SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating what appears to be an accidental shooting which injured a 10-year-old girl.

Just after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting at a residence in the 600 block of South Saint Paul Avenue in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.

First responders located the 10-year-old, who had a gunshot wound to her upper body.&nbsp; EMS transported her to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

The investigation revealed that a 38-year-old man was handling a gun in a bedroom while she was in an adjoining bathroom.&nbsp; 

While he was handling the gun, it went off, striking the 10-year-old.&nbsp; The girl’s 35-year-old mother was also in the bedroom with the 38-year-old, but she was not injured, according to Wheeler.&nbsp;

Police released no additional details early Thursday.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating what appears to be an accidental shooting which injured a 10-year-old girl.Just after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting at a residence in the 600 block of South Saint Paul Avenue in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.First responders located the 10-year-old, who had a gunshot wound to her upper body.&nbsp; EMS transported her to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.The investigation revealed that a 38-year-old man was handling a gun in a bedroom while she was in an adjoining bathroom.&nbsp; While he was handling the gun, it went off, striking the 10-year-old.&nbsp; The girl’s 35-year-old mother was also in the bedroom with the 38-year-old, but she was not injured, according to Wheeler.&nbsp;Police released no additional details early Thursday.

Police: 10-year-old injured in shooting at Kansas home

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday a strong response to the state’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Economic Development and Connectivity grant application process, which has yielded more than 7,000 requests for assistance from businesses and nonprofit organizations across Kansas.

Of the 7,000-plus grant applications submitted, more than 5,000 were for Small Business Working Capital grant funds.&nbsp;

“The initial response to this application period has been extraordinary,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“We’re ready to give each application the consideration and attention it deserves – and we’ll make sure these funds are deployed in the most effective and strategic way possible to help small businesses, nonprofit organizations and others affected by COVID-19.”

More than $138 million in grants&nbsp;to serve businesses and nonprofits affected by the pandemic and for the expansion of broadband access in the state&nbsp;was made available by the SPARK Taskforce established earlier this year by Governor Kelly to lead&nbsp;Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Connectivity Emergency Response Grant (CERG) applications will be reviewed starting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, when those applications are due. Because of the high volume of applications received, we will no longer accept applications for Small Business Working Capital and PPE Procurement grant programs after 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 31. Small Business Working Capital and PPE Procurement grants are reviewed on a rolling basis.&nbsp;

“The response from small businesses across the state has been amazing, and I’m proud to know that so many organizations will benefit from these grants,”&nbsp;Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“I’m so grateful to the organizations across Kansas that helped us amplify this message so quickly. Now, we need to make sure these funds are distributed in a way that benefits all Kansans and ensures that our state can get back to business.”

The SPARK Taskforce and Kansas Department of Commerce intend to maintain the&nbsp;Small Business Working Capital, PPE Procurement and Connectivity Emergency Response Grant&nbsp;programs in case additional federal CARES Act funding becomes available.

The online application process for several other SPARK grant programs will remain active. Details <a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief/">are available here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598538618468.png" alt="Members of the Spark Task Force during their virtual meeting last week" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Spark Task Force during their virtual meeting last week</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday a strong response to the state’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Economic Development and Connectivity grant application process, which has yielded more than 7,000 requests for assistance from businesses and nonprofit organizations across Kansas.Of the 7,000-plus grant applications submitted, more than 5,000 were for Small Business Working Capital grant funds.&nbsp;“The initial response to this application period has been extraordinary,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“We’re ready to give each application the consideration and attention it deserves – and we’ll make sure these funds are deployed in the most effective and strategic way possible to help small businesses, nonprofit organizations and others affected by COVID-19.”More than $138 million in grants&nbsp;to serve businesses and nonprofits affected by the pandemic and for the expansion of broadband access in the state&nbsp;was made available by the SPARK Taskforce established earlier this year by Governor Kelly to lead&nbsp;Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;Connectivity Emergency Response Grant (CERG) applications will be reviewed starting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, when those applications are due. Because of the high volume of applications received, we will no longer accept applications for Small Business Working Capital and PPE Procurement grant programs after 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 31. Small Business Working Capital and PPE Procurement grants are reviewed on a rolling basis.&nbsp;“The response from small businesses across the state has been amazing, and I’m proud to know that so many organizations will benefit from these grants,”&nbsp;Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.&nbsp;“I’m so grateful to the organizations across Kansas that helped us amplify this message so quickly. Now, we need to make sure these funds are distributed in a way that benefits all Kansans and ensures that our state can get back to business.”The SPARK Taskforce and Kansas Department of Commerce intend to maintain the&nbsp;Small Business Working Capital, PPE Procurement and Connectivity Emergency Response Grant&nbsp;programs in case additional federal CARES Act funding becomes available.The online application process for several other SPARK grant programs will remain active. Details <a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief/">are available here.</a>

Governor: 7,000 Kan. businesses have applied for virus relief grants

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A second security guard has been convicted of second-degree murder in the June 2018 fatal shooting a man who was sitting in a car near a Kansas City bar.

Markell Pinkins, 24, was found guilty Wednesday by a judge of the killing of 45-year-old Kevin Thomas outside the Yum Yum Bar &amp; Grill.

Pinkins, was an employee of Force One Security and Consulting of Overland Park, Kansas, at the time of the shooting and was charged along with his coworker, Christopher Jones. Jones was convicted in December of second-degree murder.

Prosecutors have said the men were working security at the bar when they saw a car hit a parked vehicle. They ran across the street and repeatedly asked Thomas to get out of the car. When Thomas moved his car “not even a foot,” Jones and Pinkins both fired at him, according to court records.

Both men said they fired their weapons in self defense but acknowledged they they were not authorized to handle situations away from the bar. Jones was not licensed to carry a firearm in Missouri, according to court records.

Pinkins is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598534293008.png" alt="Shooting occurred outside this bar in June 2018 -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Shooting occurred outside this bar in June 2018 -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A second security guard has been convicted of second-degree murder in the June 2018 fatal shooting a man who was sitting in a car near a Kansas City bar.Markell Pinkins, 24, was found guilty Wednesday by a judge of the killing of 45-year-old Kevin Thomas outside the Yum Yum Bar &amp; Grill.Pinkins, was an employee of Force One Security and Consulting of Overland Park, Kansas, at the time of the shooting and was charged along with his coworker, Christopher Jones. Jones was convicted in December of second-degree murder.Prosecutors have said the men were working security at the bar when they saw a car hit a parked vehicle. They ran across the street and repeatedly asked Thomas to get out of the car. When Thomas moved his car “not even a foot,” Jones and Pinkins both fired at him, according to court records.Both men said they fired their weapons in self defense but acknowledged they they were not authorized to handle situations away from the bar. Jones was not licensed to carry a firearm in Missouri, according to court records.Pinkins is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20.

Security guard for Kan. firm convicted in fatal shooting near bar

By KRISTI BIRCH KU Medical Center News

When 2020 began,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/radiation-oncology/faculty-and-staff/radiation-oncologists/gregory-gan.html" target="_blank">Gregory Gan, M.D., Ph.D.,</a>&nbsp;was all set to dive into new research on treatment resistance and metastasis in head and neck cancer. A few months and a global pandemic later, he's partnered with pulmonologist&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/internal-medicine/divisions/pulmonary-critical-care-and-sleep-medicine/faculty/deepika-polineni-md.html" target="_blank">Deepika Polineni, M.D., MPH,</a>&nbsp;and they have launched a trial together exploring a drug to fight COVID-19.

Since becoming an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kucancercenter.org/" target="_blank">University of Kansas Cancer Center</a>&nbsp;in July 2019, Gan had spent months getting his lab up and running. He'd also been awarded a National Institutes of Health COBRE (Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence) grant through the Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine (KIPM) to support the focus of his research: how a certain protein can regulate inflammation, growth and treatment resistance in cancer.&nbsp;

But then he had two setbacks. In January, he had identified a drug developed by Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc., that specifically targeted the protein he was researching. Gan wanted to see if it could prevent or slow metastasis in cancer. But at the time, Aclaris was focused on evaluating the drug for an immuno-inflammatory condition, rheumatoid arthritis.&nbsp;

And then in March, the coronavirus made its way to Kansas City, shutting down laboratories across the University of Kansas Medical Center as Kansas City implemented stay-at-home orders. Along with other researchers from KU Medical Center and around the country, Gan used the time at home to write and read about research findings in his field as well as to read up on the biology of the deadly new coronavirus.&nbsp;

And that's when it hit him. The same drug that he had wanted to study in cancer might also be effective in curtailing the "cytokine storm" that leads to respiratory failure and deaths of COVID-19 patients.

"I guess it's true what they say about lemons and lemonade," said Gan. "I'm lucky in that the pathway I'm already studying actually may have a role for managing COVID-19."

That's when he contacted Polineni, an associate professor of medicine at KU Medical Center. Polineni, a fellow NIH COBRE grant recipient through KIPM and a physician-scientist in adult pulmonary medicine, was working with her laboratory to study patterns of inflammation and anti-inflammatory response in cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic pulmonary disease and long-standing focus of her research. Polineni had also temporarily shut down her lab and was actively seeking ways to contribute in the pandemic. Gan wanted to discuss with his colleague the plausibility of therapeutic application of the drug he was studying in COVID-19-related pulmonary disease.

After reviewing the data for the drug, Polineni and Gan decided that the evidence supported testing it in COVID-19 patients.

This month, Gan and Polineni began enrolling patients in their clinical trial to evaluate if Aclaris's new investigational drug (ATI-450) can be used to halt respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. If successful, this could potentially keep those patients from needing mechanical ventilation.

The specific protein that Gan studies is known as MAP kinase-activated protein kinase-2 (MK2). For three years, he has been researching the role of MK2 on treatment resistance in head and neck cancer. Recently, his work has expanded into studying how this protein plays a role in cancer metastasis, the disease process where cancer spreads from one part of the body to another.

MK2 helps the body produce inflammatory cytokines, types of proteins released both by the body's immune system and tissue. MK2 is also important in a process known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which epithelial cells transform into a type of stem-like cell that helps organs develop and repairs damaged tissue. Both inflammation and EMT are necessary processes in healthy tissue. However, in cancer, both processes become overactive. Excessive inflammatory cytokines can stimulate cancer growth, treatment resistance, immune suppression and changes to normal tissue function. Overactive EMT can similarly suppress the immune system, enhance cancer resistance to therapy and transform cancer into a more invasive tumor capable of spreading to distant parts of the body.

Gan had previously done research showing that blocking the MK2 pathway in tumor cells engrafted into mice could sensitize them to the effects of radiation, reduce inflammation and slow down tumor metastasis. The next step was testing whether blocking the MK2 pathway would have the same result in humans. The question was how.

That's what led to his interest in ATI-450, an investigational oral compound produced by Aclaris. ATI-450 inhibits MK2, and had already been through a Phase 1 trial to assess its safety in healthy people.

Gan knew immediately that he wanted to test its use in sensitizing cancer to radiation and chemotherapy.

"I thought this was a perfect opportunity. This company has this new super-cool drug that could potentially benefit my cancer patients," he said. "But when I spoke to the company, they indicated that they were going to be focusing on evaluating the drug for rheumatoid arthritis."

In March, Gan was home reading about the coronavirus when he realized something: patients with severe COVID-19 infections experience abnormally high levels of inflammation that lead to rapid lung deterioration and the need to be put on a ventilator. Interestingly, the inflammatory cytokines Gan had been studying in cancer were the same ones in COVID-19, which led him to surmise that the MK2 pathway might similarly be activated. That overactive immune response, commonly known as a "cytokine storm," damages the lungs and is a major reason that some COVID-19 patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome and do not survive.

Excited as he realized ATI-450 might be a potential treatment for hospitalized patients with COVID-19, Gan reached out to Polineni and asked her to collaborate with him. Gan had heard her deliver a presentation and knew about her research in CF, inflammation and lung function.

Polineni had spent years studying differences in inflammatory responses in people with chronic lung disease in CF, and how these differences correlate with better or worse outcomes.

"The same cytokines this drug targets are also important to the inflammatory processes of lung disease I study in CF," said Polineni. "In the setting of infection, even with a virus like SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-19], some inflammation is required to aid in clearing infection, but a hyper-inflammatory response can lead to accelerated lung injury and worsened outcomes. When Greg approached me, trials of cytokine inhibition had just recently commenced in COVID-19. While a precedent had been set, ATI-450 further represented a novel therapeutic opportunity with an expanded profile of cytokine inhibition mirroring key players in COVID-19. I told him, ‘It makes sense.'"

Together, the two researchers reached out to Aclaris about supporting a clinical trial to evaluate the potential of ATI-450 to treat people hospitalized with COVID-19, in conjunction with standard-of-care treatment.

This time, the answer was an enthusiastic "yes."

Gan and Polineni then had to work quickly to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration to use the drug in a clinical trial, a feat they accomplished in just six weeks after designing the protocol for the trial.&nbsp;

"This kind of collaboration between the KU Cancer Center and the KU School of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine — engaging partnerships of faculty and study teams across all levels — isn't new, but it's something that I, as a CF researcher, and Dr. Gan, who hasn't been at KU long, hadn't had the chance to participate in before," noted Polineni. "It's been wonderful to see what we can do working together."

The phase-2 trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of ATI-450 in patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19, in conjunction with standard-of-care treatment, and see if the drug can abate respiratory failure in these patients and reduce the likelihood that they will need to be put on a ventilator. Ventilators are necessary for the sickest of the sick, and those patients often need them for weeks. Unfortunately, many who need them do not survive.

ATI-450 is not the only cytokine-inhibiting drug being tested to treat COVID-19, but many potential treatments target a single type of cytokine. Because ATI-450 attacks multiple types of cytokines, the researchers surmise it may have more of an impact.

For this trial, the goal is to enroll 36 patients at least 18 years of age who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and have respiratory symptoms. (There are some rare cases of COVID-19 that have cardiac involvement but little respiratory involvement.) The participants will be consenting patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System.

Half the patients will be randomized to receive the drug, and half will be randomized to receive a placebo. All patients will receive standard-of-care treatment during the trial, in addition to the drug or placebo. The researchers are primarily interested in the proportion of patients who are not suffering from respiratory failure at the end of 14 days.

They will also be taking blood samples to measure cytokine levels so that they can correlate those levels with the patients' condition at the end of the trial. In addition, Gan and Polineni, who were able to return to their labs in May, will be doing further lab work on those blood samples to see what's happening to specific cell types, such as neutrophils, mononuclear cells, and T-cells, that are involved in the body's immune response.

If this trial shows Gan and Polineni that ATI-450 can be effective at stopping the progression of COVID-19 and keeping people from needing mechanical ventilation, the investigators will be discussing next steps with Aclaris regarding the clinical development of this drug as a potential treatment for inpatients with COVID-19.

The researchers also plan to use what they learn from the trial to inform their other, separate research projects on cancer and CF.

"As physicians, we always want to advance the public good, and as scientists, we want to remain productive. All the lessons we're going to learn from studying COVID-19 will hopefully help us design smarter studies in our respective areas and tell us a little bit more about the drug that we're studying," said Gan. "And that is, I think, the best I could have hoped for in the middle of a pandemic crisis."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598387053374.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KRISTI BIRCH KU Medical Center NewsWhen 2020 began,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/radiation-oncology/faculty-and-staff/radiation-oncologists/gregory-gan.html" target="_blank">Gregory Gan, M.D., Ph.D.,</a>&nbsp;was all set to dive into new research on treatment resistance and metastasis in head and neck cancer. A few months and a global pandemic later, he's partnered with pulmonologist&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/internal-medicine/divisions/pulmonary-critical-care-and-sleep-medicine/faculty/deepika-polineni-md.html" target="_blank">Deepika Polineni, M.D., MPH,</a>&nbsp;and they have launched a trial together exploring a drug to fight COVID-19.From cancer to COVIDSince becoming an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kucancercenter.org/" target="_blank">University of Kansas Cancer Center</a>&nbsp;in July 2019, Gan had spent months getting his lab up and running. He'd also been awarded a National Institutes of Health COBRE (Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence) grant through the Kansas Institute for Precision Medicine (KIPM) to support the focus of his research: how a certain protein can regulate inflammation, growth and treatment resistance in cancer.&nbsp;But then he had two setbacks. In January, he had identified a drug developed by Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc., that specifically targeted the protein he was researching. Gan wanted to see if it could prevent or slow metastasis in cancer. But at the time, Aclaris was focused on evaluating the drug for an immuno-inflammatory condition, rheumatoid arthritis.&nbsp;And then in March, the coronavirus made its way to Kansas City, shutting down laboratories across the University of Kansas Medical Center as Kansas City implemented stay-at-home orders. Along with other researchers from KU Medical Center and around the country, Gan used the time at home to write and read about research findings in his field as well as to read up on the biology of the deadly new coronavirus.&nbsp;And that's when it hit him. The same drug that he had wanted to study in cancer might also be effective in curtailing the "cytokine storm" that leads to respiratory failure and deaths of COVID-19 patients."I guess it's true what they say about lemons and lemonade," said Gan. "I'm lucky in that the pathway I'm already studying actually may have a role for managing COVID-19."<figure>
 <img src="http://www.kumc.edu/Images/news/Polineni-190(1).jpg" alt="Deepika Polineni" />
 <figcaption>Deepika Polineni</figcaption>
 </figure>That's when he contacted Polineni, an associate professor of medicine at KU Medical Center. Polineni, a fellow NIH COBRE grant recipient through KIPM and a physician-scientist in adult pulmonary medicine, was working with her laboratory to study patterns of inflammation and anti-inflammatory response in cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic pulmonary disease and long-standing focus of her research. Polineni had also temporarily shut down her lab and was actively seeking ways to contribute in the pandemic. Gan wanted to discuss with his colleague the plausibility of therapeutic application of the drug he was studying in COVID-19-related pulmonary disease.After reviewing the data for the drug, Polineni and Gan decided that the evidence supported testing it in COVID-19 patients.This month, Gan and Polineni began enrolling patients in their clinical trial to evaluate if Aclaris's new investigational drug (ATI-450) can be used to halt respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. If successful, this could potentially keep those patients from needing mechanical ventilation.Making the connectionThe specific protein that Gan studies is known as MAP kinase-activated protein kinase-2 (MK2). For three years, he has been researching the role of MK2 on treatment resistance in head and neck cancer. Recently, his work has expanded into studying how this protein plays a role in cancer metastasis, the disease process where cancer spreads from one part of the body to another.MK2 helps the body produce inflammatory cytokines, types of proteins released both by the body's immune system and tissue. MK2 is also important in a process known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which epithelial cells transform into a type of stem-like cell that helps organs develop and repairs damaged tissue. Both inflammation and EMT are necessary processes in healthy tissue. However, in cancer, both processes become overactive. Excessive inflammatory cytokines can stimulate cancer growth, treatment resistance, immune suppression and changes to normal tissue function. Overactive EMT can similarly suppress the immune system, enhance cancer resistance to therapy and transform cancer into a more invasive tumor capable of spreading to distant parts of the body.Gan had previously done research showing that blocking the MK2 pathway in tumor cells engrafted into mice could sensitize them to the effects of radiation, reduce inflammation and slow down tumor metastasis. The next step was testing whether blocking the MK2 pathway would have the same result in humans. The question was how.That's what led to his interest in ATI-450, an investigational oral compound produced by Aclaris. ATI-450 inhibits MK2, and had already been through a Phase 1 trial to assess its safety in healthy people.Gan knew immediately that he wanted to test its use in sensitizing cancer to radiation and chemotherapy."I thought this was a perfect opportunity. This company has this new super-cool drug that could potentially benefit my cancer patients," he said. "But when I spoke to the company, they indicated that they were going to be focusing on evaluating the drug for rheumatoid arthritis."<figure>
 <img src="http://www.kumc.edu/Images/news/gan-190.jpg" alt="Gregory Gan" />
 <figcaption>Gregory Gan</figcaption>
 </figure>That was in January. In March, Gan was home reading about the coronavirus when he realized something: patients with severe COVID-19 infections experience abnormally high levels of inflammation that lead to rapid lung deterioration and the need to be put on a ventilator. Interestingly, the inflammatory cytokines Gan had been studying in cancer were the same ones in COVID-19, which led him to surmise that the MK2 pathway might similarly be activated. That overactive immune response, commonly known as a "cytokine storm," damages the lungs and is a major reason that some COVID-19 patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome and do not survive.Excited as he realized ATI-450 might be a potential treatment for hospitalized patients with COVID-19, Gan reached out to Polineni and asked her to collaborate with him. Gan had heard her deliver a presentation and knew about her research in CF, inflammation and lung function.Polineni had spent years studying differences in inflammatory responses in people with chronic lung disease in CF, and how these differences correlate with better or worse outcomes."The same cytokines this drug targets are also important to the inflammatory processes of lung disease I study in CF," said Polineni. "In the setting of infection, even with a virus like SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-19], some inflammation is required to aid in clearing infection, but a hyper-inflammatory response can lead to accelerated lung injury and worsened outcomes. When Greg approached me, trials of cytokine inhibition had just recently commenced in COVID-19. While a precedent had been set, ATI-450 further represented a novel therapeutic opportunity with an expanded profile of cytokine inhibition mirroring key players in COVID-19. I told him, ‘It makes sense.'"Together, the two researchers reached out to Aclaris about supporting a clinical trial to evaluate the potential of ATI-450 to treat people hospitalized with COVID-19, in conjunction with standard-of-care treatment.This time, the answer was an enthusiastic "yes."Gan and Polineni then had to work quickly to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration to use the drug in a clinical trial, a feat they accomplished in just six weeks after designing the protocol for the trial.&nbsp;"This kind of collaboration between the KU Cancer Center and the KU School of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine — engaging partnerships of faculty and study teams across all levels — isn't new, but it's something that I, as a CF researcher, and Dr. Gan, who hasn't been at KU long, hadn't had the chance to participate in before," noted Polineni. "It's been wonderful to see what we can do working together."Cool collaborationsThe phase-2 trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of ATI-450 in patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19, in conjunction with standard-of-care treatment, and see if the drug can abate respiratory failure in these patients and reduce the likelihood that they will need to be put on a ventilator. Ventilators are necessary for the sickest of the sick, and those patients often need them for weeks. Unfortunately, many who need them do not survive.ATI-450 is not the only cytokine-inhibiting drug being tested to treat COVID-19, but many potential treatments target a single type of cytokine. Because ATI-450 attacks multiple types of cytokines, the researchers surmise it may have more of an impact.For this trial, the goal is to enroll 36 patients at least 18 years of age who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and have respiratory symptoms. (There are some rare cases of COVID-19 that have cardiac involvement but little respiratory involvement.) The participants will be consenting patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System.Half the patients will be randomized to receive the drug, and half will be randomized to receive a placebo. All patients will receive standard-of-care treatment during the trial, in addition to the drug or placebo. The researchers are primarily interested in the proportion of patients who are not suffering from respiratory failure at the end of 14 days.They will also be taking blood samples to measure cytokine levels so that they can correlate those levels with the patients' condition at the end of the trial. In addition, Gan and Polineni, who were able to return to their labs in May, will be doing further lab work on those blood samples to see what's happening to specific cell types, such as neutrophils, mononuclear cells, and T-cells, that are involved in the body's immune response.If this trial shows Gan and Polineni that ATI-450 can be effective at stopping the progression of COVID-19 and keeping people from needing mechanical ventilation, the investigators will be discussing next steps with Aclaris regarding the clinical development of this drug as a potential treatment for inpatients with COVID-19.The researchers also plan to use what they learn from the trial to inform their other, separate research projects on cancer and CF."As physicians, we always want to advance the public good, and as scientists, we want to remain productive. All the lessons we're going to learn from studying COVID-19 will hopefully help us design smarter studies in our respective areas and tell us a little bit more about the drug that we're studying," said Gan. "And that is, I think, the best I could have hoped for in the middle of a pandemic crisis."

KU researchers pivot to test new drug for COVID-19 

LAWRENCE— On Tuesday, KU Chancellor Dr. Doug Girod shared the&nbsp;<a href="https://chancellor.ku.edu/news/2020/aug25" target="_blank">latest results</a>&nbsp;of community COVID-19 entry testing at the University. The results included 19,452 tests with a positivity rate of 1.14%. Within that overall population, he noted that the Greek community is testing at a rate of 5.47%.

On Wednesday, that Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health&nbsp; issued 14-day&nbsp;<a href="https://ldchealth.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/436" target="_blank">quarantine orders</a>&nbsp;for residents of nine of the university sorority and fraternity houses, and is in the process of issuing an order for a tenth house, according to a statement from the chancellor.

The houses that have been issued quarantine orders are Pi Kappa Phi, Phi Gamma Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Kappa Psi, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, Sigma Nu, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Beta Theta Pi.

The quarantine orders apply to individuals living at the houses and does not extend to chapter members who live outside the houses.

On Wednesday evening, KU leaders and county health officials met with members of the sorority and fraternity community to answer questions about quarantine orders, discuss health and safety strategies, and describe support services available for students who need to quarantine.

&nbsp;KU enacted mandatory testing for all employees and students upon return to campus for two key reasons: to identify positive cases early and ensure they are isolating appropriately; and to establish baseline positivity rates among campus populations to determine appropriate efforts moving forward, including group-specific interventions. 

In a statement from Girod, "We applaud our Greek community for participating in our testing efforts and for continuing to work with us to improve health and safety within the community.

As you’ve heard me say many times, our situation is fluid and can change rapidly. We anticipate additional county-issued quarantine orders will continue to impact the KU community in the days ahead.

We plan to publish updated results from our campus-wide entry testing this coming Friday.

The ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 remain clear: Wear a mask, stay six feet apart from others, and wash your hands. Again, all of us need to do our part.

Thank you for helping KU advance its mission of education, service and research while continuing to prioritize health and safety above all else."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597942736026.png" alt="Photo courtesy University of Kansas" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy University of Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE— On Tuesday, KU Chancellor Dr. Doug Girod shared the&nbsp;<a href="https://chancellor.ku.edu/news/2020/aug25" target="_blank">latest results</a>&nbsp;of community COVID-19 entry testing at the University. The results included 19,452 tests with a positivity rate of 1.14%. Within that overall population, he noted that the Greek community is testing at a rate of 5.47%.On Wednesday, that Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health&nbsp; issued 14-day&nbsp;<a href="https://ldchealth.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/436" target="_blank">quarantine orders</a>&nbsp;for residents of nine of the university sorority and fraternity houses, and is in the process of issuing an order for a tenth house, according to a statement from the chancellor.The houses that have been issued quarantine orders are Pi Kappa Phi, Phi Gamma Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Kappa Psi, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, Sigma Nu, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Beta Theta Pi.The quarantine orders apply to individuals living at the houses and does not extend to chapter members who live outside the houses.On Wednesday evening, KU leaders and county health officials met with members of the sorority and fraternity community to answer questions about quarantine orders, discuss health and safety strategies, and describe support services available for students who need to quarantine.&nbsp;KU enacted mandatory testing for all employees and students upon return to campus for two key reasons: to identify positive cases early and ensure they are isolating appropriately; and to establish baseline positivity rates among campus populations to determine appropriate efforts moving forward, including group-specific interventions. In a statement from Girod, "We applaud our Greek community for participating in our testing efforts and for continuing to work with us to improve health and safety within the community.As you’ve heard me say many times, our situation is fluid and can change rapidly. We anticipate additional county-issued quarantine orders will continue to impact the KU community in the days ahead.We plan to publish updated results from our campus-wide entry testing this coming Friday.The ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 remain clear: Wear a mask, stay six feet apart from others, and wash your hands. Again, all of us need to do our part.Thank you for helping KU advance its mission of education, service and research while continuing to prioritize health and safety above all else."

County quarantines KU sorority, fraternity houses 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City will receive nearly $51 million to expand its streetcar from downtown to near the Country Club Plaza, federal officials announced Wednesday.

The Federal Transit Administration said it has approved $50.8 million in Capital Investment Grants for the project.

Officials have been planning to extend the streetcar from Union Station in midtown to the Plaza and the University of Missouri-Kansas City for years. The funding will help add about 3.5 miles of track.

Streetcar officials say water and sewer work is expected to begin this fall, with construction on the streetcar planned for late 2021 or early 2022. The streetcar expansion is projected to open in 2025.

The Kansas City Streetcar Authority said it is the largest transportation grant ever distributed in the region.

The authority has asked for a total of $174 million. The entire project is expected to cost $351 million.

The rest of the funds will come from a Transportation Development District, which raises property taxes in the area along the planned new route. Voters in the district approved the tax increase in 2018.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598493251575.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City Streetcar Authority" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City Streetcar Authority</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City will receive nearly $51 million to expand its streetcar from downtown to near the Country Club Plaza, federal officials announced Wednesday.The Federal Transit Administration said it has approved $50.8 million in Capital Investment Grants for the project.Officials have been planning to extend the streetcar from Union Station in midtown to the Plaza and the University of Missouri-Kansas City for years. The funding will help add about 3.5 miles of track.Streetcar officials say water and sewer work is expected to begin this fall, with construction on the streetcar planned for late 2021 or early 2022. The streetcar expansion is projected to open in 2025.The Kansas City Streetcar Authority said it is the largest transportation grant ever distributed in the region.The authority has asked for a total of $174 million. The entire project is expected to cost $351 million.The rest of the funds will come from a Transportation Development District, which raises property taxes in the area along the planned new route. Voters in the district approved the tax increase in 2018.

Kansas City to get $50 million to extend streetcar

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials sparked criticism and confusion after posting guidelines on coronavirus testing from the White House task force that run counter to what scientists say is necessary to control the pandemic.

The new guidance says it’s not necessary for people who have been in close contact with infected people, but don’t feel sick, to get tested. It was posted earlier this week on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC previously had advised local health departments to test people who have been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.

Across the country, public health experts called the change bizarre. They noted that testing contacts of infected people is a core element of public health efforts to keep outbreaks in check, and that a large percentage of infected people — the CDC has said as many as 40% — exhibit no symptoms.

“The recommendation not to test asymptomatic people who likely have been exposed is not in accord with the science,” said John Auerbach, president of Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit that works to improve U.S. preparedness against disease.

“We are seeking clarification from CDC about its recent guidance around testing,” said a spokesman for Michigan’s health department.

Federal officials said the new recommendation was issued by consensus of the White House virus task force.

However, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert and perhaps the best known task force member, said Wednesday he wasn’t part of the discussion that green-lighted the change.

Fauci told CNN he was undergoing surgery when the new guidance was discussed last week, adding he was “worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact it is.”

The American Medical Association, in a statement, called the change “a recipe for community spread.” The Association of American Medical Colleges called it “a step backward in fighting the pandemic.”

Some officials — including some state governors — said it was another sign of a dysfunctional federal response to the pandemic.

“This is like a public health version of Vietnam,” said Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, which works to strengthen the public health system.

CDC officials referred all media questions to the agency’s parent organization, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. That suggests that HHS ordered the change, not CDC, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a Johns Hopkins University public health researcher.

After Twitter lit up with head-scratching and alarm about the change, HHS officials sent an email Wednesday saying the guidance was revised “to reflect current evidence and the best public health interventions,” but did not detail what the new evidence was.

The decision came out of meetings of the White House coronavirus task force, HHS officials said.

In a call with reporters, Dr. Brett Giroir, the HHS assistant secretary for health, said guidance language originated at the CDC. But he also said many federal leaders outside the agency were involved in “lots of editing, lots of input.” He said federal officials achieved consensus but it was difficult to attribute the final language to any one source.

Ultimately, restricting testing could be self-defeating, because it could skew the numbers and create a perception that rates of infection are higher. Testing people who appear to be healthy would tend to lower the overall rate of positive results, while narrowing testing to people who are sick would raise the overall positive rate, Auerbach said.

Why HHS would order such a change quickly became a matter of speculation. Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious diseases specialist at Emory University, suggested in a tweet that there are two possible explanations.

One is that it may be driven by testing supply issues that in many parts of the country have caused widely reported delays in results of a week or more, he suggested.

HHS officials suggested that wasn’t the reason, arguing that testing capacity is plentiful.

But Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner for Columbus, Ohio, said the city had to curtail testing last month because of a shortage of reagents used in lab procedures.

“When we were testing asymptomatic people here in Columbus, we were picking up a large number of individuals” with the virus, she said

Another possible explanation for the change is that President Donald Trump simply wants to see case counts drop, and discouraging more people from getting tested is one way to do it, del Rio said in his tweet.

Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/VirusOutbreak">Virus Outbreak</a>

Giroir said the change was made without input from Trump or Vice President Mike Pence. “There was no weight on the scales by the president or the vice president” or HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Giroir said.

Dr. Tom Frieden, who was head of the CDC during the Obama administration, said the move follows another recent change: to no longer recommend quarantine for travelers coming from areas where infections are more common.

“Both changes are highly problematic” and need to be better explained, said Frieden, who now is president of Resolve to Save Lives, a nonprofit program that works to prevent epidemics.

Frieden said he, too, believes HHS forced CDC to post the changes. He called it “a sad day” because “CDC is being told what to write on their website.”

The governors of California, New York, Washington and Kentucky — all Democrats — criticized the new recommendations.

Washington Gov Jay Inslee said on Twitter that the changes likely will cause thousands of infections in his state to go unrecognized, and allow the virus to spread even more. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called the new guidance “reckless.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said their states will not follow the new guidance.

“We will not be influenced by that change,” Newsom said. “We’re influenced by the folks that are experts in the field who feel very differently.”

“Why would you reverse yourself on the quarantine order?” Cuomo told reporters on a conference call. “Because they don’t want publicity that there is a COVID problem. Because the president’s politics are, ‘COVID isn’t a problem We’re past COVID.’”

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials sparked criticism and confusion after posting guidelines on coronavirus testing from the White House task force that run counter to what scientists say is necessary to control the pandemic.The new guidance says it’s not necessary for people who have been in close contact with infected people, but don’t feel sick, to get tested. It was posted earlier this week on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The CDC previously had advised local health departments to test people who have been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.Across the country, public health experts called the change bizarre. They noted that testing contacts of infected people is a core element of public health efforts to keep outbreaks in check, and that a large percentage of infected people — the CDC has said as many as 40% — exhibit no symptoms.“The recommendation not to test asymptomatic people who likely have been exposed is not in accord with the science,” said John Auerbach, president of Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit that works to improve U.S. preparedness against disease.“We are seeking clarification from CDC about its recent guidance around testing,” said a spokesman for Michigan’s health department.Federal officials said the new recommendation was issued by consensus of the White House virus task force.However, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert and perhaps the best known task force member, said Wednesday he wasn’t part of the discussion that green-lighted the change.Fauci told CNN he was undergoing surgery when the new guidance was discussed last week, adding he was “worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact it is.”The American Medical Association, in a statement, called the change “a recipe for community spread.” The Association of American Medical Colleges called it “a step backward in fighting the pandemic.”Some officials — including some state governors — said it was another sign of a dysfunctional federal response to the pandemic.“This is like a public health version of Vietnam,” said Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, which works to strengthen the public health system.CDC officials referred all media questions to the agency’s parent organization, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. That suggests that HHS ordered the change, not CDC, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a Johns Hopkins University public health researcher.After Twitter lit up with head-scratching and alarm about the change, HHS officials sent an email Wednesday saying the guidance was revised “to reflect current evidence and the best public health interventions,” but did not detail what the new evidence was.The decision came out of meetings of the White House coronavirus task force, HHS officials said.In a call with reporters, Dr. Brett Giroir, the HHS assistant secretary for health, said guidance language originated at the CDC. But he also said many federal leaders outside the agency were involved in “lots of editing, lots of input.” He said federal officials achieved consensus but it was difficult to attribute the final language to any one source.Ultimately, restricting testing could be self-defeating, because it could skew the numbers and create a perception that rates of infection are higher. Testing people who appear to be healthy would tend to lower the overall rate of positive results, while narrowing testing to people who are sick would raise the overall positive rate, Auerbach said.Why HHS would order such a change quickly became a matter of speculation. Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious diseases specialist at Emory University, suggested in a tweet that there are two possible explanations.One is that it may be driven by testing supply issues that in many parts of the country have caused widely reported delays in results of a week or more, he suggested.HHS officials suggested that wasn’t the reason, arguing that testing capacity is plentiful.But Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner for Columbus, Ohio, said the city had to curtail testing last month because of a shortage of reagents used in lab procedures.“When we were testing asymptomatic people here in Columbus, we were picking up a large number of individuals” with the virus, she saidAnother possible explanation for the change is that President Donald Trump simply wants to see case counts drop, and discouraging more people from getting tested is one way to do it, del Rio said in his tweet.Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/VirusOutbreak">Virus Outbreak</a>Giroir said the change was made without input from Trump or Vice President Mike Pence. “There was no weight on the scales by the president or the vice president” or HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Giroir said.Dr. Tom Frieden, who was head of the CDC during the Obama administration, said the move follows another recent change: to no longer recommend quarantine for travelers coming from areas where infections are more common.“Both changes are highly problematic” and need to be better explained, said Frieden, who now is president of Resolve to Save Lives, a nonprofit program that works to prevent epidemics.Frieden said he, too, believes HHS forced CDC to post the changes. He called it “a sad day” because “CDC is being told what to write on their website.”The governors of California, New York, Washington and Kentucky — all Democrats — criticized the new recommendations.Washington Gov Jay Inslee said on Twitter that the changes likely will cause thousands of infections in his state to go unrecognized, and allow the virus to spread even more. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called the new guidance “reckless.”California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said their states will not follow the new guidance.“We will not be influenced by that change,” Newsom said. “We’re influenced by the folks that are experts in the field who feel very differently.”“Why would you reverse yourself on the quarantine order?” Cuomo told reporters on a conference call. “Because they don’t want publicity that there is a COVID problem. Because the president’s politics are, ‘COVID isn’t a problem We’re past COVID.’”___

Officials change COVID testing advice, bewildering experts

PAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man accused of sex crimes made his first court appearance Wednesday in Pawnee County.

&nbsp;Justin W. Hamond, 36 of Larned, appeared via Zoom. On July 10, he was charged&nbsp;The defendant was charged with five&nbsp; counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberty with a Child, to wit: sexual intercourse with a child 14 or 15 years of age; and Three (3) counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child, to wit: lewd fondling of child 14 or 15 years of age, according Pawnee County Attorney Doug Mcnett.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Pawnee County between July 8, 2018 and December 15, 2018. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation following a referral by the Pawnee County Sheriff.

Hammond turned himself in on July 10 to the Pawnee County Sheriff and later released from custody the same day after posting a $75,000 bond.&nbsp; His next court appearance is scheduled for September 30.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598462828879.png" alt="Hammond photo Pawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hammond photo Pawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man accused of sex crimes made his first court appearance Wednesday in Pawnee County.&nbsp;Justin W. Hamond, 36 of Larned, appeared via Zoom. On July 10, he was charged&nbsp;The defendant was charged with five&nbsp; counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberty with a Child, to wit: sexual intercourse with a child 14 or 15 years of age; and Three (3) counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child, to wit: lewd fondling of child 14 or 15 years of age, according Pawnee County Attorney Doug Mcnett.The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Pawnee County between July 8, 2018 and December 15, 2018. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation following a referral by the Pawnee County Sheriff.Hammond turned himself in on July 10 to the Pawnee County Sheriff and later released from custody the same day after posting a $75,000 bond.&nbsp; His next court appearance is scheduled for September 30.

Kansas man accused of child sex crimes turned himself in

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a pair of shootings and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 3p.m. Tuesday, police went to an address in the 1600 block of SW Harrison in Topeka to try and locate 31 year old Samuel L. Portlock of Topeka, who was wanted in connection with two shooting incidents on Monday, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.

Officers had reason to believe he was hiding inside the residence and possibly armed with a weapon. TPD Crisis Negotiation Team and Response Team were asked to respond to assist with searching for the suspect. 

Just after 6:15 p.m. police took Portlock into custody without incident. No one was injured during this incident. The suspect was taken to the LEC for questioning and then transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and booked on requested charges of&nbsp;aggravated assault and other criminal charges, according to Ekis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598452036681.png" alt="Portlock-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Portlock-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a pair of shootings and have a suspect in custody.Just before 3p.m. Tuesday, police went to an address in the 1600 block of SW Harrison in Topeka to try and locate 31 year old Samuel L. Portlock of Topeka, who was wanted in connection with two shooting incidents on Monday, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.Officers had reason to believe he was hiding inside the residence and possibly armed with a weapon. TPD Crisis Negotiation Team and Response Team were asked to respond to assist with searching for the suspect. Just after 6:15 p.m. police took Portlock into custody without incident. No one was injured during this incident. The suspect was taken to the LEC for questioning and then transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and booked on requested charges of&nbsp;aggravated assault and other criminal charges, according to Ekis.

Police capture Kan. shooting suspect hiding in house

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-26/kansas-nursing-homes-face-scores-of-coronavirus-outbreaks-but-still-cant-count-on-fast-tests">Kansas News Service</a>

Half a year into the pandemic, Kansas nursing homes still face uneven
 access to fast COVID-19 testing through the state’s patchwork of 
private labs and hospitals. And the prices they pay for it vary widely.

Testing access has dramatically increased in Kansas from its initial <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-04-20/kansas-ranks-lowest-in-coronavirus-testing-which-could-make-it-harder-to-reopen-economy" target="_blank">slow start</a>. Last month alone, it tested <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1125/Historical---August-19?bidId=" target="_blank">4%</a> of its population. But that hasn’t guaranteed quick and cheap options for long-term care.

Meanwhile, <a href="https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-COVID-19-Nursing-Home/COVID-19-Nursing-Home-Dataset/s2uc-8wxp" target="_blank">federa</a><a href="https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-COVID-19-Nursing-Home/COVID-19-Nursing-Home-Dataset/s2uc-8wxp" target="_blank">l tallies</a>
 show the virus has reached nursing home residents in about 30 counties,
 from the state’s most populous to some of its most rural. That’s caused
 more than half of the state’s coronavirus death toll.

Fifty outbreaks are active in long-term care facilities right now.

Though
 the state lab in Topeka frequently conducts mass testing of workers and
 residents from long-term care facilities when those places get hit with
 outbreaks, its help only stretches so far.

Kansas health 
secretary Lee Norman last week suggested the state contract with private
 labs willing to expand their capacity, and connect nursing homes to 
them.

“That would really speed up the turnaround time on the testing a lot,” he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mJP7DeWnBY" target="_blank">told a state task force</a>.

Swift
 test results help nursing homes catch cases early, saving lives. They 
also let homes clear healthy employees faster so they can go back to 
work. That’s critical because nursing aides are taking on long hours — 
risking burnout and driving up overtime costs — to cover shifts for 
colleagues waiting to find out if a sore throat or a cough could be 
COVID-19.

“You can’t expect that they’re going to do that forever,” said Joe Ewert, CEO of Brewster Place in Topeka. “You just can’t.”

Brewster
 Place has nurse’s aides working 60 to 70-hour weeks to cover for the 
three to eight employees out with symptoms at any given time. Most turn 
out not to have the coronavirus, but checking can take anywhere from 48 
hours to a week.

That variation is partly because wait times — for
 an appointment and then to get test results — differ by week, depending
 on demand, and by hospital or clinic, for similar reasons. One Brewster
 employee may go to one hospital for the test, and another may head to a
 different one.

Across the state, nursing homes’ experiences also depend on what resources their county health departments can offer.

“It's
 a little bit odd that we have a million different ways to do it,” Ewert
 said. “It’s a little bit curious that folks in my profession aren't 
basically (all) provided with the same access.”

An hour southeast 
of Topeka, nursing home employees with symptoms can count on almost 
immediate results from rapid-testing machines that Lyon County’s health 
agency acquired amid an outbreak at a meatpacking plant.

Months ago, Ewert ordered a rapid-testing machine, too.

“We
 are still waiting,” he said. If it ever comes through, “then we can 
start getting in line for the reagent. I anticipate every single step 
will be a long wait and a fight.”

The Trump administration has said it will start <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-announces-new-resources-protect-nursing-home-residents-against-covid-19#:~:text=Building%20on%20the%20initiative%20HHS,5%25%20positivity%20rate%20or%20greater" target="_blank">requiring weekly testing</a> in many nursing homes, and promised to <a href="https://khn.org/news/trump-is-sending-fast-cheap-covid-tests-to-nursing-homes-but-theres-a-hitch/" target="_blank">send out 14,000 machines</a>.
 But nursing home administrators have many questions about how accurate 
and reliable the devices are, when they will arrive, and how accessible 
and affordable related testing supplies will be.

This spring, the 
administration promised to send protective gear to nursing homes, but 
when the boxes arrived, some facilities reported receiving <a href="https://khn.org/news/federal-help-falters-as-nursing-homes-run-short-of-protective-equipment/?utm_campaign=KHN%20New%20from%20KHN&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=89345426&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8vuDupGpwQGw8-8nQJqZD6mw-4wW8b0z67bU8DQ9FpeBKgbV52zIPPIhTCYesg85X_16wH4_HGZ9T4M6DDIiPjGyFj-A&amp;utm_content=89345426&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">subpar or unusable equipment</a>.

Brewster Place in Topeka is dealing with its first cluster of cases among patients. <a href="https://brewsterliving.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Brewster-COVID-Update-Positive-Cases-08-19-20-update-08-20-20.pdf" target="_blank">Six employees and three residents</a> tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

When
 the coronavirus strikes a long-term care facility, it can require 
several weeks’ worth of repeatedly testing hundreds of people until all 
the cases are found and isolated, and the outbreak contained.

Nursing
 homes say the state lab in Topeka generally covers the first two rounds
 of facility-wide testing — and picks up the cost. The homes then turn 
to private labs for the subsequent rounds.

“The experience with 
the private labs has been mixed,” Mission Health Management Group vice 
president Shawn Sullivan said. His company has more than 30 long-term 
care facilities in Kansas. “We have had experiences where the turnaround
 time has been very quick and other times where the turnaround time has 
taken several days.”

The Kansas nursing home industry says prices 
also vary significantly — from less than $100 to more than $200 per 
test. Facilities with outbreaks can quickly rack up tens of thousands or
 dollars in expenses to stop a single outbreak.

While <a href="https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2020-06-22-medicare-cover-covid-19-tests-nursing-home-patients" target="_blank">Medicare</a>
 or other insurance covers lab work for residents, nursing homes and 
other long-term care facilities are generally on the hook for testing 
their employees.

The situation can be even tougher for locations farther from the state lab in Topeka.

Windsor
 Place in Coffeyville — southeast Kansas — faced an outbreak last month 
that affected 35 residents and 22 staff. Most did not experience 
symptoms, one was hospitalized and two died.

Windsor leaned 
largely on a lab in its region instead of sending samples to the state 
capital, nearly three hours away, because it offered same-day results.

“With the state lab, if we timed it right, the results were still two to four days out,” CEO Monte Coffman said.

Since
 the local lab charges less than $100 a test, Windsor has been able to 
afford the tests with help from federal stimulus funds. But Coffman is 
uncertain what will happen if outbreaks recur.

“If we have repeated periods of this into the fall or through the winter flu season,” he said, “then things tighten up.”

Flu season will likely lead to <a href="https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/here-comes-the-double-whammy-flu-season-on-top-of-covid" target="_blank">even more demand</a> for testing patients with respiratory symptoms.

More than <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">1,700</a><a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank"> cases of COVID-19</a>
 in Kansas — and 209 deaths — are linked to long-term care settings. 
That’s less than 5% of the known cases, but more than half of the 
fatalities.

And the situation may not get better anytime soon. 
Around 13% of Kansans who got checked for the virus in the past week 
tested positive, according to <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/kansas" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University</a>. Experts say when rates are that high despite the state’s aggressive increase in testing, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-29/as-coronavirus-cases-climb-in-kansas-its-hard-to-measure-how-the-state-is-doing" target="_blank">it suggests</a> the virus is widespread.

It gained traction here and nationally as states reopened their 
economies and friends and family gathered again for holidays, sports and
 cookouts.

Renee Hively, health officer for Lyon County, thinks that likely contributed to two ongoing outbreaks at nursing homes there.

“I
 think people just tend to let their guards down,” she said. “Especially
 in the summer months, when people like to congregate and do all kinds 
of social activities.”

Her agency helped collect samples at the 
homes, and the state lab processed them generally within a day or two. 
The state covered the first two rounds of testing for the homes, and a 
third round for one of them that was struggling to get it done 
otherwise.

But Hively worries that nursing homes may find it even 
harder to get timely results as more people mix on a daily basis, 
spreading germs.

“With schools starting, and colleges,” she said, “the labs are going to get inundated with testing.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598453819411.png" alt="When nurse's aides from Brewster Place in Topeka get tested for COVID-19, sometimes it just takes a day or two. Other times, it takes a week. Kansas nursing homes need reliably fast and affordable access to testing. Janis Swanson / Submitted" />
 <figcaption>When nurse's aides from Brewster Place in Topeka get tested for COVID-19, sometimes it just takes a day or two. Other times, it takes a week. Kansas nursing homes need reliably fast and affordable access to testing. Janis Swanson / Submitted</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-26/kansas-nursing-homes-face-scores-of-coronavirus-outbreaks-but-still-cant-count-on-fast-tests">Kansas News Service</a>Half a year into the pandemic, Kansas nursing homes still face uneven
 access to fast COVID-19 testing through the state’s patchwork of 
private labs and hospitals. And the prices they pay for it vary widely.Testing access has dramatically increased in Kansas from its initial <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-04-20/kansas-ranks-lowest-in-coronavirus-testing-which-could-make-it-harder-to-reopen-economy" target="_blank">slow start</a>. Last month alone, it tested <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1125/Historical---August-19?bidId=" target="_blank">4%</a> of its population. But that hasn’t guaranteed quick and cheap options for long-term care.Meanwhile, <a href="https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-COVID-19-Nursing-Home/COVID-19-Nursing-Home-Dataset/s2uc-8wxp" target="_blank">federa</a><a href="https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-COVID-19-Nursing-Home/COVID-19-Nursing-Home-Dataset/s2uc-8wxp" target="_blank">l tallies</a>
 show the virus has reached nursing home residents in about 30 counties,
 from the state’s most populous to some of its most rural. That’s caused
 more than half of the state’s coronavirus death toll.Fifty outbreaks are active in long-term care facilities right now.Though
 the state lab in Topeka frequently conducts mass testing of workers and
 residents from long-term care facilities when those places get hit with
 outbreaks, its help only stretches so far.Kansas health 
secretary Lee Norman last week suggested the state contract with private
 labs willing to expand their capacity, and connect nursing homes to 
them.“That would really speed up the turnaround time on the testing a lot,” he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mJP7DeWnBY" target="_blank">told a state task force</a>.Swift
 test results help nursing homes catch cases early, saving lives. They 
also let homes clear healthy employees faster so they can go back to 
work. That’s critical because nursing aides are taking on long hours — 
risking burnout and driving up overtime costs — to cover shifts for 
colleagues waiting to find out if a sore throat or a cough could be 
COVID-19.“You can’t expect that they’re going to do that forever,” said Joe Ewert, CEO of Brewster Place in Topeka. “You just can’t.”<h2>‘A million different ways’</h2>Brewster
 Place has nurse’s aides working 60 to 70-hour weeks to cover for the 
three to eight employees out with symptoms at any given time. Most turn 
out not to have the coronavirus, but checking can take anywhere from 48 
hours to a week.That variation is partly because wait times — for
 an appointment and then to get test results — differ by week, depending
 on demand, and by hospital or clinic, for similar reasons. One Brewster
 employee may go to one hospital for the test, and another may head to a
 different one.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598453912766.png" alt="Kansas nursing homes can count on some help from a state-run lab in Topeka, but resources are limited. Janis Swanson" />
 <figcaption>Kansas nursing homes can count on some help from a state-run lab in Topeka, but resources are limited. Janis Swanson</figcaption>
 </figure>Across the state, nursing homes’ experiences also depend on what resources their county health departments can offer.“It's
 a little bit odd that we have a million different ways to do it,” Ewert
 said. “It’s a little bit curious that folks in my profession aren't 
basically (all) provided with the same access.”An hour southeast 
of Topeka, nursing home employees with symptoms can count on almost 
immediate results from rapid-testing machines that Lyon County’s health 
agency acquired amid an outbreak at a meatpacking plant.Months ago, Ewert ordered a rapid-testing machine, too.“We
 are still waiting,” he said. If it ever comes through, “then we can 
start getting in line for the reagent. I anticipate every single step 
will be a long wait and a fight.”The Trump administration has said it will start <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-announces-new-resources-protect-nursing-home-residents-against-covid-19#:~:text=Building%20on%20the%20initiative%20HHS,5%25%20positivity%20rate%20or%20greater" target="_blank">requiring weekly testing</a> in many nursing homes, and promised to <a href="https://khn.org/news/trump-is-sending-fast-cheap-covid-tests-to-nursing-homes-but-theres-a-hitch/" target="_blank">send out 14,000 machines</a>.
 But nursing home administrators have many questions about how accurate 
and reliable the devices are, when they will arrive, and how accessible 
and affordable related testing supplies will be.This spring, the 
administration promised to send protective gear to nursing homes, but 
when the boxes arrived, some facilities reported receiving <a href="https://khn.org/news/federal-help-falters-as-nursing-homes-run-short-of-protective-equipment/?utm_campaign=KHN%20New%20from%20KHN&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=89345426&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8vuDupGpwQGw8-8nQJqZD6mw-4wW8b0z67bU8DQ9FpeBKgbV52zIPPIhTCYesg85X_16wH4_HGZ9T4M6DDIiPjGyFj-A&amp;utm_content=89345426&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">subpar or unusable equipment</a>.<h2>When outbreaks happen</h2>Brewster Place in Topeka is dealing with its first cluster of cases among patients. <a href="https://brewsterliving.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Brewster-COVID-Update-Positive-Cases-08-19-20-update-08-20-20.pdf" target="_blank">Six employees and three residents</a> tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.When
 the coronavirus strikes a long-term care facility, it can require 
several weeks’ worth of repeatedly testing hundreds of people until all 
the cases are found and isolated, and the outbreak contained.Nursing
 homes say the state lab in Topeka generally covers the first two rounds
 of facility-wide testing — and picks up the cost. The homes then turn 
to private labs for the subsequent rounds.“The experience with 
the private labs has been mixed,” Mission Health Management Group vice 
president Shawn Sullivan said. His company has more than 30 long-term 
care facilities in Kansas. “We have had experiences where the turnaround
 time has been very quick and other times where the turnaround time has 
taken several days.”The Kansas nursing home industry says prices 
also vary significantly — from less than $100 to more than $200 per 
test. Facilities with outbreaks can quickly rack up tens of thousands or
 dollars in expenses to stop a single outbreak.While <a href="https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2020-06-22-medicare-cover-covid-19-tests-nursing-home-patients" target="_blank">Medicare</a>
 or other insurance covers lab work for residents, nursing homes and 
other long-term care facilities are generally on the hook for testing 
their employees.The situation can be even tougher for locations farther from the state lab in Topeka.Windsor
 Place in Coffeyville — southeast Kansas — faced an outbreak last month 
that affected 35 residents and 22 staff. Most did not experience 
symptoms, one was hospitalized and two died.Windsor leaned 
largely on a lab in its region instead of sending samples to the state 
capital, nearly three hours away, because it offered same-day results.“With the state lab, if we timed it right, the results were still two to four days out,” CEO Monte Coffman said.<h2>As cold weather returns</h2>Since
 the local lab charges less than $100 a test, Windsor has been able to 
afford the tests with help from federal stimulus funds. But Coffman is 
uncertain what will happen if outbreaks recur.“If we have repeated periods of this into the fall or through the winter flu season,” he said, “then things tighten up.”Flu season will likely lead to <a href="https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/here-comes-the-double-whammy-flu-season-on-top-of-covid" target="_blank">even more demand</a> for testing patients with respiratory symptoms.More than <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">1,700</a><a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank"> cases of COVID-19</a>
 in Kansas — and 209 deaths — are linked to long-term care settings. 
That’s less than 5% of the known cases, but more than half of the 
fatalities.And the situation may not get better anytime soon. 
Around 13% of Kansans who got checked for the virus in the past week 
tested positive, according to <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/kansas" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University</a>. Experts say when rates are that high despite the state’s aggressive increase in testing, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-29/as-coronavirus-cases-climb-in-kansas-its-hard-to-measure-how-the-state-is-doing" target="_blank">it suggests</a> the virus is widespread.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598453957294.png" alt="The Trump administration has promised to send COVID-19 testing machines to Brewster Place and other nursing homes, but questions remain about how reliable the results will be. Janis Swanson" />
 <figcaption>The Trump administration has promised to send COVID-19 testing machines to Brewster Place and other nursing homes, but questions remain about how reliable the results will be. Janis Swanson</figcaption>
 </figure>It gained traction here and nationally as states reopened their 
economies and friends and family gathered again for holidays, sports and
 cookouts.Renee Hively, health officer for Lyon County, thinks that likely contributed to two ongoing outbreaks at nursing homes there.“I
 think people just tend to let their guards down,” she said. “Especially
 in the summer months, when people like to congregate and do all kinds 
of social activities.”Her agency helped collect samples at the 
homes, and the state lab processed them generally within a day or two. 
The state covered the first two rounds of testing for the homes, and a 
third round for one of them that was struggling to get it done 
otherwise.But Hively worries that nursing homes may find it even 
harder to get timely results as more people mix on a daily basis, 
spreading germs.“With schools starting, and colleges,” she said, “the labs are going to get inundated with testing.”Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Kan. nursing homes still can't count on fast COVID-19 tests 

GREENWOOD COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office have arrested two men and a teen connected to the murder of 78-year-old Danny Shue from Eureka, Kan.

Just before 3p.m. Aug. 25, KBI agents and sheriff’s deputies arrested Noah J. E. Farr, 30, of Dighton, Kansas.

Farr was arrested at the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and then booked into the Finney County Jail. 

At approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday, a 17-year-old male from El Dorado was arrested at the El Dorado Police Department, and then transported to an area juvenile facility where he is being held. 

Then, at around 7 p.m. Tuesday night, Joseph E. Warden, 25, of El Dorado, was arrested at the El Dorado Police Department and booked into the Greenwood County Jail. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office and the El Dorado Police Department assisted with the arrests.

Farr, Warden, and the juvenile were each charged with felony murder, aggravated burglary, felony theft, and conspiracy to commit felony theft. Charges are accusations, and all individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KSCRIME, or the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 583-5568.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598026621001.png" alt="KBI on the scene of the investigation August 20 -photo courtesy Eureka Herald" />
 <figcaption>KBI on the scene of the investigation August 20 -photo courtesy Eureka Herald</figcaption>
 </figure>GREENWOOD COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office have arrested two men and a teen connected to the murder of 78-year-old Danny Shue from Eureka, Kan.Just before 3p.m. Aug. 25, KBI agents and sheriff’s deputies arrested Noah J. E. Farr, 30, of Dighton, Kansas.Farr was arrested at the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and then booked into the Finney County Jail. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598477662600.png" alt="Farr photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Farr photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>At approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday, a 17-year-old male from El Dorado was arrested at the El Dorado Police Department, and then transported to an area juvenile facility where he is being held. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598478067082.png" alt="Warden-photo from a previous arrest in Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Warden-photo from a previous arrest in Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Then, at around 7 p.m. Tuesday night, Joseph E. Warden, 25, of El Dorado, was arrested at the El Dorado Police Department and booked into the Greenwood County Jail. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office and the El Dorado Police Department assisted with the arrests.Farr, Warden, and the juvenile were each charged with felony murder, aggravated burglary, felony theft, and conspiracy to commit felony theft. Charges are accusations, and all individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.&nbsp;&nbsp;The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KSCRIME, or the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office at (620) 583-5568.

KBI: 3 arrested in murder of 78-year-old Kan. man

TOPEKA —Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), held a press briefing Wednesday afternoon to discuss the increase in coronavirus in Kansas.&nbsp; He said if the pandemic were a football game, we'd be near the end of the first quarter.

The state reported another 1,536 confirmed and probable cases&nbsp; of the virus since Monday, an increase of 4%. The total since the pandemic began is 39,937. The KDHE also said there were additional 11 deaths for a total of 437.

TOPEKA —Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), held a press briefing Wednesday afternoon to discuss the increase in coronavirus in Kansas.&nbsp; He said if the pandemic were a football game, we'd be near the end of the first quarter.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKDHEnews%2Fvideos%2F303913344047288%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>The state reported another 1,536 confirmed and probable cases&nbsp; of the virus since Monday, an increase of 4%. The total since the pandemic began is 39,937. The KDHE also said there were additional 11 deaths for a total of 437.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598462849768.png" alt="August 26, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>August 26, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎥 Dr. Lee Norman on increase in COVID-19 in Kansas

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice. 

Called off: Games between Milwaukee and Orlando, Houston and Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland. The NBA said all three games would be rescheduled, yet did not say when. The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA’s team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police officers of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn’t take the floor for their game against the Magic.

&nbsp;Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — NBA players made their strongest statement yet against racial injustice when the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t take the floor for their scheduled playoff game against the Orlando Magic. 

The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4 p.m. EST, with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round. Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

More discussions were expected Wednesday, but even before that the Bucks apparently decided they would act. Magic players and referees were on the floor for the game but Milwaukee never took the floor.&nbsp; Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;

Following the Bucks decision, the other two playoff games Houston vs. Oklahoma City and Los Angeles vs. Portland have been postponed, according to the NBA.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;It is a great challenge to have an appreciation and a desire to want change. To want something different and better in Kenosha, Milwaukee and Wisconsin and then to go out and play a game.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/BCmHZdFf1P">pic.twitter.com/BCmHZdFf1P</a>&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1298706183499513859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Called off: Games between Milwaukee and Orlando, Houston and Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland. The NBA said all three games would be rescheduled, yet did not say when. The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA’s team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police officers of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn’t take the floor for their game against the Magic.&nbsp;Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — NBA players made their strongest statement yet against racial injustice when the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t take the floor for their scheduled playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4 p.m. EST, with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round. Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. More discussions were expected Wednesday, but even before that the Bucks apparently decided they would act. Magic players and referees were on the floor for the game but Milwaukee never took the floor.&nbsp; Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled.&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1298729514403594240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Following the Bucks decision, the other two playoff games Houston vs. Oklahoma City and Los Angeles vs. Portland have been postponed, according to the NBA.

Boycott: NBA playoff games called off amid player protest

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University plans to install in dorm rooms a device that emits dry hydrogen peroxide to lower the risk of students being infected with COVID-19.

The university had installed units in some of its facilities including the student health center and recreation center, Dr. Kyle Goerl, medical director at Kansas State, said in an email on Wednesday. The university plans to also place devices in residence halls next week, he said.

The university&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/covid-19/communities/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;Wednesday it has posted testing data on its website, which includes the number of students, faculty and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 at its health center. Last week, 63 people, or 9.29% of those the center tested, tested positive for the virus, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/covid-19/communities/" target="_blank">data</a>. As of Friday, the number of students in quarantine in Manhattan was 159, and 49 were in isolation, the data shows.

The state Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;1,536 new cases since Monday, an increase of 4%, to bring the total to 39,937. The department reported an additional 11 COVID-19-related deaths, to put the pandemic total at 437.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598470307431.png" alt="Students on tour of the Lafene Health Center at KSU Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>Students on tour of the Lafene Health Center at KSU Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University plans to install in dorm rooms a device that emits dry hydrogen peroxide to lower the risk of students being infected with COVID-19.The university had installed units in some of its facilities including the student health center and recreation center, Dr. Kyle Goerl, medical director at Kansas State, said in an email on Wednesday. The university plans to also place devices in residence halls next week, he said.The university&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/covid-19/communities/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;Wednesday it has posted testing data on its website, which includes the number of students, faculty and staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 at its health center. Last week, 63 people, or 9.29% of those the center tested, tested positive for the virus, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/covid-19/communities/" target="_blank">data</a>. As of Friday, the number of students in quarantine in Manhattan was 159, and 49 were in isolation, the data shows.The state Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;1,536 new cases since Monday, an increase of 4%, to bring the total to 39,937. The department reported an additional 11 COVID-19-related deaths, to put the pandemic total at 437.___

K-State to install devices in dorms to check COVID-19

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,533 to a total of 39,937 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,533 to a total of 39,937 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 437, an increase of 11.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598462849768.png" alt="August 26, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>August 26, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>