SEDGWICK —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as 40-year-old William Pottorff.

Just before 1a.m. Thursday, police responded to report of a shooting at the Scottsman Inn, 5922 West Kellogg in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Captain Jason Stephens.

When officers arrived, they found Pottorf dead inside one of the motel rooms. He had been staying there with a woman who had rented the room, according to Stephens.

Shortly after police were sent to the motel, officers learned that a 23-year-old man had arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. Investigators were able to determine that he was involved in this incident at the motel. He remains in critical condition, according to Stephens.

Through interviews and evidence, police learned that the 23-year-old had been at the motel with four other men. They forcibly entered Pottorf's room.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between the 23-year-old and Pottorf, according to Captain Stephens. Both brandished firearms and there was exchange of gunfire.

Police were continuing to conduct interviews in the case, according to Stephens.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596107513157.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation early Thursday photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation early Thursday photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as 40-year-old William Pottorff.Just before 1a.m. Thursday, police responded to report of a shooting at the Scottsman Inn, 5922 West Kellogg in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Captain Jason Stephens.When officers arrived, they found Pottorf dead inside one of the motel rooms. He had been staying there with a woman who had rented the room, according to Stephens.Shortly after police were sent to the motel, officers learned that a 23-year-old man had arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. Investigators were able to determine that he was involved in this incident at the motel. He remains in critical condition, according to Stephens.Through interviews and evidence, police learned that the 23-year-old had been at the motel with four other men. They forcibly entered Pottorf's room.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between the 23-year-old and Pottorf, according to Captain Stephens. Both brandished firearms and there was exchange of gunfire.Police were continuing to conduct interviews in the case, according to Stephens.

Police investigate fatal Kansas motel room gun battle

By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-29/ku-med-and-childrens-mercy-to-lead-clinical-trials-of-promising-covid-19-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>

A COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical 
giant AstraZeneca will be tested locally as part of a clinical trial 
seeking to enroll 30,000 participants nationwide.

The University 
of Kansas Medical Center and Children’s Mercy Hospital will lead the 
local effort, which calls for the recruitment of 1,500 participants in 
Kansas and Missouri.

Known as AZD1222, the vaccine generated an immune response in a study of 1,077 patients, according to interim results <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31604-4/fulltext" target="_blank">published in The Lancet</a> medical journal on July 20.

More
 than 100 COVID-19 vaccines are currently in development, but AZD1222 
has been one of the first to move into large-scale clinical trials. 

The
 data published in The Lancet showed that the vaccine caused a variety 
of side effects in 60% of the participants. But those side effects — 
including fever, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue — were deemed mild 
or moderate.

“This vaccine is very exciting,” said Dr. Mario 
Castro, a pulmonologist with the KU School of Medicine. “There’s been so
 much thrown at this coronavirus in terms of treatment and prevention, 
and we ultimately know that the best strategy for this virus is a 
vaccine.”

Castro and Dr. Barbara Pahud, an infectious disease 
specialist at Chidren’s Mercy, will serve as co-principal investigators 
for the local trials.

AZD1222 is entering Phase 3 of clinical 
trials, meaning the vaccine — having cleared earlier stages of 
investigation — is given to thousands of people to see how many become 
infected compared with volunteers who receive a placebo. 

The 
Phase 3 trials are expected to begin in mid- or late August. 
Participants must be over the age of 18 and considered to be at high 
risk of coming into contact with the novel coronavirus that causes 
COVID-19. The participants will be randomized; two out of three will get
 the vaccine and the rest will get a placebo.

According to <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/phase-3-clinical-trial-investigational-vaccine-covid-19-begins" target="_blank">the National Institutes of Health</a>,
 Phase 3 clinical trials for another vaccine under development by 
Moderna Inc., a biotechnology company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have 
also begun across the country. Like the AZD1222 trials, those trials are
 expected to enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers nationwide.

The
 Washington University School of Medicine and the St. Louis University 
Center for Vaccine Development are leading regional clinical trials for 
the Moderna vaccine.

That vaccine, which has also shown promise, 
uses messenger RNA, or mRNA, to prompt cells to make a fragment of the 
virus, which primes the immune system to attack if it encounters the 
real coronavirus.

By contrast, AZD1222 uses a genetically 
engineered virus taken from chimpanzees that carries a gene for one 
protein in the coronavirus. The virus is inserted into patients’ cells, 
causing them to manufacture that protein, which in turn triggers an 
immune response.

"Safety is our No. 1 priority," said Pahud of 
Children's Mercy Hospital. "I would not offer this vaccine if I were not
 ready to take it myself." 

People wanting to be considered for 
the AZD1222 clinical trial and receive the vaccine can register using 
the Coronavirus Prevention Network website or by calling 913-574-3006 in
 Kansas City, 316-293-1833 in Wichita.

Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571089976044.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-29/ku-med-and-childrens-mercy-to-lead-clinical-trials-of-promising-covid-19-vaccine">Kansas News Service</a>A COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical 
giant AstraZeneca will be tested locally as part of a clinical trial 
seeking to enroll 30,000 participants nationwide.The University 
of Kansas Medical Center and Children’s Mercy Hospital will lead the 
local effort, which calls for the recruitment of 1,500 participants in 
Kansas and Missouri.Known as AZD1222, the vaccine generated an immune response in a study of 1,077 patients, according to interim results <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31604-4/fulltext" target="_blank">published in The Lancet</a> medical journal on July 20.More
 than 100 COVID-19 vaccines are currently in development, but AZD1222 
has been one of the first to move into large-scale clinical trials. The
 data published in The Lancet showed that the vaccine caused a variety 
of side effects in 60% of the participants. But those side effects — 
including fever, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue — were deemed mild 
or moderate.“This vaccine is very exciting,” said Dr. Mario 
Castro, a pulmonologist with the KU School of Medicine. “There’s been so
 much thrown at this coronavirus in terms of treatment and prevention, 
and we ultimately know that the best strategy for this virus is a 
vaccine.”Castro and Dr. Barbara Pahud, an infectious disease 
specialist at Chidren’s Mercy, will serve as co-principal investigators 
for the local trials.AZD1222 is entering Phase 3 of clinical 
trials, meaning the vaccine — having cleared earlier stages of 
investigation — is given to thousands of people to see how many become 
infected compared with volunteers who receive a placebo. The 
Phase 3 trials are expected to begin in mid- or late August. 
Participants must be over the age of 18 and considered to be at high 
risk of coming into contact with the novel coronavirus that causes 
COVID-19. The participants will be randomized; two out of three will get
 the vaccine and the rest will get a placebo.According to <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/phase-3-clinical-trial-investigational-vaccine-covid-19-begins" target="_blank">the National Institutes of Health</a>,
 Phase 3 clinical trials for another vaccine under development by 
Moderna Inc., a biotechnology company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have 
also begun across the country. Like the AZD1222 trials, those trials are
 expected to enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers nationwide.The
 Washington University School of Medicine and the St. Louis University 
Center for Vaccine Development are leading regional clinical trials for 
the Moderna vaccine.That vaccine, which has also shown promise, 
uses messenger RNA, or mRNA, to prompt cells to make a fragment of the 
virus, which primes the immune system to attack if it encounters the 
real coronavirus.By contrast, AZD1222 uses a genetically 
engineered virus taken from chimpanzees that carries a gene for one 
protein in the coronavirus. The virus is inserted into patients’ cells, 
causing them to manufacture that protein, which in turn triggers an 
immune response."Safety is our No. 1 priority," said Pahud of 
Children's Mercy Hospital. "I would not offer this vaccine if I were not
 ready to take it myself." People wanting to be considered for 
the AZD1222 clinical trial and receive the vaccine can register using 
the Coronavirus Prevention Network website or by calling 913-574-3006 in
 Kansas City, 316-293-1833 in Wichita.Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.&nbsp;

KU Med, Children’s Mercy to lead clinical trials of promising COVID-19 vaccine

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/30/a-lot-of-anger-kansas-authorities-on-alert-for-threats-to-health-officers/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Department
 of Health and Environment secretary Lee Norman says he is used to 
“looking over my shoulder,” behavior the lieutenant colonel in the 
Kansas Army National Guard learned while serving as senior medical 
commander in a combat zone.

Norman again finds himself under threat of attack.

Public health officials 
across the the country are being threatened by the residents they are 
trying to protect while managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kansas 
Adjutant General’s office, which oversees emergency preparedness for the
 state, informed Norman’s staff this week that general threats were 
being made.

Law enforcement in Kansas 
are monitoring potential and perceived threats, said Ashley 
Jones-Wisner, senior director for public affairs at KDHE. Norman said at
 least one county health officer in Kansas has enlisted 24-hour 
protection.

Norman said there haven’t been any direct threats against his life, “but there’s a lot of anger out there.”

“There are a lot of people
 that are getting punchy,” Norman said. “I think it’s out there kind of 
in the level of the theoretical. I try to always be situational.”

Gov. Laura Kelly has 
issued a litany of executive orders, based on advice from Norman, to 
mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Kansas. The response to those orders —
 including recent efforts to require residents to wear masks in public 
and delay the start of public schools — has grown increasingly hostile 
and politically charged.

“We have to take any and 
all threats seriously,” Kelly said. “My administration, our agencies and
 law enforcement will continue to be in coordination to ensure the 
safety of state and local employees. It’s more important than ever that 
elected officials stick to using public health data and science, and 
keep politics out of the conversation around COVID-19.”

KDHE for the first time on
 Wednesday enlisted Kansas Highway Patrol officers to attend a news 
briefing delivered by Norman. Reporters now are being asked to RSVP and 
show credentials when they arrive.

Norman’s agency reported 
the addition of 698 cases of COVID-19 and 14 new deaths in Kansas over a
 48-hour period this week. He said health officials in Kansas were 
monitoring active clusters connected to bars and restaurants, religious 
gatherings, meat packing plants, group homes, long-term care facilities,
 and private businesses.

In total, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">KDHE has recorded</a> 26,870 cases, 1,700 hospitalizations and 349 deaths since the first case in Kansas was discovered in early March.

KDHE enlisted Susan 
Voorhees, a Topeka psychologist, to join Norman at Wednesday’s briefing 
and address the anxiety parents and children are feeling as they <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/29/local-control-takes-shape-as-school-districts-across-kansas-plan-for-reopening/">prepare to return to school</a>.

That anxiety is fueled by 
uncertainty over when and how in-person instruction will resume, health 
risks, mandated precautions, screen time, seeing friends and job 
security. Voorhees said the best thing parents can do is talk to their 
kids about these worries and let them ask questions.

“We know that anxiety is 
like the monster under the bed,” Voorhees said. “It hides in the dark. 
It hides in the areas where we don’t talk about things, where we just 
let our minds go and wander and imagine — lying in bed at night, 
wondering about what’s going to happen tomorrow or what we heard on the 
news.”

Norman said he had 
witnessed first-hand the mental stress of the months-long pandemic. 
Managing the state’s response, Norman said, reminded him of his 
deployment in 2017-18 to the Middle East, where he was responsible for 
the health of 12,000 troops.

The secretary credited his
 colleagues at the health agency for providing a good support network 
for him and each other over the past five months.

“I feel great,” Norman said. “I really do. But it’s not because it’s been easy sledding.”

Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he started on the copy desk, then oversaw digital operations, was the managing editor and reported from the Statehouse. A lifelong Kansan, he graduated from Emporia State University in 2004 as a Shepherd Scholar with a degree in English.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596129008049.jpeg" alt="Lee Norman says he views the threats against public health officers like him as theoretical, "but there's a lot of anger out there." (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Lee Norman says he views the threats against public health officers like him as theoretical, "but there's a lot of anger out there." (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/30/a-lot-of-anger-kansas-authorities-on-alert-for-threats-to-health-officers/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Department
 of Health and Environment secretary Lee Norman says he is used to 
“looking over my shoulder,” behavior the lieutenant colonel in the 
Kansas Army National Guard learned while serving as senior medical 
commander in a combat zone.Norman again finds himself under threat of attack.Public health officials 
across the the country are being threatened by the residents they are 
trying to protect while managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kansas 
Adjutant General’s office, which oversees emergency preparedness for the
 state, informed Norman’s staff this week that general threats were 
being made.Law enforcement in Kansas 
are monitoring potential and perceived threats, said Ashley 
Jones-Wisner, senior director for public affairs at KDHE. Norman said at
 least one county health officer in Kansas has enlisted 24-hour 
protection.Norman said there haven’t been any direct threats against his life, “but there’s a lot of anger out there.”“There are a lot of people
 that are getting punchy,” Norman said. “I think it’s out there kind of 
in the level of the theoretical. I try to always be situational.”Gov. Laura Kelly has 
issued a litany of executive orders, based on advice from Norman, to 
mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Kansas. The response to those orders —
 including recent efforts to require residents to wear masks in public 
and delay the start of public schools — has grown increasingly hostile 
and politically charged.“We have to take any and 
all threats seriously,” Kelly said. “My administration, our agencies and
 law enforcement will continue to be in coordination to ensure the 
safety of state and local employees. It’s more important than ever that 
elected officials stick to using public health data and science, and 
keep politics out of the conversation around COVID-19.”KDHE for the first time on
 Wednesday enlisted Kansas Highway Patrol officers to attend a news 
briefing delivered by Norman. Reporters now are being asked to RSVP and 
show credentials when they arrive.Norman’s agency reported 
the addition of 698 cases of COVID-19 and 14 new deaths in Kansas over a
 48-hour period this week. He said health officials in Kansas were 
monitoring active clusters connected to bars and restaurants, religious 
gatherings, meat packing plants, group homes, long-term care facilities,
 and private businesses.In total, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">KDHE has recorded</a> 26,870 cases, 1,700 hospitalizations and 349 deaths since the first case in Kansas was discovered in early March.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596129066955.jpeg" alt="Susan Voorhees, a Topeka psychologist, says parents should talk to their children about the anxiety they feel about going back to school. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Susan Voorhees, a Topeka psychologist, says parents should talk to their children about the anxiety they feel about going back to school. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>KDHE enlisted Susan 
Voorhees, a Topeka psychologist, to join Norman at Wednesday’s briefing 
and address the anxiety parents and children are feeling as they <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/29/local-control-takes-shape-as-school-districts-across-kansas-plan-for-reopening/">prepare to return to school</a>.That anxiety is fueled by 
uncertainty over when and how in-person instruction will resume, health 
risks, mandated precautions, screen time, seeing friends and job 
security. Voorhees said the best thing parents can do is talk to their 
kids about these worries and let them ask questions.“We know that anxiety is 
like the monster under the bed,” Voorhees said. “It hides in the dark. 
It hides in the areas where we don’t talk about things, where we just 
let our minds go and wander and imagine — lying in bed at night, 
wondering about what’s going to happen tomorrow or what we heard on the 
news.”Norman said he had 
witnessed first-hand the mental stress of the months-long pandemic. 
Managing the state’s response, Norman said, reminded him of his 
deployment in 2017-18 to the Middle East, where he was responsible for 
the health of 12,000 troops.The secretary credited his
 colleagues at the health agency for providing a good support network 
for him and each other over the past five months.“I feel great,” Norman said. “I really do. But it’s not because it’s been easy sledding.”Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he started on the copy desk, then oversaw digital operations, was the managing editor and reported from the Statehouse. A lifelong Kansan, he graduated from Emporia State University in 2004 as a Shepherd Scholar with a degree in English.

‘A lot of anger’: Kan. authorities on alert for threats to health officers

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects on drug charges after police executed two search warrants Wednesday in Great Bend.

The first search warrant was served just after 10a.m. at 404 Plum Street, according to a media release.

 Shawna Contrerez, age 31, was located inside the residence and arrested on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of stolen property.

The second search warrant was executed at 1014 ½ Stone Street, Great Bend. During the search of the residence marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia were located and seized.

Police arrested Ashley Robertson, 26, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. They also arrested Jacob Parks, 40, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and felon in possession of a weapon.

Later Wednesday, police located Robert Crawford, age 28, in the area of 27th and Morton Street in Great Bend. Police arrested him on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of methamphetamine associated with the search warrants which were executed earlier in the morning.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596123679251.png" alt="Shawna Contrerez" />
 <figcaption>Shawna Contrerez</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects on drug charges after police executed two search warrants Wednesday in Great Bend.The first search warrant was served just after 10a.m. at 404 Plum Street, according to a media release. Shawna Contrerez, age 31, was located inside the residence and arrested on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of stolen property.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596123714402.png" alt="Ashley Robertson" />
 <figcaption>Ashley Robertson</figcaption>
 </figure>The second search warrant was executed at 1014 ½ Stone Street, Great Bend. During the search of the residence marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia were located and seized.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596123738714.png" alt="Jacob Parks" />
 <figcaption>Jacob Parks</figcaption>
 </figure>Police arrested Ashley Robertson, 26, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. They also arrested Jacob Parks, 40, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and felon in possession of a weapon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596123755338.png" alt="Crawford" />
 <figcaption>Crawford</figcaption>
 </figure>Later Wednesday, police located Robert Crawford, age 28, in the area of 27th and Morton Street in Great Bend. Police arrested him on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of methamphetamine associated with the search warrants which were executed earlier in the morning.

Police make 4 arrests after drug bust at Kansas home

ATLANTA (AP) — Herman Cain, former Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of a major pizza chain who went on to become an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, has died of complications from the coronavirus. He was 74.

A post on Cain’s Twitter account on Thursday announced the death. Cain had been ill with the virus for several weeks. It’s not clear when or where he was infected, but he was hospitalized less than two weeks after attending Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June. Cain had been co-chair of Black Voices for Trump.

“We knew when he was first hospitalized with COVID-19 that this was going to be a rough fight,” read an article posted on the Twitter account. “He had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We all prayed that the initial meds they gave him would get his breathing back to normal, but it became clear pretty quickly that he was in for a battle.”

Cain, who had hoped to become the first Black to win the GOP nomination, was initially considered a long-shot candidate. His bid was propelled forward in September 2011 when he won a straw poll vote in Florida, instantly becoming an alternative candidate for Republican voters concerned that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was not conservative enough.

But Cain struggled to respond to accusations that he had sexually harassed several women and — in a video that went viral on the Internet — rambled uncomfortably when asked whether he supported or opposed President Barack Obama’s policies in Libya. There were also gaffes on abortion and torture that led Cain’s critics to question whether he was ready for the White House.

Just as Cain started surging in the polls, Politico reported that the National Restaurant Association paid settlements to two former employees who claimed Cain sexually harassed them while he was CEO and president of the lobbying group from 1996 to 1999. Another woman, Sharon Bialek, said that Cain, an acquaintance, groped her in a car in July 1997 after they’d had dinner in Washington. Bialek, who was then unemployed, said she had contacted Cain seeking job advice.

Cain said he could not remember Bialek and denied sexually harassing anyone.

“I don’t even know who this woman is,” Cain said during a news conference in Arizona that he called to quell the controversy. “I tried to remember if I recognized her and I didn’t.”

Polls in the weeks afterward showed Cain’s popularity had slipped considerably.

Cain honed his speaking skills in the corporate world, then hosted a radio talk show in Atlanta that introduced his political views and up-by-the-bootstraps life story to many Tea Party supporters and other conservatives.

But he repeatedly fumbled under the scrutiny that follows a front-runner for the presidency. He gave a rambling response when asked by the editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel whether he supported or opposed Obama’s policies in Libya. The videotaped interview went viral on the internet.

He first ventured into national politics in 1994 when he publicly challenged President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, on his proposal to force employers to buy health insurance for their employees. “For many, many businesses like mine, the cost of your plan is simply a cost that will cause us to eliminate jobs,” Cain told Clinton. “What will I tell those people whose jobs I will have to eliminate?”

Afterward, the restaurant industry used Cain as a spokesman as it campaigned against Clinton’s plan, which ultimately failed.

Cain served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City from 1992 to 1996. His colleagues said they believed he left the nonpartisan board so he could be more active politically.

“We were already among ourselves as directors having discussions and kidding him about running for president,” said Jo Marie Dancik, who served on the board with Cain. “We were serious. He laughed it off at that point. I think it was probably the first time he had every really considered.”

Cain moved back to his native Georgia and in 2004 ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican. He lost to Rep. Johnny Isakson in the primary.

Less than two years later, Cain was diagnosed with late-stage cancer in his colon that had spread to his liver. He recovered and later said he believed his survival showed that God had other plans for him. He credited God with persuading him to run for president after Obama, a Democrat, took office in early 2009.

“That’s when I prayed and prayed and prayed. I’m a man of faith — I’ve had to do a lot of praying for this one,” Cain told an audience of young Republicans in Atlanta. “More praying than I’ve ever done before in my life. And when I finally realized that it was God saying that this is what I needed to do, I was like Moses. ‘You’ve got the wrong man, Lord. Are you sure?’”

Cain projected a self-confident image that at times bordered on arrogance. He referred to himself in the third person. His motivations speaking company was named T.H.E. New Voice Inc. The acronym stood for The Hermanator Experience.

His run for the presidency was unlikely, considering his origins. Born in the segregated South, Cain joked that his family was so poor it was “po.” His father worked three jobs as a janitor, barber and chauffeur, while his mother was a servant. He graduated from Morehouse College, a historically black college for men in Atlanta, received a master’s degree from Purdue University and worked as a civilian mathematician in the U.S. Navy.

While it was a good job, Cain said his ambitions were in the corporate world. He wanted to be president of “something ... somewhere,” he later wrote.

He worked first for Coca-Cola, became a vice president with Pillsbury, then was appointed to run its struggling Burger King unit in the Philadelphia area. His success prompted Pillsbury officials to ask Cain to take over its floundering Godfather’s Pizza chain. Cain said he returned the franchise to profitability. One of his strategies was shuttering under-performing stores.

Cain is survived by his wife, Gloria Etchison, their children and grandchildren.

The centerpiece of Cain’s campaign was his 9-9-9 plan, which would have replaced the current tax code with a 9% tax on personal and corporate income and a 9% national sales tax. Cain said the plan’s simplicity would stimulate the economy by giving investors certainty. A Baptist preacher who made money giving motivational speeches, Cain had a talent for selling his ideas to conservative audiences with a straightforward style.

“If 10% is good enough for God, 9% ought to be good enough for the federal government,” he told crowds.

Acknowledging Cain's death in a tweet Thursday, Romney wrote, “Saddened that Herman Cain—a formidable champion of business, politics and policy—has lost his battle with Covid. St. Peter will soon hear ‘999!’ Keep up the fight, my friend.”

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herman_Cain_by_Gage_Skidmore_4.jpg">Cover photo by Gage Skidmore</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596123749903.png" alt="Herman Cain speaking at a fundraiser in Richmond, Virginia on October 17, 2011. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herman_Cain_by_Gage_Skidmore_4.jpg">Photo by Gage Skidmore</a>" />
 <figcaption>Herman Cain speaking at a fundraiser in Richmond, Virginia on October 17, 2011. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herman_Cain_by_Gage_Skidmore_4.jpg">Photo by Gage Skidmore</a></figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Herman Cain, former Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of a major pizza chain who went on to become an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, has died of complications from the coronavirus. He was 74.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You&#39;re never ready for the kind of news we are grappling with this morning. But we have no choice but to seek and find God&#39;s strength and comfort to deal... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HermanCain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HermanCain</a> <a href="https://t.co/BtOgoLVqKz">https://t.co/BtOgoLVqKz</a>&mdash; Herman Cain (@THEHermanCain) <a href="https://twitter.com/THEHermanCain/status/1288843301722890240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A post on Cain’s Twitter account on Thursday announced the death. Cain had been ill with the virus for several weeks. It’s not clear when or where he was infected, but he was hospitalized less than two weeks after attending Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June. Cain had been co-chair of Black Voices for Trump.“We knew when he was first hospitalized with COVID-19 that this was going to be a rough fight,” read an article posted on the Twitter account. “He had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We all prayed that the initial meds they gave him would get his breathing back to normal, but it became clear pretty quickly that he was in for a battle.”Cain, who had hoped to become the first Black to win the GOP nomination, was initially considered a long-shot candidate. His bid was propelled forward in September 2011 when he won a straw poll vote in Florida, instantly becoming an alternative candidate for Republican voters concerned that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was not conservative enough.But Cain struggled to respond to accusations that he had sexually harassed several women and — in a video that went viral on the Internet — rambled uncomfortably when asked whether he supported or opposed President Barack Obama’s policies in Libya. There were also gaffes on abortion and torture that led Cain’s critics to question whether he was ready for the White House.Just as Cain started surging in the polls, Politico reported that the National Restaurant Association paid settlements to two former employees who claimed Cain sexually harassed them while he was CEO and president of the lobbying group from 1996 to 1999. Another woman, Sharon Bialek, said that Cain, an acquaintance, groped her in a car in July 1997 after they’d had dinner in Washington. Bialek, who was then unemployed, said she had contacted Cain seeking job advice.Cain said he could not remember Bialek and denied sexually harassing anyone.“I don’t even know who this woman is,” Cain said during a news conference in Arizona that he called to quell the controversy. “I tried to remember if I recognized her and I didn’t.”Polls in the weeks afterward showed Cain’s popularity had slipped considerably.Cain honed his speaking skills in the corporate world, then hosted a radio talk show in Atlanta that introduced his political views and up-by-the-bootstraps life story to many Tea Party supporters and other conservatives.But he repeatedly fumbled under the scrutiny that follows a front-runner for the presidency. He gave a rambling response when asked by the editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel whether he supported or opposed Obama’s policies in Libya. The videotaped interview went viral on the internet.He first ventured into national politics in 1994 when he publicly challenged President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, on his proposal to force employers to buy health insurance for their employees. “For many, many businesses like mine, the cost of your plan is simply a cost that will cause us to eliminate jobs,” Cain told Clinton. “What will I tell those people whose jobs I will have to eliminate?”Afterward, the restaurant industry used Cain as a spokesman as it campaigned against Clinton’s plan, which ultimately failed.Cain served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City from 1992 to 1996. His colleagues said they believed he left the nonpartisan board so he could be more active politically.“We were already among ourselves as directors having discussions and kidding him about running for president,” said Jo Marie Dancik, who served on the board with Cain. “We were serious. He laughed it off at that point. I think it was probably the first time he had every really considered.”Cain moved back to his native Georgia and in 2004 ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican. He lost to Rep. Johnny Isakson in the primary.Less than two years later, Cain was diagnosed with late-stage cancer in his colon that had spread to his liver. He recovered and later said he believed his survival showed that God had other plans for him. He credited God with persuading him to run for president after Obama, a Democrat, took office in early 2009.“That’s when I prayed and prayed and prayed. I’m a man of faith — I’ve had to do a lot of praying for this one,” Cain told an audience of young Republicans in Atlanta. “More praying than I’ve ever done before in my life. And when I finally realized that it was God saying that this is what I needed to do, I was like Moses. ‘You’ve got the wrong man, Lord. Are you sure?’”Cain projected a self-confident image that at times bordered on arrogance. He referred to himself in the third person. His motivations speaking company was named T.H.E. New Voice Inc. The acronym stood for The Hermanator Experience.His run for the presidency was unlikely, considering his origins. Born in the segregated South, Cain joked that his family was so poor it was “po.” His father worked three jobs as a janitor, barber and chauffeur, while his mother was a servant. He graduated from Morehouse College, a historically black college for men in Atlanta, received a master’s degree from Purdue University and worked as a civilian mathematician in the U.S. Navy.While it was a good job, Cain said his ambitions were in the corporate world. He wanted to be president of “something ... somewhere,” he later wrote.He worked first for Coca-Cola, became a vice president with Pillsbury, then was appointed to run its struggling Burger King unit in the Philadelphia area. His success prompted Pillsbury officials to ask Cain to take over its floundering Godfather’s Pizza chain. Cain said he returned the franchise to profitability. One of his strategies was shuttering under-performing stores.Cain is survived by his wife, Gloria Etchison, their children and grandchildren.The centerpiece of Cain’s campaign was his 9-9-9 plan, which would have replaced the current tax code with a 9% tax on personal and corporate income and a 9% national sales tax. Cain said the plan’s simplicity would stimulate the economy by giving investors certainty. A Baptist preacher who made money giving motivational speeches, Cain had a talent for selling his ideas to conservative audiences with a straightforward style.“If 10% is good enough for God, 9% ought to be good enough for the federal government,” he told crowds.Acknowledging Cain's death in a tweet Thursday, Romney wrote, “Saddened that Herman Cain—a formidable champion of business, politics and policy—has lost his battle with Covid. St. Peter will soon hear ‘999!’ Keep up the fight, my friend.”<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herman_Cain_by_Gage_Skidmore_4.jpg">Cover photo by Gage Skidmore</a>

Herman Cain dies at 74 after battling COVID-19

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon accused of shooting a man in the face during an a disturbance made his first court appearance&nbsp; Tuesday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

Terrell Parker, 30, Wichita, was formally charted with attempted 1st degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Just after 2:30 a.m. July 22, police responded to the 5100 block of E. Harry for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a 32-year-old man who had a gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that the 32-year-old victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and Parker. 

Parker fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the 32-year-old.

On July 24, police arrested Parker and booked him&nbsp; into the Sedgwick County Jail.

Parker has been arrested and convicted on additional charges that include aggravated battery and possession of drugs, according to officer Paul Cruz.

He remains <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=387511">in custody on a $250,000 bond,</a> according to online jail records.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.&nbsp;

Just after 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 5100 Block of E. Harry in Wichita for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a 32-year-old man who had a gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains with a serious but non-life-threatening injury.

The investigation revealed that the victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and a known male suspect. 

The suspect fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the victim in the face. The suspect left the area in a vehicle and has not been located.

This was not a random incident, and investigators are working to locate the suspect, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595775677152.png" alt="Parker photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Parker photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon accused of shooting a man in the face during an a disturbance made his first court appearance&nbsp; Tuesday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.Terrell Parker, 30, Wichita, was formally charted with attempted 1st degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.Just after 2:30 a.m. July 22, police responded to the 5100 block of E. Harry for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 32-year-old man who had a gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that the 32-year-old victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and Parker. Parker fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the 32-year-old.On July 24, police arrested Parker and booked him&nbsp; into the Sedgwick County Jail.Parker has been arrested and convicted on additional charges that include aggravated battery and possession of drugs, according to officer Paul Cruz.He remains <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=387511">in custody on a $250,000 bond,</a> according to online jail records.--------SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.&nbsp;Just after 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 5100 Block of E. Harry in Wichita for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 32-year-old man who had a gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains with a serious but non-life-threatening injury.The investigation revealed that the victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and a known male suspect. The suspect fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the victim in the face. The suspect left the area in a vehicle and has not been located.This was not a random incident, and investigators are working to locate the suspect, according to Davidson.

Suspect who shot Kan. man in the face charged with attempted-murder

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/29/kansas-officials-endorse-expenditure-of-254-million-in-federal-covid-19-aid/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly 
and legislators on the State Finance Council unanimously voted Wednesday
 to earmark $254 million in federal COVID-19 aid for investment in 
public health, economic development and education initiatives to help 
the state deal with the pandemic.

The money was drawn from 
$1.2 billion allocated by Congress to Kansas for coronavirus response 
and recovery initiatives. An initial $400 million was previously 
appropriated by the State Finance Council to the 105 counties based on a
 formula related to population density and COVID-19 infection rates. 
State officials are facing a Dec. 30 deadline to spend the federal money
 or return it to the treasury.

“There is some urgency to get these spending levels approved,” Kelly said.

Several Republicans on the
 State Finance Council objected to elements of this second-phase 
proposal offered by the Kelly administration. They complained there was 
too little time to evaluate the financial strategy and not enough detail
 on expenditures to fairly evaluate a plan that was designed to push 
$314 million into the state’s economy as quickly as possible.

“I know we can do better than this in helping us make decisions,” said House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe. “It’s frustrating.”

However, Senate Majority 
Leader Jim Denning, R-Overland Park, said the broad question of spending
 the $254 million for economic development, education and public health,
 and $60 million more on broadband improvements, should be endorsed by 
the council promptly so administration officials could expedite transfer
 of cash to businesses and organizations in desperate need of relief.

The State Finance Council 
concluded the debate by voting to devote $100 million to public health 
priorities, including $38 million for nursing homes, $20 million for 
state laboratory and contact tracing work, $12.5 million for community 
health facilities and $12.5 million for mental health grants.

The education components 
provide $55 million to public universities, $9.4 million to public 
community and technical colleges and $10 million for early childhood 
programs. In addition, the council agreed to authorize development of 
grant programs to offer $61 million to small businesses, $9 million to 
food producers and $8.1 million for information technology training and 
job placement.

House Majority Leader Dan 
Hawkins, R-Wichita, argued persuasively to delay action on a 
recommendation to set aside $60 million for upgrade of broadband 
services across the state. He said a joint House and Senate budget 
committee should be given the opportunity Monday to vet the economic 
development investments in internet access before a vote of the State 
Finance Council.

“This is a huge piece,” 
said Rep. Troy Waymaster, a Bunker Hill Republican and chairman of the 
House budget committee. “Who are we going to partner with? I’m still not
 seeing a plan.”

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596116669717.jpeg" alt="Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, R-Overland Park, argued to approve $314 million in federal COVID-19 aid for education, business and health initiatives rather than postpone a decision as requested from other GOP legislators. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, R-Overland Park, argued to approve $314 million in federal COVID-19 aid for education, business and health initiatives rather than postpone a decision as requested from other GOP legislators. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/29/kansas-officials-endorse-expenditure-of-254-million-in-federal-covid-19-aid/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly 
and legislators on the State Finance Council unanimously voted Wednesday
 to earmark $254 million in federal COVID-19 aid for investment in 
public health, economic development and education initiatives to help 
the state deal with the pandemic.The money was drawn from 
$1.2 billion allocated by Congress to Kansas for coronavirus response 
and recovery initiatives. An initial $400 million was previously 
appropriated by the State Finance Council to the 105 counties based on a
 formula related to population density and COVID-19 infection rates. 
State officials are facing a Dec. 30 deadline to spend the federal money
 or return it to the treasury.“There is some urgency to get these spending levels approved,” Kelly said.Several Republicans on the
 State Finance Council objected to elements of this second-phase 
proposal offered by the Kelly administration. They complained there was 
too little time to evaluate the financial strategy and not enough detail
 on expenditures to fairly evaluate a plan that was designed to push 
$314 million into the state’s economy as quickly as possible.“I know we can do better than this in helping us make decisions,” said House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe. “It’s frustrating.”However, Senate Majority 
Leader Jim Denning, R-Overland Park, said the broad question of spending
 the $254 million for economic development, education and public health,
 and $60 million more on broadband improvements, should be endorsed by 
the council promptly so administration officials could expedite transfer
 of cash to businesses and organizations in desperate need of relief.The State Finance Council 
concluded the debate by voting to devote $100 million to public health 
priorities, including $38 million for nursing homes, $20 million for 
state laboratory and contact tracing work, $12.5 million for community 
health facilities and $12.5 million for mental health grants.The education components 
provide $55 million to public universities, $9.4 million to public 
community and technical colleges and $10 million for early childhood 
programs. In addition, the council agreed to authorize development of 
grant programs to offer $61 million to small businesses, $9 million to 
food producers and $8.1 million for information technology training and 
job placement.House Majority Leader Dan 
Hawkins, R-Wichita, argued persuasively to delay action on a 
recommendation to set aside $60 million for upgrade of broadband 
services across the state. He said a joint House and Senate budget 
committee should be given the opportunity Monday to vet the economic 
development investments in internet access before a vote of the State 
Finance Council.“This is a huge piece,” 
said Rep. Troy Waymaster, a Bunker Hill Republican and chairman of the 
House budget committee. “Who are we going to partner with? I’m still not
 seeing a plan.”Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

Kan. officials endorse expenditure of $254M in federal COVID-19 aid

SHAWNEE COUNTY — After asking the public for assistance in locating a person of interest in a July shooting investigation, police have made an arrest.

On Wednesday, police arrested 35-year-old&nbsp;Michael D. Shadoan in the 1500 block of SE 10th street in Topeka, according to Police Lieutenant John Trimble.&nbsp;

Just before 6:30 a.m. on July 16, police were dispatched to the 600 block of SW Taylor Street on a report of shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 55-year-old Michael L. Brown of Topeka suffering from life-threatening injuries believed to be associated with the shooting, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.

Throughout the course of the investigation information was developed indicating that Michael D. Shadoan, 35 of Topeka was a person of interest in the shooting.&nbsp; 

Shadoan is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

He has previous convictions for burglary, aggravated failure to appear and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Correctons.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a person of interest in a July shooting investigation.

Throughout the course of the investigation information was developed indicating that Michael D. Shadoan, 35 of Topeka is a person of interest in the shooting.&nbsp; Shadoan has previous convictions for burglary, aggravated failure to appear and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Correctons.

If you see Shadoan, please do not attempt to apprehend him yourself. Call 911 immediately.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595932253972.png" alt=" Shadoan photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption> Shadoan photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — After asking the public for assistance in locating a person of interest in a July shooting investigation, police have made an arrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594907101067.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation July 16-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation July 16-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, police arrested 35-year-old&nbsp;Michael D. Shadoan in the 1500 block of SE 10th street in Topeka, according to Police Lieutenant John Trimble.&nbsp;Just before 6:30 a.m. on July 16, police were dispatched to the 600 block of SW Taylor Street on a report of shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 55-year-old Michael L. Brown of Topeka suffering from life-threatening injuries believed to be associated with the shooting, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.Throughout the course of the investigation information was developed indicating that Michael D. Shadoan, 35 of Topeka was a person of interest in the shooting.&nbsp; Shadoan is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charges of Aggravated Battery.He has previous convictions for burglary, aggravated failure to appear and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Correctons.----------SHAWNEE COUNTY — Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a person of interest in a July shooting investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594907101067.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation July 16-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation July 16-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 6:30 a.m. on July 16, police were dispatched to the 600 block of SW Taylor Street on a report of shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 55-year-old Michael L. Brown of Topeka suffering from life-threatening injuries believed to be associated with the shooting, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.Throughout the course of the investigation information was developed indicating that Michael D. Shadoan, 35 of Topeka is a person of interest in the shooting.&nbsp; Shadoan has previous convictions for burglary, aggravated failure to appear and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Correctons.If you see Shadoan, please do not attempt to apprehend him yourself. Call 911 immediately.&nbsp;

Update: Police capture wanted Kan. felon for shooting

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The biggest, most sophisticated Mars rover ever built — a car-size vehicle bristling with cameras, microphones, drills and lasers — blasted off Thursday as part of an ambitious, long-range project to bring the first Martian rock samples back to Earth to be analyzed for evidence of ancient life.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21X5lGlDOfg&amp;feature=emb_logo">Click here to watch </a>a replay of the launch

NASA’s Perseverance rode a mighty Atlas V rocket into the morning sky in the world’s third and final Mars launch of the summer. China and the United Arab Emirates got a head start last week, but all three missions should reach the red planet in February after a journey of seven months and 300 million miles (480 million kilometers).

The plutonium-powered, six-wheeled rover will drill down and collect tiny geological specimens that will be brought home in about 2031 in a sort of interplanetary relay race involving multiple spacecraft and countries. The overall cost: more than $8 billion.

In addition to addressing the life-on-Mars question, the mission will yield lessons that could pave the way for the arrival of astronauts as early as the 2030s.

“There’s a reason we call the robot Perseverance. Because going to Mars is hard,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said just before liftoff. “It is always hard. It’s never been easy. In this case, it’s harder than ever before because we’re doing it in the midst of a pandemic.”

The U.S., the only country to safely put a spacecraft on Mars, is seeking its ninth successful landing on the planet, which has proved to be the Bermuda Triangle of space exploration, with more than half of the world's missions there burning up, crashing or otherwise ending in failure.

China is sending both a rover an orbiter. The UAE, a newcomer to outer space, has an orbiter en route.

It’s the biggest stampede to Mars in spacefaring history. The opportunity to fly between Earth and Mars comes around only once every 26 months when the planets are on the same side of the sun and about as close as they can get.

Launch controllers wore masks and sat spaced apart at the Cape Canaveral control center because of the coronavirus outbreak, which kept hundreds of scientists and other team members away from Perseverance’s liftoff.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” said Alex Mather, the 13-year-old Virginia schoolboy who proposed the name Perseverance in a NASA competition and traveled to Cape Canaveral for the launch.

If all goes well, the rover will descend to the Martian surface on Feb. 18, 2021, in what NASA calls seven minutes of terror, in which the craft goes from 12,000 mph (19,300 kph) to a complete stop, with no human intervention whatsoever. It is carrying 25 cameras and a pair of microphones that will enable Earthlings to vicariously tag along.

Perseverance will aim for treacherous unexplored territory: Jezero Crater, a dusty expanse riddled with boulders, cliffs, dunes and possibly rocks bearing signs of microbes from what was once a lake more than 3 billion years ago. The rover will store half-ounce (15-gram) rock samples in dozens of super-sterilized titanium tubes.

It also will release a mini helicopter that will attempt the first powered flight on another planet, and test out other technology to prepare the way for future astronauts, including equipment for extracting oxygen from Mars' thin carbon-dioxide atmosphere.

The plan is for NASA and the European Space Agency to launch a dune buggy in 2026 to fetch the rock samples, along with a rocket ship that will put the specimens into orbit around Mars. Then another spacecraft will capture the orbiting samples and bring them home.

Samples actually brought home from Mars, not drawn from meteorites discovered on Earth, have long been considered “the Holy Grail of Mars science,” according to NASA’s original and now-retired Mars czar, Scott Hubbard.

To definitively answer the profound question of whether life exists — or ever existed — beyond Earth, the samples must be analyzed by the best electron microscopes and other instruments, far too big to fit on a spacecraft, he said.

“I’ve wanted to know if there was life elsewhere in the universe since I was 9 years old. That was more than 60 years ago,” the 71-year-old Hubbard said from his Northern&nbsp;California&nbsp;cabin. “But just maybe, I’ll live to see the fingerprints of life come back from Mars in one of those rock samples.”

Said Bridenstine: "There is nothing better than bringing samples back to Earth where we can put them in a lab and we can apply every element of technology against those samples to make determinations as to whether or not there was, at one time, life on the surface of Mars.”

Two other NASA landers are also operating on Mars: 2018′s InSight and 2012′s Curiosity rover. Six other spacecraft are exploring the planet from orbit: three from the U.S., two from Europe and one from India.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596110942258.png" alt="NASA Mars Rover weighs about 2,260 pounds including a robotic arm&nbsp;with a 99-pound turret at the end. It is about 10 feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall with&nbsp;with a robotic arm that is about 7 feet long-image courtesy NASA&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>NASA Mars Rover weighs about 2,260 pounds including a robotic arm&nbsp;with a 99-pound turret at the end. It is about 10 feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall with&nbsp;with a robotic arm that is about 7 feet long-image courtesy NASA&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The biggest, most sophisticated Mars rover ever built — a car-size vehicle bristling with cameras, microphones, drills and lasers — blasted off Thursday as part of an ambitious, long-range project to bring the first Martian rock samples back to Earth to be analyzed for evidence of ancient life.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596110726328.png" alt="Successful Thursday morning launch image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>Successful Thursday morning launch image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21X5lGlDOfg&amp;feature=emb_logo">Click here to watch </a>a replay of the launchNASA’s Perseverance rode a mighty Atlas V rocket into the morning sky in the world’s third and final Mars launch of the summer. China and the United Arab Emirates got a head start last week, but all three missions should reach the red planet in February after a journey of seven months and 300 million miles (480 million kilometers).The plutonium-powered, six-wheeled rover will drill down and collect tiny geological specimens that will be brought home in about 2031 in a sort of interplanetary relay race involving multiple spacecraft and countries. The overall cost: more than $8 billion.In addition to addressing the life-on-Mars question, the mission will yield lessons that could pave the way for the arrival of astronauts as early as the 2030s.“There’s a reason we call the robot Perseverance. Because going to Mars is hard,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said just before liftoff. “It is always hard. It’s never been easy. In this case, it’s harder than ever before because we’re doing it in the midst of a pandemic.”The U.S., the only country to safely put a spacecraft on Mars, is seeking its ninth successful landing on the planet, which has proved to be the Bermuda Triangle of space exploration, with more than half of the world's missions there burning up, crashing or otherwise ending in failure.China is sending both a rover an orbiter. The UAE, a newcomer to outer space, has an orbiter en route.It’s the biggest stampede to Mars in spacefaring history. The opportunity to fly between Earth and Mars comes around only once every 26 months when the planets are on the same side of the sun and about as close as they can get.Launch controllers wore masks and sat spaced apart at the Cape Canaveral control center because of the coronavirus outbreak, which kept hundreds of scientists and other team members away from Perseverance’s liftoff.“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” said Alex Mather, the 13-year-old Virginia schoolboy who proposed the name Perseverance in a NASA competition and traveled to Cape Canaveral for the launch.If all goes well, the rover will descend to the Martian surface on Feb. 18, 2021, in what NASA calls seven minutes of terror, in which the craft goes from 12,000 mph (19,300 kph) to a complete stop, with no human intervention whatsoever. It is carrying 25 cameras and a pair of microphones that will enable Earthlings to vicariously tag along.Perseverance will aim for treacherous unexplored territory: Jezero Crater, a dusty expanse riddled with boulders, cliffs, dunes and possibly rocks bearing signs of microbes from what was once a lake more than 3 billion years ago. The rover will store half-ounce (15-gram) rock samples in dozens of super-sterilized titanium tubes.It also will release a mini helicopter that will attempt the first powered flight on another planet, and test out other technology to prepare the way for future astronauts, including equipment for extracting oxygen from Mars' thin carbon-dioxide atmosphere.The plan is for NASA and the European Space Agency to launch a dune buggy in 2026 to fetch the rock samples, along with a rocket ship that will put the specimens into orbit around Mars. Then another spacecraft will capture the orbiting samples and bring them home.Samples actually brought home from Mars, not drawn from meteorites discovered on Earth, have long been considered “the Holy Grail of Mars science,” according to NASA’s original and now-retired Mars czar, Scott Hubbard.To definitively answer the profound question of whether life exists — or ever existed — beyond Earth, the samples must be analyzed by the best electron microscopes and other instruments, far too big to fit on a spacecraft, he said.“I’ve wanted to know if there was life elsewhere in the universe since I was 9 years old. That was more than 60 years ago,” the 71-year-old Hubbard said from his Northern&nbsp;California&nbsp;cabin. “But just maybe, I’ll live to see the fingerprints of life come back from Mars in one of those rock samples.”Said Bridenstine: "There is nothing better than bringing samples back to Earth where we can put them in a lab and we can apply every element of technology against those samples to make determinations as to whether or not there was, at one time, life on the surface of Mars.”Two other NASA landers are also operating on Mars: 2018′s InSight and 2012′s Curiosity rover. Six other spacecraft are exploring the planet from orbit: three from the U.S., two from Europe and one from India.___

NASA launches Mars rover to look for signs of ancient life

TOPEKA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced&nbsp; Wednesday she&nbsp;signed an Executive Order that will extend Executive Order #20-46, which helps make renewing driver’s licenses easier for people across the state.

Executive Order #20-60 offers temporary relief from age restrictions that prohibit applicants 50 years of age or older from applying to renew their driver’s license online. Under the new order, all drivers under the age of 65 are permitted to use the online renewal system.

“Providing every opportunity for Kansans who are at a higher risk of COVID-19 to conduct business virtually is crucial in our efforts to safely get Kansans back to work and back to school as quickly as possible,” Governor Kelly said. “This order is one of several actions my administration is working on to help Kansans return to normal while making sure we protect the health of our seniors and others who are at higher risk in this pandemic.”

The order will remain in place until rescinded, until December 31, 2020 or until the statewide State of Disaster Emergency expires, whichever is earlier.

<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F07%2FEO-20-60-Executed.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cc78a3fe7e1794549b64c08d833d29f25%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637316326982289388&amp;sdata=4PZnDUZzbBelwMa9L%2BSQUhA9YLIxkTWElzs9t6dPwtY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">To view Executive Order #20-60, click here.</a>

TOPEKA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced&nbsp; Wednesday she&nbsp;signed an Executive Order that will extend Executive Order #20-46, which helps make renewing driver’s licenses easier for people across the state.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovLauraKelly</a> signed Executive Order #20-60, extending the opportunity for Kansans under the age of 65 to renew driver&#39;s licenses online. Read Executive Order #20-46 here: <a href="https://t.co/Kwuu2AiWgN">https://t.co/Kwuu2AiWgN</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zv0ghfnX1n">pic.twitter.com/Zv0ghfnX1n</a>&mdash; Kansas Revenue (@KanRevenue) <a href="https://twitter.com/KanRevenue/status/1288509505546924033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Executive Order #20-60 offers temporary relief from age restrictions that prohibit applicants 50 years of age or older from applying to renew their driver’s license online. Under the new order, all drivers under the age of 65 are permitted to use the online renewal system.“Providing every opportunity for Kansans who are at a higher risk of COVID-19 to conduct business virtually is crucial in our efforts to safely get Kansans back to work and back to school as quickly as possible,” Governor Kelly said. “This order is one of several actions my administration is working on to help Kansans return to normal while making sure we protect the health of our seniors and others who are at higher risk in this pandemic.”The order will remain in place until rescinded, until December 31, 2020 or until the statewide State of Disaster Emergency expires, whichever is earlier.<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F07%2FEO-20-60-Executed.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cc78a3fe7e1794549b64c08d833d29f25%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637316326982289388&amp;sdata=4PZnDUZzbBelwMa9L%2BSQUhA9YLIxkTWElzs9t6dPwtY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">To view Executive Order #20-60, click here.</a>

Governor’s order lets older Kansans renew driver’s licenses online

BRANSON (AP) — The popular Missouri tourist town of Branson will require face coverings in most public places in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, despite the objections of many, including comedian Yakov Smirnoff.

Meanwhile, Missouri set another one-day record Wednesday for new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the 10th time this month that a new daily record has been reached.

Smirnoff, who operates a successful theater in Branson, told the Board of Aldermen Tuesday night that the mask ordinance would make his adopted home more like his native land, Russia.

“I’m hoping that you can make this an island of freedom and choice in the sea of hatred and fear,” Smirnoff said, drawing applause from many in the crowd.

Nevertheless, the board voted 4-1 to approve the ordinance, which requires face coverings for people ages 13 and older, with some exceptions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/6b46885a2495c6b6e9503cd2a549fda2#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Gov.,the%20spread%20of%20the%20coronavirus.&amp;text=The%20Missouri%20Department%20of%20Health,rose%20to%20909%20from%20882.">Missouri reopened its economy</a>&nbsp;in mid-June and has seen a big surge in confirmed coronavirus cases this month — so much so that a new federal report lists Missouri as among 21 states in the “red zone” for the outbreak. Those states are reporting more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson has refused to issue a statewide mask mandate, but several jurisdictions across the state have enacted their own.

Some places are going even further. Starting Friday, St. Louis County is limiting crowd sizes, ordering bars to close early and getting tough on businesses that ignore the guidelines. Kansas City is considering similar measures.

The state health department reported 1,927 new confirmed cases of the virus on Wednesday, topping the daily record of 1,773 set a day earlier. The state also announced seven more deaths.

All told, 46,750 Missourians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 1,220 have died. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

BRANSON (AP) — The popular Missouri tourist town of Branson will require face coverings in most public places in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, despite the objections of many, including comedian Yakov Smirnoff.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">📊 COVID-19 update for July 29: - 46,750 confirmed positive patients. - 1,220 Missourians lost to COVID-19. - 1,927 number of new cases added in the last 24 hours. - 7 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours. - 9.6%: 7 day percent positive of PCR tested individuals. <a href="https://t.co/XViQy0f133">pic.twitter.com/XViQy0f133</a>&mdash; Mo Health &amp; Sr Srvcs (@HealthyLivingMo) <a href="https://twitter.com/HealthyLivingMo/status/1288549940067803142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Meanwhile, Missouri set another one-day record Wednesday for new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the 10th time this month that a new daily record has been reached.Smirnoff, who operates a successful theater in Branson, told the Board of Aldermen Tuesday night that the mask ordinance would make his adopted home more like his native land, Russia.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Yakov Smirnoff appeared at a Branson city meeting tonight. He opposed a mask ordinance. <a href="https://t.co/BRpEwwZpiQ">pic.twitter.com/BRpEwwZpiQ</a>&mdash; Rob Zerwekh (@zerwekh) <a href="https://twitter.com/zerwekh/status/1288283868089520130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I’m hoping that you can make this an island of freedom and choice in the sea of hatred and fear,” Smirnoff said, drawing applause from many in the crowd.Nevertheless, the board voted 4-1 to approve the ordinance, which requires face coverings for people ages 13 and older, with some exceptions.<a href="https://apnews.com/6b46885a2495c6b6e9503cd2a549fda2#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Gov.,the%20spread%20of%20the%20coronavirus.&amp;text=The%20Missouri%20Department%20of%20Health,rose%20to%20909%20from%20882.">Missouri reopened its economy</a>&nbsp;in mid-June and has seen a big surge in confirmed coronavirus cases this month — so much so that a new federal report lists Missouri as among 21 states in the “red zone” for the outbreak. Those states are reporting more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people.Republican Gov. Mike Parson has refused to issue a statewide mask mandate, but several jurisdictions across the state have enacted their own.Some places are going even further. Starting Friday, St. Louis County is limiting crowd sizes, ordering bars to close early and getting tough on businesses that ignore the guidelines. Kansas City is considering similar measures.The state health department reported 1,927 new confirmed cases of the virus on Wednesday, topping the daily record of 1,773 set a day earlier. The state also announced seven more deaths.All told, 46,750 Missourians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 1,220 have died. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

Tourist town of Branson to require face coverings

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 51-year-old Topeka man has been charged with unintentional but reckless second-degree murder and other counts for a June crash that killed a motorcyclist. 

&nbsp;Tommy Lynn Sherrill Sr. was charged Tuesday in the June 30 crash that led to the death of 26-year-old motorcyclist Dylan Jay Hernandez. Hernandez died July 11 of complications from massive head trauma suffered when his motorcycle collided with a building at Topeka's municipal airport. 

Prosecutors say an investigation showed a truck was involved in causing the crash and that Sherrill had been driving the truck. Sherrill was arrested July 22 and is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a fatal motorcycle crash have made an arrest.

Just after 9:30a.m. June 30 at around 9:40 a.m. police respondedPhilip Billard Municipal Airport located at 3600 NE Sardou Avenue on a report of a motorcycle crash, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.

Upon arrival, officers located the driver of the motorcycle later identified as Dylan J. Hernandez, 26, Topeka, suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he died.

During the course of the investigation it was discovered there was an incident prior to the crash. The investigation revealed that Tommy L. Sherrill Sr., 51 was involved in the that incident.

With assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Sherrill Sr. was located Wednesday afternoon in the 500 block of SE Golden Ave. and taken into custody. Sherrill Sr. was later arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges2nd degree reckless homicide, Aggravated assault

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595501390801.png" alt="Sherrill&nbsp; has a long history of crime including convictions for aggravated sex battery, theft, burglary, driving while suspended, flee and attempt to elude police and driving while suspended - photo Shawnee Co. Dept. of&nbsp; Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Sherrill&nbsp; has a long history of crime including convictions for aggravated sex battery, theft, burglary, driving while suspended, flee and attempt to elude police and driving while suspended - photo Shawnee Co. Dept. of&nbsp; Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 51-year-old Topeka man has been charged with unintentional but reckless second-degree murder and other counts for a June crash that killed a motorcyclist. &nbsp;Tommy Lynn Sherrill Sr. was charged Tuesday in the June 30 crash that led to the death of 26-year-old motorcyclist Dylan Jay Hernandez. Hernandez died July 11 of complications from massive head trauma suffered when his motorcycle collided with a building at Topeka's municipal airport. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594066660602.png" alt="Fatal crash scene photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Fatal crash scene photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Prosecutors say an investigation showed a truck was involved in causing the crash and that Sherrill had been driving the truck. Sherrill was arrested July 22 and is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.--------SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a fatal motorcycle crash have made an arrest.Just after 9:30a.m. June 30 at around 9:40 a.m. police respondedPhilip Billard Municipal Airport located at 3600 NE Sardou Avenue on a report of a motorcycle crash, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.Upon arrival, officers located the driver of the motorcycle later identified as Dylan J. Hernandez, 26, Topeka, suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he died.During the course of the investigation it was discovered there was an incident prior to the crash. The investigation revealed that Tommy L. Sherrill Sr., 51 was involved in the that incident.With assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Sherrill Sr. was located Wednesday afternoon in the 500 block of SE Golden Ave. and taken into custody. Sherrill Sr. was later arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges2nd degree reckless homicide, Aggravated assault

Kansas felon charged in fatal motorcycle crash

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <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">Kansas News Service</a>

When the coronavirus hit Kansas, there’s no question the state — like
 the rest of the country — was unprepared. That showed in the mad 
scramble to buy more surgical and N95 masks, gowns and nasal swabs.

Public
 officials say Kansas has made progress on those and other fronts. Yet 
gaps in data make it hard to pinpoint whether Kansas has what it needs —
 at a time when cases are increasing at an alarming rate.

Here’s a quick look at where Kansas stands now on the most important measures.

How common is coronavirus in Kansas?

Kansas
 has identified more than 26,000 cases of coronavirus so far. In all 
likelihood, that’s a gross undercount for at least three reasons.

First,
 many people carrying the virus experience few or no symptoms. Second, 
many who’ve had symptoms — especially early on in the pandemic when 
supplies were most limited — couldn’t get tested. Finally, studies at <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/covid-19-story-tip-beware-of-false-negatives-in-diagnostic-testing-of-covid-19" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University</a> and elsewhere suggest COVID-19 tests often fail to catch the virus.

That’s
 why experts like to look at other figures, too, to gauge the spread of 
the disease. Those include deaths, hospitalizations and the percentage 
of tests that come back positive.

Here’s some good news: Fewer people are dying of coronavirus than a few months ago.

But deaths go up in the weeks after hospitalizations go up, so there’s cause for worry.

Where do we stand on hospitalizations?

Here
 comes the bad news. In mid-July, the number of reported COVID-19 
inpatients crept close to 400. April, May and June never saw numbers 
that high.

Hospital
 admissions can climb quickly, especially when celebrations and 
gatherings lead to bursts of viral spread that show up in local 
emergency rooms two or three weeks later.

Another sign that the virus has picked up pace

About 16% of Kansans who got tested in the past week got a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to Johns Hopkins University.

As
 more people get tested, the rate of positive cases should drop, because
 testing reaches beyond just those with nasty coughs and fevers.

That
 was the case well into June for both Kansas and the U.S. But then the 
positive rate started climbing, even though testing increased. Check out
 these Johns Hopkins graphs for <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/usa" target="_blank">the U.S</a>. and <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/kansas" target="_blank">Kansas</a> to see for yourself.

So does Kansas have enough testing supplies now?

Kansas
 and its hospitals struggled to get testing supplies when the pandemic 
hit. The state was testing a smaller proportion of its population than 
any other state. Although things have gotten better, it remains in <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/states-comparison" target="_blank">the bottom 10 states</a>.

Several thousand Kansans get tested <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">per day</a> now, yet hospitals and labs across the state would be able to test thousands more.

The
 state lab in Topeka — which runs tests for free — can handle 1,000 
tests a day, a spokeswoman said. At times, the staff works overtime to 
get as many as 1,500 done.

Another 40 sites across Kansas run 
equipment that can handle up to 8,000 COVID-19 tests a day combined, 
state health officials say. On top of that, some clinics and hospitals 
outsource their testing to major commercial laboratories.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596044235760.png" alt=" Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <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">Kansas News Service</a>When the coronavirus hit Kansas, there’s no question the state — like
 the rest of the country — was unprepared. That showed in the mad 
scramble to buy more surgical and N95 masks, gowns and nasal swabs.Public
 officials say Kansas has made progress on those and other fronts. Yet 
gaps in data make it hard to pinpoint whether Kansas has what it needs —
 at a time when cases are increasing at an alarming rate.Here’s a quick look at where Kansas stands now on the most important measures.How common is coronavirus in Kansas?Kansas
 has identified more than 26,000 cases of coronavirus so far. In all 
likelihood, that’s a gross undercount for at least three reasons.First,
 many people carrying the virus experience few or no symptoms. Second, 
many who’ve had symptoms — especially early on in the pandemic when 
supplies were most limited — couldn’t get tested. Finally, studies at <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/covid-19-story-tip-beware-of-false-negatives-in-diagnostic-testing-of-covid-19" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University</a> and elsewhere suggest COVID-19 tests often fail to catch the virus.That’s
 why experts like to look at other figures, too, to gauge the spread of 
the disease. Those include deaths, hospitalizations and the percentage 
of tests that come back positive.How many people are dying?Here’s some good news: Fewer people are dying of coronavirus than a few months ago.<ul>
 <li>April: 4.3 people died per day on average in Kansas.</li><li>May: 2.7 people</li><li>June: 1.8 people</li><li>July so far: 1.3 people</li>
 </ul>But deaths go up in the weeks after hospitalizations go up, so there’s cause for worry.Where do we stand on hospitalizations?Here
 comes the bad news. In mid-July, the number of reported COVID-19 
inpatients crept close to 400. April, May and June never saw numbers 
that high.<ul>
 <li>On an average day in April, 104 people were in the hospital with coronavirus</li><li>On an average day in May, 196 people</li><li>On an average day in June, 170 people</li><li>On an average day in July so far: 256 people</li>
 </ul>Hospital
 admissions can climb quickly, especially when celebrations and 
gatherings lead to bursts of viral spread that show up in local 
emergency rooms two or three weeks later.Another sign that the virus has picked up paceAbout 16% of Kansans who got tested in the past week got a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to Johns Hopkins University.As
 more people get tested, the rate of positive cases should drop, because
 testing reaches beyond just those with nasty coughs and fevers.That
 was the case well into June for both Kansas and the U.S. But then the 
positive rate started climbing, even though testing increased. Check out
 these Johns Hopkins graphs for <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/usa" target="_blank">the U.S</a>. and <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states/kansas" target="_blank">Kansas</a> to see for yourself.So does Kansas have enough testing supplies now?Kansas
 and its hospitals struggled to get testing supplies when the pandemic 
hit. The state was testing a smaller proportion of its population than 
any other state. Although things have gotten better, it remains in <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/states-comparison" target="_blank">the bottom 10 states</a>.Several thousand Kansans get tested <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">per day</a> now, yet hospitals and labs across the state would be able to test thousands more.The
 state lab in Topeka — which runs tests for free — can handle 1,000 
tests a day, a spokeswoman said. At times, the staff works overtime to 
get as many as 1,500 done.Another 40 sites across Kansas run 
equipment that can handle up to 8,000 COVID-19 tests a day combined, 
state health officials say. On top of that, some clinics and hospitals 
outsource their testing to major commercial laboratories.State 
health officials have heard anecdotally that some health care providers 
continue to run into shortages of compounds, pipette tips and other 
supplies needed to carry out tests. And some places waiting on testing 
equipment have been told by vendors to wait weeks or months for 
delivery.And what about contact tracers?George Washington University estimates Kansas needs <a href="https://www.gwhwi.org/estimator-613404.html" target="_blank">around 2,700</a> contact tracers. Yet public health experts don’t know how many tracers are on the job in Kansas in total.County health departments do most of the work. However, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-09/local-health-departments-in-kansas-struggled-to-get-the-tools-for-the-frontline-fight-against-coronavirus" target="_blank">University of Kansas research</a> from April found some counties lacked enough manpower.The
 state health department has 27 tracers and will train another 23 this 
week. That’s a small fraction of the 400 that the health department 
originally envisioned.A spokeswoman said the agency trained volunteers to boost its numbers, but then found they weren’t needed.Do we have enough ICU beds and ventilators?Of
 the more than 1,600 Kansans who’ve landed in the hospital with 
COVID-19, more than one in four got sick enough to need space in 
intensive care units. Those ICU beds are critical to keeping people 
alive.But pinning down capacity is tricky because daily counts 
tend to be incomplete. As of July 14, the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention estimated 690, or about half, of ICU beds in Kansas were
 full.Most COVID-19 patients don’t get sick enough to need ventilators, even if they land in the hospital.Ventilator
 tallies are also incomplete, but of the nearly 300 coronavirus 
inpatients reported at Kansas hospitals last Friday, fewer than 10% were
 on ventilators. And even with other patients added in, 85% of the 
ventilators at those hospitals were available.What about supplies of protective gear, like face masks?The
 decentralized nature of supply distribution makes it hard to know the 
situation. Hospitals, nursing homes and other places buy supplies 
independently, or sometimes get help from local emergency departments. 
Those, in turn, get help from the state.The Kansas Department of 
Emergency Management said in an email that the state helps dole out 
N95s, gowns and more, as supplies allow. Right now, it said, hand 
sanitizer and medium through extra-large gloves are in short supply.Nursing
 homes in Kansas and across the country have struggled especially to get
 supplies. As a result, some have relied on cloth face masks for months,
 even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t 
count those masks as personal protective gear. In May, <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">Kaiser Health News</a> reported that one-fifth of the nation’s nursing homes didn’t have even a week’s worth of gear on hand.The
 Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services found more than a 
third of nearly 400 facilities surveyed this month say they will need 
more N95 masks, gloves, gowns, surgical masks or hand sanitizer within 
two weeks.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.