photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Wu-photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. -&nbsp;An Overland Park woman who owned massage parlors in Olathe and Leawood pleaded guilty today to a federal interstate prostitution charge.Chunqui Wu, 62, Overland Park, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of transportation with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. An indictment alleges Wu operated three massage parlors: Alpha Massage at 116 S. Clairborne, #A, in Olathe, Kan.; A Plus Massage at 527 N. Mur-Len Road, in Olathe, Kan.; and King Spa at 13104 State Line Road in Leawood, Kan.Wu’s plea agreement says investigators worked with an undercover confidential source who contacted Wu and asked for a job working in Wu’s massage parlors. Wu made statements indicating she allowed her employees to perform sexual services for tips. Other investigators working undercover confirmed that employees in Wu’s massage parlors were offering sexual services to customers.Wu was arrested when she went to the Kansas City International airport in Kansas City, Mo., to meet the undercover confidential source and transport her back to Kansas to work in one of Wu’s massage parlors.Sentencing is set for Nov. 16. Wu could face up to 10 years in federal prison. McAllister commended the Olathe Police Department, the Leawood Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan for their work on the case.